There are some puzzling issues with the Wichita State men’s basketball team. According to head coach Paul Mills, WSU covered all the necessary preparations for their road game against Tulsa. However, in the crucial 40 minutes of play on Sunday, the Shockers again displayed a lack of urgency and attention to detail, resulting in an 84-77 defeat to a team they were expected to beat.
This season was anticipated to be different in Year 2 under Mills, as he kept a core group of important players and brought in transfers who impressed enough for peers to predict a fourth-place finish for the Shockers in the American Athletic Conference, especially after they finished tied for last place last season. Yet, WSU finds itself in a similar predicament as last year, starting conference play with a 1-6 record and sitting at the bottom of the standings despite having one of the most experienced rosters in college basketball.
So what’s preventing the Shockers from succeeding right now? Mills candidly remarked, “That’s a good question. Honestly, it’s not translating from head to heart. I truly believed we would come out… our scouting report was solid. I thought it was communicated effectively and understood. I believed we practiced it well, but it just didn’t carry over.”
One of the most concerning patterns seen during WSU’s midseason slump is the team’s tendency to make opponents resemble the elite Splash Brothers from the Golden State Warriors. In their last 10 contests against Division I teams, WSU has permitted opponents to shoot 41.9% from beyond the arc, allowing an average of 10.6 made three-pointers per game—figures that would place them at the bottom among the 364 teams nationwide for the entire season. While some of this can be attributed to bad shooting luck, WSU doesn’t come off as a sympathetic figure due to its weak defense on the perimeter.
A series of breakdowns from game to game has led the Shockers to give up a steady stream of open catch-and-shoot three-pointers, which defenses typically aim to prevent. Coaches have urged players to be more urgent in defending shooters, yet fifth- and sixth-year seniors frequently find themselves caught off guard and too late to contest shots.
Mills reached a tipping point after watching his players repeat the same mistakes, allowing Tulsa—one of the nation’s least effective three-point shooting teams—to hit a season-high 13 three-pointers at an impressive 62% efficiency. “From a coaching standpoint, we need to put the right players on the court who can execute our defensive objectives,” Mills stated. “Because right now, it’s just not happening.” With two days left before their home game against North Texas, currently tied for the top of the conference standings, it’s unclear how the Shockers will perform when they next take the court.
However, when asked about potentially giving more playtime to inexperienced players like Joy Ighovodja, Yanis Bamba, Zion Pipkin, and T.J. Williams, Mills signaled he was open to it. Senior Xavier Bell expressed, “Everyone in that locker room needs to reflect on whether we want to win or keep heading down this path. I hope the others feel the same way because a few months from now could look very different. This is the final chance for many of us. Coach Mills reminded us that we hold the pen, and I firmly believe we can shape our story. We have the power to determine how this ends, and I can’t imagine anyone in that locker room wanting it to continue like this.”
Earlier this season, Mills expressed that he has never doubted the motivation of WSU players to win, but he believes they have been pursuing victory in the wrong manner. The players seem to concur that they possess the talent necessary to be a successful team, but for some reason, that hasn’t translated into wins so far in conference play.
The Shockers’ inattention to detail once again caused them problems on Sunday. After allowing Tulsa to sink seven three-pointers in the first half, defending the perimeter became a key focus during halftime. Yet, on the first play of the second half, WSU let Tulsa’s top shooter, Keaston Willis, receive the ball off a screen and launch a shot uncontested from the wing. Swish. Shortly after, WSU surrendered three straight offensive rebounds, leading to yet another open shot for Willis from long range. Swish.
An additional halftime adjustment was intended to cut off the pick-and-pop play involving Tulsa’s Jared Garcia, but WSU mishandled that coverage as well, leaving Garcia open to hit a career-high fifth three-pointer. Swish. In their seven conference games, opponents have shot 43.4% from beyond the arc against WSU, and no other team in the 13-team league has allowed better than 40%. “We need to play with more urgency from the start to the finish,” Bell emphasized. “It goes back to practice; we need to focus on urgency and detail.” There is still time for the Shockers to improve their performance by March, but their careless play in January has created a significant challenge to overcome. “No one is coming in to save us,” Mills remarked. “It’s up to the guys on the court to get it done.”
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