The secret behind Wichita Collegiate’s seamless transition after a legend
No one wants to be the one to follow a Kansas high school basketball coaching legend.
At Wichita Collegiate, that reality is literally everywhere in the gymnasium. Championship banners line the walls. The name Mitch Fiegel, who won six state championships over a nearly four-decade career, is everywhere.
When Nate Schmitt finally walked around the gym for the first time as the new head coach, the weight of it all hit at once. He knew what he was walking into, he just didn’t know how quickly it would take off.
Six games into his debut season, the Spartans are unbeaten, ranked No. 1 in Class 3A and playing with a familiar ferocity that has made the program a statewide measuring stick for decades. Collegiate is averaging 85.5 points per game, holding opponents under 40 points and winning by an average of nearly 47 points per night.
“It’s not a good position; it’s a great position,” Schmitt said. “A lot of the reasons for the success start with the boys and how talented they are, but a lot of this stems from what Coach Fiegel did and his staff previously.”
The numbers are eye-popping. Collegiate shattered its program scoring record with a 113-33 win at Parsons in the second game of the season. In just six outings, the Spartans have already outscored opponents by 281 points. Every game has been decided by halftime.
It’s been a seamless transition from one era to the next, which isn’t a coincidence. That’s because Schmitt is not an outsider parachuting into a powerhouse. He is a longtime student of the program.
Nearly a decade ago, while building Lakin into a perennial winner, Schmitt sent Fiegel an out-of-the-blue email simply because he admired how Collegiate played. One message turned into phone calls, which turned into years of mentorship. Schmitt attended clinics, brought his staff to Wichita to meet with Fiegel whenever possible and studied the demanding system that defined Fiegel’s teams.
Many coaches reached out to Fiegel over the years. Few kept coming back. Schmitt did.
That familiarity is why the Spartans still look like the same Spartans.
“Not a lot has changed,” Schmitt said. “We still believe defense decides championships. We might go about it a little bit differently, but we’re still playing the same way.”
Collegiate still pressures the ball 94 feet. Still turns defense into offense. Still wants opponents uncomfortable from the opening tip. Schmitt has slightly adjusted the defensive approach with fewer run-and-jump looks, but the identity remains intact.
Senior big man Shaad Issa sees it every day in practice.
“Every day in practice we always emphasize bringing energy,” Issa said. “We still full-court press like we did in the past. We want to put pressure on our opponents. We don’t want any free dribbles. We just want to bring the energy really.”
That energy shows up immediately after missed shots when Collegiate turns on the jets in transition.
“The boys are so good on missed shots and getting out and going,” Schmitt said. “Whether it’s off a rebound or a steal, they get it and they’re gone.”
Seniors Sebastian Hines-Turner and A.J. Batiste are four-year varsity standouts who understand the system inside and out. Junior point guard Kamari Jennings brings a crafty presence at point guard. Issa anchors the middle, while Corban Wiley, Mason Bond, Maddox Drumright and freshman Jai Johnson provide depth, shooting and athleticism.
Schmitt’s philosophy is a simple one: Speed creates separation.
The more possessions Collegiate can create in a game, the better. He wants the game moving faster than opponents can handle. The introduction of the shot clock in Kansas has only amplified that advantage, eliminating the long, grinding possessions teams once used to neutralize Collegiate’s athleticism.
“I’ve admired this place from afar for a very long time, so I’m incredibly honored to be here,” Schmitt said. “Just to be part of this program is very surreal. I couldn’t ask for a better start. I want the boys to have fun, and I think they’re having fun so far.”
Now comes the real tests.
After a month of blowouts, Collegiate’s schedule stiffens sharply this weekend with back-to-back games against top-five teams in Class 4A. The Spartans travel to Andale (5-1, No. 5 in 4A) on Friday before returning home to face Pratt (7-0, No. 4 in 4A) on Saturday.
“We’re going to see all sorts of things to try to slow us down,” he said. “But we’re not going to do a whole lot of stuff different. We are who we are, and this is how we’re going to play and we’re going to do everything we can to dictate that and try to play that way. But we know there are going to be a lot tougher nights than what we’ve seen so far.”
The players welcome it.
“We’ve got a lot of confidence right now, but we’re also just ready to go out there and compete,” Issa said. “We’re really excited to see what the potential of this team is.”
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