Wichita State Shockers tried to experiment in recent win. Here’s why it fell flat
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Mills tested a T formation to free post touches but limited reps ruined timing.
- WSU abandoned the experiment after 15 minutes as spacing and reads collapsed.
- Second-half shooting rescued a win but defense revealed rotation and communication gaps.
Wichita State comfortably handled its return to Koch Arena with a 95-69 win over Mount Marty on Tuesday night.
But the margin against an NAIA Division II team with a losing record was never the purpose. Tuesday’s game was about information gathering and head coach Paul Mills wanted to see whether WSU could function out of an offensive formation designed to solve a specific, emerging problem.
What began as a possible solution ended as a failed experiment, as WSU struggled to play with much energy or detail the majority of Tuesday.
A formation with a strategic purpose for Wichita State
The genesis of the trial came from the way opponents have increasingly defended WSU’s offense by denying senior guard Kenyon Giles touches on the perimeter.
Mills wanted to know whether the Shockers could operate more organically out of a structure and create openings for their bigs and point guards without relying on set plays.
“We wanted to look at some things from a formation standpoint in order to organically be able to take advantage of when people deny KG and get post touches,” Mills said. “It’s really just a formation in order to get everybody away from the ball and see if we can’t utilize the physicality of our bigs to get something for them or somebody going downhill.”
So he dusted off the “T” alignment from his Oral Roberts playbook: three players dotted along the baseline and two stationed in a stack formation above the arc. With the power forward looking to set a flat or rub screen, it is up to the point guard to create an advantage and get downhill.
In theory, that downhill attack should open up clean reads — finishes at the rim, kick-outs to shooters or post entries to a big sealing inside.
Why the Shockers struggled to execute the formation
WSU only had one practice ahead of Tuesday’s game after returning this past weekend from an 0-3 showing in the Bahamas. And Mills said after Tuesday’s game that WSU only practiced the formation for about an hour.
That lack of familiarity surfaced quickly in Tuesday’s game.
The Shockers struggled with spacing, timing and secondary actions. When Mount Marty countered the alignment by simply switching the top-of-floor action, WSU stalled out time and time again when its driving lane was taken away.
It became so bleak that Mills had to scrap it altogether after just 15 minutes, as Mount Marty, a 3-6 team in NAIA Division II, was within five points of the Shockers at Koch Arena.
“I think we got answers in the first half, like scrap that. That stuff doesn’t work,” Mills said. “It always works better in your brain than it does on the court.”
The formation did create a few promising moments with junior Dre Kindell at point guard. His burst allowed him to turn the corner twice — once finishing at the rim, once drawing help and kicking to sophomore guard Brian Amuneke for an open 3.
Those possessions underscored that the concept may still have situational usefulness, particularly when Kindell is running the show and opponents have a slower-footed power forward that might be reluctant to switch out front.
But otherwise, WSU’s offense lacked rhythm in the first half. Attempts to establish 7-foot-2 center Will Berg out of the formation were easily foiled by lack of spacing and passing angles. On the first play of the game, Mike Gray Jr. made the poor decision to try to throw a cross-court entry pass that was picked off. The next time down, Berg had his man sealed, but Gray dribbled right into the post-up and the play stalled out.
Ultimately, the Shockers shot their way out of their problems from the first half. Mills was hoping to add something to the arsenal ahead of Saturday’s stiff road test at Northern Iowa, but came up empty.
“I was going into this thinking we could use the whole game to try to play out of that formation,” he said. “But it was obvious we just really weren’t comfortable in it.”
A failed experiment wasn’t the only issue for WSU
The offensive trial wasn’t WSU’s only point of emphasis. Mills opted not to deploy switch-heavy schemes that likely would have suffocated an overwhelmed opponent. Instead, he used the game to rep different ball-screen coverages fundamental to WSU’s long-term defensive identity.
The result was a film session’s worth of details to correct. Mount Marty moved the ball efficiently, collected 16 assists and hit 11 3-pointers, evidence the Shockers will need much sharper communication and rotation discipline moving forward.
Mills shouldered responsibility for the uneven rhythm the Shockers showed.
“That was on me,” he said. “That was us trying to experiment with something. But I got what I wanted out of it.”
But the evening wasn’t a complete bust, as Mills believes there will be value in Gray and Brian Amuneke seeing the ball go through the net.
Coming off a 2-for-19 showing in the Bahamas, Gray erupted for five 3s in a seven-minute burst to open the second half. Amuneke, who was just 2-for-12 beyond the arc this season, also found a rhythm, hitting a season-high three triples.
“My teammates were finding me on good looks,” Gray said. “Just seeing the ball go through the net feels good. It gets you going.”
The shooting flurry created separation, and the Shockers coasted from there.
This story was originally published December 3, 2025 at 4:54 PM.
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