Wichita shatters TBT attendance record as Aftershocks debut in wild Koch Arena
It was a scene only replicated in Shocker fans’ dreams.
Cleanthony Early (2012-14) shoved a block back into the Koch Arena floor and hit Clevin Hannah (2008-10) on an outlet pass. Hannah threw it back to Early at the top of the key, and Early lobbed a pass to Conner Frankamp (2015-18) in the right corner for a dagger three-pointer.
Koch Arena sang as if another spot in the Final Four was clinched.
Three eras of Wichita State basketball combined to provide the finishing touch to a historic night for The Basketball Tournament (TBT). The Aftershocks, WSU’s alumni team, won their opening game of the 2019 TBT 85-76 over Iowa United.
Wichitans packed into Koch Arena and almost tripled the TBT attendance record. TBT Founder Jonathan Mugar said it was about 2,500.
Exactly 7,184 people filled the stands. Mugar said Thursday night was beyond what he ever imagined for TBT.
“The game couldn’t go slow enough,” Mugar said. “I enjoyed every second of it, and I didn’t want it to be over.”
Frankamp and Early were their vintage selves. Frankamp, a Wichita native, scored a team-high 23 points on 5-of-8 shooting from three. Early added 17 and brought the vibe that carried throughout the arena.
Frankamp became known for his levelheaded play, but after a pair of late threes, he let out a yell and put three fingers to the floor. He said Thursday felt different.
“The circumstances, it’s different than any of us have ever been in,” he said. “It was kind of like the NCAA Tournament. There are 64 teams, and it’s lose and you’re out. And there’s so much money on the line. That run was very important for us.”
The Aftershocks are composed of Shockers as far back as J.T. Durley who played from 2007-11 and as recently as Shaq Morris who was in Wichita from 2014-18.
Morris said with how much Wichita has given to him, it meant a lot to be part of something so monumental for the city.
“The fans and the loyalty of the fans, they come out,” he said. “This community is amazing. When they said we were hosting, in my head I said, ‘That record is going to get broken.’ It was hard to hear the whistle.”
Bringing TBT to Wichita took plenty of negotiation, said Brian Hargrove, executive director of sports development with Visit Wichita. Hargrove said Thursday night went about as well as he could have hoped.
“When we went after TBT to bring this to Wichita, this is what we expected,” he said. “That’s what we sold to the TBT: Wichita is Shockerland. ‘You bring the event here, and you will be blown away with what you see,’ and they have.”
Koch Arena was the best venue for the card, and Wichita was one of the best cities for the regional event, said Brad Pittman, WSU facilities and operation director.
He said he hopes the atmosphere is even better 4 p.m. Saturday when the No. 2 Aftershocks look to make the regional championship game with a win over No. 6 seed Sideline Cancer.
“Tonight was a celebration of what Shocker basketball is and what it has been,” Pittman said. “We’ve had an unbelievable run of success, and these guys are a big part of that. The TBT is a bit of a thank you to them.
“I don’t know how you don’t get goosebumps sitting here watching this.”
This story was originally published July 26, 2019 at 1:39 AM.