Wichita State’s Zach Brown works to expand his game past memorable hustle play (+video)

Zach Brown knows people think of one play when they think of him as a Wichita State basketball player.

He isn’t entirely comfortable with five seconds summing up his 2014-15 season. He understands the power of that play, a burst of hustle and quickness that fans savor as the embodiment of everything they love about Shocker basketball.

“People see that as what we stand for, and that’s extra effort and mental toughness,” Brown said. “Beating people to loose balls, playing with your hair on fire.”

That the moment unfolded in the second half of March’s NCAA Tournament game against Kansas is the hook.

With 9:38 to play, Brown deflected a pass and, helped by a bit of a running start, beat KU’s Kelly Oubre to the loose ball. Oubre, soon to become an NBA lottery pick, wasn’t the only Jayhawk that Brown outran. Brown grabbed the ball near the sideline and dunked with two hands for a 56-45 lead in a game WSU won 78-65 in Omaha.

“There was a 50-50 ball and Oubre just kind of gave up on the play,” WSU senior Ron Baker said. “That was Zach’s coming-out party. That play right there shows what we’re about.”

Wichita State starts its full practice schedule on Friday with a normal set of expectations in recent years. The Shockers are generally in the top 10 of preseason polls and they will be announced as Missouri Valley Conference favorites later this month. After a loss in the national semifinal in 2013 and last season’s Sweet 16, the target is Houston and a return to the Final Four.

Brown, a 6-foot-7 sophomore from Houston, can grow into a key piece of those dreams if he continues on the trajectory he set late last season. He grew into a valued three-and-D guy, a player who defended effectively and made 11 of 26 three-pointers. After barely leaving the bench in two late February games, he played double-digit minutes in five of WSU’s final six games. He peaked with 11 points and eight rebounds against Indiana in the first game of the NCAA Tournament.

“I think he’s kind of our difference-maker,” Baker said. “When he’s playing really well, I think we can be a really, really, really good team. Everyone knows him for his defense, but he hit some big shots last year.”

Brown wants to keep making those threes. Coach Gregg Marshall wants him to diversify his offense and use his quickness and jumping ability to score closer to the rim. Brown spent the summer working on his dribbling — his weakness entering WSU — and scoring against physical defenders in the lane.

“Consistency is the key,” Brown said. “Layups are a simple thing, but it’s something you’ve got to work on to be consistent, take contact and finishing.”

Brown roomed with Tekele Cotton on the road last season and they discussed Cotton’s favorite subject, defense, as well as how to mentally handle the pressure and grind of a season. Brown is the top candidate to assume Cotton’s role of lockdown defender and he is eager to do just that. He stressed conditioning over the summer so he can chase shooters around screens and stay in the defensive stance, knees bent and feet ready, deep into games.

“I’m really looking forward for him passing the torch to me,” Brown said. “I’m really growing on my defensive side. I pretty much love it and I’m really looking forward to playing against the best.”

The Shockers went 30-5 last season, winning a second straight MVC title with a 17-1 record, and played in their fourth straight NCAA Tournament.

From Marshall’s look at his talent in the summer and early fall, this group offers depth last season’s roster lacked. Returners such as Baker, Fred VanVleet and Evan Wessel are experienced and five players who debuted last season are now veterans. Add in senior Anton Grady, a forward who transferred from Cleveland State, and sophomore guard Conner Frankamp, a transfer from Kansas, and competition for minutes figures to be fierce and constant.

“It’s exciting to put together a team with this many pieces,” Marshall said. “These guys don’t require a lot of pushing. The young guys have basically learned from the veterans, who set a great example.”

A summer loaded with weights and conditioning workouts helped several Shockers. Forwards Rashard Kelly and Rauno Nurger are bigger and stronger. VanVleet continued his four-year program to improve his quickness and Marshall is impressed.

“He’s more bouncy, he’s quicker,” Marshall said. “I don’t want to say he was chunky when he got here, but he wasn’t the lean athlete he is now. When those guys take their shirts off now, they look like they could box Floyd Mayweather.”

Brown also spent the summer talking to fans, most of whom wanted to talk about the hustle play in the Kansas game. He said he politely thanked them for their compliment, while steering the conversation in a different direction because he doesn’t want to dwell on last season.

“That’s the only thing people remember me for, so far,” he said.

On Friday, Brown and the Shockers continue practicing so they can update the memories of Shockers fans.

This story was originally published October 1, 2015 at 6:11 PM with the headline "Wichita State’s Zach Brown works to expand his game past memorable hustle play (+video)."