Why Wichita State basketball is seeking ‘TNT’ plays for Florida Atlantic game
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Wichita State heads to Florida for a pivotal two-game road swing against FAU and USF.
- Coach Paul Mills emphasizes 'TNT' plays to improve defensive rebounding and effort.
- Return of forward T.J. Williams could bolster physicality as Shockers seek consistency.
American Conference play does not offer the luxury of time to regroup, only chances to respond.
Wichita State’s next response comes on the road with a pivotal two-game road swing in Florida, which opens with an 8 p.m. Thursday game at Florida Atlantic, followed by a 1 p.m. Sunday game at South Florida. Both opponents sit inside the top 100 of KenPom’s adjusted efficiency rankings and are projected to finish in a four-way tie atop the conference, making this perhaps the most demanding stretch left on WSU’s schedule.
At 10-7 overall and 2-2 in league play, WSU enters the trip with the opportunity to redeem itself after letting an 18-point lead slip away at Charlotte and losing at home to Rice as a double-digit favorite.
WSU head coach Paul Mills knows it will be a tall challenge on Thursday against a FAU team (11-6, 3-1 American) that has been excellent on its home floor this season.
“This is going to be a game that honors toughness,” Mills said.
That toughness, particularly on the defensive glass, has been a season-long balancing act for the Shockers. They rank among the nation’s best offensive rebounding teams, thriving when possessions turn chaotic and players simply crash and chase. Defensive rebounding, however, has required a level of discipline WSU has struggled to sustain.
Through early conference play, the Shockers sit eighth in defensive rebounding percentage — a legitimate concern against a FAU team that has surged on the glass, ranking No. 2 in offensive rebounding and No. 1 defensively in league games.
“We’re hitting people, we’re just not maintaining physicality,” Mills said. “Like we’ll hit, but we’re not sticking. It’s leading to too many shot opportunities for the opposition.”
The battle on the boards shapes up as a true strength-on-strength matchup. A meaningful chunk of WSU’s offense comes from second-chance points, while FAU’s defense specializes in denying them. Whichever team dictates that fight could end up dictating the game.
To help evaluate that measure, Mills likes to track what he calls “TNT” plays — Takes No Talent. Loose balls. Two-handed rebounds. Staying connected on a box out. Sprinting the floor. Playing off two feet.
“We really try to encourage guys to operate in the 95% since 5% of the game the ball is going to be in your hands,” Mills said. “You need to know what your truth is and who you are as a player, then you need to operate in that 95%. A lot of that operating in the 95% is making TNT plays.”
Those details are emphasized in film sessions and treated as a non-negotiable.
“Everybody is required to make TNT plays,” Mills said. “Everybody is required to space, everybody is required to defensive rebound, everybody is required to take care of the ball. That’s universal all the way across the board.”
One of Mills’ favorite examples came Sunday against North Texas. After Dillon Battie had a shot blocked in the paint, the possession turned into a scramble. Mike Gray Jr. secured the loose ball with two hands, attacked the defense and fed Will Berg for a basket and a foul — a single effort that flipped momentum.
Mills saw progress in that area against the Mean Green, even if it still fell short of the program’s lofty standard. North Texas coach Daniyal Robinson noticed it, too.
“I thought their energy and their effort and their willingness to make the extra play, that’s what stood out to me,” Robinson said. “They’re tough when they play at a high level like that. You have to give them a ton of credit.”
That level of edge will be required against a FAU team loaded with perimeter firepower and size. The Owls feature three high-usage guards — sophomore Devin Vanterpool (16.3 points), junior Kanaan Carlyle (15.2) and sophomore Isaiah Elohim (11.5) — along with 6-foot-10 sophomore Devin Williams, one of the nation’s top shot blockers who can also stretch the floor, and 6-foot-11 junior Xander Pintelon inside.
“(The Rice game) we didn’t step up physically,” Berg said. “And when we did, it wasn’t disciplined enough. (The North Texas game), they tried to punk us, but we punked them back harder.”
There is potential help on the way. Mills indicated starting forward T.J. Williams is expected to return Thursday after missing the North Texas game while in concussion protocol. Williams has been progressing well and needs to clear just one final hurdle before being cleared.
For Wichita State, the road swing is about more than a single result.
“In this conference, every game matters,” star guard Kenyon Giles said. “Because anybody can get the upperhand on you. So really every opportunity we get to attack the next right thing, we’ve got to be ready.”
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