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THE BASKETBALL GUIDE
E 12
NOV. 9, 2023 • VOL 128 • ISSU
BASKETBALL GUIDE
2 | Nov. 9, 2023
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MEN’S BASKETBALL 2023-2024 SEASON
01
GAME SCHEDULE
03
HOME
AWAY
NOV. 9 | 6:30 P.M.
XAVIER
BELL
WESTERN KENTUCKY
RONNIE
DEGRAY III
Guard | Jr. | 6’2”
Forward | Jr. | 6’6”
NOV. 12 | 1 P.M.
FRIENDS
NOV. 16 | 3:30 P.M.
04
COASTAL CAROLINA
05
NOV. 17 | TBA
FURMAN/LIBERTY
ISAAC
COLBY
ROGERS
ABIDDE
Guard | R-Jr. | 6’4”
08
NOV. 19 | TBA
Forward | R-So. | 6’8”
10
MYRTLE BEACH INVITATIONAL NOV. 25 | 6 P.M.
NORFOLK STATE
NOV. 29 | 6:30 P.M.
RICHMOND
DEC. 3 | 2 P.M.
MISSOURI
YANIS
DALEN
BAMBA
RIDGNAL
Guard | Fr. | 6’5”
DEC. 9 | 6 P.M.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
Forward | Gr. | 6’6” DEC. 16 | 6 P.M.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
11
12 KENNY
DEC. 21 | 7:30 P.M.
KANSAS STATE
DEC. 30 | 3 P.M.
JOY
POHTO
IGHOVODJA
Forward | Jr. | 6’10”
14
Guard | Fr. | 6’4”
KANSAS
JAN. 4 | 8 P.M.
NORTH TEXAS
JAN. 7 | NOON
TEMPLE
15
JAN. 14 | NOON
MEMPHIS
TREVOR
QUINCY
MCBRIDE
BALLARD
Guard | R-Fr. | 6’0”
Center | Jr. | 6’11”
JAN. 18 | 6 P.M.
FLORIDA ATLANTIC
JAN. 21 | 1 P.M.
SOUTH FLORIDA
21
20
JAN. 24 | 6:30 P.M.
EAST CAROLINA
JAN. 28 | 2 P.M.
HARLOND
SMU
HENRY
BEVERLY
THENGVALL
Guard | R-Jr. | 6’5”
JAN. 31 | 6 P.M.
TULSA
Forward | R-Fr. | 6’6”
FEB. 3 | NOON
24
MEMPHIS
55 JACOB
GERMANY
Forward | Sr. | 6’10”
FEB. 7 | 6:30 P.M.
UTSA
BIJAN
CORTES
Guard | Jr. | 6’2”
FEB. 11 | 11 A.M.
FLORIDA ATLANTIC
FEB. 15 | 6 P.M.
EAST CAROLINA
FEB. 18 | 11 A.M.
CHARLOTTE
FEB. 21 | 8 P.M.
TULSA
PAUL
MILLS
KENTON
Head Coach
PAULINO
FEB. 25 | 3 P.M.
TEMPLE
Associate Head Coach FEB. 28 | 7 P.M.
UAB
MARCH 2 | 11 A.M.
RICE
TJ
CLEVELAND
Assistant Coach
MARCH 8 | 8 P.M.
QUINCY
ACY
TULANE
MARCH 13 - 17 | TBA
Assistant Coach
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
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Nov. 9, 2023 | 3
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
2023-2024 SEASON
0
GAME SCHEDULE
01
HOME
AWAY
NOV. 15 | 6:30 P.M.
ANIYA
BELL
BELMONT
DJ
MCCARTY
Guard | Sr. | 5’9”
Guard | Sr. | 5’8”
NOV. 20 | 6 P.M.
OMAHA
NOV. 24 | 10 A.M.
02
AKRON
03
NOV. 25 | 10 A.M.
DAYTON
TRE’ZURE
SIERRA
MORROW
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA
JOBE
Forward | Sr. | 6’1”
04
NOV. 28 | 6 P.M.
Guard | R-Sr. | 5’7”
05
DEC. 1 | 6 P.M.
SAINT LOUIS
DEC. 4 | 6:00 P.M.
HOUSTON CHRISTIAN
DEC. 10 | 1 P.M.
KANSAS
JAYLA
ORNELLA
MURRAY
NIANKAN
Forward | R-So. | 6’1”
DEC. 16 | 1 P.M.
MISSOURI STATE
Forward | Jr. | 6’1” DEC. 20 | 6 P.M.
ORAL ROBERTS
11
12 JORDAN
DEC. 30 | 2 P.M.
TULANE
JAN. 3 | 7 P.M.
RAISSA
JACKSON
NSABUA
Forward | So. | 6’0”
13
Guard | Jr. | 5’10”
RICE
JAN. 6 | 2 P.M.
UTSA
JAN. 9 | 6 P.M.
TEMPLE
14
JAN. 14 | 2 P.M.
NORTH TEXAS
ELLA
CARLA
ANCIAUX
BUDANE
Center | Jr. | 6’4”
Forward | R-So. | 6’0”
JAN. 17 | 6 P.M.
MEMPHIS
JAN. 20 | 2 P.M.
TULSA
22
15
JAN. 25 | 6 P.M.
UAB
JAN. 27 | 6 P.M.
SOPHIA
FLORIDA ATLANTIC
AMBAH
KOWCUN
GONCALVES Forward | Fr. | 6’4”
JAN. 31 | 6 P.M.
TEMPLE
Guard | Sr. | 5’10” FEB. 4 | 2 P.M.
23
EAST CAROLINA
25 DANIELA
FEB. 10 | 1 P.M.
FLORIDA ATLANTIC
SALESE
ABIES
FEB. 13 | 6 P.M.
BLOW
Forward | So. | 6’0”
SOUTH FLORIDA
Guard | Fr. | 5’11”
FEB. 17 | 2 P.M.
TULSA
FEB. 24 | 3 P.M.
45
CHARLOTTE
FEB. 28 | 6 P.M.
SMU
JENIAH
TERRY
THOMPSON
NOONER
Guard | Sr. | 5’9”
MARCH 2 | 2 P.M.
UTSA
Head Coach MARCH 5 | 6 P.M.
UAB
MARCH 9-13 | TBA
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
ANTWAIN
SCALES
Assistant Coach
BROOKE
COSTLEY
Assistant Coach
NICK
BRADFORD
Assistant Coach
BASKETBALL GUIDE
4 | Nov. 9, 2023
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Q&A WITH COACHES At the annual basketball Media Day on Oct. 16, head men’s and women’s basketball coaches talked to a group of reporters about offseason preparations and the upcoming season. These transcripts have been edited for clarity and length. Head men’s basketball coach Paul Mills yells to players on the sideline during the game against Rogers State on Oct. 29 in Charles Koch Arena. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower
Head coach Terry Nooner calls a play to the women’s basketball team during the second half of the game against Missouri Southern State University on Nov. 1. | Photo by Cheyanne Tull / The Sunflower
PAUL MILLS
TERRY NOONER
won't be another week where we don't play a basketball game. It's an exciting time of year, and (you have to) understand that there's no magic offensive plays; there's no magic defensive schemes. So much of his job is leadership and teaching guys how to lead, what it should look like. And so it's a daily process with film, and (I’m) excited about where we can be, even though prognostications don't think too highly of us.
going. We’ve got a lot of confidence. We feel like since April, we’re trying to establish a new culture and a new way of doing things.
MILLS’ OPENING STATEMENT: You know, as I reminded the guys yesterday, that there
Q: WHAT DID THE INTRASQUAD SCRIMMAGE TELL YOU? MILLS: We're getting better. We've made a lot of strides, you know, scrimmages, intrasquads are
kind of hard: Was that great offense, or was that bad defense? So when you go into it, when we show film here in about an hour, it's going to be correcting on defense on things you should do. But was that just a good offensive play? When you have both teams, you kind of manage. You're pointing out both. I've mentioned this before; I do think we'll be a good rebounding team. We'll continue to make strides there. I thought we've gotten better in defensive rebounding over the course of the past two weeks, but intrasquad scrimmages are really hard to gauge. But I will tell you from what we're trying to do, we've made some strides.
Q: HOW HAVE YOU SEEN KENNY POHTO AND OTHERS STEP INTO THAT LEADERSHIP ROLE? MILLS: One, it's a different dynamic simply because, for them, they're kind of in an observatory
role. Like, ‘Oh man, I didn't know he was going to snap off of me not passing the ball to the outside hand.’ I think for some of them, they really don't know (that) this is what, as a staff, they expect, and they're not going to compromise. You have to embrace, ‘What is it that it's trying to get done?’ Kenny (Pohto) is trying to learn that. He's very receptive; he doesn't fight. If it's not about winning, we don't want to do it. That's important from being able to handle business outside of basketball: Can you do those things that lead to winning off the court? And I would tell you that Kenny embraces every bit of it; he's extremely coachable. He's tremendous to be around. His care factors through the roof. Eventually, you got to hand the reins over to your players. Your job is to teach them what the standard is, lead them in a way that these are the expectations and then eventually hand them the reins. I'm not willing to hand him the reins right now, but I will tell you that they're trying to figure out what's the next right thing to do.
Q: HOW IS THE COACHING STAFF HOLDING PLAYERS ACCOUNTABLE AND MAKING SURE THEY MEET THAT AFOREMENTIONED STANDARD IN EVERY DRILL?
MILLS: We place a care factor sheet at the end of every practice. I’ve mentioned this to Paul
(Suellenstrop) before, but it has nothing to do with your ability to make shots. It's simply your response after a turnover. Let's say you do turn it over. It's going to happen. Is your first inclination just to drop your head and bow? Is it throw(ing) your shoulders up, or is it ‘Man, what's the next right thing I need to do?’ We gauge all of that. Can you get across half-court within three seconds after a miss? Can you do it five seconds after a make? Are you finding the corners within four? Did you win a loose ball? Did you take a charge? (Players) get gauged on all of those. They get a number at the end of the day. If they don't do their job, you run a 17, which is a pretty difficult thing to do. Sideline to sideline, you gotta get 17 touches within a minute. It's not easy. They know every day who's doing rebounding running, who's doing care factor running. And so we've seen the numbers increase day by day in that, but there is a metric involved in order to know if you're doing what we asked you to do versus not.
Q: DO YOU SEE HAVING SO MANY NEW PLAYERS AND COACHES COMING TOGETHER THIS SEASON AS AN ADVANTAGE OR DISADVANTAGE? MILLS: I'm a big believer in experience wins and guys who were older win and minute continuity
(wins). I was explaining this to somebody that I ran to the KenPom numbers, and that 2013 team that went to a Final Four was one of the worst in the country at having minutes continuity and Division I experience. So I said, well let me look at the 35-1 team, and they were one of the worst in the country at having minute continuity and Division I experience. That theory kind of went out the window with those two Shocker teams, but I do think what's more important is the character in the room. Do you have guys that want to do the right thing? Not only on the court but off of it, and people want to see representation whenever they come to a game. Nobody's paying to watch players not play hard. Nobody's paid to watch players play selfish and not play team basketball. So I'm a big believer in the New Zealand All-Blacks theory: Very good people make good players with good people. They want to do the right thing and how they translate to basketball skills. We'll see. Especially in the coming weeks, but I am impressed with the character of the team.
Q: WHAT IS A SUCCESSFUL SEASON GOING TO LOOK LIKE FOR YOU THIS YEAR?
MILLS: It’s a great question. I don't know that answer. As I tell the players, we're just trying to go 1-0. Let's go 1-0 today. Let's figure out how to get better today. My high school coach always would tell us, ‘Leave it better than you found it.’ When we went in the locker room, we had to clean it and leave it better than when we came in. That's kind of my message to the players right now. When we leave here today, let's be better than when we walked in. And if we're not, let's be better in our recovery so that we can be better tomorrow.
NOONER’S OPENING STATEMENT: I’m really excited about the direction that we’re
We’ve really been pleased with the way our young ladies have accepted, you know, just a new way, a new style of planning, and a new way of doing things. And of course, these last few months, it’s involved a lot of conditioning, a lot of hard work, a lot of tough days, but they’ve been really accepting and understanding of the things that we want to accomplish as a team. They’ve been working their tails off in practice every single day. It was a big adjustment for us going from our four hours a week to now we’re in 20 hours a week, and we got some software that they kind of had to fill out every day just to kind of talk about their moves and how their bodies are feeling and stress and that kind of stuff. We’re going to try to play hard. I’m going to try to play fast.
Q: WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR YOU GUYS TO BE SUCCESSFUL? NOONER: I’m a new coach. I’m a first-year coach. We have a new team … I think people just haven’t seen what we have to offer. They haven’t seen how we’re going to play. They haven’t seen the weapons and the firepower I think … you have to control what you can control. We can control our work, our practice and the stuff that we’re doing to get prepared for the season every day.
Q: HOW BIG OF A DEAL WAS IT TO GET MCCARTY BACK AFTER SHE ENTERED THE TRANSFER PORTAL? NOONER: It was huge; my first two major recruits (DJ McCarty and Tre’Zure Jobe),
getting DJ to stay was huge for us. She’s already a returning scorer, and she’s a point guard. She’s a veteran. Just by her speed and ability to really attack the basket and create plays for others and just our understanding of the college game, I think she’s going to being valuable for us as a program, and then to just partner her with Tre’Zure, who was a hometown hero. So these are the first two ladies that were my first two recruits, and I’m glad that I went 100% with these two.
Q: WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO GET DONE DURING THESE PRESEASON PRACTICES? NOONER: I think the biggest thing … is accountability across the board. Honesty, open
and honest conversations, and dialogue with the players. Sometimes, it’s not always great notes.
What I pride myself on is that I’m always going to tell players the truth, whether it’s good or bad, I’m going to do it in love. I want what’s best for them. So might as well be open and honest with them, and we always are going to hold everybody accountable, so there’s no superstars or bench players.
Q: WHAT ARE YOU HARPING ON IN PRACTICE TO GET YOUR PEOPLE READY TO PLAY A GAME? NOONER: All the coaches I’ve ever worked with, they always will say they were so
behind, and now I kind of understand what all of those coaches have talked about.
At this time, we feel like we’re behind. I think we’ve been focusing a lot more on just playing faster, making quicker decisions, which requires conditioning and shape and actually running. Every player always says they want to play fast, and they want to run, but they don’t understand that running means conditioning and being in shape and that kind of stuff. So we’ve really been harping on just playing faster, playing with more pace, on defense, just being on the strain, making sure we’re helping each other and playing as a team.
Q: WHO ARE SOME GIRLS THAT HAVE STEPPED UP IN THE FORWARDS AND THE CENTER SPOTS? NOONER: I’m happy; I think it’s going to be a little different … I think we have
more posts this year, probably a little bit more mobile. So they can play inside and out. I think Sierra Morrow’s (is a) stretch forward who can shoot threes, and she can roll to the basket; she can face up and drive. Same thing with Jayla Murray. She can score inside and outside … Also with Daniela Abies: her ability to get the passing lanes, and she’s super active and she can move, her feet great on defense. So I think it’s gonna be a little different, and we probably won’t be playing as much back to the basket post up game, but I think they’re more mobile… So we have to take advantage of those things.
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REALIGN & DISRUPT
As college basketball season begins, almost every conference in the country is saying goodbye to old teams and hello to new ones. The American Athletic Conference’s six new teams come by way of Conference USA (C-USA), and they are expected to achieve high early on. The Shockers will face all six new teams in regular season play. Here’s a snapshot of each new conference opponent coming into their first seasons in the American.
CHARLOTTE 49ERS Preseason Conference Rank: 13 Preseason Conference Axwards: N/A Last season, the 49ers beat Eastern Kentucky University in the Discount Tire College Basketball Invitational Championship (CBI), becoming one of three champions in NCAA Division I. This is Charlotte’s first postseason title. The 49ers are coached by interim head coach Aaron Fearne, who was promoted from associate head coach after the departure of former head coach Ron Sanchez. Lu’Cye Patterson is the only one of three All-Conference players returning to Charlotte for the 2023-24 season after Brice Williams and Aly Khalifa transferred to the University of Nebraska and Brigham Young University, respectively.
FLORIDA ATLANTIC OWLS Preseason Conference Rank: 1 Preseason Conference Awards: 2x Preseason Players of the Year, 2x First Team All-Conference The Owls are coming off of a Cinderella run to the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament, losing to No. 4 San Diego State University on a buzzer-beater. The Owls received an auto-bid to the tournament after winning Conference-USA. Juniors Johnell Davis and Alijah Martin both return after entering the national spotlight during their tournament run and were named Co-Preseason Players of the Year in the American Athletic Conference. FAU enters this season ranked No. 10 in the AP Poll, the first time the program has made the preseason ranking.
NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN Preseason Conference Rank: 6 Preseason Conference Awards: N/A The Mean Green are coming into this season as the defending National Invitational Tournament champions, beating their old and new conference rivals, the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Head coach Ross Hodge was hired this spring after the departure of former head coach Grant McCasland, the new head coach at Texas Tech. UNT lost C-USA Conference Player of the Year Tylor Perry, a fifth-year transfer at Kansas State University.
Xavier Bell | Photo by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower
RICE OWLS Preseason Conference Rank: 11 Preseason Conference Awards: 1x Second Team All-Conference Rice was knocked out of the second round of the CBI last season by Southern Utah after the Owls came back from a 14-point deficit to no avail. Scott Pera, head coach at Rice, is in his seventh year with the program. He took over for Mike Rhoades after Rhoades left for Virginia Commonwealth University in 2014. Fifth-year senior Max Fiedler was the Owls’ lone preseason award recipient with his nomination to Second Team All-Conference. Last season, Fiedler was the first Division 1 player within the past 30 years to average at least 11 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists and connect on 73.5% from the floor.
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA BLAZERS Preseason Conference Rank: 4 Preseason Conference Awards: 1x First Team All-Conference At the end of last season, the Blazers lost to fellow former C-USA team, North Texas, in the final of the NIT and lost in the C-USA Tournament to FAU in the final round. Andy Kennedy, the second leading scorer all time at UAB, enters his fourth year coaching the Blazers. In leading the team to three straight seasons with 20+ wins, he became one of five active coaches to accomplish this feat. Guard Eric Gaines was named to the preseason First Team All-Conference. Jordan Walker, C-USA First Team All-Conference player, has moved on to the NBA, and the Blazers will be looking for a way to replace the No. 3 scorer in the country from last season.
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO ROADRUNNERS Preseason Conference Rank: 14 Preseason Conference Awards: N/A The University of Texas at San Antonio finished their season No. 11 in C-USA. They lost to Rice in the first round of the C-USA Tournament after splitting their regular season series. Steve Hanson is in his eighth year with the Roadrunners. During the transition to the American, Hanson has retooled both his roster and coaching staff to “meet the moment of this new era for UTSA basketball.” Almost all of his coaching staff was hired over this past summer. Looking at UTSA’s roster, 12 of their 15 players are transfers. Jordan Ivy-Curry, a junior guard, transferred away to Pacific University and then came back. Isaac Abidde | Photo by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower
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As college basketball season begins, almost every conference in the country is saying goodbye to old teams and hello to new ones. The American Athletic Conference’s six new teams come by way of Conference USA (C-USA). The Shockers will face all six new teams in regular season play. Here’s a snapshot of each new conference opponent coming into their first seasons in the American.
CHARLOTTE 49ERS Preseason Conference Rank: 10 Preseason Conference Awards: 1x Second Team All-Conference Pick Charlotte ended their season with a loss in the Conference USA (C-USA) tournament semifinals to eventual champions Middle Tennessee. Preseason Second Team All-Conference guard Dazia Lawrence represented USA Basketball at the FIBA Under-23 3x3 World Cup. Lawrence scored in double digits 25 times last season and led the 49ers with an average of 17 points per game. Cara Consuegra is in her first season as head coach in Charlotte. She had a brief stint in the WNBA with the now-defunct Utah Starzz before going to Penn State as director of basketball operations.
FLORIDA ATLANTIC OWLS Preseason Conference Rank: 14 Preseason Conference Awards: N/A Florida Atlantic finished the 2022-23 season in 11th and last place in C-USA. In their first season in the American, the story seems the same: the Owls were picked to finish 14th and last in the preseason coaches’ poll. Jennifer Sullivan, the head coach at FAU, is in her third year with the team and made her way to the Owls from the University of Tennessee. Over her two seasons with FAU, she has a .158 winning percentage in conference play and a .283 winning percentage overall. C-USA Freshman of the Year Aniya Hubbard returns as a sophomore after leading the Owls in points per game. She scored a career-high 28 points against UAB last season.
NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN Preseason Conference Rank: 12 Preseason Conference Awards: N/A After nine seasons at Texas A&M-Commerce, Jason Burton begins his first season with UNT in 2023-2024. He is Texas A&M-Commerce’s winningest coach of all time. Former Wichita State guard Shamaryah Duncan will play for the Mean Green this season after three years with the Shockers. She is part of a four-player transfer class at North Texas. North Texas ended last season with a first-round exit against UAB in the C-USA conference tournament. Jeniah Thompson | Photo by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower
RICE OWLS Preseason Conference Rank: 3 Preseason Conference Awards: 1x Second Team All-Conference Pick Under third-year head coach Lindsay Edmonds, the Owls had their best start last season at 9-0 and finished 23-9. With this record, Rice made its first postseason appearance in program history in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). Junior Malia Fisher was picked in the AAC Coaches’ Poll as a Preseason Second Team AllConference member. Fisher left Conference USA as an All-Conference Second Teamer. Transfer Emily Klaczek is expected to be a big help to the Owls from behind the three-point line. Edmonds said that Klaczek “will really continue to stretch the defense” for Rice this season. Klaczek joins Sussy Ngulefac out of Samford as the two transfers joining the Owls this season.
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA BLAZERS Preseason Conference Rank: 13 Preseason Conference Awards: N/A C-USA All-Freshman and UAB’s leading scorer Denim DeShields returns to UAB for her sophomore year. Last season, DeShields set a career-high in points (36) against Florida International University. Head coach Randy Norton has been at UAB for the last decade. From 2017-2020, the Blazers won at least 20 games in three consecutive seasons under his leadership. The Blazers lost to Western Kentucky in the quarterfinals of the C-USA Championship Tournament last season and did not make it to the postseason.
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO ROADRUNNERS Preseason Conference Rank: 8 Preseason Conference Awards: 1x Second Team All-Conference Pick UTSA ended last season with a loss to Western Kentucky by 15 points in the C-USA Championship Tournament semifinals. Karen Aston, third-year head coach of the Roadrunners, has been the head coach at conference rivals Charlotte and UNT. Aston was a major part of these program’s rebuilds, returning Charlotte to the postseason for four consecutive years, including their second NCAA Tournament appearance. Senior Jordyn Jenkins was named to the Preseason All-Conference Second Team. As a junior, Jenkins was the C-USA Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year after she made her way to the Roadrunners from the Trojans of the University of Southern California.
Ella Anciaux | Photo by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower
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Nov. 9, 2023 | 7
The Wichita State Shockers huddle together before the start of their Wednesday night match against Missouri Southern State University on Nov. 1. | Photo by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower
Women’s basketball players talk importance of supportive coaches BY CHEYANNE TULL
earth2chey.info@gmail.com
Bijan Cortes shoots for a three-pointer in the scrimmage match at Shocker Madness. | Photo by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower
Bijan Cortes denied eligibility waiver by NCAA, unable to play during fall semester BY JACOB UNRUH
jacobunruh333@gmail.com
Wichita State junior guard Bijan Cortes’ academic eligibility waiver was denied by the NCAA, meaning Cortes will be unable to play basketball for the Shockers during the fall semester of the 2023-24 season. Paul Mills, head coach of men’s basketball, announced the ruling during a press conference on Friday. He said that Wichita State would apply again to make Cortes available for the spring semester.
Mills said that Cortes could play in December after the winter semester ends if the NCAA grants him eligibility. Cortes is likely to miss at least the first 10 to 12 games of the season. Cortes transferred to Wichita from the University of Oklahoma this year. He was expected to hold the starting point guard position for WSU before the ruling. Cortes has practiced with the team but was unable to play in scrimmages or exhibition games leading up to the season.
Mills also said on Friday that junior forward Ronnie DeGray III is still awaiting an eligibility ruling from the NCAA for being a two-time transfer. DeGray transferred from the University of Massachusetts to the University of Missouri after his freshman year and transferred to Wichita State this summer. The Wichita State basketball season continues on Thursday, Nov. 9, at Charles Koch Arena against Western Kentucky.
For women’s basketball players and coaches at Wichita State, their relationships transcend basketball and turn into a support system. With Wichita State women’s basketball, they make it happen through close relationships. “My relationship with the coaches is cracking jokes,” senior Aniya Bell said. “When it is time to lock in and be serious, they make sure that I am.” The Washington, D.C., native touched on the impact of having supportive coaches. “I feel like they just always (have) been there for me when I needed somebody to talk to,” Bell said. “I’m so far away from home, and they (have) been that listening ear.” There are four coaches for Wichita State’s women’s basketball: head coach Terry Nooner, assistant coaches Nick Bradford, Antwain Scales and Brooke Costley. Costley is the only woman on the coaching staff. “I don’t think we have any barriers (with) only having coach Brooke on our staff,” senior DJ McCarty said. “We can go to her if we need something, like female
advice, but I think we also have that with our male coaches.” Atypical women’s basketball practice begins with stretching. They also do position work, rebounding drills and defensive drills against the men’s basketball team. The coaches mostly work on defense in practices due to the emphasis on defensive strategy this season. “Every coach takes the time to teach us things if we mess up,” senior Jeniah Thompson said. “They take the time to walk us through and show us how to do it better.” Coachability is a necessary trait, according to the team. Coaches don’t teach coachability — athletes learn that over time. The team saw this play out in their first game of the 2023-2024 season against Missouri Southern State University last week. After being down in the first half, the team came back with a win, 75-65. Nooner said the teams’ capability to take criticism led to their success. “They take the time to tell us something, and we listen,” Thompson said. “It doesn’t just go in one ear and out the other; we take the time to take in what they say and apply it on the court.”
Tre’Zure Jobe returns home in leadership role BY MELANIE RIVERA-CORTEZ sports@thesunflower.com
Tre’Zure Jobe has earned herself the nickname of “grandma” for being the oldest — and longest — player on the Wichita State women’s basketball team. For her sixth and final year, Jobe decided to come back to her hometown, Wichita, after talking to Terry Nooner, the head coach of women’s basketball. Seeing some of the practices during her visits to Wichita State helped convince her in the recruiting process. “The coaching staff were real persistent during my recruiting process,” Jobe said. “I was really attracted to that.” Jobe said that her family did not play a role on her decision to return home, but she wanted to
be selfish when picking a school because this is her last year of collegiate basketball. “This is still my hometown; I do want to see the women’s side do well,” Jobe said. Coming onto the team, Jobe expected to be the leader due to her several years of experience. “Every program I was talking to said that’s kind of the role that I was going to have to come into and do and be and be that extension of coach,” she said. Despite coming onto the team on the quieter side, team members said Jobe found her place on the team over the summer. “She was a little quiet, so we just had to get a feel for her, but the summer sessions really helped,” senior guard Aniya Bell said.
Bell said Jobe is a vocal leader and leads by example and she doesn’t just “talk the talk” but walks the walk.” “She’s about action, so when she’s telling us what she expects from us, she does so herself,” Bell said. “She’s never going to ask you to do something that she wouldn’t do herself.” Being in a leadership position is not a job that Jobe take lightly. She said she knows what is expected of her and tries to stay on top of her game. “Even though I’m new to the team, they kind of look at me like okay, ‘Tre’Zure, what are we doing?” Jobe said. “I kind of set the pace for practice and how the energy is going to go.”
Redshirt senior guard Tre’Zure Jobe enters the arena after being introduced at Shocker Madness. | Photo by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower
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BASEKTBALL GUIDE
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Nov. 9, 2023 | 9
‘Energy in winning’: Men’s basketball team encouraged for season BY MAEGAN VINCENT maegan.ann.vincent@gmail.com
With the 2023-2024 season of men’s basketball fast approaching, fans eagerly await to see how the Wichita State Shockers will fare in this upcoming season. After becoming head coach in November 2020, Isaac Brown was removed from the position in March of this year. It was a tumultuous three years for the basketball team, with a record of losing 10 conference games at Charles Koch Arena and a losing record of 8-10 in the last two years. The surmounting home losses coincided with WSU’s home attendance dipping to 7,137 last season after 17 seasons of 10,000plus attendees. The basketball team had also missed postseason play for the second year in a row. With seasoned players like guard Craig Porter Jr., guard Jaykwon Walton and forward James Rojas moving on from Wichita State, newly hired head coach Paul Mills had a lot of expectations on his shoulders. Along with getting to know the players coming back to the team
this season, Mills focused heavily on recruiting. Dalen Ridgnal, a graduate student from Missouri State, committed to Wichita State days before the team was set to depart to Greece for an exhibition tour. He proved his worth to the team in Greece and finished the tour with 34 rebounds and 33 points. “He is a phenomenal young man,” Mills said. “We lucked into that one.” With the season just starting, the team has high hopes. Yanis Bamba, a recruit from Quebec, Canada, said he is eager to see how the team fares this upcoming season. “I think Coach Mills has done some good things for the team, and I think if we can just make sure the team plays 100%, we have the opportunity to win,” Bamba said. Joy Ighovodja, a freshman recruit from Nigeria, shared similar thoughts. “Everyone is good,” Ighovodja said. “We all have a lot of energy in winning. We’re all in that mindset. I think that motivation will help us win a lot of games together.” “We’re going to play through our mistakes and help each other
Men’s basketball players huddle together after a successful play by Wichita State during the game against Rogers State on Oct. 29. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower
grow in the process,” Ighovodja said. Mills said he is working hard to ensure the men’s basketball team makes the most of the games they play this season. After winning
their first game 74-53 against Rogers State, they seem to be on the right track. “My message to the players right now is ‘Let’s leave it better than you found it,’” Mills said.
“When we leave here today, let’s be better than when we walked in. If we’re not, let’s be better in our recovery so we can be better tomorrow.”
Xavier Bell is interviewed by a KSN reporter for media day on Oct. 16. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower Athletes can put in the work at the new weight room in Charles Koch Arena, which was funded by multiple donors, including Fred VanVleet. | Photo by Shelby DuVall / The Sunflower
On and off the court: Athletes and coaches encouraged by new weight room in Koch Arena BY TALIYAH WINN tmwinn03@gmail.com
Wichita State basketball has a secret weapon this season — a fully renovated weight room. Located in Charles Koch Arena, the Fred VanVleet Sports Performance Complex was finished in late July, and the 2023 season is the first to be impacted by it. While most fans show up to see athletes on the court, during the season, players spend up to 20 hours a week training in addition to practices and games. And, while athletes get a month off in the summer, it’s a year-long commitment. During the offseason, athletes train eight hours a week. The $1 million project was funded by Wichita State University alumni and supporters. Fred VanVleet, a prominent WSU alumnus and point guard for the Houston Rockets, initiated the process with a donation of $250,000, which was matched by Steve and Regine Feilmeier. Ricky and Jeanie Brotherton contributed an additional $100,000 to the project. After the announcement of the project, more donors stepped forward to reach the funding goal. The newly refurbished weight room features custom WSUthemed weight sets and technology aimed at tracking individual athletes’ progress and training programs. It is used primarily by men’s and women’s basketball as well as volleyball.
Xavier Bell overcomes shooting slump to take larger role with Wichita State basketball BY JACOB UNRUH jacobunruh333@gmail.com
Ashtin Meerpohl, director of sports performance, highlighted the facility’s efficiency enhancements. “It just allows us to, one, be more efficient in here, and then two, we’ve just got a lot more options as far as what we want to do with training because we’ve got a lot of new equipment and technology that helps us in here,” Meerpohl said. Each rack in the room has an EliteForm system equipped with cameras to monitor athlete performance, eliminating guesswork in programming. Coaches can now set specific bar speed targets and adjust weights based on the athletes’ needs and limits instead of relying on percentages. “I can give them a (verbal) cue, say ‘Hey, I need you to drive your knees out’ or ‘I need you a little lower,’” Meerpohl said. “With this (technology), they can go back and rewatch that, and we can show them exactly what they need to do.“ Through the integration of technology, athletes can now access their daily training regimens via tablets, giving them a level of independence while training. While training staff continues to oversee the process actively, this innovation provides more structure. The room features custom height pull-up bars, lat pulldowns and squat racks to ensure athletes are getting a full range of motion
and preventing joint strain. This technology also fosters a sense of friendly competition among athletes. Tablets track individual statistics, allowing coaches to set challenges and provide players with real-time insights into their teammates’ performance. “It creates that competition in the weight room that we’re trying to create on the court as well,” Meerpohl said. Yanis Bamba, a freshman guard for the men’s basketball team, mentioned the competitive spirit in the weight room. “I feel like when I see other people lift, I just want to do as much as I can … to compete in the weight room,” Bamba said. Players also noted the Refuel Station in the room, stocked with protein drinks, snacks and smoothies. Trevor McBride, a sophomore guard for the men’s basketball team, said that almost everyone leaves with a snack or drink in hand. The men’s basketball team won their first preseason game against Rogers State University, 74-53. Meerpohl said that the technology in the weight room will help players feel “fresher throughout the season.” “We don’t feel limited by the equipment we have or the space we have,” Meerpohl said. “We’ve got everything we need here. So hopefully, we see those results in the season.”
Junior guard Xavier Bell is the son of former Wichita State football player Wayne Bell. His namesake is his father’s classmate and Shocker basketball legend, Xavier McDaniel. After Bell’s senior year of high school at Andover Central, he was labeled “Mr. Basketball” by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association. Last season, Bell transferred to Wichita State after spending his first two seasons at Drexel University. At first, his return to Wichita wasn’t a dream homecoming. Midway through the season, Bell found himself in a shooting slump. After the Feb. 2 loss to Houston, his three-point shooting percentage dipped to a miserable 7/45 — a 16% dip. “I feel like I put a lot of pressure on myself to come out and be this and be that instead of just understanding that I’m only Xavier at the end of the day,” Bell said. During the final 10 games of the season, Bell found his groove. He shot 48% from the field and 6/12 from the three-point line while playing a larger role in the team. Bell said his shooting ability is heavily influenced by confidence, something that he worked on throughout the season. “A lot of times, I’ve let a couple of misses get to my head when, at the end of the day, they’re just misses,” Bell said. “If I want to keep shooting, if I’m going to
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make the next shot, I’ve got to take the next shot.” Now, in his second season as a Shocker and first with the new coaching staff under Paul Mills, Bell said that he’s trying to be a “helping hand” for the team. “I did kind of take it upon myself to be that person that steps up and is like, ‘Hey if you need somebody to do this, if you need somebody to do that, I’m the guy,’” Bell said. Ronnie DeGray III, a junior forward who transferred to Wichita State from the University of Missouri this year, said that Bell helped him acclimate to the city and team. “He just kept it real with me, just how much time it is, and some days are good, and some are bad, but we just got to keep on going,” DeGray said. “He’s just kept the leadership role so far, and I really appreciate it.” Bell said his familiarity with Wichita and experience with the team have given him the confidence to transition from mentee to mentor. “This is my fourth year in college now,” Bell said. “Just understanding that and knowing that I’m not really a kid anymore, so I can’t always just sit back in the shadows.” As for what it’s like to play for the team he grew up watching, Bell gave a glowing review. “It’s just all surreal and really just mind-blowing,” Bell said. “It’s been a long journey, but I’m here now, and just knowing that the best is only ahead of me.”
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BASKETBALL GUIDE
10 | Nov. 9, 2023
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WHERE ARE PLAYERS FROM? The men’s and women’s basketball players come from places all over the world, from Wichita, Kansas, to Nigeria.
3 2
2 1
KS, USA
GA, USA
OK, USA SWEDEN
Men’s 1 1 1 CANADA NIGERIA
3 2
1
1
MO, USA
NY, USA
MI, USA
1
1
1
1
1
WA, USA
MN, USA
CA, USA
MO, USA
IL, USA
CO, USA
Women’s
2 1
TX, USA
1
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CANADA KS, USA MOZAMBIQUE AUSTRALIA SPAIN
Illustration by Wren Johnson / The Sunflower
After two years, Kenny Pohto steps into leadership role at last BY SALSABILA ATTARIA arts@thesunflower.com
When junior Kenny Pohto speaks, the team listens. At least, that’s according to Wichita State’s head men’s basketball coach, Paul Mills. In a recent press conference, Mills made a point of highlighting Pohto’s leadership on the team during the offseason. Pohto, a forward from Stockholm, Sweden, said that it was high time for him to step into a leadership position on the team. “It’s time to start being a leader and take care of the little ones, like Isaac (Abidde) and Jacob Germany, just to name a few,” Pohto said. “I feel like when I talk to the players, they understand that I’m trying to help them, and
I’m not just messing around.” According to Pohto, effective guidance comes from honesty. Interacting with his teammates has taught him the physical and emotional traits of a strong leader. “I just try to have eye contact with them and be straight up with them,” he said. “Tell them what they did wrong and tell them what they got to do better.” Aside from his own leadership, Pohto credits the team’s mettle to Paul Mills’s approach as a coach. “I think the mentality (has) been getting stronger,” Pohto said. “Coach Mills … he tries to break you sometimes. And I feel like that’s been helping me a lot. He tests us and tries to make us give up, but he can try all
he wants to; you know I’m not gonna give up.” A central goal for the leader is improving communication between team members, especially on the defensive end. “It’s just something you got to do,” Pohto said. “I’ve been trying to get on people who don’t really talk and people (who) are living a little laid back and not wanting to talk … and tell them what’s to be done,” Pohto said. As for his own goals, Pohto looks forward to doing his part to make sure the team wins. “For myself, I just (want to) be a continuous guy,” Pohto said.“Just be able to show up and perform every Junior Kenny Pohto dunks the ball during warmups for the Shocker Madness day.” scrimage. | Photo by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower
Redshirt freshman does not foresee any problems BY SASCHA HARVEY
opinion@thesunflower.com
Does redshirt freshman Henry Thengvall have anything he’s worried about for this upcoming season of men’s basketball? No, he doesn’t. A Wichita native, Thengvall attended Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School. Now, 3.8 miles away, Thengvall uses the competitive drive he learned from high school to dominate the court as a forward at Wichita State. “Kapaun was great academically,” he said. “It’s obviously really good, pretty hard, rigorous. We were always really competitive in athletics also, so that was great.” Now, his two younger brothers attend Kapaun and participate in track, basketball and football. In addition to basketball, Thengvall played football and was a three-time state medalist in track while in high school. Thengvall, who also has a sister, hopes to set a good example for his younger siblings. Having such a serious commitment can be difficult for a college student, but Thengvall is, in no way, new to hard work. While in high school, he was a member of
Henry Thengvall enters the arena during the team presentation at Shocker Madness on Oct. 7. | Photo by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower
Kapaun’s National Honor Society and Cum Laude program. Now, he’s majoring in finance, with future plans uncertain. As a freshman last year, Thengvall qualified for the fall 2023 Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, meaning he earned a 3.0+ semester GPA. Earlier this year, he was named to the Spring Athletic Director’s Honor Roll. “He’s a hard worker,” teammate Dalen Ridgnal said. Basketball has taught
him a lot of life skills, skills that he can apply to other areas of his life: “Teamwork, accountability, being on time, getting things done.” With good time management, Thengvall is able to focus on the positives of his experiences. “(Basketball) opens up a lot of new and fun opportunities to travel and make good connections with other people.” Thengvall can be summed up in a few works by Ridgnal: “He’s a nice guy.”
BASKETBALL GUIDE
www.thesunflower.com
FANS OVER TIME women’s
men’s
tickets sold
Nov. 9, 2023 | 11
12,500 10,000 7,500 5,000 2,500
season
‘14-’15
‘15-’16
‘16-’17
‘17-’18
‘18-’19
‘19-’20
‘20-’21
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Graphic by Sascha Harvey / The Sunflower
A look at basketball 2023-2024 season ticket numbers BY MALEAH EVANS
maleah.evans04@gmail.com
Much like a basketball itself, the number of ticket sales between the years for men’s and women’s basketball bounces up and down. For the 2023-2024 basketball season, ticket sales have seen an increase overall for both women’s and men’s basketball teams. Women’s basketball has had a general increase in season ticket sales compared to last year. “We’ve kinda been on an upward trend over the last couple of years, we were up 20 last year, and it’s 48 tickets this year that we’re up,” Russell Wilkins, associate athletic director for new revenue, said.
Men’s basketball has stayed primarily flat, with the ticketing office being able to replace the season holders that were lost. Wilkins discussed how the hiring of new head coach Paul Mills has played into this. “I think if we wouldn’t have hired a new coach, it would have probably not been flat; it would’ve probably dropped,” Wilkins said. “The new hire helps keep fans engaged in the men’s basketball process.” The Wichita State ticketing office partners with The Wichita Eagle, Splurge! Magazine, and various radio stations to advertise the upcoming season. “The only market we really
don’t use is billboards,” Wilkins said. “But we’re in every other kind of traditional advertising … We
also have a sales team here that makes calls to old season ticket holders to see if they’re interested.”
PREVIOUS TICKET SALES 2014-2015 10,806 men’s; 2,592 women’s 2015-2016 10,806 men’s; 2,114 women’s 2016-2017 10,739 men’s; 2,085 women’s 2017-2018 10,787 men’s; 1,998 women’s 2018-2019 10,195 men’s; 2,178 women’s 2019-2020 10,315 men’s; 1,692 women’s 2020-2021 1,633 men’s; 425 women’s 2021-2022 8,715 men’s; 1,342 women’s 2022-2023 7,317 men’s; 1,372 women’s
‘Buys into his process’: Quincy Ballard returns from injury BY COURTNEY BROWN
newsprojects@thesunflower.com
Junior center Quincy Ballard attempts to dunk during the game against Rogers State on Oct. 29 in Charles Koch Arena. Ballard was on the court nearly 23 minutes. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower.
Junior center Quincy Ballard missed several games last basketball season due to a lingering back injury, but after he returned this season, teammate Kenny Pohto said it doesn’t appear like he was even injured. “It was crazy when we heard he had a fracture or something, and he had been playing through (it) for a while,” Pohto, a junior forward, said. “But when he came back, you couldn’t really tell that he was injured.” Ballard played for Florida State from 2020-2022, where he helped FSU to the 2021 Sweet 16 team as a freshman. He then transferred to Wichita State for “more opportunities” and better playing time. Last season, Ballard played in nine of the first 11 games but missed the final 17 due to stress fractures in his back. He would have led the nation in blocking percentage if he had played enough time to qualify for KenPom rankings. The 6-foot-11 player said that sitting out was a challenge. “It was tough times, I just sit in the bench and watch,” Ballard said. Ballard said his teammates made sure “he was straight” during the experience and that he “can’t complain too much.” Pohto highlighted Ballard’s positive attitude throughout the experience. “He’s a strong guy — I mean, strong mentally. I don’t really think he ever complained about his back,” Pohto said. “He used to say like his back was hurting, but we didn’t really think anything big of it.” Excited to return to playing, Ballard said he hopes the team can be as successful as possible. One of his goals is to return to March Madness. “It’s just really a great thing to think about to reminisce when you’re older,” Ballard said. “Depending on how far you go, it’s just like a great feeling to have.” Pohto said that Ballard has
adjusted well since returning from injury, and he praised his teammate’s defensive playing. “He’s a tall guy … it’s hard to finish over him,” Pohto said. “So you’ll see him being big in the paint. It’s a big thing for us.” Pohto said Ballard’s offensive playing has also improved, noting that he has a “great touch around the rim.” Junior guard Xavier Bell said that since returning, Ballard has played to his strengths. He said Ballard “buys into his process” and works hard. Following Isaac Brown’s departure last season, head coach Paul Mills now works with the team, along with assistant head coach Kenton Paulino and assistant coaches TJ Cleveland and Quincy Acy. Ballard said he likes the new coaches and their standards. “I feel like they have really high expectations, and we have high expectations of them as well,” Ballard said. Ballard said he plans to continue playing after he graduates, whether on a semi-pro or pro basketball team. His favorite part of playing for Wichita State is the fanbase. “They’re really into Wichita State basketball, like, pretty much the whole season,” Ballard said. On and off the court, Pohto and Bell said they enjoy being around Ballard. “He’s a great person,” Bell said. “He brings a certain type of personality that I think you just have to be around him to see. He can come off as kind of quiet, obviously, being one of the tallest guys in the room, but he’s actually really outgoing and really confident in himself.” When asked what to expect from Ballard this season, Pohto said he thinks Ballard might average three blocks again. “I feel like you should expect to see a lot of blocks and lots of defensive plays from him — and some big dunks, too.”
BASKETBALL GUIDE
12 | Nov. 9, 2023
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Daniela Abies sets up for a shot during the fourth quarter against Missouri Southern State University on Nov. 1. Wichita State won the Wednesday evening exhibition match, 75-65. | Photo by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower
Daniela Abies finds new ‘vibe’ in sophomore season BY MELANIE RIVERA-CORTEZ sports@thesunflower.com
When Daniela Abies joined the Wichita State women’s basketball team last year as a true freshman, she left her home country of Spain for the first time. She didn’t speak English that well and struggled a lot for the first month and half, but her teammates helped her get used to speaking English. “At the beginning I didn’t know English, so I didn’t even know how to be myself and express myself most of the time,” Abies said. Last year, Abies only had one Spanish friend on the team: Nhug Bosch Duran, who transferred to California Baptist University at the
end of last season but Abies told herself that just because she had a Spanish friend didn’t mean she could only speak in Spanish. “At the end of the day, if I only talk to her, I’m never going learn English,” Abies said. “I feel like that was a really important moment I had to go through because the team definitely helped me when I didn’t know how to say something.” Abies said this year the team has felt more like a family. “I feel like having a new team has changed a lot of stuff, and especially because I know we are building chemistry that we didn’t have last year,” Abies said. “I feel like with a new staff, everything is different. We are trying to accomplish a lot.”
She said even practices seemed more fun, and the inclusion of music always has her and the team in a good mood. “I like this year more with the vibe and everything,” Abies said. Senior guard Aniya Bell said when Abies came on the same team, she was the only freshman and really shy, but the team encouraged her to join in on the team bonding. “Once we got to know Dani, she was funny, she has a big heart and she works hard outside the court,” Bell said. “She’s really nice and loving, but on the court, she’s just aggressive.” Bell said for this season, she expects Abies to be a big player because she is a hard worker and will
get the job done. During her freshman season, Abies played in 26 games, all on the bench respectively, and came up huge in the upset against South Florida in the quarterfinals of the AAC Championship with six points, two rebounds, three steals and an assist in 13 minutes. This season, Abies wants to focus on post moves and getting shots in. She said the energy the team has will play a huge factor as the season moves on. “I feel like this year, if we really do stuff right from the beginning, we can really reach a lot of goals with our extra energy and everything,” Abies said. “I feel like we just got to be locked in from the beginning.”
‘We’re putting ourselves out there’: Senior player outlines goals for season BY ISABEL ORDOÑEZ ordonez.ai01@gmail.com
As she stands on the threshold of her last season of Wichita State women’s basketball, DJ McCarty shared goals for her team this season as well as for the future of her career beyond basketball. McCarty, a senior point guard, is most excited to play under new head coach Terry Nooner. “I think he has a type of passion — a type of fire that I think a lot of coaches can learn from,” McCarty said. This season’s team is a mix of newbies and returning players. McCarty said from practicing during the summer to stepping onto the court, the team has adapted to one another. “Hanging out outside of the court has helped us a lot,” McCarty said. “It’s been a very easy transition.” McCarty said Nooner’s skill lies in balancing the team’s dynamics and managing the interplay of work and fun. “There’s a time and place for everything,” McCarty said. “He knows (when) we need to joke, (and) he knows when we need tough love and when we need to be on the line.” On the court, McCarty outlined the team’s goal to connect and work as a unit to win more games and advance further in postseason play. In the gym, McCarty prioritizes her health, taking
Jamal Brown watches the ball as Lebrian Jones gets ready to make his next move during the two’s game of basketball. | Photo by Jacinda Hall / The Sunflower
A peek inside the basketball culture at on-campus YMCA BY JACINDA HALL
podcast@thesunflower.com
DJ McCarty runs down the court after getting possession of the ball in the first quarter. McCarty scored 4 points during the Nov. 1 game versus MSSU. | Photo by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower
precautionary measures to make the most of her time left on the court. “I’m doing the little things in the weight room and getting treatment when I need to get treatment, making sure my body is ready for everything,” McCarty said. McCarty and her teammates hope to attract more fans to the women’s games. She said it’s a matter of marketing and outreach to get more people in the stands. “We’re putting ourselves out there,” McCarty said. “I think we’re going to try to invite more
high school (students) and more middle schoolers to our games, just to get a little more people in the crowd and cause a little bit more excitement.” Having graduated in May with a bachelor’s in business finance, McCarty is now focused on earning her master’s in sports management. “My end goal is also to become a coach, either at the high school level or at the college level,” McCarty said. “It’s just something that I can have on my back burner, just getting into the coaching world.”
While Wichita State has established itself as a Division I basketball school, plenty of students and community members dribble it out for recreational fun in the Steve Clark YMCA on the university’s campus. For aerospace engineering freshman John Fredrick, going to play basketball at the YMCA is all about meeting new people. “I don’t meet the same people every day,” Fredrick said. “It gives me different experiences.” For others like community member Damacio Traylor, who plays at the YMCA frequently, the courts are a place for some friendly competition. “Most of the time when I come to the Y … it’s packed,” Traylor said. “It’s a busy gym; It’s also kind of fun playing.” Mikaela Wright, a staff member at the location, echoed Traylor’s point.
“Our courts are usually pretty busy,” Wright said. “I would say they’re probably busiest over the weekends, because that’s when a lot of people are more free, and I’d say evening times.” For former Wichita State student Brayon Loggins, playing basketball gives him a small break from the real world. “In the gym, it’s just you and the ball in the court,” Loggins said. “And whoever’s in front of you.” Loggins also said that he finds the YMCA community to be diverse in more ways than one. “Every time I walk in here, I feel like I see new faces,” Loggins said. “You meet a lot of people; it’s not even just regular people.” Wright said that while the Steve Clark YMCA location doesn’t offer basketball programs, the YMCA as a whole offers various programs, such as fall, spring and summer sports.
BASKETBALL GUIDE
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Nov. 9, 2023 | 13
‘It’s not just about partying’: WSU DJ hopes to spread love, positivity on and off the court BY ALLISON CAMPBELL
W
news@thesunflower.com
in Crabtree lives by a simple philosophy: “Put good into the world, and good will come back to you.” It’s a mindset that has guided him personally — from the death of his father to the birth of his daughter — and professionally as he rises among the ranks as one of the hottest DJs on the Wichita music scene. A frequent DJ for Wichita State basketball games, Crabtree — also known as DJ4 THE WIN — said that maintaining that mantra is one of the most important aspects of his identity, both behind and away from the mixer. “I try to … make someone’s day, add value to at least one person,” Crabtree said. “I wake up, and I ask myself, ‘Can I add value to 10 people today?’ Some days you might hit 15, some days it might be three, but as long as you’re adding value to the world.” From a young age, Crabtree was always “really into” music, something that his parents embedded within his childhood. “I just remember like riding in the car … with my parents hearing stuff, and it just blew my mind,” Crabtree said. As a child, he attended Buckner Performing Arts Magnet Elementary School, where he expanded upon his love of music and started making connections with classmates and local performers. In the fifth grade, he met Donavan LaMond Johnson, better known as XV, a now wellknown local rapper who writes and produces his own songs and beats. XV was one of Crabtree’s greatest and earliest mentors when it came to learning how to record, edit and produce his own beats. “Building relationships is so key and, honestly, spreading love,” Crabtree said. “It just comes back; it really comes back.” Throughout high school, XV taught Crabtree how to monetize his music through SoundClip and Fruity Loops (FL Studio), some of the earliest internet-based audio
workstations. While the market was new, his early exposure and growing familiarity with music recording and publishing software showed Crabtree that he could both do music and make a living from it without the support of a multi-million dollar record label. “At that time, the industry was still like, go to New York and rap in front of a record label. And so we were kind of breaking that barrier by using the internet to get our music out,” Crabtree said. “With the internet, you’re just kind of able to control your own narrative.” Throughout the mid-2000s, Crabtree continued producing and publishing music, selling merchandise where, before the days of constant express delivery, customers would pick up packages from Dillons. He got his first big break from one of Wichita’s largest cultural staples – Chicken N’ Pickle. The post-COVID-19 establishment limitations made open-air spaces, like the Chicken N’ Pickle rooftop parties, hotspots for those looking to unwind, and Crabtree was happy to spread his positive energy to those in need of a pick-me-up. Local performer DJ Bearfoot helped him find footing in the Wichita music scene. As 2020 was coming to a close, Crabtree promised himself that he would take his career “up a notch.” He volunteered his services for his aunt and uncle’s nonprofit, Rise Up for Youth Foundation, an organization dedicated to providing urban city youth with mentorship tools and other resources to help them plan for lifelong success. After a couple of other community gigs and collaborations, including with the Wichita Wind Surge, Crabtree and DJ Bearfoot were contacted by Connor Phelps, the director of marketing and fan engagement for WSU athletics, to DJ for his wedding. “They did an awesome job DJing the wedding. I know I danced all night and our friends and family did as well so I’d say they got an A+ grade from me,” Phelps said. “There was even a small handful of people at the end
DJ4THEWIN plays music during Shocker Madness on Oct. 7. | Photo by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower
of the night that weren’t ready for the party to be over so they were pulling out their wallets to pay Bear and Win to stay and keep playing. It was incredible.” Bearfoot, who has performed for WSU in the past, then asked Crabtree if he would be interested in DJing for WSU basketball games and other events. The rest, Crabtree says, is history. “Win is absolutely one of my favorite people I get to work with because of his constant positive energy. Game days are stressful because there are so many moving pieces to organize and expectations to meet, but his positive and calming demeanor always puts me at ease in any interaction
I have with him,” Phelps said. “When someone can affect how you feel to that extent in that kind of environment, I think it’s pretty obvious how special of a person he is.” By early 2022, he was a regular MC, host and DJ for Wichita State athletics, building his name and spreading his messages of love and community with every job. “My mission statement is to build community through music and art,” Crabtree said. “It’s not just about partying or playing music; it’s about leaving with an experience and feeling good and hopefully wanting to take that energy and do something good with it.”
Crabtree’s faith has also been a guiding force in his life; his relationship with God has played an invaluable role in his success. “It’s made me the person I am today,” Crabtree said. “Just always trusting God is gonna get you through that situation.” With numerous events on the horizon, Crabtree is excited to not only grow his skills and continue spreading love but also to influence the next generation of people and performers. “(I want to tell them to) get right with your spirit, seek your true purpose … and just never give up,” Crabtree said. “Put in the work and put the time in and just stay positive and spread love.”
Sports management student takes unique job opportunity to expand connections before graduation BY SHAYLEE JACOBS-WILSON shaeryann2@gmail.com
Scot Pierce announces for the women’s basketball game on Nov. 8 inside Charles Koch Arena. | Photo by Trinity Ramm / The Sunflower
‘Worth a million dollars’: WBB announcer Scot Pierce reflects on four seasons at WSU BY AINSLEY SMYTH
ainsley.smyth3@gmail.com
If you attend a women’s basketball game at Charles Koch Arena, there’s a good chance you’ll hear the voice of Scot Pierce. Pierce has been a public address (PA) announcer for Wichita State women’s basketball and softball for four seasons. In addition, he said he sometimes fills in for volleyball, men’s basketball and baseball. Pierce didn’t intend to become a PA announcer. He attended both Wichita State and Friends University and then became a paramedic. Later, he worked as a pharmaceutical sales representative and a public speaker. Pierce said when he joined an alumni committee, dealing with a lack of booster support at Friends University in 2012, he realized that the announcer may have been the problem. So, he decided to step up. “The public address was horrible,” Pierce said. “So, I approached the athletic director and said, ‘Hey, we need to do something about this.’”
When the director questioned his lack of experience, Pierce said he responded, “I’m dumb enough to believe I can do anything and smart enough to try it once.” After the death of Don Hall, WSU’s former men’s and women’s basketball announcer in 2020, Hall was replaced by Ted Woodard on the men’s front, leaving an open position for the women’s games. Pierce auditioned and got the job. He now announces for both universities. When he got his first PA job at Friends, Pierce emailed NCAA Division I announcers in the area for advice. “I built on that experience ever since,” Pierce said. He said after four seasons, he still looks to other PAs to improve his own announcing. “I’m a lifelong learner,” Pierce said. “And when you go to other venues, and you hear other announcers, you find yourself not only watching the game but watching everything and listening to everything.” Pierce said it can be difficult
to pronounce player’s names sometimes, but he sees it as an important part of his job. “By the end of the season, you feel like the university owes you a minor in foreign language because some of the names are near impossible,” he said. “But the challenge is great when you can say it correctly, and you see that player look over to you and smile; it’s worth a million dollars.” Another challenge the job entails is trying to remain neutral despite being a passionate fan of the teams he announces for. “Every now and then, a call doesn’t go your way, or a player on another team makes an incredible play,” he said. “And you just have to deliver the same kind of energy, even for the opposing team, as you do our home team.” Pierce said his favorite thing about his job is the energy on game day. “The vibe and the energy in Koch Arena is unparalleled to any other venue in the United States of America, and I just feel so privileged to be a part of it,” he said.
Not many students can say they’ve done broadcast work for ESPN, but senior Payton Larson LARSON can. Through a live sports production class in the Elliott School of Communication, Larson and other students have the chance to get hands-on learning. For Larson, it got him his current position as a camera operator for ESPN+. Larson sees his position as a way to expand his skills while getting his sports management degree and building connections he can utilize after graduation. “I did it to gather my experience and knowledge on the whole outreach of sports,” Larson said. “I feel like the more things that you can get involved in and the more that you can learn about it, the more you will understand once you get into a certain position.” Larson had a unique opportunity to broadcast Wichita State’s Shocker Madness on Oct. 7. He said it was different being able to broadcast something outside of sports. “A recent event that happened was when Tech N9ne was in,” Larson said. “I was working a camera for it and getting the opportunity to see it, but having to work it, that was pretty cool.” Students get to work on sporting events across campus when ESPN doesn’t staff specific
events. “We have all of our own equipment to where we can broadcast (them) here,” Larson said. “Then we broadcast it to ESPN+ for anybody that is subscribed to it.” He said the position at ESPN+ has helped him work on schoolrelated projects. “There’s a lot of keyboard stuff that I didn’t know that I’m getting used to,” Larson said. “Then even just editing for videos and when I’ve got to do school projects, that kind of changed my way of how I’ve done that, it’s a mix of getting new skills and (using) old skills.” Larson said each season can have a varying number of games for students to broadcast. “So volleyball with not many games, it’s maybe two or three games,” Larson said. “Basketball, sometimes you can get 10. Last year I worked all of (the basketball games) but that was because there was a position that needed to be filled. Then baseball is really where a lot of the activity picks up just with how many games they play at home.” After graduation, Larson said his current position affords him options because of his experience and references. “I think the big thing for me was doing it for the connections to people instead of just the experience,” Larson said. “Then it also, with the experience, gives me more opportunities to go do other things once I’m out of college.”
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14 | Nov. 9, 2023
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Parking on game day can be confusing for basketball fans. Consult this map to figure out where to go when you’re on the hunt for a spot.
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How students can pick up their free tickets BY MELANIE RIVERA-CORTEZ sports@thesunflower.com
Wichita State Athletics update fan amenities for the 2023-24 season BY MELANIE RIVERA-CORTEZ sports@thesunflower.com
Wichita State has officially kicked off its men’s and women’s basketball seasons. Students have many options for acquiring their tickets to home games. WSU provides students who are up-to-date on their tuition and student fees a free general admission ticket to all home games. Student tickets are “sold” on a first come, first serve basis. Tickets can be picked up at the Charles Koch Arena Ticket Office, the Rhatigan Student Center (Shocker Store), Braeburn Square’s Shocker Store, the Heskett Center, Shocker Hall, The Suites, and the Wichita State south and west campuses. For men’s games, students can purchase up to two guest tickets for $15 (dollars), on top of the free student ticket. Any student ticket not picked up 48 hours before the game will be released for purchase to the general public. Any student looking to pick up their free ticket must show their Wichita State student ID.
Wichita State Athletics will continue expanding their fan amenities for the upcoming basketball season, which includes the addition of new handrails for fans’ safety. The updated and continued game day elements are part of the “Your House on the Prairie” marketing campaign that was announced earlier this year. The campaign took input from fans by conducting numerous listening sessions and a comprehensive fan survey from supporters. Among the new updates, fans will see custom-made handrails that were put in place earlier this year.
HANDRAILS The handrails will allow fans to navigate the upper levels of Charles Koch Arena safely. The handrails are 36 inches tall. There
were 400 handrails installed, and they have been added to the entryways in the upper bowl and the lower bowl behind the baseline.
KIDS ZONE! Fans will also see the addition of a “Kids Zone!” at the Aetna Multi-Purpose Center in Charles Koch Arena. The center will have basketball and yard games for children before the game. The center will remain open until tipoff.
EMCEE AND DJ Fayola Oyatayo will also return in his second year as the official emcee for Wichita State basketball this season. Oyatayo is a media personality known as “Mr. Wichita” and has had local collaborations. DJ 4THE WIN will be set up during games near the student section, playing pre-game music
and during breaks in the game. (Read more about DJ 4THE WIN on pg. 13.)
METAL DETECTORS Wichita State will be using new metal detectors that are designed for fans to walk through them with everything in their pockets. The clear bag policy will still be in place, bags or clutches larger than 5.5 x 7.5 inches will not be permitted.
ALL-IN-1 TICKETING ALL-IN-1 ticketing will be available this season; the mobile ticketing app will allow season ticket holders to consolidate their tickets into one pass. Season ticket holders will allow fans to download one pass, and it will automatically update after every game. Shocker In Seat and concessions: Fans may continue to use the Shocker In Seat to mobile order
concessions during the game. They will be notified when their food is ready. The app has a limited number of items from the Burger Shock Stand (Section 126) and The American Grill Stand (Section 118). The app can be downloaded through the App or Google Play store. There will also be a bounty of concessions for fans to choose from the ValWu menu, including game day favorites such as popcorn and hotdogs. The Upperclassmen, a new combo for juniors under 12 and those 55 and older, will cost $8. It contains one jumbo chicken tender, one order of french fries and one small drink. Athletics will also continue “The Game Day Assistance” program, which enables fans to start a conversation with WSU Athletics staff. Fans can text (316) 800-0015 with questions. The full list of fan amenities can be found at goshockers.com.