Injury update for Wichita State basketball forward Ronnie DeGray is bad news
Ronnie DeGray III has been a star player when it comes to the small details that have a big role in winning for the Wichita State men’s basketball team.
But the Shockers will be without the senior forward’s valuable services for the foreseeable future: WSU head coach Paul Mills said Thursday afternoon that DeGray will be out 4 to 6 weeks after fracturing a wrist in Monday’s 70-66 win over Monmouth.
If that timeline proves accurate, DeGray could potentially return — at the earliest — for a Dec. 21 game against Kansas State at Koch Arena, or for the start of American Athletic Conference play in a Jan. 3 game at Temple.
“We’ll get that taken care of and then play it by ear,” Mills said. “We’ll need some players to do more and then at the same time, we’ll have to have some guys who can fill in the gaps.”
The actual injury seems to have occurred in the first half of Monday’s game when DeGray was tripped on his way to the basket and stuck out his left hand to break his fall with 7:58 remaining.
He came back to shoot both free throws following a timeout before playing two more short, two-minute stints. He exited the game for good with 13:43 left and was evaluated in the tunnel by WSU trainer Todd Fagan.
Gray played just nine minutes total against Monmouth, well below his season average.
Losing DeGray is a blow beyond his modest averages of 7.3 points and 5.3 rebounds. He has a strong claim as the team’s most versatile defender and best on-ball defender, capable of holding his own inside with his sturdy 6-foot-6, 225-pound frame and also with quick enough feet to handle himself on the perimeter against smaller guards.
He is also one of the team’s best rebounders, which led to several easy put-back baskets and 21 free throws in just 82 minutes of play this season.
WSU was already short on frontcourt depth, as senior big man Zane Meeks is still recovering from a knee injury and starting center Quincy Ballard missed Monday’s game as a precaution following a minor ankle tweak.
While Ballard will be healthy to return for Friday’s tilt against Saint Louis in Kansas City, WSU is down to two centers — Ballard and Matej Bosnjak — and just one power forward in 6-foot-5 junior Corey Washington.
Washington played 31 minutes against Monmouth and figures to be asked to shoulder a similar workload going forward in DeGray’s absence.
Foul trouble for any of WSU’s three key frontcourt players (Washington, Ballard and Bosnjak) could spell trouble for WSU. But during those minutes when Washington on the bench and foul trouble isn’t an issue, WSU has three different ways to face its dilemma.
While it hasn’t happened yet this season, it’s very likely WSU will experiment with its two centers, Ballard and Bosnjak, on the floor at the same time. The fit has worked in practices because Bosnjak, a willing passer who is more comfortable on the perimeter, does not occupy the same spaces as Ballard, who prefers to roll to the rim and presents a vertical threat.
Another choice, once again dependent on the matchup, is playing four-guard lineups with Harlond Beverly or Xavier Bell playing spot minutes at power forward. That option is less likely, unless WSU is faced with other four-guard lineups in the game.
The final option will be to play 6-foot-4 sophomore Joy Ighovodja, who was the emergency play in Monday’s game and held his own in seven minutes of action against Monmouth. He’s still raw and inexperienced, but teammates have raved about Ighovodja’s ability to crash the glass and hound ball handlers on defense with his length and athleticism.
“Joy needs to be a 3-and-D guy,” Mills said. “He needs to be disruptive defensively. He’s a great rebounder and he’ll provide great energy. Offensively, he’s capable of making a shot, but he needs to do some of the things that Ronnie did. He lacks the 20 pounds that Ronnie has and obviously he lacks the experience, but he’s got great length and can be disruptive defensively. But we need him to do a great job on the glass and knock down a good percentage of open 3s.”
This story was originally published November 21, 2024 at 1:04 PM.
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