How Wichita State turned missed shots into its greatest strength
Wichita State didn’t shoot the lights out in its season opener Tuesday at Koch Arena, but it didn’t need to.
The Shockers found their power in persistence, turning missed shots into an avalanche of second chances that eventually buried UNC Asheville. By the time Karon Boyd’s rim-rattling dunk sealed a 75-58 victory, the more than 5,000 WSU fans in attendance had already seen what this team wants to be: unrelenting, physical and punishing on the boards.
“Our defense, especially our rebounding, that’s who we are,” guard Kenyon Giles said. “We gave up too many rebounds in the first half. That’s not who we are. We’re going to be one of the best teams in the country at rebounding.”
A bruising turnaround for the Shockers after halftime
The first half wasn’t exactly pretty. WSU was controlling the offensive glass but giving just as much back on the other end. Asheville grabbed eight offensive rebounds and cashed them in for 13 second-chance points.
At halftime, head coach Paul Mills wasn’t concerned about schemes. He issued a challenge: toughen up.
“I was really pleased with the guys at halftime,” Mills said. “They understood what needed to be done. You can understand what needs to be done, but you still have to go and do it.”
The Shockers rose to the challenge, emphatically. In the second half, they grabbed 81% of defensive rebounds and limited the Bulldogs to just four second-chance points. Meanwhile, the pounding continued on the other end. WSU snared 12 offensive boards and grabbed 25 of a possible 36 total rebounds after halftime.
The result was a 15-2 closing run that turned a tight game into a runaway. Asheville, worn down by 35 minutes of fighting for every rebound, had nothing left when WSU delivered the knockout punch.
“They were playing volleyball on the backboard,” Asheville coach Mike Morrell said. “You knew they were making that an emphasis. That was the biggest turning point of the game.”
What makes Wichita State a good rebounding team
Rebounding wasn’t a one-man show for the Shockers, as eight different players secured an offensive rebound and WSU collected 51% of its missed shots.
Will Berg and Dillon Battie led the way with five apiece, while Karon Boyd, who notched a double-double with 11 points and 10 boards, added three more.
“Our goal (after halftime) was no one gets punked on the glass,” Boyd said. “Rebounding wins championships.”
Boyd’s words reflected WSU’s identity. Mills has emphasized all offseason that defense and rebounding would form the program’s backbone and Tuesday’s performance validated that vision.
While Quincy Ballard’s head-turning production may be gone, WSU may have found a way to replicate his production with a committee approach. When combining the contributions of the three-headed center rotation between Berg, Emmanuel Okorafor and Noah Hill, the group tallied 16 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks.
The production from Hill, who played eight first-half minutes when the veterans ahead of him were saddled with foul trouble, was a pleasant surprise to Mills. The competition will elevate after this week, but Hill looked the part on Tuesday and has a knack for using his athleticism and timing to track down rebounds.
“There are some days when you put him out there, he looks more nervous than a pregnant nun,” Mills joked. “You have to say, ‘Noah, you got to calm down, bro.’ I thought he handled (Tuesday) great.”
Rebounding edge gives Wichita State a safety net
For all of their interior dominance, the Shockers were just 4 of 16 from beyond the arc — an all-too-familiar story for WSU fans.
That’s why it’s so important their effort on the glass remains consistent to compensate for off-shooting nights.
According to tracking by The Eagle, WSU generated 15 second-chance opportunities directly off offensive rebounds. On those possessions, they converted 8 of 13 shots and 3 of 4 free throws — good for 19 points. In total, WSU produced 27 second-chance points from those 15 extra possessions.
That works out to 1.80 points per possession following an offensive rebound, a number that would make any coach happy. To put it simply: every time the Shockers earned another crack at it, they scored just about every time.
That demoralization could be seen on Asheville’s faces as the game progressed. One sequence midway through the second half, when WSU grabbed four straight offensive rebounds before a foul, summed up the game.
“The shot clock resets every time and they’ve got to play defense for another 20 seconds,” guard Dre Kindell said. “It’s definitely deflating.”
Tuesday’s game alone doesn’t guarantee WSU will be an elite rebounding team — it’s only one night, after all. But it’s clear the Shockers have made rebounding a priority in practice and have the personnel to back it up, a combination that makes it fair to believe this will be one of the team’s defining strengths all season.
A style Wichita State wants to replicate
Through one game, WSU ranks No. 8 nationally in offensive rebounding percentage after grabbing 51.2% of available misses.
The Shockers’ next test is another prime opportunity for the team to flex their muscle, as WSU will host Prairie View A&M at 6 p.m. Saturday at Koch Arena. The Panthers (2-0) were dead last in the country in defensive rebounding percentage last season and near the bottom again the year before.
For Mills, the foundation is clear. Rebounding isn’t just a way to survive cold shooting nights — it’s the team’s identity.
“I know it takes a toll on the other team,” Boyd said. “They become tired and then we go in for the kill.”
.jpg)