Opponent, date set for Paul Mills’ debut game as Wichita State men’s basketball coach
The stage is set for the regular-season debut of the Wichita State men’s basketball team at Koch Arena under first-year head coach Paul Mills.
Opening night is slated for Monday, Nov. 6, when the Shockers will take on Lipscomb at the Roundhouse to open the 2023-24 season. The added game on the schedule was first reported by college basketball analyst Rocco Miller, then later confirmed by The Eagle.
The Lipscomb matchup is believed to be the first addition made by Mills and his staff, as the previously announced games — home against Richmond (Nov. 14), three games at the Myrtle Beach Invitational (Nov. 16-19), at Missouri (Dec. 3), against Kansas State in Kansas City (Dec. 22) and home against Western Kentucky (TBD) — were all finalized under former head coach Isaac Brown.
In recent seasons, WSU has played 12 non-conference games, which would leave five games remaining on the 2023-24 schedule if that is once again the case. The Eagle has submitted an open records request for additional information on WSU’s scheduling, but it remains in the process of being fulfilled by the university.
Lipscomb finished with a 20-13 record and fifth place in the 14-team ASUN Conference this past season. The Bison finished the season as the No. 147 team in the NET rankings and No. 153 in KenPom’s final adjusted efficiency rankings. The team, coached by Lennie Acuff, is currently slated to return its top four scorers, including 6-foot-8 standout forward Jacob Ognacevic (17.7 points, 4.4 rebounds).
For reference, the game will count as a Quadrant 3 game for WSU if Lipscomb finishes between No. 76-160 in the NET rankings or a Quadrant 4 game if Lipscomb fails to crack the Top-160.
Before Mills can finalize a schedule, he first needs to finalize his first roster with the Shockers. After adding incoming freshman Joy Ighovodja last week, WSU currently has four scholarships remaining for its 2023 recruiting class.
Junior wing Colby Rogers, junior guard Xavier Bell, junior center Quincy Ballard, sophomore wing Jalen Ricks and sophomore forward Isaac Abidde are the returners from last season’s roster. Senior center Jacob Germany (Texas-San Antonio), junior wing Harlond Beverly (Miami, Fla.) and junior point guard Bijan Cortes (Oklahoma) have signed from the transfer portal.
Former Shockers currently unsigned in the transfer portal remain Jaykwon Walton, Kenny Pohto and Jaron Pierre Jr., all three of whom started and played extensively for WSU this past season. A player in the transfer portal could potentially remove their name and return to their former team, but the school is not obligated to honor their scholarship for next season.
This story was originally published May 2, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
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