| Location: | Wichita, Kansas |
| League: | The Basketball League (TBL) 2018–present |
| Arena: | Fugate Gymnasium |
| Website: | https://www.wichitaskykings.com |
| Founded: | 2022 |
| Conference: | Central |
| Coach: | Sean Flynn |
| Season: | March – May |
| Color1: | black |
| Color2: |
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The Wichita Sky Kings are an American professional basketball team from Wichita, Kansas that plays in the Central Conference of The Basketball League (TBL).
In November 2022, TBL's CEO, Evelyn Magley, announced that the Wichita Sky Kings will be playing in the Central Conference for the upcoming 2023 season.[1]
The team is owned by Lebanese-American businessman Ben Hamd.[2] Hamd is the founder of Brookwood Capital Advisors, a real estate investment company that redevelops properties across the U.S., including Wichita, Kansas.[3] According to Hamd, the team's name is a nod to Wichita's aviation history as birthplace of Cessna Aircraft Company, now owned by Textron.[4] The name "Sky Kings" derives from 1950's radio-turned TV show Sky King about a Cessna aircraft pilot of the same name.[5]
Sean Flynn was named as head coach for the Sky Kings' debut season.[6] Flynn was head coach for the Pratt Community College Beavers from 2018 to 2021 where he held a 44 and 40 record.[7] Flynn's assistant coach is former New Mexico State manager César Luján Flores.[8]
Brian Baumgartner, American actor known for playing Kevin Malone in the NBC sitcom The Office, attended the Sky Kings' opening week.[9]
Founded in 2017, The Basketball League is a men's professional basketball league with 40+ North American teams composed of players from Division 1 through Division 3 schools, as well as former NBA and international players.[10]
The Sky Kings are among eight TBL teams in the central conference, including the Enid Outlaws, Little Rock Lightning, Pearland Texas Warriors, Potawatomi Fire, Rockwall 7ers, Shreveport Mavericks, and Southeast Texas Panthers.[11]
The 2021 and 2022 TBL champions, the Enid Outlaws and the Shreveport Mavericks respectively, are in the Central Conference.
| Central Conference | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enid Outlaws | Enid, Oklahoma | Stride Bank Center | 3,887 | 2020 | 2021 | ||
| Little Rock Lightning | Little Rock, Arkansas | Jack Stephens Center | 5,600 | 2019 | 2021 | Armando Villanueva | |
| Pearland Texas Warriors | Pearland, Texas | 2023 | |||||
| Potawatomi Fire | Shawnee, Oklahoma | FireLake Arena | 5,000 | 2021 | 2022 | Mark Dannhoff | |
| Rockwall 7ers | Rockwall, Texas | Royse City High School | 2021 | 2022 | Kendrick Bryson | ||
| Shreveport Mavericks | Shreveport, Louisiana | Gold Dome | 3,000 | 2006 | 2021 | Steve Tucker | |
| Southeast Texas Panthers | Beaumont, Texas | Ford Arena | 9,737 | 2021 | 2022 | ||
| Wichita Sky Kings | Wichita, Kansas | Charles Koch Arena | 10,506 | 2022 | 2023 | ||
According to head coach Sean Flynn, the Sky Kings' roster is composed of players from Division I and Division II schools. Notable acquisitions include Teddy Allen, Charlie Marquardt, and Justin Moss.
Teddy Allen formerly played for the New Mexico State Aggies, where he ranked 29th nationally in scoring and led the Aggies to an NCAA tournament win after scoring 37 points against Connecticut.[12] During 2022 alone, Allen was recognized as WAC Player of the Year, WAC Tournament Most Valuable Player, and WAC Newcomer of the Year.[13]
From 2018 to 2019, Charlie Marquardt played for G-League NBA team the Brooklyn Nets.[14] Marquardt went on to win the 2021 TBL championship with the Enid Outlaws and played for the Syracuse Stallions in 2022.[15]
Justin Moss formerly played for Blue Collar U, the winning team of The Basketball Tournament 2022 and a $2 million purse.
The Sky King's home arena is Fugate Gymnasium, opened in 1999, is home to Potter Family Court and the Newman Men's and Women's Basketball programs, as well as Newman Volleyball and Wrestling programs, with a seating capacity of 1,242, Fugate Gymnasium brings one of the best atmospheres in small college athletics. It is also home to coaches offices, and houses the Eck Fitness Center with an aerobics and weight room. The Gymnasium also includes 6 locker rooms with an athletic training facility.
The Sky's Kings' season lasts from March through June. The leagues' season ends with a championship tournament between finalists among all four TBL conferences.