From sharpshooter to playmaker? Michael Gray Jr.’s new role at Wichita State
When Wichita State head coach Paul Mills combed the transfer portal this spring, he wasn’t just looking for scorers. He was looking for players who were obsessed with basketball.
After making a round of phone calls, it quickly became apparent that Michael Gray Jr. checked both boxes.
“Multiple coaches told me he’s a square and I said, ‘That’s my kind of guy,’” Mills said. “He’s going to talk to his girlfriend and he’s going to be in the gym. That’s it. Those are my kind of my squares.”
The 6-foot-2 guard arrives in Wichita after a career-best season at Nicholls, where he averaged 11.1 points, drilled 63 3-pointers at a 40.9% clip and posted a sparkling 119.0 offensive rating against Division I competition — thanks to good shot selection, better shot-making and a knack for avoiding turnovers.
His 55.7% effective field goal percentage would have easily led the Shocker backcourt last season.
Gray’s calling card is shot-making and he proved it during a torrid February stretch when he averaged 21.2 points off the bench for Nicholls, scoring at least 19 in six straight games while hitting nearly half of his 3s. That run included a 20-point performance to hand McNeese State its only loss in Southland Conference play.
“He can shoot the lights out,” WSU teammate Karon Boyd said. “You definitely can’t go under (screens) on him. If you’re guarding him, he has multiple counters. If you play him for the shot, he can drive by you. And then he has the step-back and the hesi. There are a lot of counters to his game and I really like that.”
But Gray’s value to WSU might extend beyond pure scoring. With the point guard position unsettled behind Barton Community College transfer Dre Kindell, Mills envisions Gray taking on more ball-handling responsibility than he had at Nicholls.
Gray’s track record as a primary creator is limited — just 20 assists in 670 minutes last season — but Mills believes the tools are there. Gray ran plenty of pick and roll last season and his low turnover count suggests his ball handling was secure. It’s less a question of ability, Mills thinks, and more about opportunity. Gray simply hasn’t been given the reins to create for an offense before.
WSU made outside shooting a priority in the offseason and surrounding Gray with floor-spacers should give him the room to attack, create for himself and find teammates. Gray says he’s ready for the challenge.
“Mills really talked about how he can help me excel being a 1 and a 2,” Gray said. “Just being able to get my playmaking going because I know I can be a good point guard. It was him instilling confidence in me to be that point guard that I know I can be.
“I’ve always been able to play on the ball, but my scoring has always shined brighter. I feel like I’m a versatile player and I don’t have to hog the ball, pound the rock. I can move it around for my teammates and make plays without the ball, too.”
That versatility will be critical for a Shocker roster that will lean on multiple players, including Gray, Boyd and Kenyon Giles, to initiate the offense when Kindell sits.
Gray’s road to this opportunity hasn’t been easy. A significant knee injury at George Mason limited him to just eight games as a freshman and sidelined him the entire 2022-23 season. After resurfacing at Nicholls, lingering issues cost him a handful of games and limited his explosiveness at times. Now, three years removed from the surgery, Gray says he’s fully healthy and it’s showing in his shooting.
“A big thing is just getting healthy again,” Gray said of his shooting jump from 29.8% on 3s in 2023-24 to over 40% last season. “Another thing that’s been helping me a lot is my balance. Making sure I’m not rushing shots, taking my time, knowing how defenders are closing out. Knowing if I have to pump fake or if I have to get the shot off quicker.”
Gray is working closely with WSU trainer Todd Fagan and strength and conditioning coach Ashtin Meerpohl to stay healthy.
After summer workouts, Gray is pleased to report he is feeling as healthy as ever.
“Being here with all of these resources, you’ve got no excuse to be hurt,” Gray said. “So I’m just getting with Todd every day to make sure my body is great and with Ash lifting. We’re doing all the right stuff and I haven’t had any problems this summer.”
This story was originally published August 21, 2025 at 6:02 AM.
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