Still awaiting NCAA waiver, Bijan Cortes hopes to make impact for Wichita State basketball
Five days before the start of the regular season, the Wichita State men’s basketball team is still awaiting word from the NCAA if point guard Bijan Cortes will be eligible for Monday’s tip-off against Lipscomb.
An academic issue has prevented the transfer from Oklahoma from seeing the court so far for the Shockers, as the 6-foot-2 junior was unable to play with the team during its exhibition tour in Greece and was sidelined for this past Sunday’s exhibition game at Koch Arena.
Due to student privacy laws, WSU is unable to specify the type of waiver Cortes needs to play, but a team spokesperson confirmed there is “an ongoing process” for Cortes to receive a waiver from the NCAA to play this season.
“We’ve turned everything in, it’s just a matter of waiting,” Mills told The Eagle last month. “It’s an academic issue, not a two-time transfer issue, so that’s why we’re not overly concerned about it. It’s a process. Now we’re just waiting on that process.”
While the situation has prevented him from playing in a game or scrimmage with his teammates, Cortes said the waiting process hasn’t been a frustration for him — even as the start of the season draws near without clarity.
“This year I’m just keeping a positive mindset,” Cortes said. “I’m just focused on being the best I can be every single day. I’m excited for the season.”
Cortes could certainly bring some excitement to the Roundhouse this season with his flashy playing style, but also as the roster’s lone natural point guard.
Ball-handling seems to be at the forefront of questions facing the Shockers entering this season and WSU didn’t do much to dispel that notion with 17 turnovers in its debut performance last Sunday in a 21-point exhibition win over Rogers State.
Could Cortes help with those concerns? Of course. He showed glimpses of standout play in his two seasons at OU and he was a former highly-rated high school recruit whose former coach believes could return to form under Mills’ system in Wichita.
But Cortes also comes to WSU seeking to improve his decision-making after turning the ball over at an alarming rate in limited minutes for the Sooners.
“With Bijan, you definitely see the flashes, but we just talked about this with our staff and he is feast or famine,” Mills said. “You’re going to see him make some plays and go, ‘Whoa’ and then you’re going to see him barrel over somebody. That’s why he had a 33% turnover rate. That’s not great when one out of three times you’re giving it to the opposition. It’s not that he can’t see or he can’t handle, it’s just the pace in which he plays at. He’s got to get a little bit slower, or at least more under control.”
On his official visit to WSU in the spring, Cortes appreciated the honesty in which Mills assessed his game. He wanted a coach who wasn’t going to sugar-coat anything and who would help him make the necessary improvements to elevate his game.
While Cortes hasn’t been able to play in exhibitions or scrimmages for WSU, he has still been able to practice with the team. He doesn’t want to lose the spontaneity that comes with his fast playing style, but he also wants to cut down on his turnovers and has focused on playing more under control in practices.
“I think a big part is me just trying not to make the big play every time,” Cortes said. “I think I was kind of hunting the home-run play, so now I’m focused on just being sound with my plays. Getting the ball moving, getting the offense going, making smart plays.”
Upon studying Cortes’ tape at OU, Mills noticed the majority of his reckless plays came when he jumped off one leg. Sometimes he didn’t know where he was going with the basketball, which led to a turnover, and sometimes he did and tried to force a pass or shot in a crowd, which also led to a turnover.
Mills instructed Cortes to watch old highlights of Derrick Rose and study how he constantly played off of two feet. The coach has been pleased with how the young athlete has responded to the critique.
“When he came in, we told him, ‘Here’s how I can help. If I can’t help you, there’s no reason to come here,’” Mills said. “His turnovers were way too much and then you show him, if you want to play pro, let’s look at point guards and what their turnover rates are.
“A lot of it is just being simpler with his game. Let’s not overthink this right now, but some of it is the pace in which he plays. There’s no reason to do that. We don’t need to constantly be in, ‘How fast can you go?’ Because at this level, you’re not always going to win the speed race.”
Playing behind an all-conference point guard in Grant Sherfield, a former Shocker, Cortes had modest averages of 3.2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists playing around 17 minutes per game last season. He knocked down 48.1% of his 3-pointers (13 of 27) last season and 50% (17 of 34) in his two-year career at OU.
In his time at Oral Roberts, Mills earned a reputation as a coach who produced teams with strong guard play, low turnovers and a lot of 3-pointers. Cortes wants to be next in line.
“Last year I never really knew how many minutes I was going to play, so I was trying to make the big play every time and that caused a lot of turnovers,” Cortes said. “This year knowing what role I could have, being more fundamental and more sound on the offensive end, I want to let the game come to me this year and I think that’s going to help me out a lot. Plus, coach (Mills) is really helping me progress and teaching me to play off two feet more. I’ve worked really hard on all of the stuff he’s told me this summer.”
In Cortes’ absence, Xavier Bell has slotted in at point guard and WSU has taken a more collective approach to ball-handling duties with shooting guard Colby Rogers and wing Harlond Beverly splitting time at point guard and junior center Kenny Pohto also helping with distributing.
It remains to be seen if Cortes will be added to the mix, but the Kingfisher, Okla. native is optimistic about what he could potentially bring to the team.
“I’m really excited about this team and coach (Mills) has a great offensive system that is going to help all of us,” Cortes said. “It really all comes down to reads. Having Colby come off a ball screen as an option, that’s perfect. Kenny can pick and pop, that’s what I’m into. Harlond can drive it, pass it. We just have a lot of weapons and I’m excited to see what we can do.”
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