Wichita State’s VanVleet goes back to work making his teammates look good

Wichita State’s Shaq Morris stood in the hallway at Chaifetz Arena, smiling, talking, looking happier than in weeks. The reason walked by a few minutes later on his way to the locker room.

Fred VanVleet is back in the lineup after missing four games with a strained left hamstring. When it comes to getting the most out of Morris’ talents, VanVleet is the player with the most answers.

“He pushes me; he challenges me,” Morris said. “Which makes me want to play my (butt) off for him. He definitely personally drives me. Every day when I step on the court, he gives me that look.”

VanVleet’s return in Saturday’s 68-53 win over Saint Louis gave all the Shockers (3-4) reason to feel good. A 2-4 start to the season dumped WSU from the national rankings. VanVleet’s return comes at a crucial juncture in the non-conference schedule with games against UNLV (Wednesday) and Utah (Saturday) coming up.

“That certainly seemed more like what we were anticipating going into the year,” WSU coach Gregg Marshall said. “I’m not sure he’s 100 percent, but he certainly is out there and contributing mightily. He’s still looking like he needs a couple more days to maybe 100 percent.”

VanVleet played 18 minutes, scored 11 points and handed out seven assists with one turnover. He first strained the hamstring in late October, played three minutes in the season-opener and 30 reduced-speed ones in a loss at Tulsa. On Saturday, full strength or not, he gave the Shockers what they expect.

“I felt like a little kid on Christmas, excited, thrilled just to be out there, back on the court,” he said. “You see things in a different way when you’ve been sidelined for an injury, so I was just appreciating the whole process even more.”

VanVleet played five minutes in the first half because of fouls. Naturally, it took until the second half for him to flash much of his old form while scoring all 11 points and producing five assists. At Tulsa, he came out running hard and tweaked the hamstring early in the game. Saturday, he eased into the flow of the game.

“I was kind of hesitant,” he said. “I took it easy (in the first half) and was able to find some opportunities in the second half getting to the free-throw line and getting to the rim. I thought I played at full speed the whole game.”

WSU, shooting 37.8 percent from the field entering the game, made 26 of 54 shots for a season-high 48.1 percent. Its 19 assists are also a season high.

VanVleet’s return puts everybody in their proper roles. Guard Ron Baker can concentrate on scoring with a reduced ball-handling role. Players such as Morris and Zach Brown get the ball in favorable spots, spots where scoring comes almost effortlessly. Freshman guard Ty Taylor can learn the position at an appropriate pace.

“He makes other guys open,” Baker said. “He does a really good job of putting our bigs in good positions to make easy baskets, and not putting pressure on the big to make a big-time move.”

Morris benefited from VanVleet’s ability to bend the defense in favorable ways and find him for shots close to the basket. He made 6 of 7 shots, most of them open. On one nifty play, VanVleet posted up and flipped the ball to Morris for a dunk.

With senior Anton Grady out indefinitely as he recovers from a spinal concussion, WSU needs good minutes from Morris, who has put together solid back-to-back games after a distressing start to the season.

VanVleet views helping each teammate do what he does best and infusing their games with confidence as a crucial part of his job.

“When you give Shaq a couple layups, then he hits a shot off the glass,” VanVleet said. “Zach Brown, you get him going and he’s stepping into his threes even better.”

VanVleet is always thinking and planning, which means the other Shockers can just play.

This story was originally published December 6, 2015 at 6:26 PM with the headline "Wichita State’s VanVleet goes back to work making his teammates look good."