Wichita State’s Fred VanVleet not likely to play in Saturday’s exhibition

Senior guard Fred VanVleet rode a stationary bike during much of Friday’s Wichita State basketball practice. He watched from the baseline. He joined a shooting drill and made a shot. He practiced three-pointers with a manager rebounding.

After practice, he smiled and acknowledged playing Saturday on a strained left hamstring didn’t make much sense. No. 10 WSU plays NCAA Division II Hawaii Pacific in an exhibition game at Koch Arena and VanVleet hasn’t practiced all week.

“I’m out,” he said. “It would probably be a smarter decision to sit out.”

That doesn’t mean VanVleet likes the decision. He gave himself a sliver of room to change in his mind, in the event his hamstring heals overnight.

“I may wake up feeling 100 percent,” he said.

All of which made WSU coach Gregg Marshall shake his head, “No.”

“I’m saying probably not,” Marshall said.

There is, everyone agrees, no reason to push VanVleet’s hamstring in a meaningless game.

“I’ve been getting rehab, nursing it, trying to get it stronger,” VanVleet said. “I’ve done some shooting drills on the court, but nothing where I have to exert myself.”

Senior guard Ron Baker can run the team. Junior John Robert Simon and freshmen Landry Shamet and Ty Taylor will get their chance to fill in for VanVleet at point guard. Sophomore Conner Frankamp cannot play outside competition, due to NCAA transfer rules, until Dec. 12.

“We’ve got to get Fred healthy and see what these boys do,” Marshall said.

VanVleet will focus his attention on coaching.

“I’ll probably be doing more coaching than I ever have, all that energy and adrenalin built up,” he said. “It will be hard for me.”

Hawaii Pacific is picked sixth in the 14-team PacWest Conference and is starting its season on a homecoming tour for coach Darren Vorderbruegge. He is a 1983 graduate of Southeast High, attended Bethany College and coached high school basketball at Northwest and Hoisington.

Doug Blackman, who provides eye care for the Shockers, is his father-in-law and that connection helped. Vorderbruegge has been to WSU practices and visited with Marshall last year when the Shockers played in the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu.

“I’ve been trying to get this for a few years,” Vorderbruegge said. ““I had (Blackman) lobbying on our behalf.”

The Sharks play at UMKC on Monday. Vorderbruegge’s goal for Saturday is to enjoy the experience and watch his team play against top competition. Hawaii Pacific often plays NCAA Division I schools, but this is a different challenge.

“Nothing of this caliber,” Vorderbruegge said. “This is an opportunity of a lifetime — to play in front of that many people, against that level of competition and the energy. It will just be an awesome experience.”

This story was originally published November 6, 2015 at 6:41 PM with the headline "Wichita State’s Fred VanVleet not likely to play in Saturday’s exhibition."