Wichita State Shockers men's basketball explained

Wichita State Shockers
Current:2023–24 Wichita State Shockers men's basketball team
University:Wichita State University
Conference:The American
Location:Wichita, Kansas
Coach:Paul Mills
Tenure:1st
Arena:Charles Koch Arena
Capacity:10,506
Nickname:Shockers
H Body:FFD600
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A Body:FFD600
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3 Body:FFD600
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Ncaafinalfour:1965, 2013
Ncaaeliteeight:1964, 1965, 1981, 2013
Ncaasweetsixteen:1964, 1965, 1981, 2006, 2013, 2015
Ncaaroundof32:1976, 1981, 2006, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Ncaatourneys:1964, 1965, 1976, 1981, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021
Conference Tournament:1985, 1987, 2014, 2017
Conference Season:1921, 1933, 1964, 1965, 1976, 1981, 1983, 2006, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2021

The Wichita State Shockers men's basketball team is the NCAA Division I college basketball program representing Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas.

The Shockers have made 16 appearances in the NCAA tournament, reaching the Final Four twice, the Elite Eight four times, and the Sweet Sixteen six times. The team plays its home games at Charles Koch Arena, where it averaged 10,391 fans per game in 2012, ranking 38th nationally.[1]

The Shockers have made two Final Four appearances, losing both games. They made their first Final Four appearance in 1965 losing to UCLA 89–108. They made their second appearance in 2013, losing to Louisville 68–72.

In 2014, Wichita State defeated the Northern Iowa Panthers in the regular season finale for their 9th Missouri Valley conference regular season title, becoming two-time defending MVC champions. The Shockers completed a perfect, undefeated regular season and swept the conference post-season tournament en route to a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament where they lost to eventual national runner-up Kentucky in the round of 32.

The Shockers competed in the Missouri Valley Conference from 1949–50 to 2016–17 and have competed in the American Athletic Conference since the 2017–18 season.[2]

History

See also: List of Wichita State Shockers men's basketball seasons. Wichita State, then known as Fairmount College, first took the court in 1906 under head coach Willis Bates. During this time, the sports teams were known as the "Wheatshockers". The first official game was held in the basement of Fairmount Hall. Fairmount lost to Washburn University by a score of 37–10. During this inaugural season, the Wheatshockers only won two games.

Fairmount acquired a permanent home when Memorial Gymnasium was opened on January 15, 1921, in a game against the American Legion of Wichita. The gym was later renamed Henrion Gymnasium in 1926. That same year, the newly renamed Municipal University of Wichita (popularly known as "WU") joined the Central Conference in athletics.

WU gained notice outside of Wichita in 1927 when, led by First-Team All-American Ross McBurney and Second-Team All-American Harold Reynolds, the Wheatshockers finished the 1927 season with a 13–1 record and a second-place finish behind conference champions Pittsburg State University.[3]

Early success

Shocker basketball achieved greater success with the arrival of Coach Ralph Miller and Cleo Littleton in 1951. Littleton averaged 18.2 points per game as a freshman, a school record that still stands today. He was the first player west of the Mississippi to score 2,000 points in his college career and is one of only five Wichita State players to have his number retired. He was also one of the first African American players in the Missouri Valley Conference, which it joined in 1945. Littleton averaged 19 points per game during his career and he still owns 7 school records. Due to this success, Wichita State decided to construct a new home for the Shockers. Through appropriated money by the WU Board of Regents, Wichita State was able to construct a new field house for the men's basketball team, costing $1.4 million. On December 3, 1955, the Shockers played their first game in WU Field House in front of more than 9,000 fans.

Dave Stallworth entered the program in the 1961–62 season. Nicknamed "The Rave", Stallworth became the Shockers' first consensus All-American in 1964. He finished with a career scoring average of 24.2 points per game and was second on the all-time scoring list with 1,936 points. During his 13-year stint at WSU, Ralph Miller became the winningest coach in Shocker basketball history, collecting 255 victories. Miller is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and currently ranks as the eighth-winningest coach in college basketball history.[3]

First Final Four

The 1964–65 season—the first after Wichita joined the state university system as Wichita State University—was the greatest in Shocker history until the 2013–14 season. On December 14, 1964, Gary Thompson led Wichita State to its first-ever No. 1 ranking. The 19–7 Shockers won the MVC and earned a berth into the Midwest Regional. After defeating Southern Methodist and an Oklahoma State team led by Henry Iba, the Shockers headed to the Final Four in Portland. There, the Shockers were matched against the defending national champion UCLA Bruins, losing 108–89. The Shockers played a third-place game against Princeton, losing 118–82.

During this period, Warren Armstrong played for the Shockers and made major contributions throughout his career. During his sophomore season, Armstrong set two school records, averaging almost 12 rebounds a game while setting a Shocker single-game assist mark with 12. Armstrong became a three-time all-Valley performer from 1966 to 1968, and still holds four of WSU's 10 triple double games (double-figure points, rebounds, assist, or blocks). He would later enjoy a productive career in the ABA. Terry Benton became a key contributor during this era as well, setting a WSU record of 16.8 rebounds per game for his career, and finishing his Wichita State career with 1,003 points and 963 rebounds.

Harry Miller era

Wichita State went 97–90 from 1971 to 1978 under Harry Miller. They had several notable players during those years including Rich Morsden, Bob Wilson, Robert Gray, Bob Trogele, Cheese Johnson, Cal Bruton and Bob Elmore. They made it to the NCAA tournament in 1976, winning the Missouri Valley Conference and losing by one point to eventual national runner up Michigan. The following year they beat eventual NCAA Champion Marquette in Al McGuire's final home game in Milwaukee.[4]

Elite Eight appearance and sanctions

In 1981, the Shockers would return to the NCAA tournament, defeating the Kansas Jayhawks 66–65 in the "Battle of New Orleans" before being defeated by LSU 96–85 in the Elite Eight. The 1980–81 team featured two future NBA players – Cliff Levingston and Antoine Carr, who would be chosen in the first 10 picks of the NBA draft. Carr, a local star from Wichita, would become WSU's third All-American in 1983, averaging 22.2 points a game during his senior season, and finishing his career with 1,911 points while shooting 55.7 percent. Levingston would average 15.7 and 18.5 points per game while leading the team in scoring his freshman and sophomore years, before declaring early for the NBA Draft.

Another future NBA player, Xavier McDaniel, would arrive the year after the Elite Eight season.[5] McDaniel scored 2,152 points at Wichita State, second all-time behind Littleton, and set the school record with 1,359 rebounds. In 1984–85, McDaniel became the first player in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in scoring (27.2 points per game) and rebounding (14.8 per game) in the same season.

In 1982, Wichita State would be placed under NCAA probation for the 1982–83 and 1983–84 seasons, regarding improper actions of former assistant coaches in the late 1970s.[6]

In nine seasons, Smithson won 155 games, placing him second in school history behind Ralph Miller. Smithson was the first coach to guide WSU to consecutive 20-win seasons. During the four-year span from 1980 to 1984, WSU produced a 92–29 record, the best four-year span in team history at the time.[3]

Return to the tournament

WSU hired Topeka, Kansas native Mark Turgeon as head coach on March 11, 2000. Turgeon guided the Shockers to a 9–19 record during his first season. In Turgeon's second year Wichita State began its resurgence with a combination of several veterans and newcomers to compile a 15–15 record in 2001–02.

Helped by an 11–3 record in Levitt Arena, WSU's overall record in the arena rose to 502–185 since it opened during the 1955–56 season. In the 2002–03 season, the Shockers would improve to 18 wins, and then to 21 wins in the 2003–04 season.

In 2004–05, Wichita State continued to improve, reaching the third game of the NIT, and taking the Shockers to back-to-back-to-back postseason trips for the first time since 1987–88–89. WSU's 2004–05 team went 22–10 overall, finished second in the Missouri Valley Conference, and were ranked in the top 30 for nine weeks.

In 2005–06, Turgeon lead WSU to its best season in over 20 years, reaching the Sweet 16 with victories over 10th seeded Seton Hall and shocking 2nd seeded Tennessee. In the Sweet 16, the Shockers would go on to lose to eventual Final Four participant George Mason.

In 2006–07, the Shockers entered the season with high expectations, and surged out to a 9–0 start, including a revenge-win over George Mason, as well as road victories over #6 LSU and #14 Syracuse. WSU rose as high as #8 in both the AP and Coaches' Polls on December 18, 2006,[7] but the Shockers would struggle for much of the rest of the season, falling from the rankings and finishing 17–14, including only eight conference wins, for Turgeon's second worst mark as WSU head coach.

Head Coach Mark Turgeon left Wichita State on April 10, 2007, after a seven-year run and a 128–90 record, (at the time) the third winningest coach in Shocker history behind Ralph Miller and Gene Smithson. On April 14, 2007, Gregg Marshall was announced as 26th head men's basketball coach at Wichita State.[3]

Second Final Four and undefeated regular season

Gregg Marshall previously coached at Winthrop University for nine seasons. In his first season (2007–08) the team finished with a record of 11–20. In his second season they posted a 17–17 record, complete with a run to the second round of the 2009 CBI Tournament where they lost to Stanford. The following season the Shockers went 25–10, culminating with an NIT appearance. The invitation was due in large part to their strong 16–1 home record. Their only loss at home that year was in the NIT against Nevada.

In the 2010–11 season Wichita State improved once again to finish the season at 29–8, finishing second in the Missouri Valley to Missouri State. The Shockers would go on to win the NIT championship as a 4 seed, defeating two #1 seeds, first Virginia Tech 79–76, and then beating Alabama in the championship game 66–57.[8] [9]

In the 2011–12 season, they continued to improve under Marshall's guidance. In winning the regular season MVC title at 16–2 (26–4 overall), the Shockers reached a ranking of #14 in the coaches poll and #15 in the AP poll. After losing to Illinois State in the semi-finals of the MVC tourney in St. Louis, the Shockers were selected at large for the NCAA tournament as a 5 seed, their first NCAA Tournament in 6 years. They fell to VCU 62–59, ending the season with a 27–6 record.

Heading into the 2012–2013 season, despite being the reigning regular-season champions, the Shockers were predicted to finish fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference.[10] Wichita State went into the season having lost five of the top six scorers from the previous season, including Joe Ragland, Toure' Murry, Garrett Stutz, Ben Smith, and David Kyles. Despite the losses, the Shockers went on to win their first 9 games, including the Cancún Challenge,[11] as well as 15 of their first 16, and 19 of their first 21. Wichita struggled in conference-play, however, losing three in a row in late January and early February. Nevertheless, the Shockers would eventually play rival Creighton in the final game of the season for the outright conference championship, losing in Omaha.

In the 2012–13 NCAA tournament, the Shockers upset top-seeded Gonzaga to move on to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2006,[12] followed by a 72–58 win over La Salle for their first Elite Eight appearance since 1981. They defeated Ohio State 70–66 for their first Final Four appearance since 1965, as well as their 30th win of the season, a then-Wichita State record.[13] In the Final Four, Wichita State was defeated by the #1 overall seed and eventual tournament champion Louisville, 72–68 but that game was later vacated in 2018[14] by the NCAA.

The 2013–14 season proved to be historic and possibly the greatest season in Shocker history. The Shockers cracked the top 10 at #2 in the nation in both major polls, for the first time since December 2006.[15] It was the highest that the Shockers had been ranked that late in the season in school history. On February 25, with a win over Bradley, the Shockers became just the 11th Division I team to start the season 30–0. They were also the first team to do so solely in the regular season, as the prior 10 teams reached that mark in the postseason.[16] A week later, with a dominating 68–45 win over Missouri State, the Shockers became the first Division I team to finish the regular season 31–0. The Shockers ran the table with the 2014 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament, winning all three games by double digits. This was the first time Wichita State won the Valley Tournament since 1987. The Shockers received the #1 ranking in the Midwest Region of the 2014 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. Wichita State blew out their first opponent, Cal Poly to become the first team in the history of college basketball to advance to a record of 35–0 (a mark matched by Kentucky in the 2014–15 season). The Shockers season ended with an instant classic of a game with the Kentucky Wildcats on a missed 3-pointer at the buzzer. Their final record ended up being 35–1.

Marshall departure and decline

After the 2019–20 season, eight Shockers players entered the NCAA transfer portal, with seven eventually leaving the program. During this period, several former players alleged a pattern of physical and verbal abuse of players, leading to the university hiring a St. Louis-based law firm to conduct an independent investigation. Marshall resigned shortly before the 2020–21 season, with Wichita State buying out his contract for $7.75 million over six years. Assistant coach Isaac Brown was named interim head coach for 2020–21.[17]

In Brown's first year, he took the Shockers to the NCAA Tournament but lost to Drake in the First Four. During the season, he was named full-time head coach.[18] The following 2 seasons, the Shockers would finish 32–28 and were not invited to any postseason tournament. This led to Wichita State firing Brown on March 11, 2023.[19]

Wichita State hired Paul Mills on March 22, 2023.[20]

Rivalries

When Wichita State became an AP Top 25 regular in the early 2010s, there came interest in reviving annual games against Kansas and Kansas State.[21] In February 2013, Kansas state senator Michael O'Donnell introduced a bill requiring Kansas and Kansas State to schedule Wichita State, but the bill never passed.[22] Kansas and Wichita State scheduled a game for the 2023–24 season, their first regular season game since 1993. Wichita State last played Kansas in the 2015 NCAA tournament, a game they won 78–65. Kansas leads the all-time series 12–3. They last played Kansas State in the 2023–24 season, a game which they lost 60–69. Kansas State leads the all-time series 20–9.

Missouri State

Wichita State had an in-conference rivalry with Missouri State dating back to the 1941–42 season (when Missouri State University was Southwest Missouri State Teacher's College). As of the 2016–17 season, following a 15-game winning streak in the series, Wichita State leads the series 39–30.[23] [24]

Tulsa

See main article: Tulsa–Wichita State men's basketball rivalry. Wichita State's rivalry with Tulsa dates back to the 1930–31 season.[25] The two schools were in the Missouri Valley Conference from 1945 to 1996. Beginning in the 1996–97 season, this series continued as an out-of-conference rivalry and has been most recently continuously played since the 2010–11 season, after being played in the 1996–97, 1997–98, and 2000–01 to 2004–05 seasons.[26] [27] [28] As of the end of the 2020–21 season, Wichita State leads the series 72–62 following 15 games since the series resumed in 2010. Tulsa ended WSU's 5-game winning streak with a buzzer-beating 3-point win in Tulsa in February 2020, but WSU has won three since then, two at home and one on the road, including a tight 4-point game.[29] [30]

Creighton

Wichita State had an intense rivalry with the Creighton Bluejays during their time together in the Missouri Valley. Both squads were known as the cream of the crop in the MVC and went back and forth every year, trading the title of best team in the league. In all, the teams have played a total of 100 games against each other, with Creighton leading the overall series 55–45.[31]

Facilities

The Shockers have played their home games at Charles Koch Arena, a 10,506 seat on-campus arena, since 1953. Originally known as the University of Wichita Field House, it was officially renamed Levitt Arena in 1969 for Henry Levitt, owner of Henry's, who sponsored a Wichita basketball team (known as the Henry Clothiers) that won three consecutive national Amateur Athletic Union titles in the 1930s. Due to its circular design, which gave nearly every fan a clear sight line and put the seats very close to the action, it was quickly nicknamed "The Roundhouse." Following a $6 million endowment from Charles G. Koch the arena underwent a $25 million renovation in 2002–03, popularly known as the "Roundhouse Renaissance." The old arena concourse was completely demolished and a new one built around the original playing/seating area. A portion of the seating bowl was remodeled to make for more legroom. All new seating was installed as well as a video scoreboard, and virtually every surface that was not renovated was given a fresh coat of paint. The Shocker basketball teams played at the Kansas Coliseum for the 2002–03 season while the arena was rebuilt. In 2012, the Shockers averaged 10,391 fans per game, ranking 38th nationally.[1] In January 2013, ESPN's Jason King listed Koch Arena as the 7th best home court advantage in college basketball.[32]

In addition to Koch Arena, the Shockers have played one game for each of the last eleven seasons (except 2020–21) across town at the Intrust Bank Arena, the second largest indoor arena in the state of Kansas at 15,004 seats. Wichita State is 8–3 (as of the 2020–21 season) when playing at Intrust Bank Arena.

Coaches

The Shockers have had 27 head coaches in program history. Of these, only 7 coached five or more seasons. They have had two different coaches take them to the Final Four and seven different coaches have taken them to the NCAA Tournament. Gregg Marshall is the all-time leader in wins, win percentage among coaches who have coached at least 25 games, tournament appearances, and tournament wins. Marshall also has just as many tournament appearances as every other coach in program history combined and is the longest-tenured head coach in program history having coached for 13 seasons.

Coaching history

Willis Bates 1905–08, 1913–14 15–20 .429
Roy Thomas 1909–12 12–24 .333
E.V. Long 1912–13 1–11 .083
Harry Buck 1914–16 14–15 .483
Lamar Hoover 1916–18, 1921–23 30–32 .484
Kenneth Cassidy 1919–20 8–8 .500
Wilmer Elfrink 1920–21 16–2 .889
Sam Hill 1923–25 19–21 .475
Leonard Umnus 1925–28 47–14 .770
Gene Johnson 1928–33 74–24 .755
Lindsay Austin 1934–35 7–13 .350
Bill Hennigh 1935–41 59–68 .472
Jack Starrett 1941–42 4–16 .200
Mel Binford 1942–43, 1944–48 60–52 .536
1948–51 26–49 .347
Ralph Miller 1951–64 220–133 .623
Gary Thompson 1964–71 93–94 .497
Harry Miller 1971–78 97–90 .519
Gene Smithson 1978–86 155–81 .657
Eddie Fogler 1986–89 61–32 .656
Mike Cohen 1989–92 32–56 .364
Scott Thompson 1992–96 40–70 .364
Randy Smithson 1996–00 55–62 .470
2000–07 128–90 .587
2007–20 337–119 .739
2020–23 48–34 .585
2023–present 15–19 .441
Head coaches: 27

Notable players

Retired numbers

See main article: List of NCAA men's basketball retired numbers.

Wichita State Shockers retired numbers
width=40px style="" No.width=150px style="" Playerwidth=100px style="" Tenurewidth= px style="" Ref.
13 1952–1955 [33] [34] STEVE GERIG] at The Shocker, Whichita Alumni magazine, Summer 2000
34 1981–1985
35 1979–1983 [35]
42 1961–1965 [36]
54 1979–1983 [37]

Players in the NBA

1959–62 2 8 15 1962–67 [38]
1962–65 1 3 3 1965–74 [39]
1962–65 1 7 7 1966–71 [40]
1965–68 4 8 44 1968–1974 [41]
1972–74 3 16 52 1974–77 [42]
1975–79 3 10 54 1979-1979 [43]
1979–82 1 9 9 1982–94 [44]
1979–83 1 8 8 1984–99 [45]
1979–81 4 20 90 1984–85 [46]
1981–85 1 4 4 1985–1997 [47]
1981–82 2 2 26 1986–1996 [48]
1997–99 Undrafted 2001–02, 2004–12 [49]
2006–08 Undrafted 2013–14 [50]
2008–12 Undrafted 2013–16 [51]
2012–14 2 4 34 2014–16 [52]
2012–16 2016–19 [53]
2012–16 2016– [54]
2015–18 1 26 26 2018– [55]
2020–23 - - - 2023– [56]

Players in international leagues

Olympians

The following Shockers represented their country in the Olympics. Both participants represented the United States.

YearPlayerMedal
1936
1936

Notable in other fields

Individual season records

See also: Wichita State Shockers men's basketball statistical leaders.

Points

RankPointsPlayerSeason
1 844 1984–85
2 769 1963–64
3 632 1998–99
4 619 Xavier McDaniel 1983–84
5 612 1980–81
6 609 Dave Stallworth 1962–63
7 600 1978–79
8 595 James Thompson 1965–66
9 581 Greg Carney 1969–70
10 575 1984–85

Field goal percentage

RankPercentageFGM/APlayerSeason
1 61.6 133–216 Steve Grayer 1987–88
2 61.1 77–126 Adam Grundvig 2000–01
3 60.5 89–147 Claudius Johnson 1991–92
4 59.5 131–220 Henry Carr 1986–87
5 59.3 223–376 1982–83
6 59.0 102–173 Neil Strom 1991–92
7 58.8 94–160 Ryan Martin 2006–07
8 58.6 211–360 1980–81
9 57.7 86–149 Karl Papke 1982–83
10 57.6 89–147 2008–09

Three-point field goals

RankThree-pointersPlayerSeason
1 91 Jason Perez 1999–2000
2 80 2014–15
3 75 2010–11
4 69 1998–99
5 68 Ron Baker 2013–14
6 67 Randy Burns 2004–05
7 66 Terrell Benton 2000–01
Clevin Hannah 2008–09
9 64 Randy Burns 2003–04
Sean Ogirri 2006–07
Ron Baker 2015–16

Three-point percentage

RankPercentage3PM/APlayerSeason
1 50.4 57–113 2011–12
2 50.0 22–44 Matt Clark 2003–04
3 48.4 46–95 Joe Griffin 1987–88
4 47.8 44–92 Gary Cundiff 1986–87
5 47.5 28–59 Rob Kampman 2001–02
6 46.5 20–43 Keith Bonds 1988–89
7 46.4 51–110 Dwight Praylow 1987–88
8 46.2 24–52 Matt Clark 2002–03
9 45.0 18–40 2002–03
10 44.6 33–74 Lew Hill 1987–88

Free throws made

RankFree throwsPlayerSeason
1 220 1954–55
2 203 1963–64
3 165 Dave Stallworth 1962–63
4 155 Cleo Littleton 1952–53
5 152 2003–04
6 151 2013–14
7 143 Greg Carney 1969–70
Joe Stevens 1955–56
9 142 1984–85
10 141 Jason Perez 1998–99

Free throw percentage

RankPercentageFTM/APlayerSeason
1 91.0 61–67 CC McFall 2000–01
2 90.5 124–137 Jamie Thompson 1966–67
3 90.4 85–94 Clevin Hannah 2009–10
4 88.3 68–77 1973–74
5 87.7 57–65 2010–11
6 87.7 71–81 2007–08
7 87.0 67–77 Bob Trogele 1976–77
8 85.9 61–71 Lanny Van Eman 1961–62
9 85.9 67–78 Ernie Moore 1962–63
10 85.6 89–104 Kyle Wilson 2004–05

Rebounds

RankReboundsPlayerSeason
1 460 1984–85
2 441 Robert Elmore 1976–77
3 437 Terry Benton 1970–71
4 403 Xavier McDaniel 1982–83
5 393 Xavier McDaniel 1983–84
6 376 1980–81
7 364 Terry Benton 1971–72
8 323 1965–66
9 302 1960–61
Robert Elmore 1974–75

Assists

RankAssistsPlayerSeason
1 194 1967–68
2 193 2013–14
3 184 Tony Martin 1980–81
4 183 Fred VanVleet 2014–15
5 181 Joe Griffin 1987–88
6 172 Fred VanVleet 2015–16
7 169 Fridge Holman 2003–04
8 167 Melvin McKey 1995–96
9 163 Randy Smithson 1980–81
10 157 2012–13

Steals

RankStealsPlayerSeason
1 76 2012–13
2 69 2013–14
3 67 Jason Perez 1999–2000
4 66 Fred VanVleet 2014–15
5 63 Robert George 1990–91
6 62 Jason Perez 1997–98
7 57 Preston Carrington 1970–71
Robert George 1991–92
9 55 Jason Perez 1998–99
Fred VanVleet 2015–16

Blocked shots

RankBlocksPlayerSeason
1 80 1961–62
2 69 Robert Elmore 1976–77
3 65 1980–81
4 56 Robert Elmore 1974–75
Ehimen Orupke 2012–13
6 55 Terry Benton 1970–71
Carl Hall 2012–13
8 54 Antoine Carr 1981–82
9 50 Antoine Carr 1982–83
10 44 2013–14

Individual game records

Points

RankPointsPlayerOpponentDate
1 47 March 5, 1983
2 46 February 16, 1963
3 45 January 29, 1965
Ron Harris December 18, 1971
5 44 January 26, 1985
6 43 December 7, 1963
January 10, 1985
8 40 Al Tate March 5, 1960
January 30, 1965
10 39 December 26, 1963
January 9, 2013

Rebounds

RankPointsPlayerOpponentDate
1 29 Terry Benton January 11, 1971
2 28 Terry Benton February 6, 1971
3 26 Larry Callis January 13, 1996
January 20, 1962
Ron Harris February 14, 1970
6 25 Robert Elmore February 12, 1977
7 24 March 14, 1966
Terry Benton January 26, 1971
Terry Benton March 4, 1972
10 40 Al Tate March 5, 1960
January 30, 1965

Career records

Games played

RankGamesPlayerSeasons
1 141 Tekele Cotton 2011–15
2012–16
3 140 Demetric Williams 2009–13
4 139 2008–12
5 138 2008–12
5 137 J. T. Durley 2007–11
7 136 Aaron Ellis 2008–12
8 132 Paul Miller 2002–06
9 128 2008–12
10 126 PJ Cousinard 2005–08

Games started

RankGamesPlayerSeasons
1 130 2008–12
2 121 2012–16
3 119 Paul Miller 2002–06
4 118 2001–05
5 116 Aubrey Sherrod 1981–85
6 115 Randy Burns 2001–05
7 104 Rob Kampman 2001–05
8 101 Jason Perez 1996–2000
9 98 Tekele Cotton 2011–15
10 98 Paul Guffrovich 1987–91

Points

RankPointsPlayerSeasons
1 2164 1951–55
2 2152 1981–85
3 1936 1962–65
4 1911 1979–83
5 1907 1975–79
6 1839 Jason Perez 1996–2000
7 1765 Aubrey Sherrod 1981–85
8 1636 2012–16
9 1599 Randy Burns 2001–05
10 1571 2001–05

Rebounds

RankReboundsPlayerSeasons
1 1359 1981–85
2 1039 Robert Elmore 1973–77
3 1027 1975–79
4 985 1979–82
5 963 Terry Benton 1969–72
6 878 1951–55
7 839 1965–68
8 838 1962–65
8 776 1979–83
10 774 Al Tate 1957–60

Field goal percentage

RankFG%FGM/APlayerSeasons
1 56.4 893–1584 1987–88
2 55.7 763–1370 1979–83
3 54.3 304–557 Claudius Johnson 1989–93
4 53.8 597–1110 1979–82
5 53.0 719–1356 1962–65
6 53.0 517–975 2001–05
7 52.3 741–1418 1975–79
8 52.2 326–624 Tony Martin 1980–82
9 51.5 413–802 2008–12
10 51.4 286–556 Randy Smithson 1979–81

Three-point field goals

RankThree-pointersPlayerSeasons
1 248 Randy Burns 2001–05
2 241 2012–16
3 200 Sean Ogirri 2004–07
4 197 Terrell Benton 1998–2002
5 196 Jason Perez 1996–2000
6 153 2008–12
7 144 Paul Gruffrovich 1987–91
8 141 2012–16
9 140 Ryan Herrs 1992–96
10 135 2008–12

Free throw percentage

RankFT%FTM/APlayerSeasons
1 85.3 337–395 Jamie Thompson 1964–67
2 85.0 164–193 Sean Ogirri 2004–07
3 84.1 127–151 2010–12
4 84.0 289–344 Kyle Wilson 2004–07
5 83.5 193–231 Paul Gruffrovich 1987–91
6 82.7 140–173 CC McFall 2000–02
7 82.6 261–316 Lanny Van Eman 1959–62
8 82.2 152–185 Clevin Hannah 2008–10
9 82.1 119–145 Ron Mendell 1965–69
10 81.5 132–162 1972–74

Assists

RankAssistsPlayerSeasons
1 637 2012–16
2 430 2008–12
3 429 1965–68
4 420 Bob Trogele 1975–79
5 404 1972–76
6 394 1962–65
7 384 Aubrey Sherrod 1981–85
8 383 Paul Gruffrovich 1987–91
9 345 2012–16
10 336 Tony Martin 2008–12?

Blocked shots

RankBlocksPlayerSeasons
1 209 1979–83
2 132 Robert Elmore 1973–77
3 109 Claudius Johnson 1989–93
4 105 1959–62
5 103 1981–85
6 101 2008–12
7 98 PJ Cousinard 2004–08
8 91 J. T. Durley 2007–11
Ehimen Orupke 2010–13
10 82 Terry Benton 1969–72
Carl Hall 2011–13

Steals

RankStealsPlayerSeasons
1 225 2012–16
2 222 Jason Perez 1996–2000
3 180 2008–12
4 163 2012–16
5 156 Tekele Cotton 2011–15
6 153 2001–05
7 148 Aubrey Sherrod 1981–85
PJ Cousinard 2004–08
9 126 1975–79
10 114 1981–85
Paul Gruffrovich 1987–91

Postseason history

NCAA tournament results

The Shockers have appeared in 16 NCAA Tournaments. Their combined record is 18–17.

N/A Second round
Elite Eight
Creighton
Kansas State
W 84–68
L 93–94
N/A Second round
Elite Eight
Final Four
Third-place game
SMU
Oklahoma State
UCLA
Princeton
W 86–81
W 54–46
L 98–108
L 82–118
N/A First round Michigan L 73–74
No. 6 First round
Second round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
No. 11 Southern
No. 3 Iowa
No. 7 Kansas
No. 1 LSU
W 95–70
W 60–56
W 66–65
L 85–96
No. 11 First round No. 6 Georgia L 59–67
No. 11 First round No. 6 St. John's L 55–57
No. 12 First round No. 5 DePaul L 62–83
No. 7 First round
Second round
Sweet Sixteen
No. 10 Seton Hall
No. 2 Tennessee
No. 11 George Mason
W 86–66
W 80–73
L 55–63
No. 5 Second round No. 12 VCU L 59–62
No. 9 Second round
Third round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
No. 8 Pittsburgh
No. 1 Gonzaga
No. 13 La Salle
No. 2 Ohio State
No. 1 Louisville
W 73–55
W 76–70
W 72–58
W 70–66
L 68–72
No. 1 Second round
Third round
No. 16 Cal Poly
No. 8 Kentucky
W 64–37
L 76–78
No. 7 Second round
Third round
Sweet Sixteen
No. 10 Indiana
No. 2 Kansas
No. 3 Notre Dame
W 81–76
W 78–65
L 70–81
No. 11 First Four
First round
Second round
No. 11 Vanderbilt
No. 6 Arizona
No. 3 Miami (FL)
W 70–50
W 65–55
L 57–65
No. 10 First round
Second round
No. 7 Dayton
No. 2 Kentucky
W 64–58
L 62–65
No. 4 First round No. 13 Marshall L 75–81
No. 11 First Four No. 11 Drake L 52–53

NIT results

The Shockers have appeared in 13 National Invitation Tournaments. Their combined record is 11–12. They were NIT champions in 2011.

First round Bowling Green L 64–88
First round Dayton L 71–79
Quarterfinals Villanova L 53–54
Quarterfinals NYU L 84–90
First round UTEP L 56–58
First round Michigan L 70–94
First round
Second round
UC Santa Barbara
Michigan State
W 70–62
L 67–79
Opening Round Iowa State L 65–76
First round Florida State L 84–91
Opening Round
First round
Second round
Houston
Western Kentucky
Vanderbilt
W 85–69
W 84–81
L 63–65
First round Nevada L 70–74
First round
Second round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Championship
Nebraska
Virginia Tech
College of Charleston
Washington State
Alabama
W 76–49
W 79–76
W 82–75
W 75–44
W 66–57
First round
Second round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Furman
Clemson
Indiana
Lipscomb
W 76–70
W 63–55
W 73–63
L 64–71

CBI results

The Shockers have appeared in one College Basketball Invitational. Their combined record is 1–1.

First round
Quarterfinals
Buffalo
Stanford
W 84–73
L 56–70

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2012 NCAA Men's Basketball Attendance. NCAA. April 2, 2013.
  2. Web site: American Athletic Conference votes unanimously to add Wichita State . ESPN.com. April 7, 2017 .
  3. Web site: Shocker Basketball. WSU Athletics. 2003. July 16, 2008.
  4. Book: Hager, Tom. The Ultimate Book of March Madness. MVP Books. 2012. 978-0-7603-4323-4. Minneapolis, MN. 274.
  5. Web site: Brewer . Jerry . For ex-Sonic Xavier McDaniel, Shockers fulfilling an old dream | Jerry Brewer . The Seattle Times . April 22, 2013.
  6. Web site: The Hour – Google News Archive Search. google.com.
  7. Web site: NCAA College Basketball Polls, College Basketball Rankings, NCAA Basketball Polls – ESPN . Espn.go.com . April 22, 2013.
  8. News: Kirk. Jason. 20 March 2011. NIT Tournament 2011 Bracket Update: Wichita State Basketball Upsets Virginia Tech. SBNation. 14 August 2021.
  9. News: Ogle. Mike. 31 March 2011. Wichita State Wins N.I.T. and Hopes Best Is Ahead. The New York Times. 14 August 2021.
  10. Web site: Creighton Picked to Win MVC Basketball Title. . October 29, 2012. April 1, 2013.
  11. Web site: Wichita State Beats Iowa, Wins Cancun Challenge Title. KAKE. November 21, 2012. April 1, 2013.
  12. Web site: Tim Tebow surprises Wichita State basketball team with visit . National Football League. March 24, 2013. March 24, 2013.
  13. Web site: Wichita State To Final Four: Shockers Upset Ohio State In Elite Eight, 70–66. Huffington Post. March 30, 2013. April 1, 2013.
  14. Web site: Louisville Must Vacate Its 2013 National Title After NCAA Upholds Ruling. NPR.org. February 20, 2018 . March 28, 2019. Dwyer . Colin .
  15. Web site: AP. Wichita State Joins Top 10 For 1st Time Since 2006. Leaker . December 23, 2013. December 23, 2013.
  16. Web site: No. 2 Wichita State becomes 1st D-I men's team with 30–0 regular season . ESPN.com . February 25, 2014.
  17. News: Wichita State men's basketball coach Gregg Marshall resigns after abuse investigation . Jeff . Borzello . ESPN.com . November 17, 2020 . November 17, 2020.
  18. News: Eldridge . Taylor . How Isaac Brown is inspiring as first Black basketball head coach at Wichita State . December 4, 2020 . . December 4, 2020.
  19. Web site: Wichita State fires Isaac Brown: Shockers move on from men's basketball coach after three seasons . CBSSports.com.
  20. Web site: Mills Selected to Lead Shocker Hoops Program . GoShockers.com.
  21. Web site: Lutz. Bob. Kansas vs. Wichita State. kansas.com . https://web.archive.org/web/20120225111330/http://blogs.kansas.com/lutz/2012/02/23/kansas-vs-wichita-state/. February 25, 2012. February 23, 2012.
  22. Web site: Rothschild. Scott. Statehouse Live: Bill would require KU to play Wichita State University in basketball. Lawrence Journal-World. March 15, 2015. February 5, 2013.
  23. Web site: Bears Ready for Saturday Opportunity at No. 16 Wichita State. Missouri State Bears. March 15, 2015. February 5, 2015.
  24. Web site: Bears Fall Victim to Shocker Barrage, 78–35. Missouri State Bears . March 15, 2015. February 7, 2015.
  25. Web site: Tulsa Releases Men's Hoops Schedule. NewsOn6.com. news9.com.
  26. Web site: MBB: Wichita State Renews Tulsa Rivalry. Wichita State Athletics. March 15, 2015. December 17, 2009.
  27. http://www.goshockers.com/fls/7500/WSUFactBook1415.pdf Wichita State Basketball 2014–15 Yearbook
  28. Web site: 2014–15 Wichita State Shockers Schedule and Results . College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com.
  29. Web site: Men's Basketball History vs University of Tulsa . goshockers.com . Wichita State Athletics . 27 April 2021.
  30. Web site: Shockers Drop Heartbreaker at Tulsa . goshockers.com . Wichita State Athletics . 27 April 2021.
  31. Web site: Men's Basketball History vs Creighton University. 4 August 2021. goshockers.com. Wichita State Athletics.
  32. Web site: King's Court: Home sweet home. ESPN. January 13, 2013. April 2, 2013.
  33. https://mvc-sports.com/hof.aspx?hof=99 Littleton profile
  34. https://the-shocker.wichita.edu/story.php?eid=9&id=462#.Y3yleXZBw2w Black & White
  35. https://www.audacy.com/knss/news/local/wichita-basketball-legend-antoine-carr-turns-60 Wichita basketball legend Antoine Carr turns 60
  36. https://www.kwch.com/content/sports/Wichita-State-reveils--501714891.html Wichita State unveils Dave Stallworth statue
  37. https://goshockers.com/news/2015/6/23/MBB_0623151427.aspx Cliff Levingston (Basketball, 1979-82)
  38. Web site: Gene Wiley NBA & ABA Statistics. Sports Reference LLC. Basketball-Reference.com. April 4, 2013.
  39. Web site: Dave Stallworth NBA & ABA Statistics. Sports Reference LLC. Basketball-Reference.com. April 4, 2013.
  40. Web site: Nate Bowman NBA & ABA Statistics. Sports Reference LLC. Basketball-Reference.com. April 4, 2013.
  41. Web site: Warren Jabali NBA & ABA Statistics. Sports Reference LLC. Basketball-Reference.com. April 4, 2013.
  42. Web site: Bobby Wilson NBA & ABA Statistics. April 4, 2013.
  43. Web site: Cheese Johnson NBA & ABA Statistics. Sports Reference LLC. Basketball-Reference.com. April 4, 2013.
  44. Web site: Cliff Levingston NBA & ABA Statistics. Sports Reference LLC. Basketball-Reference.com. April 4, 2013.
  45. Web site: Antoine Carr NBA & ABA Statistics. Sports Reference LLC. Basketball-Reference.com. April 4, 2013.
  46. Web site: Ozell Jones NBA & ABA Statistics . Sports Reference LLC . Basketball-Reference.com . April 4, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130404091822/http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jonesoz01.html . April 4, 2013.
  47. Web site: Xavier McDaniel NBA & ABA Statistics. Sports Reference LLC. Basketball-Reference.com . April 4, 2013.
  48. Web site: Greg Dreiling NBA & ABA Statistics. Sports Reference LLC. Basketball-Reference.com. April 4, 2013.
  49. Web site: Maurice Evans NBA & ABA Statistics. Sports Reference LLC. Basketball-Reference.com. April 4, 2013.
  50. Web site: Gal Mekel NBA & ABA Statistics. Sports Reference LLC. Basketball-Reference.com. November 10, 2013.
  51. Web site: Toure' Murry NBA & ABA Statistics. Sports Reference LLC. Basketball-Reference.com . November 10, 2013.
  52. Web site: Cleanthony Early NBA Statistics. Sports Reference LLC. Basketball-Reference.com. December 17, 2014.
  53. Web site: Ron Baker NBA Statistics. Sports Reference LLC. Basketball-Reference.com. October 25, 2016.
  54. Web site: Fred VanVleet NBA Statistics. Sports Reference LLC. Basketball-Reference.com. December 2, 2016.
  55. Web site: Landry Shamet NBA Statistics. Sports Reference LLC. Basketball-Reference.com. January 2, 2019.
  56. Web site: Craig Porter Jr. NBA Statistics. Sports Reference LLC. Basketball-Reference.com. February 22, 2024.
  57. Web site: Wichita State University Men's Basketball Fact Book. April 7, 2013.
  58. Web site: 2013–14 Wichita State Season Statistics . Wichita State Athletics . March 23, 2014.