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LOCATION: Wichita, KS
CONFERENCE: Missouri Valley
LAST SEASON: 13-17 (.433)
CONFERENCE RECORD: 6-12 (t-8th)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: 1/4
NICKNAME: Shockers
COLORS: Yellow & Black
HOMECOURT: Levitt Arena (10,545)
COACH: Randy Smithson (Wichita State '81)
record at school 43-45 (3 years)
career record 43-45 (3 years)
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ASSISTANTS: Carlos Diggins (Kansas State '93)
Bobby Kennen (Palm Beach Atlantic College '93)
Dale Faber (Wichita State '82)
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 13-8-14-16-13
RPI (last 5 years) 152-225-135-122-167
1998-99 FINISH: Lost in conference quarterfinals.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
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Most basketball teams that take summer foreign trips usually benefit greatly the next season for a variety of reasons. The extra practice and games can only help. Usually a team's greatest gain comes in the areas of togetherness and bonding through often adversarial conditions. Wichita State's seven-game European tour this summer provided all of those assets plus some positive byproducts the coaching staff wasn't necessarily expecting. Two of the top returning Shockers second-team all-MVC swingman Jason Perez (16.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 55 steals) and bruising junior center Troy Mack (6.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg) were sidelined by injury and didn't make the trip. Thus, while the remaining players went just 2-5 against club teams from Holland, Belgium and France, the experience they received was invaluable. "Just going over there creates adversity and makes a team pull together," WSU coach Randy Smithson said. "With Troy and Jason not playing, there really was adversity. The ones that needed the trip the most got the experience. It was so important for our youth. We're a lot farther along than we were a year ago. It really gave us a head start. It's a shame we had to stop." They will start again soon enough. This time, Smithson is counting on having Perez and Mack available, not to mention two junior college players 6-6 junior forward O.J. Robinson (Central Florida CC) and 5-10 junior guard Michael Phillips (Wabash Valley College, Ill.) who didn't go because they hadn't enrolled in school yet. In junior college, Robinson averaged 13.0 points and 6.0 rebounds and Phillips averaged 10.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists. "The other good thing about the trip was it showed us the needs we have and those two meet those needs," Smithson said. "If we're going to play a more up-tempo style, we need an explosive, quick point guard. That's something Mike can bring to us. He can motor down the floor and penetrate. Robinson is an aggressive kid who can play (small forward or power forward). He goes and gets the ball, he slashes and he competes."
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Blue Ribbon Analysis |
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BACKCOURT C+ BENCH/DEPTH C+
FRONTCOURT B INTANGIBLES C+
As usual, the Shockers are a big, rugged group that should be strong inside. They will be watched closely by officials, who whistled them for 741 fouls a year ago, nearly 25 per game. That number must drop for this team to move up in the standings. So must their turnovers. The Shockers averaged a league-high 17.4 last year. If Maurice Evans' absence brings the team closer, his impressive numbers notwithstanding, it will be addition by subtraction. Jason Perez is capable of scoring nearly as much, but he shouldn't have to if Benton and the big guys pull their load. The defense must get better. But that begins with keeping opponents off the free-throw where they received an unfathomable 862 shots last season, more than 200 higher than the Valley's second-worst team. "As inconsistent as we were last year, we still beat four postseason teams," Smithson said. "We went through the pain of starting over with freshmen and we're hoping a lot of that crap is behind us and we can use it as a learning experience." This is a team, buoyed by its European trip, with good experience and some bright possibilities if it can play smarter. |
The Shockers lost the conference's top scorer, Maurice Evans, who transferred to Texas after the season. Evans averaged 22.6 points during a turbulent sophomore season in which he quit the team at midseason for two games, blasted Smithson in the press and suggested other players would join him on the sideline if changes weren't made. Smithson conceded on some issues and Evans rejoined the team, but the Shockers weren't the same, losing four of their last six. "A lot of that stuff, once you go through it, you have kids who either hang in or get out," Smithson said. "The kids we've got standing here are the ones that are ready to move forward." The one the Shockers hope can replace some of Evans' scoring is swingman Terrell Benton, a 6-5 sophomore who averaged 4.1 points in a limited role last season. Benton was the team's leading scorer in Europe, averaging 16 points and scoring 33 in one game. "We called a lot of the same plays for Terrell that we called for Jason or Maurice last year," Smithson said. "We kept calling his number and he kept producing. He's similar to Mo (Evans). He's long and athletic and he welcomes the challenge." The main man, though, will be the 6-4 Perez, a versatile player who can consistently score inside and out, pound the boards, make the big steal and guard the other team's best scorer. The senior from San Antonio broke a bone in his foot before last season and re-fractured the bone during summer workouts. He was expected back for the opening of practice in mid-October. Mack won't be back quite as soon, having suffered a torn ACL in his knee last May in what Smithson called a freak accident off the court. The 6-8, 230-pounder who played his first season last year after sitting out as a freshman non-qualifier, became the first Shocker to post a 20-point, 20-rebound performance (in a huge victory over Southwest Missouri State) since Xavier McDaniel in the mid-1980s. "We need to have him, there's no doubt," Smithson said. "His rehab has been going well. We're hoping to have him by the first game in some kind of fashion." Also back in the frontcourt is 6-8, 240-pound senior Darrin Williams, who averaged 6.7 points and 3.5 rebounds and hasn't met expectations in his career. But Williams played well in Europe and the coaches are counting on a big senior season from him. Two newcomers who should also play big roles inside are 6-9, 245-pound sophomore Willie Davis (Central HS/East Chicago, Ill.), who sat out last year as a non-qualifier, and 6-6, 220-pound redshirt freshman Juston White (East HS/Wichita, Kan.). Both were contributors on the tour. "Davis has a big ol' body and finishes real well," Smithson said. "It was important for him to get some playing in with Mack gone. White is an athlete who jumps and runs and boards and is a hard-nosed kid." Adding depth inside is 6-10, 240-pound sophomore Mahrmord Martina (2.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg). Bart Westgeest, a 6-9 reserve forward, transferred to Armstrong Atlantic State after his freshman season. Guard Carl Lemons (4.9 ppg), a 6-3 senior, brings experience to the backcourt. He will play some point along with 6-2 sophomore Craig Steven (3.8 ppg, 2.8 apg), a former walk-on who earned a scholarship as a freshman. "They both showed leadership on the trip, which we missed dearly last year," Smithson said. Josh Drumgole (Thornridge HS/Dolton, Ill.), a 6-5 freshman guard, averaged 15 points and 9.0 rebounds as a senior. How much he helps this season depends on how fast he can get acclimated to the college game. "We think Josh will help us eventually," Smithson said. "There will be a lot of adjustments for him." Sophomore walk-on Reggie Smithson, the coach's son, is back for his second year in the backcourt. The 6-0 Smithson played in 23 games a year ago, averaging 2.0 points.
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