Shocker Evan Wessel can move inside or outside, depending on need (+video)

Wichita State’s Evan Wessel spent most of last season battling bigger players as an undersized power forward. Undersized, but not underproductive, as coach Gregg Marshall would insist.

Wessel (6-foot-4, 212 pounds) is back for his final season of floor burns, screens and other generally underappreciated arts of physical basketball. He trimmed down a few pounds to prepare for playing more on the perimeter, as he did as a sophomore. The Shockers are bigger and more experienced, which means Marshall enjoys the option of playing Wessel in whichever role helps the team the most.

“It depends on what guys kind of indicate that they have to be in the rotation,” Marshall said. “If it’s big guys, then Evan moves to more of a (small forward) position. If it’s small guys, guards, then he remains at (power forward). The good news about Evan is he knows both of those positions very well. He’s a little undersized at (power forward), but we did go to the Sweet 16 last year with him playing that position.”

Wessel’s blend of strength and determination helped him guard bigger players last season. If he needs to defend smaller ones this season, he feels quick enough to answer those demands.

“It’s a battle down there,” he said. “You’ve got to, not work harder, but work in a different way to make up for your size. It’ll be a new challenge this year, going between the two (positions).”

The Shockers performed media day duties on Monday afternoon at Koch Arena, taking pictures, sitting in folding chairs for interviews and, in the case of junior Zach Bush, interviewing teammates. Senior guard Fred VanVleet revealed a half-sleeve tattoo on his left shoulder picturing a dove flying above a staircase. Senior forward Anton Grady talked about his old-school offensive moves. Marshall spoke of forward Rashard Kelly’s improved shooting, VanVleet and Ron Baker’s defensive abilities and freshmen who don’t need to be coached to play hard.

He is weeks away from needing to think about a starting lineup, although it seems safe to write in Baker, VanVleet and Wessel. The Shocker Madness public scrimmage is at 6 p.m. Thursday. WSU plays Hawaii Pacific in an exhibition game on Nov. 7.

“These seniors have had a lot of success, three of them in particular that have been around four or five years,” Marshall said. “They’ve seen a lot of wins and a lot of banners.”

Wessel, from Heights, will again be a big part of whatever banners, rings and trophies come WSU’s way this season.

The Shockers are 83-5 in games he played since arriving in 2011. Last season, he averaged 23.6 minutes, 4.2 points and 3.7 rebounds while starting 31 games. Most people’s last impression of Wessel came when he scored 12 points, making 4 of 6 shots against Kansas in the NCAA Tournament. People who checked on his progress during summer pickup games and workouts saw him shooting with the same confidence and much the same accuracy from that March day in Omaha.

“He’s been putting a lot of time into his shot,” Baker said. “Any time you rep your shot out, it feels good and it’s going to help your confidence. Evan’s biggest thing is having confidence on the court. When he does, we see how he shoots it.”

Wessel made 36 percent of his three-pointers last season (31 of 86).

“It’s feeling great,” he said. “I just continue to work on that so I can bring that (threat) to the team.”

Stop troops — Somebody will need to guard the opposition’s top scoring guard and it won’t be Tekele Cotton, the two-time Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He is playing professionally in Germany.

It could be sophomore Zach Brown. Marshall does have two other excellent defenders back in Baker and VanVleet, who joined Cotton on the All-Defensive Team last season.

“Tekele got the defensive assignment, generally, on the best perimeter player, but there were times last year when that guy was scoring and I would put either Ron or Fred on him and they would shut him down,” Marshall said. “It’s not going to take one guy to replace (Cotton’s) defensive prowess. It’s going to take a handful, including Ron, Fred, Landry Shamet, Zach Brown.”

Frankamp on the way — Sophomore guard Conner Frankamp is, as expected, special when he shoots the ball and working to improve his defense. Frankamp, who practiced with WSU since last January after transferring from Kansas, is eligible on Dec. 12, when the Shockers play Utah at Intrust Bank Arena.

“It’s been a humbling experience for him, I really believe,” Marshall said. “You go from being a top-50 recruit, going to KU and things not working out for whatever reason. Now he comes here and he’s paying his own way for the first couple of semesters and ultimately he’ll be on scholarship.”

Frankamp plays both guard spots and, depending on how the first eight games go, could earn minutes as Baker’s backup at shooting guard or behind VanVleet at point guard.

“He’s been pushed,” Marshall said. “We’re asking him to defend on every possession. We’re asking him to take care of the ball. There’s a lot of demands that we’re putting on him to be a more complete player that I’m not sure he’s ever experienced. He’s very receptive to coaching, which has been great. That, to me, indicates that if he continues on that same path he’s going to have tremendous success.”

Lots of wins — Baker, Wessel and VanVleet start the season as three of the top eight active NCAA Division I players ranked by winning percentage in games played.

Wessel leads the list with a 94.3 percent (83-5), followed by Baker at 89.9 percent (80-9). VanVleet is eighth at 86.4 percent (95-15).

The top non-Shocker is Arizona’s Gabe York at 88.9 percent (80-10).

This story was originally published October 19, 2015 at 7:26 PM with the headline "Shocker Evan Wessel can move inside or outside, depending on need (+video)."