Canada games will start to define identity of 2016-17 Wichita State basketball

Wichita State basketball coach Gregg Marshall isn’t sure what the Shockers will become over the next eight months. He doesn’t expect them to look much like the past two seasons.

Guards Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet headlined those efforts and while they enjoyed notable help, there wasn’t much doubt about the key components. This season’s team reminds Marshall of the 2011-12 team that thrived on balanced scoring, or maybe the 2011 NIT champions who went five-deep into the bench.

“It’s not a Ron-Fred team this time,” Marshall said.

On Saturday, WSU opens a four-game exhibition tour in Canada and it will begin to define its assets and characteristics. Two months of summer workouts shaped the point-guard job and gave numerous players an opportunity to lead. The four games, against competition generally considered to match the low-to-medium ranges of NCAA Division I basketball, will provide another evaluation point.

“A lot of people don’t really know what they can really bring to the team until they get out there,” WSU junior Zach Brown said. “In practice and pickup (games), we don’t have a set lineup of guys to work together. Against real competition, it’s your guys against the world. In-game situations will be a big factor of seeing if we can really play as a team.”

Baker and VanVleet weren’t merely talented basketball players. They provided much of the team’s leadership with VanVleet the main voice and Baker close behind. New examples and new voices must emerge.

“We know we’ve got guys coming up that can fill that void,” guard Landry Shamet said. “I think it’s been a really good group effort. We’ve all kind of collectively, individually, increased in our role in that leadership department. My biggest thing is to compete and try to lead by example. Body language. Staying positive. Doing what’s best for all my teammates.”

Marshall loves the 10 practices that come with the exhibition tours allowed every four years. Those ended Thursday.

On Friday, the Shockers take a morning commercial flight and on Saturday the coach loses control over what the opponent does. Five days later, he will have a better idea if Daishon Smith can slow down enough to run the offense and if Conner Frankamp can defend and add more dynamic scoring at point guard. He will watch Darral Willis try to use his athletic gifts to get to the right spots at the right time. Peyton Allen makes shots. How else can he help the team?

“Here’s what we do when we see this type of press; here’s what we do when there’s no press,” Marshall said. “I don’t coach the other team. They can spring surprises on us, so we have to learn how to adjust. That’s what I really want to do, is learn how to play, in our system, when we’re not orchestrating everything.”

WSU went 3-2 in a 2011 trip to Brazil. Marshall is prepared to put development ahead of winning, although he hopes it doesn’t come to that in Canada.

“We’ll have so many different, hodge-podge mixed lineups,” he said. “I’m going to play a bunch of dudes a bunch of different ways. Hopefully, it’s not going to cost us the game up there, but that’s not the goal. The goal is for us to be a lot better team coming out of there.”

▪  Sophomore Markis McDuffie participated in a few practice drills on Thursday after suffering a partial meniscus tear in his right knee last week. Marshall said McDuffie may play a limited role in Canada.

“He is saying it’s feeling much better,” Marshall said.

McDuffie is rehabbing the injury in hopes of avoiding surgery.

Freshmen guards Austin Reaves and C.J. Keyser will not play in Canada. Reaves, who had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder in March, is participating in many practice drills. Keyser, out since early June with stress injuries in his right foot, is not cleared to practice.

▪  At the start of the summer, Smith, Frankamp and Shamet appeared to be the candidates at point guard. Shamet switched his focus to shooting guard. Marshall feels better about the position than he did in June.

“Better, because I’ve seen a couple of guys do it,” Marshall said. “You’ll see a little more out of (Frankamp). (Smith) is very, very, very quick and fast with the ball. He’s going to have to harness all that and be a great defender on the ball and get us some easy baskets. He’s got some superlative qualities.”

Shamet’s track may be similar to that of former Shocker Toure Murry, who picked up point-guard duties later in his career.

“Landry is a better two-guard and even a better three-man than he is a point guard right now,” Marshall said.

This story was originally published August 4, 2016 at 5:40 PM with the headline "Canada games will start to define identity of 2016-17 Wichita State basketball."