Wichita’s TJ Williams fulfills childhood dream with first start for Shockers
There’s nothing quite like hearing “from Wichita, Kansas” echo through Koch Arena during the Wichita State starting lineup introductions.
No one understands that better than T.J. Williams, who grew up a diehard Shockers fan and has witnessed countless hometown heroes soak in that roar from the Roundhouse crowd.
So when the 2024 Heights graduate finally heard public address announcer Ted Woodward booming his own name through the speakers, it was a surreal moment. And the Wichita State fans erupted for him.
“It got pretty loud when my name got called, so that felt pretty amazing,” Williams said. “That’s something I’ve been waiting on ever since last year. I’ve just been staying the course and the day finally came.”
Williams, a redshirt freshman, finished with six points, two rebounds, two blocks and a steal in 22 minutes to help Wichita State to a 75-58 victory over UNC Asheville in Tuesday’s season-opener.
The dream debut didn’t come easy. Williams had to wait a year for it, as he was forced to watch all of last season from the bench while he rehabbed his meniscus — again. Williams said it was the third time he has needed surgery to repair that same knee, which made the mental grind to return as heavy as the physical one.
“To sit over there for a year, it’s hard on players,” WSU coach Paul Mills said. “That’s really hard on teenagers. I know some adults if they had to sit out a year from their job, it would be tough on them. To his credit, he stayed engaged.”
A special Shocker moment in T.J. Williams’ debut
Williams finished with a modest stat line, but just like he did at Wichita Heights, he helped his team play winning basketball. The Shockers outscored UNC Asheville by 13 points when he was on the floor.
He brought energy, toughness and a glimpse of the player WSU fans had been waiting to see since he starred for the Falcons in the City League, where he won a Class 6A state championship and earned Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year honors.
The moment that captured it all came with 2:35 left, when Williams muscled in a basket through contact to put WSU up 67-56, continuing a 15-2 run that sealed the win.
“I’ve been in the crowd when Fred (VanVleet) hits a 3 and it gets loud or Craig Porter hits a 3 and it gets loud,” Williams said. “But for me to get that and-one and to hear the crowd pop for me, man, it was just a full-circle moment.”
Williams let out a yell in celebration and soaked in the moment, as his teammates mobbed him. After all, this was the same court where he used to mop sweat and dream about someday wearing the black and yellow as a ball boy for the Shockers.
Now, Koch Arena was roaring for him.
How T.J. Williams earned the trust of Wichita State coaches
Williams’ rise to starting his first Division I game didn’t happen overnight. Mills and the WSU coaches were tough on the hometown freshman during his redshirt year, challenging him every day on the scout team to match the program’s intensity.
Even coming into this season, there were setbacks. Mills said he was disappointed in how Williams performed in the team’s scrimmage against Drake, which led to the coaching staff calling him out. But when the Shockers faced Santa Clara in the next scrimmage, Williams responded the right way.
His effort earned him trust, which showed Tuesday when Mills turned to him to fill the starting spot vacated when Jaret Valencia (groin) was ruled out at Tuesday’s morning shootaround.
“There were definitely nerves coming into this game,” Williams admitted. “But as soon as the ball went up, everything kind of went away. Coach P.J. (Couisnard) was on me this whole week, ‘Be a dog, be a dog.’ He kept telling me I was ready for it. So that gave me a lot of confidence to do what I needed to do.”
That trust showed up at the end of the game, when Mills kept Williams on the floor for the final 10 minutes to close out the win.
“Let’s win this 10th round and put them away,” Williams told teammates in a huddle before the final stretch. “That’s exactly what we did.”
Former Heights basketball star playing for Wichita
There was no shortage of familiar faces in the crowd. Williams said dozens of family members and friends packed into Koch Arena to watch his first college game, cheering from the stands he once sat in.
“During the game, I kept telling him, ‘This is where you’re from, give them a show,’” teammate Dre Kindell said. “They’ve been waiting a whole year to come watch him play since he was a highly recruited player. We’re really excited for him. And he showed some emotion in the locker room, so you know it was a big moment for him.”
There were still freshman moments, like when he tried to take on UNC Asheville star Toyaz Solomon and the Big South Preseason Player of the Year promptly swatted his shot. But the good outweighed the bad, as Williams showed the athleticism, defensive versatility and effort that can help WSU win games.
Williams had visions of a highlight-reel dunk when he came up with a steal at the end of the game, but with the game in hand, Mills halted him coming down the court. Williams obliged by dribbling out the final seconds.
“I do feel bad that he’s going to have two less career points,” Mills said with a smile.
Williams laughed it off. The night was already unforgettable. The Shockers were winners and the kid from Wichita had helped make it happen.
“That felt pretty amazing,” Williams said with a wide smile.
This story was originally published November 5, 2025 at 5:39 AM.
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