How Isaac Abidde grabbed Paul Mills’ attention to push for bigger role at Wichita State
His contributions were limited in his first season playing for the Wichita State men’s basketball team, so it’s easy to gloss over Isaac Abidde’s name.
Averages of 2.4 points and 1.4 rebounds don’t exactly scream a breakout season is coming.
But past statistics don’t mean much to first-year head coach Paul Mills, who was immediately intrigued by the 20-year-old redshirt sophomore after watching the 6-foot-9 forward look like he was jumping on a pogo stick this spring.
“I know he hasn’t really played much his first two years, but I’ve been really impressed with Isaac,” Mills said after a late July practice. “After watching him in spring workouts, I thought he was a guy that could really contribute. I’ve been really impressed, as long as his motor is running.”
It’s difficult to say with any certainty what Abidde can and cannot be in a Shocker uniform after a debut season when he saw less time on the court than the three-hour run time of Oppenheimer.
The flashes of Abidde’s athleticism were tantalizing: he would sky above a crowd for a rebound, explode off the ground to finish at the rim, bound off the floor to swat a shot.
But like most first-year players, he struggled with consistency. A momentary lapse on defense, a missed box-out, a rushed outside shot. He was out of the rotation to start the season, started seeing time, sat the bench again, played 32 minutes one game, then five minutes the next and ultimately never found a consistent role.
Abidde is something of a paradox: he has as much experience as anyone in the program, entering his third year, but with only 171 career minutes, he is one of the most inexperienced players on the team.
“That’s how I feel, like I’m experienced but still inexperienced,” Abidde said. “I think the main thing is I have a lot more confidence in myself than I did (last year).”
What is the biggest difference in a confident Abidde on the court? He’s been empowered by this new coaching staff, particularly big-man coach Quincy Acy, to harness his top-notch athleticism to wreak havoc on the offensive glass.
In an extremely limited sample size, Abidde grabbed 7.8% of available offensive rebounds when he was on the floor last season. It was a solid rate, but truly standout offensive rebounders typically are north of 10%. That’s the kind of impact WSU coaches believe Abidde can have on the glass.
“We all know about his athleticism, but he’s able to keep basketballs alive just through his pursuit,” Mills said. “Usually he’s going to retrieve them, but also he can use his length to tip them out to teammates to extend a possession. He’s utilized his athleticism in order to lengthen possessions and then get quality possessions from the ones he does retrieve.”
During the 10 practices preceding WSU’s foreign exhibition tour in Greece, Abidde and other post players have been drilled to improve their offensive rebounding. If a shot is taken from the left corner, players are instructed to crash the glass on the right side of the court, given the likelihood of a miss caroming off the other side of the rim.
Abidde has been a quick learner in the drill and when he is able to build his momentum from the perimeter, his combination of length and athleticism has made him quite difficult to contain on the offensive glass.
“Usually I’m the most athletic guy on the floor, so coach told me the other day to use my first two steps as hard as I can to get to the glass,” Abide said. “I just try to read where the ball is going to go and that’s what I’ve been working on.”
The Shockers departed for Greece on Tuesday, which will be spent entirely on travel, then have two days to acclimate themselves before playing the first of three exhibition games on Friday at 10 a.m. Central time against a collection of professional players in Thessaloniki. WSU is also slated to take on the University of Calgary twice in a span of three days, with both start times at noon Central time on Monday, Aug. 7 and Wednesday, Aug. 9 in Zografou to conclude the trip.
With eligibility issues for second-time transfer Ronnie DeGray III, Abidde is the only natural power forward who will play in Greece. Mills isn’t a coach who is beholden to positions, but minutes at the power forward position seem up for grabs and Abidde has as good of a chance as anyone to capitalize.
“We’re not trying to go over there and make decisions on August 5 about what’s going to happen on November 6,” Mills said. “We’re going to enjoy the experience. Everybody will get a chance to contribute, I think that’s what summer should be. But there are some questions we want answered — what do certain lineups, certain combinations look like? In the end, it’s going to be an opportunity for everyone to prove themselves.”
This story was originally published August 1, 2023 at 7:23 AM.
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