Wichita State basketball dominates Prairie View A&M for 2-0 start: 3 takeaways
Wichita State made sure there was little drama inside Koch Arena on Saturday night.
The Shockers overwhelmed the Prairie View A&M men’s basketball team from the opening tip in a 105-62 victory, as they racked up 53 first-half points on their way to a 2-0 start under head coach Paul Mills.
WSU was without projected starting power forward Jaret Valencia for the second straight game, as the Monmouth transfer is sidelined with a lingering groin injury.
Here are three takeaways from the Shockers’ convincing win.
1. T.J. Williams flashes in second career WSU game
It might have been just the second Division I game of his career, but Wichita native T.J. Williams looked every bit the part of a future standout for the Shockers.
The former Wichita Heights star stepped in again for the injured Valencia and delivered a breakout performance: 14 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and two steals. He scored 10 of those 14 points from the foul line, going a perfect 10-for-10 there.
“I don’t care if you’ve played for 100 years or you’ve only been playing two games, that’s really impressive,” Mills said. “We play a number of games (in practice) to try to put pressure on players in order to perform, so I’m really happy to see him go 10-for-10 from the foul line.”
Williams was active from the jump, attacking the rim in the opening minute, then grabbing a rebound, pushing the ball coast to coast and setting up a dunk for Karon Boyd.
Williams’ blend of size, length and ball-handling stood out — traits that make him a unique weapon in Paul Mills’ lineup. A former high school point guard, Williams gives WSU another playmaker on the floor while still rebounding and defending like a forward. If Saturday was any indication, the 6-foot-6 freshman could play a major role sooner than expected.
2. A new normal for Wichita State basketball offense?
Wichita State’s offense found another gear on Saturday, erupting for its first 100-point game since 2021 — and showing just how dangerous this new-look team can be.
After managing only four 3-pointers in the opener, the Shockers exploded for 10-for-23 from deep against Prairie View A&M, a sharp turnaround that highlighted their revamped shooting depth. Kenyon Giles ignited the outburst with five first-half triples, while Mike Gray Jr. caught fire after halftime with three 3s of his own and Karon Boyd added two more.
“This is the new normal, for sure,” Giles said with a smile. “This is nothing new to me, pretty much every team I’ve been has been able to shoot the ball. I guess it’s new here in Wichita, but yeah, we can shoot it.”
The balanced scoring was just as impressive — six Shockers reached double figures as WSU shot 52.5% overall and 43.5% from 3-point range while outrebounding the Panthers 45-32. The team’s 1.36 points per possession was fueled by 15 assists and relentlessly attacking the rim. After being tied in points in the paint at halftime, WSU dominated the category, 26-8, in the second half.
“The one thing I liked about our team is that they responded after every timeout,” he said. “There were things we needed to clean up, and they responded every time.”
He also credited his staff for building an offense capable of thriving in the American Conference.
“I think our staff did a phenomenal job in thinking through all of the things that you have to incorporate in order to win in (the American),” Mills said. “I feel like we’ve got a lot of the pieces of the puzzle that are necessary in order to have a good attack offensively.”
For a program that hit 10 or more 3-pointers just twice all last season, this performance signaled a major shift. With more spacing, shooters and inside-out versatility, WSU’s offense suddenly looks more balanced than it has in many years.
3. A stat that shows how well Wichita State handled pressure
Prairie View A&M’s reputation for relentless pressure lived up to the billing in the first half.
The Panthers, who have ranked top-50 nationally in forcing turnovers for 11 straight seasons (including seven top-10 finishes), unleashed their trademark full-court press early, forcing Wichita State into eight first-half turnovers.
Six of those miscues came in a dizzying four-minute stretch, highlighted by back-to-back breakdowns against the press: a 10-second violation and a carrying call on T.J. Williams.
Despite a 53-36 halftime lead, Mills wasn’t satisfied.
“We were up 17 at halftime and it feels like you’re down 10,” Mills said. “I just didn’t think that we were sharp.”
The Shockers took the message to heart. After halftime, they committed just two turnovers in 39 possessions — a remarkable 5.1% turnover rate against one of the nation’s most aggressive defenses. It becomes even more impressive when considering only 13 teams over the last 11 seasons (more than 340 games) have posted a lower turnover percentage than WSU’s 13% overall mark Saturday.
“When you play a team that pressures like that, you’re going to have a few hiccups,” Giles said. “We had a few hiccups and we fixed it. You’ve just got to keep playing through it and use that pressure against them.”
This story was originally published November 8, 2025 at 8:09 PM.
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