Find out how former Wichita State basketball stars are doing in their pro careers
Anticipation is growing for the upcoming Wichita State men’s basketball season, which is less than a month away from officially tipping off.
But what about the former Shockers? The ones who helped win championships, played in NCAA Tournaments and became March Madness darlings?
While the college basketball season is still approaching, many pro leagues across Europe have just begun play. There is still time for players to figure out where they are playing professionally this upcoming season, but the start of October is as good of time as any to nail down the landing spots for former WSU players who have continued their basketball careers as pros.
Here’s a list to help Wichita State fans catch up on their former favorite players to see how they’re doing since they left Koch Arena.
Former Wichita State players who left as Shockers
Malcolm Armstead (2011-13)
Team: Golden Eagle Ylli (Theranda, Kosovo)
League: Kosovo Basketball Superleague
Age: 35
Notes: Entering his 12th season as a pro, Armstead is back in Kosovo for the third straight year. He averaged 11.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists for Sigal Prishtina last season, while this year the 6-foot point guard will lead a Ylli team that lost by one point in the final game of the championship series last year.
Zach Brown (2014-18)
Team: Falco KC (Szombathely, Hungary)
League: Hungary National Championship I/A
Age: 29
Notes: After helping Falco win a championship in Hungary during the 2022-23 season, Brown missed all of last season with a knee injury. In a feel-good story, Falco is the team who is bringing Brown back after he completed his rehabilitation in Wichita. The 6-foot-6 wing averaged 9.1 points and 3.7 rebounds while knocking down 37.8% of his 3s during Falco’s title run in 2023.
Tekele Cotton (2011-15)
Team: Undecided
League: Undecided
Age: 31
Notes: After missing the 2022-23 season due to injury, Cotton made a successful return to Italy’s second division last season and averaged 11.9 and 3.8 rebounds for Juvi Cremona. It’s currently unclear if he plans on returning to Italy, where he has played three years of his professional career, or if he is planning on playing elsewhere.
Cleanthony Early (2012-14)
Team: Sagesse (Beirut, Lebanon)
League: Lebanese Basketball League
Age: 33
Notes: After joining Sagesse late last season to help spur a championship appearance, Early is returning to the same club in Lebanon for his 10th professional season. He averaged 18.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists last season for Sagesse, while shooting 51.4% from the field.
Jaime Echenique (2018-20)
Team: Petkim Spor (Izmir, Turkey)
League: Turkey Basketball Super League
Age: 27
Notes: Grinded for two years in the G League, most notably becoming the first Colombian to play in the NBA, then has since focused on the European game. After successful stops in Lithuania and Greece, where Echenique averaged double-figures, the 7-footer is playing in a well-respected Turkey league.
Tyson Etienne (2019-22)
Team: Long Island Nets
League: G League
Age: 25
Notes: Coming off a career-best season where he averaged 10.6 points and 3.7 assists for the College Park Skyhawks in his second year in the G League. An offseason trade has sent 2021 AAC Co-Player of the Year to the Brooklyn Nets organization, where he is likely to end up playing in the G League in Long Island, not far from where the Englewood, New Jersey, native grew up.
Conner Frankamp (2015-18)
Team: Undecided
League: Undecided
Age: 29
Notes: His career has taken him to some of the best leagues in the world, as Frankamp returned to Spain’s high-profile league last season. After changing teams halfway through last season, the 6-foot-1 point guard averaged 8.4 points and 2.3 assists for Palencia. It is unclear if a return to Spain is in the cards or not.
Alterique Gilbert (2020-21)
Team: Gornik Walbrzych (Walbrzych, Poland)
League: Polish Basketball League
Age: 27
Notes: Entering his fourth season as a pro, Gilbert has made the move to Poland’s top league. The 6-foot point guard averaged 6.7 points and 4.3 assists last season playing in Finland’s top league.
Clevin Hannah (2008-10)
Team: Halcones de Xalapa (Xalapa, Mexico)
League: Mexican National Professional Basketball League
Age: 36
Notes: The oldest Shocker still playing professionally, Hanna is wrapping up his 15th season in Mexico’s top-tier league. The 5-foot-11 floor general is still executing at a high level, as he’s averaging 11.5 points and 4.5 assists while knocking down 55.2% of his shots, 47.9% of his 3-pointers (on 1.9 makes per game) and 81.3% of his free throws.
Samajae Haynes-Jones (2017-19)
Team: SCMU Craiova (Craiova, Romania)
League: Romanian National League
Age: 28
Notes: Coming off back-to-back seasons where the Wichita native averaged double-digit scoring, Haynes-Jones has found a new home in Romania as a starting point guard. He averaged 12.8 points and 4.2 assists last season in North Macedonia.
Rashard Kelly (2014-18)
Team: Aomori Watts
League: Japan B2 League
Age: 29
Notes: Another former Shocker who has played in some of the top leagues in the world, Kelly is leaving Europe to play in Japan for his seventh professional season. The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 9.6 points and 4.8 rebounds last season in France’s top league.
Markis McDuffie (2015-19)
Team: JDA Dijon Basket (Dijon, France)
League: France LNB Elite
Age: 27
Notes: Another one of the former Shockers who has played in some of the best leagues in the world, McDuffie is returning to France’s elite league to the same team he played for during the 2022-23 season. He’s coming off a campaign in the top-tier Italy league where he averaged 16.3 points and 6.3 rebounds last season.
Rauno Nurger (2014-18)
Team: Tartu Ulikooli (Tartu, Estonia)
League: Estonian-Latvian Basketball League
Age: 30
Notes: The Estonian native has enjoyed playing in his home country for most of his professional career, as he has played for Kalev-Cramo for three of the past four seasons. He averaged 7.8 points and 4.9 rebounds this past season to help a dominant Kalev-Cramo team win the league championship. But the 6-foot-11 center is on the move for this season, as he has switched to Tartu, the team Kalev-Cramo defeated in the finals last season.
Gus Okafor (2022-23)
Team: Undecided
League: Undecided
Age: 25
Notes: Okafor enjoyed a successful rookie season as a pro in Denmark’s top league last year, averaging 14.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists for Team FOG Naestved. It is unclear where the former Shocker is headed for this upcoming season.
Craig Porter Jr. (2020-23)
Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
League: National Basketball Association
Age: 24
Notes: Porter became the latest Shocker guard to force his way into the NBA, as he helped the Cavaliers win the NBA Summer League title and landed a spot on the NBA team. The 6-foot-2 point guard played so well in a time of need for the Cavs, averaging 9.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.5 assists in six starts, he was awarded a four-year contract. He will look to provide a spark off the bench once again this season for a Cleveland team competing at the top of the Eastern conference.
Joe Ragland (2010-12)
Team: Hapoel Tel Aviv (Tel Aviv, Israel)
League: Israel Basketball Premier League
Age: 34
Notes: The 6-foot sharpshooter has made a good living in Israel, where he returns for the fourth time in the last five years. This time he is running point for a high-profile team in Tel Aviv with backcourt partner Patrick Beverley, who made recent news by leaving the NBA to play in Israel. Ragland averaged 17.2 points for Hapoel Holon in the 2022-23 season, the last time he played in Israel’s top-tier league.
Dalen Ridgnal (2023-24)
Team: BC Beroe (Stara Zagora, Bulgaria)
League: Bulgarian National Basketball League
Age: 23
Notes: The only senior off last year’s roster who is pursuing a professional career, Ridgnal will get his start for the same team that Conner Frankamp played for as a rookie in the 2018-19 season. Beroe finished in last place last season in Bulgaria’s top league, so Ridgnal will try to help change the team’s fortune this season.
James Rojas (2022-23)
Team: Undecided
League: Undecided
Age: 25
Notes: Enjoyed a monster rookie season in Finland, where he averaged 20.6 points and led the league in rebounding at 14.2 per game for Kipina Aanekoski in the second-tier division. It is currently unclear where the 6-foot-6 forward is headed for his second professional season.
Landry Shamet (2015-18)
Team: New York Knicks
League: National Basketball Association
Age: 27
Notes: It has been a wild career in the NBA for Shamet, who will potentially play for his sixth different team entering his seventh season as a pro. After averaging a career-low 7.1 points last season for the Washington Wizards, the first non-competitive team he played for in his career, Shamet is back on a contender this season with a Knicks team expected to compete for a championship. He signed an Exhibit 9 deal with the Knicks, meaning his deal is non-guaranteed and he will have to play his way into a full-time contract during the preseason.
Fred VanVleet (2012-16)
Team: Houston Rockets
League: National Basketball Association
Age: 30
Notes: He’s won an NBA championship, been named an All-Star and earned more than $122 million, as VanVleet is building a convincing case as the most successful NBA player in WSU history. After averaging 17.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and a career-high 8.1 assists, VanVleet returns for his second and possibly final season with the Rockets. He is slated to make more than $42 million this season with a team option for the 2025-26 season, as the upstart Rockets look to push for a playoff appearance this season.
Bush Wamukota (2014-16)
Team: APR Basketball Club (Kigali, Rwanda)
League: Rwanda Basketball League
Age: 31
Notes: The 7-footer just wrapped up his seventh season as a professional, as the Kenya native has thrived in the Rwanda Basketball League. He is a two-time RBL champion and was voted the best center in the league in 2021. He averaged 6.3 points and 6.5 rebounds for APR this past season, which went from February to September, while also playing a handful of games in the Basketball Africa League.
Nick Wiggins (2012-14)
Team: Undecided
League: Undecided
Age: 33
Notes: It’s unclear if the 33-year-old will be back for another season of pro ball, but Wiggins did average 10.2 points and 3.4 rebounds last season playing nine games in Indonesia.
Darral Willis Jr. (2016-18)
Team: Kyoto Hannaryz (Kyoto, Japan)
League: Japan B League
Age: 28
Notes: After a dominant season where the 6-foot-9 big man averaged 15.7 points and 7.6 points, Willis is returning to the Japan B League this upcoming season. He played for Levanga Hokkaido last season, but signed with Kyoto Hannaryz this summer.
Former Shockers who finished elsewhere
Teddy Allen (2018-19)
Team: Saskatchewan Rattlers (Saskatchewan, Canada)
League: Canadian Elite Basketball League
Age: 26
Notes: After averaging 27.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists and winning MVP for Winnipeg in the top Canadian league in the 2022-23 season, Allen left the team halfway through last season and joined rival Saskatchewan. He averaged 22.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists in the final eight games of the season, which runs from May to August.
Jamarius Burton (2018-20)
Team: MVM-OSE Lions (Oraszlany, Hungary)
League: Hungary National Championship I/A
Age: 24
Notes: Burton averaged 10.8 points in his rookie season in Belgium, which earned him a chance in Hungary’s top division. The 6-foot-4 guard is averaging 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists early in the season for the Lions.
Ricky Council IV (2020-22)
Team: Philadelphia 76ers
League: National Basketball Association
Age: 23
Notes: Another in an increasing line of former Shockers who have gone undrafted, but forced their way into the NBA. He began as a two-way contract, then earned a full-time spot on the NBA roster with a four-year contract from the flashes he showed in limited playing time. He averaged 5.4 points in just 9.0 minutes of game action last season.
Dexter Dennis (2018-22)
Team: Cleveland Charge
League: G-League
Age: 25
Notes: Made his NBA debut last season with the Dallas Mavericks and scored 22 points in four appearances. Also impressed during stints in the G League, where he averaged 9.8 points and 4.3 rebounds last season in 31 games. After a midseason trade, Dennis is now in the Cleveland Cavaliers organization.
Qua Grant (2021-22)
Team: Undecided
League: Undecided
Age: 25
Notes: Coming off a successful rookie season, Grant averaged 16.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists for the Helsinki Seagulls in Finland’s top league. It is currently unclear where Grant is headed for the upcoming season.
C.J. Keyser (2016-18)
Team: Undecided
League: Undecided
Age: 27
Notes: Blossomed in his second year as a pro, as Keyser averaged 17.3 points and 4.5 assists playing in the Netherlands. It’s unclear where he is headed for his third year.
Kaelen Malone (2016-18)
Team: Undecided
League: Undecided
Age: 29
Notes: The former Shocker walk-on has been a story of resilience, as he has carved out a successful pro career in Europe. He averaged 8.2 points and 2.9 assists last season for Terme Olimia in Slovenia’s top league. It is currently unclear where Malone is headed next.
Joe Pleasant (2021-22)
Team: UPB Gandia (Valencia, Spain)
League: Spain Segunda FEB
Age: 24
Notes: The one-year Shocker made his professional debut last season and averaged 8.7 points and 4.3 rebounds for Borac Nektar in Bosnia’s top-tier league. He has moved to the Spanish third-tier league and is UPB Gandia’s starting power forward for this upcoming season.
Austin Reaves (2016-18)
Team: Los Angeles Lakers
League: National Basketball Association
Age: 26
Notes: It’s hard to believe the sharpshooter in the shoulder strap who once played for the Shockers is now a budding star in the NBA, but it’s a credit to Reaves. He went from undrafted to a key piece playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, which recently earned him a four-year, $53 million contract. He averaged a career-high 15.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.5 assists last season, as he continues his ascent in the NBA as a rising star.
Grant Sherfield (2019-20)
Team: Rasta Vechta (Vechta, Germany)
League: Germany Basketball Bundesliga
Age: 24
Notes: After splitting time at point guard as a Shocker, Sherfield blossomed as a starter at Nevada and Oklahoma during his college career. He began his rookie year as a pro in France, then moved to Israel and averaged 14.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists for Hapoel Beer Sheva. That has earned him a promotion to Germany’s top-tier league for this upcoming season.
Daishon Smith (2016-17)
Team: BC Prievidza (Prievidza, Slovakia)
League: Slovak Basketball League
Age: 29
Notes: He saw limited action as a Shocker, but exploded at Louisiana-Monroe and averaged 21.0 points and 3.9 assists his senior year in 2018-19. Since moving to Europe in the 2021-22 season, Smith has enjoyed a good deal of success playing in Slovenia and Slovakia. He is back for his second year in Slovakia on a new team after averaging 21.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists last season for Inter Bratislava.
Erik Stevenson (2018-20)
Team: Undecided
League: Undecided
Age: 25
Notes: After playing two years for WSU, Stevenson finished his college career at Washington and West Virginia, where he averaged 15.4 points in the 2022-23 season. In his first season as a pro, Stevenson spent the majority of it in the G League, averaging 10 points for both the Austin Spurs and Texas Legends, before finishing in France’s top-tier league. It’s unclear if Stevenson is giving it another go in the G League or if he will stay in Europe for his second season.
Morris Udeze (2018-22)
Team: Kobe Storks (Hyogo, Japan)
League: Japan B League
Age: 24
Notes: Following a four-year stint with the Shockers, Udeze wrapped up his college career at New Mexico and made his rookie debut as a professional last season in Poland. After averaging 12.8 points and 4.4 rebounds in Poland’s top league, the 6-foot-8 center has moved on to Japan’s second-tier league where he is off to a strong start, averaging 19 points and 11 rebounds in the team’s first two games.
Trey Wade (2019-21)
Team: Undecided
League: Undecided
Age: 26
Notes: It’s currently unclear if Wade is planning on returning to Poland, where he has spent the first two years of his professional career playing in the top-tier league for two different teams. He averaged 6.7 points and 5.3 points last season for Pszczolka Start Lublin.
Jaykwon Walton (2022-23)
Team: Undecided
League: Undecided
Age: 23
Notes: After finishing his college career at Memphis, Walton jumped on the Oklahoma City Thunder Summer League team in Utah and appeared in one game. It’s not clear if he is still with the organization’s G-League team or is looking to start his pro career elsewhere.
This story was originally published October 9, 2024 at 6:02 AM.
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