The Sunflower v. 129 i. 12 (November 7, 2024) by The Sunflower Newspaper

SETTING THE STAGE

Year two of the Paul Mills era sees elevated expectations for WSU men’s basketball

BY JACOB UNRUH sports@thesunflower.com

Wichita State men’s basketball head coach Paul Mills identified two key weaknesses in the team that went 15-19 last season: turnovers and shooting.

He said both those deficiencies were addressed in the transfer portal this offseason.

“Your juices are flowing,” Mills said. “You’re ready to play. And (I) feel great about the group that we have.”

This year’s team has far more experience compared to last year’s.

The Shockers have nine seniors on the roster, returned five of its top eight scorers from last season and have the most combined career Division I minutes of any team in the American Athletic Conference (AAC).

Coaches picked Wichita State to finish fourth in the conference this year, an improvement from the team’s 10th-place result last season.

ASSISTS AND TURNOVERS

Last year, the Shockers turned the ball over 12.3 times per game, thirdmost in the AAC. They also had the third-fewest assists at 12.1 per game.

Senior guards Bijan Cortes, Xavier Bell and Harlond Beverly will

return to the team this year but will shoulder less of the ball-handling load with the arrival of fifth-year Justin Hill and freshman Zion Pipkin.

Hill averaged 3.2 assists and 1.5 turnovers per game last year at the University of Georgia, better metrics than any Wichita State guard.

“We have guys who have done a good job with ball security,” Mills said.

SHOOTING AND SCORING

Wichita State lost its top scorer and 3-point shooter, Colby Rogers, in the transfer portal to conference opponent University of Memphis over the offseason.

Without Rogers, Mills said he’s relied on existing players stepping up and some outside additions in talent.

“I think guys have really improved,” he said.

In Hill, fifth-year guard AJ McGinnis, junior forward Corey Washington and graduate student forward Zane Meeks, Mills found four players in the transfer portal who shot better than 30% from beyond the arc last year.

Beverly said the addition of new shooters and the team’s returners improving from beyond the arc will open up space for cutters like himself

to attack the rim.

“Even returners are shooting a lot better,” Beverly said. “The people that they brought in, of course, can really shoot. So that’ll open a lot of lanes, a lot of cuts.”

BALLARD AND THE BIG MEN

Much of Wichita State’s offense and defense revolves around senior center Quincy Ballard. Last year, Ballard broke the Wichita State school record for single-season field goal percentage at 71.9% and nearly broke the single-season blocks record with 2.1 per game.

Mills said Ballard has improved his mobility over the offseason, which could make him even better defensively.

“We’re not going to be the most offensively skilled team in the country, so we need to generate a lot defensively,” Mills said. “First of all, we need to limit you (the other team) to one shot. And then secondly, we do need to generate some offense through defense.”

Kenny Pohto, Wichita State’s primary backup post player last season, departed in the transfer portal. Mills brought in Meeks and senior center Matej Bošnjak for depth at the big man position.

Bošnjak, who came to Wichita State from Croatia, was given clearance to play from the NCAA on Friday afternoon. Meeks is dealing with a knee injury, although Mills expects him to return at some point this year.

Without Meeks, Mills said returning senior forward Ronnie DeGray III will spell Ballard at the center position, a position DeGray played on occasion last year.

“I do think that we can play different ways,” Mills said. “When you have Quincy on the floor, it’s different than having Matej and Ronnie on the floor.”

EXPECTATIONS

Bell said expectations are heightened in year two under Mills. He said the team has a “competitive edge” they didn’t have last season.

“Just that willingness not to, you know, be OK with losing a lot,” Bell said.

Mills said fans expect Wichita State to play in March Madness every season.

“At the end of the day, you have to win games,” Mills said. “I do feel like every program’s goal is to get to March, but this is one where it’s more of an expectation.”

Photo

MEN’S BASKETBALL 2024-2025 SEASON

AJ MCGINNIS

Guard | Gr. | 6’3” Played for Lipscomb University last season

Scored 17 points against Wichita State last year on Nov. 6

BALLARD

Center | Sr. | 6’11”

Third season at WSU

7.4 points per game

• 2.2 blocks per game

72% field goal percentage Broke the Wichita State school record for field goal percentage and dunks in a season last year

• Guard | R-Sr. | 6’5” Second season at WSU 11.2 points per game

3.1 assists per game

• 1.4 steals per game

Entering his sixth and final year of collegiate basketball

OPENING TIPOFF

Men’s basketball flashes potential in exhibition blowout of Emporia State

BY JACOB UNRUH sports@thesunflower.com

If Wichita State’s men’s basketball team plays anything like what they showed during the Sunday night exhibition against Emporia State University, year two of the head coach Paul Mills era will be significantly more successful than year one.

The Shockers never trailed against the Hornets, winning a blowout, 99-53. The scoreline represents an improvement over last year’s preseason game, a 74-53 victory against Rogers State.

Mills played all 13 of his available players in the game, with all Shockers receiving between nine and 21 minutes.

Wichita State started the game on fire, as the team connected on its first five shots from the field to open ahead, 12-2. The run included junior forward Corey Washington’s first four points in a Shockers jersey and two 3-pointers from senior guard Bijan Cortes. Cortes has worked on his 3-point shooting over the offseason.

“It’s something I’ve worked on for sure a lot this summer,” Cortes

said. “Just being consistent, trying to make sure when it’s open shots, I can make them and stuff like that.”

Emporia State briefly rallied for eight straight points, but the Shockers responded with an 8-0 run of their own to open up another 10-point cushion, 22-12, that they wouldn’t relinquish.

Wichita State closed out the half doubling up the Hornets’ scoring, 52-25. The Shockers shot better from 3-point range (38.5%) than Emporia State did from the field (33%) in the first half. In addition, Wichita State committed only one turnover during the period and forced seven.

Leading 57-28 in the second half, the Shockers went on a 9-0 run where they forced three turnovers, and senior center Quincy Ballard recorded a block.

The run was symptomatic of a second half where the only real drama was finding Wichita State’s final margin of victory.

With nine minutes left in the game, Mills subbed out his remaining starters to give reserve players sophomore forward Henry Thengvall and redshirt freshman guard Yanis Bamba game time,

a trademark of a Wichita State blowout win.

Five players — Washington, Ballard, senior guard Xavier Bell, senior forward Ronnie DeGray III and senior guard Harlond Beverly — scored more than 10 points for the Shockers.

Bell and Cortes combined for 5-6 shooting from 3-point range. Transfer fifth-year guards Justin Hill and AJ McGinnis, who were recruited in part to provide improved 3-point shooting, missed all six of their shots from beyond the arc.

Ballard secured eight rebounds, five of which were on the offensive glass. He added one steal and a block.

Beverly said it “was great” to finally see this Wichita State team get to play in front of a crowd this season.

“You get used to seeing people in the practice jerseys,” Beverly said. “You get to see how good people like Corey and Justin … look good in yellow and white. So it was just fun to have all the new guys and all the returners just come together for a game.”

Mills had some criticisms of

the game from Wichita State’s perspective — some players are still adjusting to the pace of the game, players hung too much on the perimeter and the offensive execution was “choppy” at times.

But on the whole, he said “there’s a lot of good to take away” from the game in anticipation of the road season-opener against

Western Kentucky University on Monday, Nov. 4.

“We’ve got a number of things to clean up in order to be able to compete against Western Kentucky, so we’re excited to do that, but I’m glad this one is under our belt.”

Tipoff against Western Kentucky is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Women’s basketball outruns Northeastern State in preseason exhibition

BY EVAN TONG evantong3@gmail.com

Wichita State women’s basketball showed off a frenetic pace as the team disrupted any sense of offense by Division II Northeastern State University on Wednesday night.

The Shockers won the seasonopening exhibition game, 81-46.

“We played a little bit faster this year to showcase our new people,” head coach Terry Nooner said. “Get all our players a chance to play in front of a crowd.”

The new identity showed almost immediately as the Shockers forced a five-second inbounding violation on Northeastern within the first 30 seconds of the game. The Shockers would go on to force three violations in the game.

Wichita State made only one 3-pointer in the first quarter, but it did not matter as the Shockers imposed their will inside, leading 25-9. The French-speaking frontcourt pair of Ndour and junior forward Maimouna Sissoko combined for 10 of Wichita State’s 25 points in the period. Despite starting the game, Ndour would only play 10 minutes due to foul trouble.

The 3-point shooting came alive for the home team as graduate student guard Taylor Jameson

knocked down two 3-pointers in the second quarter, raising her fingers in the air to celebrate.

“Growing up as a kid, I always used to look up to the (Shocker) players,” Jameson said. “So being able to finally put my actual uniform on and see my name on the back of the jersey, it means a lot being able to do it in front of my family.”

Free throw shooting was a question mark as Wichita State shot an abysmal 45.9% from the charity stripe.

“I think the blessing and the good part of it is that we were able to create 37 free throws,” Nooner said. “We want to shoot over 70%, so if we can get our percentage up, then that’s going to be huge.”

The Shockers kept their hands busy on defense, making 14 steals and forcing 31 turnovers from the RiverHawks.

After a foul call went against Northeastern State, a warning was given to the RiverHawks head coach in the first half for arguing with the officials, causing the WSU student band to chant, “Coach, get back!”

The Shockers closed out the half leading, 44-23. The Shockers shot 48.5% from the field compared to a putrid 28.6% by the RiverHawks.

The suffocating defense by the Shockers shut the RiverHawks out

for four straight minutes to open the second half.

Junior guard Jasmine Peaks came down hard holding her ankle after committing a foul but came back toward the end of the third quarter.

“I think she twisted her ankle a little bit,” Nooner said. “That’s been a lingering thing prior to the past week or so. But she’s kind of

used to it, so she bounced back.” The Shockers went cold from the 3-point line in the third quarter, going 1-6 from deep. Despite being up 30 in the fourth period, the

relentlessly chased with the fullcourt press. The aggressive defense forced turnovers but did result in six

ending with three or more fouls.

“Forcing turnovers is definitely something that we look to do, and it helps our offense,” Jameson said. “It helps us to be able to score in transition and be able to get out and play fast, like we’d like to do.”

will

11 a.m.

Senior center Quincy Ballard secures the opening tipoff of the Wichita State exhibition game against Emporia State on Oct. 27. The Shockers secured the blowout victory, 99-53. | Photo by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower

Shockers

Wichita State’s regular season

tip off in Charles Koch Arena against Oklahoma Christian University on Monday, Nov. 4, at

Junior Jayla Murray plays offense against Northeastern State on Oct. 30. Murray scored 10 points as Wichita State won the exhibition game, 81-46. | Photo by Aubri Baker / The Sunflower

Guard Justin Hill runs past the Emporia State defense on Oct. 27. Hill scored four points during his 14 minutes of play time. | Photo by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower

How the ‘terrific’ director of recruiting for the men’s basketball team turned his obsession into a profession

BY OWEN PROTHRO owenprothro@gmail.com

While taking classes to pursue a career as a sports agent, Ognjen Stranjina realized it wasn’t what he wanted to do.

“You have honest agents,” he said. “But most of (the) agents are not honest with people … I just can’t lie to people … I do not want to be involved in that stuff.”

When he and his friend Ivan Mitrović, a scout for the NBA’s Washington Wizards, created a basketball scouting database called Balkan Prospects, Stranjina’s obsession became his profession.

Surrounded by and watching basketball from a young age, he knew “scouting and recruiting ... was something (he) always wanted to do.”

Stranjina, known by players and staff as “OG,” is now the director of recruiting for Wichita State’s men’s basketball team.

“I love this job right here and the title,” Stranjina said. “I want to keep the same title but … I want to be a top-five team and someday … maybe win the national championship.”

Head coach Paul Mills said “OG’s been terrific” in his role.

“Simply because … he lives, eats, breathes recruits,” Mills said. “I mean, there’s not a day that goes by where (I have to ask), ‘Have you checked on so-and-so? Have we checked on so-and-so?’”

RESPONSIBILITIES

Stranjina’s main responsibility

BY ALLISON CAMPBELL editor@thesunflower.com

Men’s basketball’s Justin Hill is like most students his age. The new addition to the Shocker men’s basketball team enjoys playing video games like “Call of Duty” and “UFC” with his friends and creating tracks with autotune. But, unlike most, he’s been surrounded by collegiate and professional basketball since birth — and he doesn’t plan on severing that relationship anytime soon.

Hill’s parents, Keith and Donna, played college basketball. And while neither plays ball professionally, the influence stuck with Hill and his siblings.

“They used to play outside with us in the front yard with friends — both parents,” Hill said. “So I’ve been playing basketball since, I don’t even remember. All I’ve known is basketball.”

Keith scored a combined 1,203 points playing for the University of Michigan and New Mexico State University in the late ‘80s. Donna (formerly Donna Holt)

is to scout and recruit players, but plenty of work goes into it.

“I have a list of players and I monitor (them) … I watch a lot of film on players overseas and in the States,” Stranjina said. “And (I) just make sure that we don’t miss out on events (and) recruits.”

When scouting players, Stranjina said he uses a combination of statistics and film.

“I mean, (a) player can average 40 points a game in some high school in Texas,” he said. “But he plays against awful competition. So it doesn’t mean anything … he can be a great player, but he doesn’t fit the style that coach Mills likes.”

Stranjina said another factor that goes into scouting is the player’s personality and “what kind of mentality” they have.

“There are coaches that will compromise talent for knuckleheads,” Stranjina said.

“But any other day, I think those knuckleheads are not getting you anywhere.”

His ability to speak eight languages — English, French, Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Montenegrin, Slovakian and Macedonian — also heightens his ability to connect with and recruit international students.

UPBRINGING AND BASKETBALL IN BELGRADE

Stranjina said growing up in Belgrade, Serbia, “was the best childhood you could ask for.”

“We didn’t have much … material-wise, money-wise,” he

also had a decorated collegiate career at the University of Virginia. She was honored as the MVP in the 1987 ACC Tournament and named the 1988 ACC Player of the Year.

He said that influence encouraged him to follow in their footsteps.

“My mom (was) really good; dad was really good,” Hill said. “I don’t see why not (just) carry it on.”

Hill’s older brother, Cameron, was an NAIA All-American in basketball at Nelson University, and his younger brother also currently plays at Cossatot Community College. Hill said he and his siblings don’t feel pressured to one-up their parents’ legacy.

“My mom was … ACC player of the year. I don’t know how to overdo that one,” Hill said while laughing. “They don’t put any pressure on me. I just try to go out there, do what I can do to help the team win.” Instead, Hill said his parents

said. “But we were just out there playing as kids (and we didn’t have to) think about the real world stuff. You just come out there every day and you know your friends will be there.”

Around the first grade, Stranjina began playing all kinds of sports. It wasn’t until fourth grade when he and his friends “were hooping all day, every day” that he said he fell in love with basketball the most.

“I was lucky enough that some of my friends were really, really talented,” Stranjina said. “They would get recognition. They would play for the national team (at a) young age. So they were getting into basketball early, and my best friend was playing for Red Star, which is a big, big deal where I come from.”

Despite the time difference between Serbia and the United States, Stranjina stayed up late so he could catch his favorite players in the NBA.

“But it was worth it, you know,” Stranjina said. “I just love that thing. I don’t think I would be able to do it now, though. If I’m in Serbia, I (would) have to watch (a) 2 a.m. game.”

COMING TO AMERICA

Stranjina graduated from the University of Belgrade with a bachelor’s degree in faculty of sports and physical education and served as Balkan Prospects’ director of scouting.

While continuing his work, Stranjina got a call from Sam

have become his biggest fans.

“They want me to do well, but it’s not like, ‘You got to do well,’” Hill said. “(It’s more) like, ‘Just have fun,’ really.”

Wichita State head coach Paul Mills said that even though Hill has fun during games, his technical skill shouldn’t be undersold. Hill boasts a turnover rate of less than 50%, averaged 10 points a game and was third in assists in the SEC.

“I think Justin Hill adds a dimension,” Mills said. “We needed to get some players in here who provided depth. And Justin Hill does that.”

While Mills recognizes that it’s important for Hill to enjoy his last year on the court, he also acknowledges that Hill has a drive to win more than most.

“Everybody wants to win,” Mills said at a press event earlier this semester. “There’s an adage of basketball that freshmen want to play, sophomores want to start, juniors want awards, but seniors want to win. And having a group

He lives, eats, breathes recruits. I mean, there’s not a day that goes by where, ‘Have you checked on so and so? Have we checked on so and so?’”

Patterson, an assistant coach at Oral Roberts University at the time. Patterson expressed the team’s need for a graduate assistant. That’s where Stranjina met Mills.

Stranjina said his first encounter with Mills was “actually a funny story.”

While still in Europe, Stranjina met with a coach for a potential job opportunity. During his meeting, Stranjina was explained that being a graduate assistant was “bringing coffee every day for four years.”

When Mills asked Stranjina what he thought the job description would be, Stranjina said he would “bring coffee, bring food and stuff.”

“Mills started laughing, like, ‘You’re not going to do that here,’” Stranjina said. “So that was our first call and we talked about basketball, talked about (the) job description. And then coach Mills called me a couple of days later (and) he said, ‘Do you want the job?’”

After much debate about what to do, Stranjina said he ultimately came to the United States because

“if you want to work in basketball, there’s no better place to work than America.”

“Obviously, it’s college basketball and NBA (basketball),” Stranjina said. “(It’s) just too good of an opportunity to miss out, for sure, especially if you want to extend your connections.”

At Oral Roberts, Stranjina served as a graduate assistant, assisting Mills with recruiting and scouting players as well as helping organize and set up practices among other duties. He eventually graduated with a master’s degree in sports management.

When Mills was hired at the helm of Wichita State, Stranjina said, “I knew I was coming here with him.”

WHY HE LOVES HIS JOB

Stranjina said he’s grateful to be on staff with someone like Mills because “he is really open-minded.”

“He loves the European game, he understands European basketball,” Stranjina said. “That’s the second most important thing to me, that he’s open-minded to recruit international kids.”

Stranjina also said he loves the job because of “the coaching staff (and) the environment” of Wichita State.

“You know, walking into the office every day and you are happy to see your guys,” Stranjina said. “You’re not like, ‘Oh man, I have to see this dude again. I don’t mess with this guy.’ So obviously, (it’s) the people.”

of guys (saying), ‘Man, this is my last year ... involved,’ … and I think it kind of fuels that hunger.” That hunger is especially fierce for Hill, who wants to go on to play pro ball after this year — but he

Photo courtesy of Wichita State Athletics

Justin Hill jumps past the Emporia State University defense on Oct. 27. Hill scored four points during his 14 minutes of play time. | Photo by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower

PAUL MILLS Men’s basketball head coach

‘WELCOMED ME WITH OPEN ARMS’

Relentless Zion Pipkin seeks to make impact in a crowded WSU guard room

BY EVAN TONG evantong3@gmail.com

Transfer AJ McGinnis settles in at WSU

BY SHELBY DUVALL shelbyd306@gmail.com

AJ McGinnis has donned many jerseys throughout his college basketball career.

He got his start wearing blue and gold, nursing injuries while adorned in red and black, making shots dressed in purple and gold, and is now sporting yellow and black for his final season on a collegiate court.

McGinnis, a fifth-year transfer student, committed to the Shockers in April. Over his career, McGinnis has shifted from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro to the University of Cincinnati to Lipscomb University, before finally finding a home in Wichita.

A proclaimed “sharpshooter,” McGinnis started every game during his last season at Lipscomb. He shot 39.7% on 77 3-pointers during the season, averaging 13.2 points per game.

McGinnis said the main selling point for Wichita State was the “atmosphere.”

“I love Wichita … the people here, and the coaching staff, they’ve welcomed me with open arms and showed me love since I got here,”

McGinnis said.

McGinnis has already made connections with coaches and fellow teammates, including senior guard and fellow sports management major Bijan Cortes.

“He’s going to compete; he’s going to go hard,” Cortes said. “He can shoot it, and as a point guard, being able to kick it out to someone you know is gonna make a 3 makes it easy.”

McGinnis and Cortes also enjoy hanging out during their short stints of downtime outside the gym.

“We’re always together,” Cortes said. “Whether we’re walking my dog, or we’re just talking about life … we’ve gotten really close.”

McGinnis is also an avid gamer when he finds time to switch out the basketball for a controller. However, even in his free time, he can’t stray too far from sports. McGinnis said he watches a lot of football and some NBA preseason games but doesn’t take enjoyment from watching basketball during the season.

“I do watch it (basketball) to study it, and learn things to add to my game,” McGinnis said. “But as far as entertainment, I can’t … I get

enough of it here.”

As a fifth-year senior, McGinnis awaits his final season on the court and his post-grad plans, whether in basketball or something entirely new.

“I would like to play professionally … wherever it may take me,” McGinnis said. “I would like to stay in the United States, but there’s a high chance I might be going across water just to play.”

McGinnis’ future may also hold plans that involve going back to school.

“After the ball stops bouncing, I would really like to get into architecture,” he said. “I’ve always been a math guy, an artist … I want to do residential architecture and design because I love the thought of building a development or building a neighborhood.”

But before McGinnis walks the stage, he plans to make strides for the team this season.

“I’m feeling pretty good, just excited to get on the court and play,” McGinnis said. “I just want to win … I want to compete every night and just have that chance to really experience college for the last time.”

One of the key cogs added to the Wichita State men’s basketball team this year is freshman guard Zion Pipkin from Houston, Texas. Pipkin will have to fight for a rotation spot among eight other Shocker guards.

Head coach Paul Mills said Pipkin “valued the basketball” and that recruiting him was key to cutting turnovers and increasing assists.

“I was disappointed in our assist-to-turnover ratio, our inability to really handle pressure, and we needed to be able to address that,” Mills said.

Last year, the Shockers had more team turnovers than assists. Pipkin said he prioritizes taking care of the ball.

“Any time you see the ball, you just go and get the ball,” Pipkin said. “Just value the basketball. Take care of it. You don’t want to just throw it away all the time. Some turnovers are going to happen; it’s just part of the game. I’m just trying to make the right play.”

Pipkin has been noted for his competitive fire by both teammates and coaches alike.

“Somebody said (Kansas City Chiefs player) Xavier Worthy’s 40-yard time was 4.20. And (Pipkin) says, ‘I can do that,’” Mills said. “He's just a guy who really, really believes, and he's kind of unaware of what

he's gotten himself into from a competitive side. But that is a dude who is not going to shrink, and that's the best thing he has going for him.”

Fellow freshman guard TJ Williams echoed Mills.

“He’s getting a lot of reps in practice, bumping heads with a lot of our guys,” Williams said. “He’s not backing down just because ‘(He’s) ’re a freshman.’ He’s got that Houston heart.” Pipkin attributes his competitive fire to his upbringing, growing up with eight siblings.

“I grew up with a lot of brothers, so I feel like I had no choice but to be competitive, being one of the younger ones,” Pipkin said.

Turning down offers to stay home at the University of Houston, Texas Christian University and Sam Houston State University, Pipkin chose Wichita State in part because of a legacy connection. Former Shocker P.J. Couisnard was his head coach at the Legacy the School of Sport Sciences.

Described by Williams in a Roundhouse podcast as having unlimited stamina, Pipkin looks to punish lazy play with tenacity and hustle.

“I’m going to be competitive every day,” Pipkin said. “I’m going to dive on loose balls. I’m going to hit a couple of shots if you need them. (I’m) just here to win. That’s all I want to do.”

Photo by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower

AJ McGinnis, a fifth-year student, practices a defense drill. McGinnis spent the last two seasons at Lipscomb University. |

Zion Pipkin, a freshman, jumps to shoot a basket in the second half. Pipkin scored nine points during his 15 minutes of play time on Oct. 27. | Photo by Kristy Mace/ The Sunflower

‘PEOPLE DON’T KNOW WHO WE HAVE’ ‘PEOPLE DON’T KNOW WHO WE HAVE’

Women’s basketball has something to prove heading into coach Nooner’s second season

BY OWEN PROTHRO owenprothro@thesunflower.com

Going into year two as head coach, Terry Nooner said the Wichita State women’s basketball team is “anxious and excited as a coaching staff and I think the players are (too),” to get the 2024-25 campaign underway.

“It’ll be good to just go up against some other people and just see where we stack up right now,” Nooner said. “They’re (the team) just excited to play somebody else.”

American Athletic Conference coaches predicted the Shockers to finish second-to-last in the conference standings this year. In response, Nooner said, “People don’t know who we have.”

“They don’t know the work we’ve done,” he said. “So they don’t understand who we are and how close we were … with the group that we had last year. So that’s just another thing that I was almost kind of hoping for, just to make sure I keep the team hungry and that we don’t start to get satisfied because they really are in a good place.”

Over the offseason, women’s basketball lost nine players from its roster, including key player Daniela Abies, who led the team in scoring and minutes per game last season.

Nooner said the critical loss requires the team to step up and “be able to do it by committee.”

“We have more people that can do more jobs,” Nooner said. “So instead of (other teams) thinking they can just take away one or two players, it’s going to be a lot more players that (other teams) have to scout and take away.”

Despite the losses to the roster, the Shockers replenished it by adding nine new players during the offseason. Nooner said this year’s team has had more time to gel together.

“Last year, with that group of kids, with the way we were recruiting, we didn’t even get the whole team all together until August,” Nooner said. “Whereas this summer, we had our full team, where we’ve been together working out and training in the weight room, on the court, doing individual workouts, doing conditioning, strength and conditioning workouts, since June.”

Nooner said the new recruits have adjusted well to their new system because “they got to go through the grind and the off-season,” giving them “a little bit of a head start.”

“We brought … kids that were tough, kids that … had chips on their shoulders,” Nooner said. “People that

… were used to winning, people that had a lot of internal work ethic.”

Of the new recruits, Nooner pointed to juniors Princess Anderson and Maimouna Sissoko and senior Aicha Ndour as potential key additions.

Nooner praised Sissoko for her rebounding ability, noting that “she’s an athletic, strong, aggressive kid.”

Anderson, a transfer from Pratt Community College, averaged 26.7 points per game on a 42.3 shooting percentage last season.

Ndour is a transfer from the University of Illinois but wasn’t a stat-stuffer for the Fighting Illini; she averaged 4.3 minutes per game during her two years in Champaign-Urbana. Nooner said other schools didn’t want to take a chance on the player due to her poor stats, but “we saw her potential.”

Going into the season, Nooner said the biggest difference between last year’s team and this year’s will be the pace of play, especially with the addition of graduate transfer Taylor Jameson.

“I think Taylor just adds a level of speed and ability to break down the defense and make plays for others in addition to scoring for herself,” Nooner said.

Nooner said sophomore Salese

Blow has stepped up in a leadership role, despite being an underclassman.

As a true freshman, Blow averaged 12.3 points per game, a .368 shooting percentage and a .707 free throw percentage, averaging 29.5 minutes per game. Blow was also voted AAC Freshman of the Week three times and voted on the 2023-24 AllAcademic Team.

Nooner said this season would be successful if the team is “better than where we are (now)” by the end of the year.

“I want people to come to our games and … watch us play, win or lose (and) if they say we (were) the hardest working team and the biggest fighters on the floor,” Nooner said.

“I think if we can do that … the wins and losses will come.”

Blow’s goal for the team this season is to “raise a trophy” and to personally “get to know all of my teammates in the right way and just build a bond (with them).”

Senior center Ella Anciaux said some of the goals for the team are playing fast, hard and sharing the ball.

“We have a really deep and talented team,” Anciaux said. “And so we’re going to use everybody and share the ball and have everybody be successful in their own way.”

Photo by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

All stats obtained from 2023-2024 season

Guard | Gr. | 5’5”

Played for George Mason University last season

• 8.9 points per game

1.7 assists per game

36% field goal percentage

Scored over 1,000 points over her four years at George Mason University

Women’s basketball opens season with unconvincing win

BY JACOB UNRUH sports@thesunflower.com

Wichita State women’s basketball beat Division II Oklahoma Christian University (OCU) in Charles Koch Arena on Monday afternoon, but the road bench was filled with more smiles than the home one as time expired. It was an underwhelming and error-prone performance for Wichita State, but the Shockers etched a win, 66-52. The Shockers open the 2024-25 season at 1-0.

“That was a tough team that we played today,” said Wichita State head coach Terry Nooner. “I thought we had a really good start … and then just had to fight and claw at the end to make sure we pulled one out.”

The game featured dismal shooting from both teams. Wichita State shot 37% from the field and 3-16 from 3-point range. OCU went 31% from the field and 3-14 from beyond the arc.

Nooner said he didn’t have a problem with WSU’s shot selection, but the team needs to knock down more attempts.

“For the most part, all the threes were open,” Nooner said. “And we need the threes to go down so we can keep feeding into our post players when they’re dominating inside.”

The Shockers also shot 9-23, 39% from the free-throw line. It was the team’s worst single-game mark from the charity stripe since 2019.

Wichita State got its scoring done in the paint and in transition. The Shockers scored 70% of their points in the paint and out-scored the Eagles 17-7 on fast breaks.

Wichita State started the game with an 8-0 run where Oklahoma Christian failed to get off a clean shot. The Shockers scored all their first 10 points in the paint, getting off quick layups or post moves

BY MACK SMITH

mackred22@gmail.com

At La Vega High School in Waco, Texas, KP Parr was a decorated track athlete.

She placed on the podium in the triple jump and the 4x200meter relay at the 2021 Texas State 4A state championship and also holds her high school’s record in the 200 meters. But when it came time to compete at the collegiate level, Parr chose basketball. The freshman plans to use her experience from the track, though. “Being in track definitely helped me get in shape faster and also stay in shape as I was playing throughout the summer and in high school,” Parr said. “And it

while forcing erratic play from the Eagles.

However, as Oklahoma Christian settled in, Wichita State continued playing out of control.

Both teams committed seven turnovers in the first quarter and the Shockers failed to execute from the free throw line, shooting 3-10.

The teams exited the first quarter knotted at 18.

“We kind of took our foot off the gas, for whatever reason,” Nooner said. “It’s a new team, so we (are) still learning each other. They’re learning me, I’m learning them.”

The second quarter was slightly more successful for the Shockers. After falling behind, 19-18, the home team ripped off a 10-0 run.

Junior guard Princess Anderson capped off the period with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to put Wichita State ahead, 39-29.

Wichita State maintained its lead for most of the third quarter. However, the frame ended with a 7-0 Eagles run that culminated with OCU senior Kate Bradley crossing up WSU sophomore wing Jordan Jackson to make her fall and then nailing a 3-pointer to the delight of the Eagles bench.

The Shockers shot 23% from the field and 0-6 from the 3-point line in the third quarter. OCU didn’t fare much better, shooting just 20% from the 3-point line and 22% overall.

Wichita State closed the game easily but unconvincingly, with its lead never dipping below 6 points. The Eagles subbed in their bench to close the game, proceeding to not make a field goal for the last five minutes of regulation.

Graduate student guard Taylor Jameson led the offensive attack for WSU with 13 points without committing a turnover. Junior forward Jayla Murray was an allaround workhorse with 10 points,

helped build mental toughness.”

Parr chose WSU over other Division I college programs because they “made me feel like it was home.”

“They were very in tune with what I had going on, and I could tell they wanted the best in me,” Parr said. “Coach (Terry) Nooner actually called me every day until I committed … He made sure he was at games even though I was from Texas.”

Parr played in 151 games during her high school career, averaging 11.5 points, 3.9 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 3.6 steals per game.

She led La Vega to back-toback 4A basketball Texas state championships while also being named championship MVP both

Women’s basketball’s Taylor Jameson comes ‘back home’ for final year of eligibility

BY MIA HENNEN managing@thesunflower.com

13 rebounds (six of which were on the offensive glass) and four assists.

Senior center Aicha Ndour scored 10 points and picked up eight rebounds and two blocks. However, she was a primary culprit at the free throw line, missing all four of her attempts and growing more frustrated each time.

“We just need to work on it, to be honest,” Ndour said as Nooner playfully shot her a glare during the press conference.

13 Shockers received playing time in the win, with 11 players staying on the court for five minutes or more. It’s an intentional decision Nooner’s making to “wear teams down.”

“We want to keep constant pressure on (teams) and make teams very uncomfortable,” Nooner said. “So I think the fact that we had so much depth … really helps us.”

Tipoff was delayed 45 minutes due to “unexpected travel delays” for the road team. On education day in the Roundhouse, the stands were filled with local middle schoolers. The students departed around the middle of the third quarter, leaving a near-empty arena in their wake.

Jameson, making her return to Wichita after growing up in the city and playing her first four years of college ball in Virginia, said she remembered being one of the kids watching Wichita State play.

“I was excited to be able to have the opportunity to play in front of them and show them that if they chase their dreams the same way that I did, they could end up on the same big stage as me,” she said.

Wichita State will play its first Division I opponent of the season on Saturday, Nov. 9, when it takes on Belmont University. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Charles Koch Arena.

seasons. In 2023, Parr was named the Texas 4A player of the year.

Parr rooms with sophomore guard Salese Blow. Blow said that Parr challenges her on the court and supports her off of it.

“She pushes me a lot,” Blow said. “I push her a lot. We live door-to-door so we are always talking about practice and what we could have done better.”

Parr said she wants to be named the American Conference Freshman of the Year and help lead Wichita State to the national tournament.

“I want us to win games, be a lot better than we were last year and just continue to stack days and getting 1% better as we go on practice,” Parr said.

After four years in Florida, Taylor Jameson said it was a “no-brainer” to return to Wichita for her last year of NCAA eligibility.

“I wanted to come back home,” Jameson said.

Jameson, a 2020 Wichita Heights High School graduate, signed with George Mason University to play college ball. After four years with the team, she joined the transfer portal in May.

While she had an offer from Wichita State almost immediately, she took her time to accept it, despite its appeal.

“As a Wichita kid, I didn’t really know if I wanted to come back here because being away from home so long had taught me so much about myself that coming back here, I didn’t know (if) it would be taking steps back, … like as a person, not even as a player,” she said.

Jameson said being away from home helped her gain independence and maturity.

“It was an experience,” she said. “But if I could go back, I would do it all over again.”

After returning to Wichita, Jameson said a quick stop to talk with the coaching staff convinced her to sign on to the team.

“But I still wanted to be mysterious, so I was like, ‘Yeah I’ll have to get back with you,’” she said.

As Jameson told Wichita State staff that she was exploring other options, she told other colleges she had already made a choice.

“(I) gave (head) coach Terry (Nooner) a call and was like, ‘Yeah, unfortunately, I feel bad for everyone in the American (Athletic Conference) because I will be coming home,’” she said.

Now several months back in Wichita, Jameson has enjoyed the comfort of being able to visit her parents nearly every day. Her

father, who played professionally for the United States Marine Corps, inspired her love for basketball at 5 years old.

“Having them here … it means the world to me,” she said. “And I know that it’ll show in the games and stuff, even when adverse times happen. Being able to look up in the stands and see my dad — he’s my whole heart.”

As a graduate student, Jameson hopes to bring experience and leadership to the team.

The 5-foot-5 guard maintained a successful career at George Mason, starting in nearly half of her 113 games. Throughout her four years as a Patriot, she scored more than 1,000 points, averaging 9.1 per game on 35% from the field.

At George Mason last season, she averaged 8.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 turnovers. In the 2022-23 season, she averaged 11.2 points, a career high.

“She’s somebody that I look up to,” freshman guard KP Parr said. “She knows the ins and outs, like, in and outside of the basketball court.”

Antwain Scales, a WSU assistant coach, considers Jameson a “bona fide leader.”

“She’s a relentless competitor,” Scales said. “She’s just very, very, very assertive as far as how she wants to lead, and she just has a contagious personality where people truly follow her.”

With the women’s basketball team picked 12th in the AAC in preseason polls, Jameson said it motivates the team.

“We’re a new team, but obviously, with me only having one year (of) eligibility left, I’m not trying to really take my time putting the team together,” Jameson said. “I’m trying to make all the pieces stick as quickly as possible so we can put together a championship team.”

Sophomore Salese Blow takes a fadeaway shot in the first quarter against Oklahoma Christian University. Wichita State won the game, 66-52. | Photo by Jacob Unruh / The Sunflower

Freshman KP Parr dribbles the ball down the court against Northeastern State. Parr won back-to-back 4A Texas State Championships in high school. | Photo by Aubri Baker / The Sunflower

Graduate student Taylor Jameson goes around a Northeastern State player during the game on Oct. 30. | Photo by Aubri Baker / The Sunflower

Women’s basketball’s Salese Blow wants to ‘level up’ in sophomore year

BY OWEN PROTHRO owenprothro@gmail.com

Sophomore guard Salese Blow said she spent countless hours in the gym over the offseason.

“I know I have to level up from the way I’ve played my freshman year,” Blow said.

Head women’s basketball coach Terry Nooner said she has stepped into a greater leadership role, too, despite being an underclassman.

“She’s talking and stepping up, being a vocal leader a lot more,” Nooner said. “And then I would say defensively, she’s doing a lot more.”

12.3 points and 29.5 minutes per game. With the departure of last year’s top scorer, Daniela Abies, Blow said she expects other teams to try and limit her offensive capabilities. But she’s not worried about that “in the most humble way possible.”

“That’s what all the work that I put in comes down to,” she said. Blow said she won’t allow teams to speed her game up and get her out of rhythm.

BY ALLISON CAMPBELL editor@thesunflower.com

Bags of rice, old copies of The Sunflower, a rendition of “The Wheels on the Bus,” and a rallying war cry. These are just some traditions you might see or hear in action at Charles Koch Arena. These rituals aren’t those of the basketball teams but of the Shocker Sound Machine.

The history of the pep band and its members are deeply rooted in tradition and a love of music. That passion energizes members to give it their all from the stands or sidelines, even when the student section is empty.

The Shocker Sound Machine is composed of students across all years, degree programs and experience levels. These musicians perform regularly at Wichita State events and games.

According to Lucas Hulett, director of Athletic Bands, being a member of the Sound Machine isn’t a small commitment.

Students gather in Koch Arena gyms twice a week for two hours at a time to rehearse music and learn marching drills, in addition to a 40-hour camp before the start of the semester.

REBUILD, RALLY AND REPRESENT

The war cry, according to many Sound Machine members, is a favorite tradition to rouse and rally members before a rehearsal or game performance. Assembled in a circular formation, a lone student starts the war cry with a belly yell, working its way from the interior to the exterior of the circle as the volume of the roars gradually increases.

Most Shocker Sound Machine traditions, like the war cry, were reintroduced during the summer training camps after dying out years ago. Hulett said COVID-19 nearly smothered the group’s spirit. But rituals like the war cry gave the band the energy they needed to carry on during that “rebuild year” after the pandemic.

“We just yell,” Hulett said. “It gets everyone hyped up ... (It helps) get someone ramped up a little bit, the blood pumping, temperature up, things like that.”

Along with a mighty war cry before performances, Sound Machine members start every practice with stretches and end every performance by singing the WSU fight song and “the Wu.”

Hulett credits his returning students for resurrecting bygone traditions and keeping Shocker pride alive in the pep band.

“I think my veterans are really the ones that kind of keep that going from year to year,” Hulett said. “And so when those guys come in on day one and they’re hyped, it really encourages those new guys … to get in there.”

But this year’s enthusiasm, according to Hulett, is unprecedented.

“This year is maybe one of the most spirited groups I’ve had,” Hulett said. “And I think it all stems from that rebuild, and that’s been injecting energy into every practice, convincing them that they’re being watched and that people appreciate what they do. And you know, every year when we travel with the team for tournament(s), we always get positive comments.”

Other traditions are more innovative. When WSU played against Rice University last year, Sound Machine students brought bags of rice to provoke the opposing team. At most games, musicians pick up copies of The Sunflower and flip open its pages,

chanting “I can’t read,” or “Are you done yet?” as the rival team is introduced.

But that taunting is part of strengthening school spirit and pride in competitive games.

“Oh yeah, it gets pretty bad,” said Makenna Roths, baritone saxophonist and section leader. “(But) it’s fun to do some heckling.”

Aside from spirited sneers, the band also spends energy motivating and cheering on Wichita State teams. They drum on stadium seats and whoop and holler as their favorite players are introduced. These rites are especially impactful when the student section is meek.

“(We’ve) stepped up when the student section has kind of been drifting away,” Roths said. “So we try to bring that support to the team so they can stay energized throughout the game.”

Because for Roths, and most other members of the Shocker Sound Machine, a win for Wichita State athletics is a win for everyone.

“We are a team, and we are here for each other, and we’re showing our spirit again for this school,” Roths said. “We’re ready for it. We’re energized, and we appreciate music, and we want to be here and provide it to the players, especially in the games.”

‘SECOND NATURE’

The Shocker Sound Machine has given its members more than just pride in WSU’s black and gold.

When Ethan Albert was a freshman, he seriously considered dropping out of school. But he stuck it out because of the Sound Machine.

“I had so much fun with (the) band that I was like, ‘I’m gonna stay because of band,’” Albert said. “Honestly, it’s everyone here that keeps me going, and then I want to give back to them and keep them going.”

The business analytics student said he’s most proud of the visible impact the Sound Machine has on player performance.

“There’s been some games where I feel like … we don’t have an impact on the game,” Albert said. “But there’s definitely some games where it’s like you can feel the energy and … then we fire up the team, and it just really gets going.”

Albert said the band likes to “take a little credit” for their impact on the basketball team’s success at home games, compared to away games.

“It’s surprising how some games, like, even last year, like our women’s basketball team, you look at the comparison between their … road record and at home, it’s like, ‘Wow, they didn’t win like almost any games on the road,’” Albert said. “It was really tough for them, but then they come home, and you’d be surprised, we’d pull a couple wins.”

According to Roths, the group’s commitment to giving high-energy performances has turned “into second nature,” regardless of how exhausted the pep band may be.

“Even if we’re tired, we’re going to do it because we always do,” Roths said.

But regardless of which traditions stay and which ones go, Roths said the Shocker Sound Machine will always “bring it on.”

“We’re always going to bring the energy,” Roths said. “We’re going to bring the pep, we’re going to bring the smiles, and we’re going to bring the music.”

See more pep

As a true freshman last year, Blow ranked second on the team in points and minutes, averaging

“I’m not allowing them to make me take terrible shots,” she said. “And confiding in my teammates, giving them the ball when I’m not hot or whatever, when people are closing in.”

During offseason workouts, Blow said she worked on getting into shape and shooting the 3-ball.

She shot 30% from 3-point range last season.

“I wasn’t very good last year, so I need to pick that up,” Blow said. “So I’ve been in the gym working on that and my defense.” Nooner said he wants other improvements, too.

“We talked to her about trying to be a bit more efficient,” Nooner said. “I think her defense can help her do that. I feel like she can score … as many, or more points than she did last year but be more efficient.”

Blow said she wants to lift the American Athletic Conference championship trophy and help her team make it to “the big dance.”

“Ultimately, I want to help the team overall,” she said.

Behind the scenes of ESPN+ at Wichita State — meet the Black Fox Crew

BY TALIYAH WINN podcast@thesunflower.com

While viewers tune into basketball games on ESPN+, business owner Todd Schwartz leads the team that produces the broadcast to viewers around the country.

Schwartz is the owner and president of Black Fox Crew, an independent contractor working with Wichita State Athletics to produce game broadcasts for ESPN+. He began working with Wichita State University in the 2003-04 basketball season, before starting his own business.

“I've been scheduling crews since Koch Arena became Koch Arena,” Schwartz said.

Dispersed between the stand and production room of Charles Koch Arena, the Black Fox Crew combines the talent of professional videographers, students operating cameras and producers collaborating in a high-stakes environment to create broadcasts.

Students take on roles operating cameras, audio equipment, shading and color, and other aspects to get hands-on experience with live video production.

Before starting his business, Schwartz began his professional career at KWCH, Channel 12. He worked there for 13 years, starting part-time and working up the ladder.

After Channel 12, Schwartz worked at another production company for five years to get experience, later forming a company with two other people in 2004. With business buyouts and

transitions, Schwartz separated from some of his business partners and created the Black Fox Crew, in 2018.

At first, the crew worked exclusively for Wichita State; now, Schwartz has partnerships with Intrust Bank Arena and Emporia State University.

“I supply the crews for all those, probably about 222-230 games a year that I staffed. I maybe work 100 of those,” Schwartz said. “I … try to work all the broadcasts for Wichita State, just to make sure everything goes the way it should for the broadcast.”

One of his former coworkers from KWCH, Kevin Hager, now works as an associate communications professor at WSU. Hager has connected students to work with ESPN since the university started working with the company.

“ESPN wanted student involvement,” Hager said. “At first, I just would try to connect students without any real connection to anything … And then after a while, I thought, ‘You know, maybe I should just create a class and so they can take this and get credit for it and get the experience.’”

The class, Live Sports Production, connects students directly with Black Fox Crew. Students can sign up for games throughout the semester and work with professionals in the field to network and gain experience.

Lilian Fisher is a senior majoring in communications and electronic media who started working with Black Fox in August as a part of Hager’s class. Fisher said she

enjoyed the class structure, meeting once a week with a requirement to sign up to cover games.

“A lot of it is just more focused on that hands-on work that we're doing with Black Fox group,” Fisher said. “Experience is really important in this industry, and it helps us get a foot in the door, not only just having that experience, but also saying that we've worked a job doing that. I think that's important.”

Schwartz said he enjoys watching the growth of the students he works with.

“It's kind of interesting to watch them progress,” Schwartz said. “You know, from not knowing anything to now.”

Aside from hands-on experience, Hager identified the connections with media professionals as one of the most important aspects of his job.

“They're working next to professionals who work in media, who work in public relations, who do it for fun,” Hager said.

“So they're surrounded by local professionals and making those connections and stick it around and keep working.”

Though Fisher has only worked with Black Fox Crew for a few months, she recognized the importance of that community.

“I know a lot of students, because of the sports production class, have just started,” Fisher said. “But there's also a lot of students who have worked there for years because they just continue to do it.

“It's just a big crew, and everyone on the crew is so nice.”

The Shocker Sound Machine performs a routine at the beginning of Shocker Madness. The band performs at all the Wichita State home games in Koch Arena. | Photo by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower

Todd Schwartz sets up a tripod in the stands in front of the pep band at Charles Koch Arena. Schwartz said he typically arrives three hours before a game to set up. | Photo by Taliyah Winn / The Sunflower

‘Horrible’: Dance team relocated to basketball stands

BY MALEAH EVANS maleah.evans04@gmail.com

Some Wichita State dancers will be located on the stands for the 2024-2025 basketball season to make room for two new premium seating areas for games.

The premium seats were created to provide more revenue to support the athletic department, associate athletic director Tami Cutler said in an email to The Sunflower. She said athletics is looking for middleground, moderate solutions to the issue of revenue. Premium seating is one they came up with.

“It kind of just hurts and shoots you in the heart,” Audrey Menzies, a dancer for the Shockers, said. “When you’re standing there in the stands dancing and then you see empty seats, and only like four people

bought them.”

Cutler said that in July 2022 the dance team communicated their displeasure with the team’s lack of funding. She also said that athletics currently was and is the only on-campus entity to support the cheer and dance teams with scholarships, uniforms, equipment and travel.

Over the past two fiscal years, the support for both dance and cheer was $200,000, according to expenditure documents.

“It’s not about the money; I’d rather our locker room be taken away over the sideline,” Abby Allen, a dancer for the Shockers said. “Take away anything else, I just want to dance.”

In April and May of 2024, the athletics department met with dance and cheer coaches to discuss the relocation and

premium seating.

“Initially, my coach had a meeting with the athletic department, and they told her that it was something that could happen, a possibility,” Menzies said. “Then, about two weeks after (the meeting) she saw on goshockers.com that the tickets were for sale and there was no follow-up meeting.”

Menzies said the dance team originally stood behind the athletic department in the decision.

“Ultimately when it got put into action, we realized how horrible it was to come to fruition,” she said. “It just sucked being in the stands because I’m two feet away from a student and my poms are in the air, then I’m blocking their view, and I’m in their way.”

Junior college transfers bring a

BY JACOB UNRUH sports@thesunflower.com

Coming off a year where the team finished 13th in the American Athletic Conference, Wichita State women’s basketball coach Terry Nooner said he was looking for players with “chips on their shoulders” and “a lot of internal work ethic” in his recruiting class.

Nooner signed four juniors from community and junior colleges over the offseason: guards Kyleigh Ortiz, Princess Anderson and Jasmine Peaks, and forward Maimouna Sissoko. He said those players embody the type of mindset he was scouting.

“You talk like a kid named Princess Anderson, who in junior college, nationally, she led the country in scoring for two years, and she was highly efficient and wasn’t highly recruited,” Nooner said. “And so you get a certain kind of chip on your shoulder for that.”

ACHIEVING THE D1 GOAL

All four players were scouted by assistant coach Antwain Scales, who heads the recruitment of junior college players. Prior to joining the Wichita State coaching staff in April 2023, Scales was a head coach at Garden City Community

MISSION

College.

Ortiz played against Scales’ Garden City team while at Coffeyville Community College. She said that familiarity helped build their trust in the recruiting process.

“He (Scales) brought me in here, and I knew it was going to be a good fit for me,” Ortiz said.

Peaks played high school and junior college basketball in Florida. She arrived on Wichita State’s radar because her head coach at Indian River State College knew Scales.

“I just think that what made me want to come here is the family,” Peaks said. “They’re very familyoriented, and what you see is what you get. And they’ve been the same as they were when they first talked to me.”

For many junior college players, including Peaks, playing Division I basketball is a dream of theirs.

“It’s (playing Division I) always been one of my goals,” Peaks said.

The Sunflower — both in print and online — will be a timely resource of information about the Wichita State University community. It will report on news, issues, activities, academics and athletics, in addition to offering a forum for discussion, reviews and commentary. It will also be an effective learning experience for students, who will have the final authority over what is published.

The Sunflower is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press, College Media Association and the Wichita Journalism Collaborative.

LEGAL One free copy of The Sunflower is available to members of the WSU community. Additional copies may be obtained from the newsroom, Elliott Hall 019. The Sunflower is private property and unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable. The Sunflower is funded by a combination of print and online advertisement sales and student fees allocated by the Student Government Association.

BY EVAN TONG evantong3@gmail.com

A torn ACL has sidelined freshman guard Fiona Diomande for the season, but it hasn’t stopped her from meeting her Wichita State teammates.

Arriving in mid-July from Paris, Diomande didn’t have to search far to find connections to home thanks to French-speaking teammates Aicha Ndour and Maimouna Sissoko.

“I was connected with (Aicha),” Diomande said. “The feeling was good and, actually, (she) is like a sister (to me). So it’s very good to talk in French sometimes because it’s my first language.”

Menzies said the new placement doesn’t just impact the dance team. It could be potentially dangerous for the players and fans on the sidelines.

“It’s also a safety concern for the basketball players now as well,” Menzies said. “If they (the players) slide into that sideline, instead of them sliding into dancers who can move, they slide into chairs or fans.”

Dancers also fear the impact the decision will have on recruitment and growth.

“If I was a freshman, I would absolutely consider going to another university, because being in the stands isn’t dancing,” Allen said. “In the last couple years we’ve grown so much; it’s really a setback.”

‘chip on their shoulder’

“So JUCO was just a different route I had to take … I just had to do something different to get here.”

JUMPING A LEVEL

One of the biggest differences between Junior College and Division I is the speed and size of the athletes. Sissoko, who stands 6 feet 3 inches tall, said she’s been managing the jump in competition with more hard work.

“The level is really high; you will see a lot of your size, but (in) JUCO you will probably be playing with a kid from high school,” Sissoko said. “But here, you have four-year (experienced) players.”

The players have greater access to health, nutrition and training programs at Wichita State than when they were at the junior college level. All four players said they’ve been getting in the gym more to work on their strength and conditioning.

“The level of play is different,” Anderson said. “The tempo is fast, and we (are) busy doing basketball throughout the week, which is conditioning, doing

weights, etc.”

NEW CONTRIBUTIONS

Anderson scored 26.7 points per game last year at Pratt Community College, first among all National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) players. She attempted over 21 field goals per game, which will likely decrease while at Wichita State.

Anderson was confident she could contribute at a high level to Wichita State’s offense.

“It’s going to be a challenge, but at the same time, I’m going to get buckets,” she said.

Nooner keeps a picture of a sold-out Charles Koch Arena crowd in his office as a “motivational factor” of what Wichita State basketball can be when the team plays well. He hopes this year, the former JUCO players will play an important part in that.

“We’ve just got to win,” Nooner said. “We’ve got to play hard. We got to, you know, provide a style of play that people really want to see. And I think that’s what you’ll see this year.”

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Allison Campbell editor@thesunflower.com

MANAGING

Head women’s basketball coach Terry Nooner was impressed by game footage and highlight videos of Diomande and decided to contact her. She had also won a championship in Ligue Féminine 2 — a seconddivision women’s basketball league — as a member of Chartres.

Ndour believes that Diomande will be able to contribute by the time she is on the court.

“She’s a strong girl, so she can go to the bucket easily and defensively; she brings a lot to the table,” Ndour said.

In their free time, you might see Diomande and Ndour scrolling through TikTok.

“So we love this French thing that we have; it’s called ‘refs,’” Ndour said. “So whenever I make a joke about TikTok, she always gets it because she’s always on TikTok. So we get each other.”

“Ref” is slang in French for reference, usually in response to a meme. When someone says “Ta’s la ref?,” they’re asking a question along the lines of “Do you get the reference?”

Diomande is roommates with Sissoko, who spoke fondly of her.

“She’s like a little sister,” Sissoko said. “She’s here for you anytime you want. She is a really nice person.”

Ndour noted that Diomande has been pushed out of her comfort zone, as she’s a bit shy.

“She’s very hard-working, and she listens to everybody,” Ndour said. “She’s just an underdog. That’s what I like.”

Diomande’s stepfather, Jacques, describes her as an allaround player.

“She is very aggressive to the basket, very strong on defense,” Jacques said. “She’s a sharpshooter.”

While Diomande will be out on a medical redshirt this year, her teammates are more than willing to show her the sights, tastes and sounds of the city.

“The culture is really different,” Diomande said. “With the distance from my family, sometimes it’s hard. But I like this new culture, this new challenge for my life. I think it’s a great opportunity to come here and discover a new challenge.

“I’m out for the season, but it’s a process to come back stronger and just trust the process.”

EDITORIAL Allison Campbell: 316-978-6906 editor@thesunflower.com

ADVERTISING Kiona Brown: 316-978-6905 admanager@thesunflower.com

FACULTY ADVISER Amy DeVault: 316-978-6052 amy.devault@wichita.edu

ADVERTISING MANAGER Kiona Brown admanager@thesunflower.com

The Wichita State dance team performs a routine at Shocker Madness on Oct. 5. For the 2024-25 season, some members of the dance team will sit in the stands during games. | Photo by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower

ORTIZ

SISSOKO

ANDERSON

PEAKS

DIOMANDE

Ranking the last 15 years of Wichita State men’s basketball home jerseys

Mya Scott mds.200624@gmail.com OPINION

This is the last year Wichita State basketball jerseys will feature the mirrored arches of Under Armour. With the switch to Nike set for next summer, let’s take this moment to look back on the extensive jersey history of WSU’s men’s basketball team.

I have courageously spent many hours combing through every home jersey since 2010 and ranked them, from a slam dunk to a complete airball. Some jerseys elicited feelings of Shocker pride, while some, well, I’m surprised they made it off the idea board.

2016-17

SHOCKER SPIRIT: 0.5/10

This jersey is truly a waste of fabric. “Shockers” is barely legible with the font choice. The cursive blurs the letters together and makes reading more difficult as players move fast on the court. The yellow outline on the words mixed with the white background makes it seem like the letters are floating off the fabric and into my pupils, burning my retinas. Also, the odd black triangles on the shoulders are just silly. They don’t even reach to the back of the shoulder. They’re just on the front which confuses me almost as much as putting cursive on a jersey. You’re not Tony from “Jessie”; stop trying to wear epaulets.

I’m deducting extra points for the shorts being nothing special. They’re white with a single black stripe and the WuShock logo. It’s not terrible, but it’s lacking the flair to make up for the horrendous jersey.

I’m truly pleased we moved on from this despicable era.

2010-13

SHOCKER SPIRIT: 3/10

This era of jersey was extremely close to dead last but escaped it by a single factor: I can actually read the words.

The font is still atrocious but only because it looks like Times New Roman and makes me feel like I’m rereading my old English essays.

The shorts, which have a yellow stripe up the side, may be the only interesting thing about this jersey.

WSU’s team hadn’t garnered enough attention during this era, and we didn’t even have a brand represented on the jersey even though we were partnered with Nike. My biggest gripe with this era though isn’t the font, or the stripes, or how the lettering is too small. No, it’s the V-necks. I hate them. It’s just unnecessary, and it looks somewhat unprofessional.

The designers of these jerseys should only be comforted by the fact that it was so mediocre that probably barely anyone remembers.

2017-18

SHOCKER SPIRIT: 4/10

First things first, I enjoy that the jersey says “Shockers” (in a legible font) instead of “Wichita State.” I also am a fan of the shorts saying “WSU” on the waistband. It adds a certain charm.

That’s where the exceptionalism ends.

The font choice, once again, lacks interesting qualities. There should be

#2

a rule banning boring fonts from basketball jerseys. The yellow outline is also too pale to be considered Shocker yellow.

The black stripes on the sides of the jersey and shorts feel like they were placed at the last minute to add something of interest, but it fell flat and left me wanting more of the flair they so desperately tried to emulate.

#3

2013-2016

SHOCKER SPIRIT: 6/10

Prior to the 2013-14 season, Wichita State was represented by the Jordan brand, a subsidiary of Nike, but the logo didn’t appear on the jersey.

After Wichita State’s Final Four run in 2013, Nike capitalized on the team’s newfound prominence to place their logo on the jersey.

The V-necks made a second unfortunate appearance

2021-25

SHOCKER SPIRIT: 8/10

Falling short of the gold medal is the most modern era of jerseys. This is, overall, a great design. WSU stepped away from V-necks and gave them a normal neckline.

There’s also no horrid yellow surrounding the lettering. The yellow on the jersey is an actual Shocker yellow. The yellow and black trim around the edges is a solid addition. They bring the design together and make it look crisp. The waistband has the same yellow and black pattern and adds a flair that previous jerseys lacked.

during this era. I like the black and yellow stripes on the sides of the jersey and shorts. The pattern is a nice addition that really adds to the character of the jersey.

For the first time in this ranking, this jersey feels like it came from a WSU mind.

These are also the years when pins were added, showing what college each player studies in. It is a fun addition that allows fans to see the players as students and what interests come together on the court. The only concern I have with the design is the numbers, primarily the number “5” looks like an “S.” It messes with my eyes. Strong designs came from this era but there’s just enough lacking in style to tip the scales just below gold, falling to silver.

2018-21

Coming in first place is 2018-21. These were the best jerseys produced by Wichita State since 2010, though it was a close battle between this and the current look.

The primary differences that set these jerseys apart were lines and numbers.

This design adds more stripe variety on the hem of the shorts which really brings the whole thing together.

Whereas the 2021-25 jerseys’ stripes go black and then pure yellow, this set goes black, white, yellow, white, a thin line of black, and white.

The numbers on the jersey are outlined in yellow, but for one of the first times, it’s that Shocker yellow that I only associate with WSU.

The numbering looks more appealing as it doesn’t look like the alphabet hiding within player numbers.

The design is crisp, and I can feel the spirit of WuShock himself emulating from the cloth.

File photo by Selena Favela / The Sunflower

File photo by Matt Crow / The Sunflower

Photo by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower

File photo by Brian Hayes / The Sunflower

File photo by Sunflower staff

SHOCKER SPIRIT: 11/10

File photo by The Sunflower staff

HOUSE OF ‘RED’-PRESENTATIVES

Trump wins presidency again, local results favor Republicans

BY SOPHIA BEST & MALEAH EVANS sophiadapbest@gmail.com & maleah.evans04@gmail.com

Students, staff and local government candidates gathered in the Rhatigan Student Center to watch the election results live. As of Nov. 6, Donald Trump won the election, beating Kamala Harris to the 270 electoral votes needed to win.

LOCAL POLITICIANS VISIT WATCH PARTY

On the first floor, Shockers Vote! hosted a watch party with fuzzy spectators “Pawnold Trump” and “Kamala Bearris.”

The event started off strong, with several spectators left with only standing room. Toward the end of the night, however, the crowd had thinned out,

but several viewers were still watching the results roll in.

On the second floor, Wichita State’s chapter of Turning Point USA watched results come in on a split screen with free Chick-fil-A.

“We’re a pro-free speech, First Amendment group, and we’re encouraging people to come out and vote,” Corwin Spatharos, a member of Turning Point USA, said.

In the Beggs Ballroom, spectators heard from Kansas Democratic candidates in the “Election Night BBQ Bash” hosted by WSU Young Democrats.

“I’m kind of curious to come out and watch the election in what I see as a kind of safe space.” Niya Burks, a marketing major, said. The event had several channels playing the election

results live while Democratic candidates spoke. Attendees ate barbecue and pizza as states tallied their votes.

LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS

Democrat Jeffrey Jarman, the director of the Elliott School of Communication at WSU, ran for Kansas State Board of Education in District 10 against Green Party candidate Kent Rowe — who also attended the Young Democrats event — and Republican Debby Potter.

“I wanted to run — to fight — for the families and the students and the teachers who work hard to promote public education in Kansas,” Jarman said.

Potter emerged with nearly two-thirds of District 10 votes and has unofficially been

named the winning candidate.

Incumbent Democrat Betty Arnold ran against Republican Jason Carmichael for Board of Education in District 8. Arnold pulled ahead, winning the election as of Nov. 6.

“I feel good, the thing is (that I) got to take it one step at a time,” Arnold said. “I will just continue with what I’ve always stood for, and that’s making sure all of our students, the least and the last, have an opportunity for an education.”

Democrat Esau Freeman ran against Republican Ron Estes for the U.S. House. Despite losing his race, he said he doesn’t try to let his emotions control a situation.

“If I win, I’ll be very excited to serve the people of Kansas,” Freeman said. “If I happen to lose, I’ll continue to serve the people of Kansas through my

job (business representative for Service Employees International Union Local 513) and, you know, I may decide to run again.” Freeman hopes that everyone, young and old, gets involved.

“So often we’re upset about the things that go on in our society, and we always think that somebody else is going to take care of it … and that’s just not the case,” Freeman said.

“If you’re thinking about those things, you’re probably the best person to get involved, so go dip your toe in the water.”

National and state election results can be found on NPR, and county results can be found on IKE Lab, a WSU-funded website.

Illustration by Preston Caylor / The Sunflower

ARTS & CULTURE

WSU alumna returns to celebrate her new book KITTEN-WHAT?

BY SOPHIA BEST sophiadapbest@gmail.com

Author Holly Wilson said there was a period in her life where she “didn’t think of myself as a writer at all.”

“But I went back (to writing), and I always go back … and here I am,” Wilson said.

Wilson, a Master of Fine Arts graduate of Wichita State, visited the Ulrich Museum of Art on Oct. 30, for a reading and signing of her debut book, “Kittentits.”

The event was introduced by her former teacher, Margaret Dawe, creative writing associate professor, who had also brought her current students to celebrate the alumna’s work.

Dawe recalled a time when Wilson, then a student, had crafted a compelling tale to persuade Dawe into excusing one of Wilson’s absences during the semester.

“I fell for it, which means Holly

“

I never really thought I’d get published, so I was never in a hurry. Now I’m like, ‘Why did you take so long?’”

HOLLY WILSON Author of “Kittentits”

Wilson has always been good at storytelling,” Dawe said.

“Kittentits” is a surrealist, stream-of-consciousness style novel starring Molly, a pottymouthed 10-year-old, who is living unfavorably in a group home haunted by friendly nuns.

Summarized by Goodreads as a “bold take on the American coming-of-age novel,” Wilson embraces the difficult road to growing up as Molly escapes her home with her pen pal, Demarcus, to find Jeanie, a dirt bike-riding ex-con who faked her own death in a hot-air balloon accident.

Wilson explained that when

ADI and ISU partner to share international students’ hidden stories

A Wichita State student writes down a story for ADI’s “Hidden Stories” event on Nov. 4. | Photo by

Monique Bever / The Sunflower

BY BAYLOR HENRY baylorsahenry@gmail.com

Transitioning to a new school is a scary experience for many, and it can be easy for students — especially for international students — to feel alone when a new school also means a new country. For international students, that sense of isolation is inherently magnified.

For freshman Maneja Ahmed, her transition meant a major shift in the pace of her life.

“I came here from Dubai, the UAE (United Arab Emirates),” Ahmed said. “So over there, it was just hustle, and very crowded, everything was so fast-paced. And over here, it's really slow-paced, which allows me to focus on things that are actually more important because over there, you had so many distractions.”

Ahmed is the president of the International Student Union (ISU).

On Monday, ISU partnered with the Ambassadors for Diversity and Inclusion (ADI) to hear student’s “Hidden Stories” through tabling in the Rhatigan Student Center, and a lunch event with an alumni speaker.

This event is part of the fourth annual Diversity Week and is one of many events throughout the week hosted by ADI that are meant to support international students.

During the tabling event, students were invited to write their stories of transition to WSU on notecards and add them to a posterboard anonymously.

“Our main theme of Diversity Week is unspoken connections, and all the things that connect us that we don't necessarily see on the surface level,” said Anoushka Raju, vice president of membership of ADI. “By being able to share everyone's stories anonymously, we're able to kind of show how everyone is connected and all the different experiences that were shared.”

At During the lunch event, Muhammad Aamir Usmani, Wichita State alum and director of library technologies, shared his story of coming to the United States from Pakistan and the challenges he faced, including homesickness and culture shock. Usmani also shared advice for international students on how to maintain their religious or cultural

creating the main character, Molly, she was inspired by a rambunctious girl from her school days, also named Molly.

“She told wild tales, and she was really bold,” Wilson said. “She just didn’t care what people thought, and I always kind of envied that.”

While “Kittentits” is fast-paced and action-packed, Wilson’s writing process was more gradual; it took her 14 years to bring the book to fruition.

“Kittentits” began in Florida, while she was getting her Ph.D. in creative writing from Florida State University.

During vacations to Wichita, Wilson spent most of her time writing, either at the Advanced Learning Library or the Panera Bread.

“I never really thought I’d get published, so I was never in a hurry,” Wilson said. “Now I’m like, ‘Why did you take so long?’”

all the poetry,” Wilson said.

WSU students color and chill at sorority and fraternity Wellness Week event

identity, even in a new place.

“I'm pretty sure that whoever comes from, especially Southeast Asia or other third-world countries, experiences major culture shock,” Usmani said. “Not only the religion, but the way people live, the way society grows, the way social interactions are done.”

Usmani shared that his ignorance of American culture was a struggle, but he was vocal and social during his time in college, which allowed him to find a community of other international students to relate with. But that was not the case for everyone.

“There are many people and many international students who were in (an) identity crisis because they didn't know what to call themselves,” Usmani said. “They wanted to be American, but they were not. They wanted to be among, you know, American, like white people or Black people, but they were Brown, so, you know, so it was difficult to relate to things.”

Usmani encouraged the students to become involved in events and organizations with other international students and to find other people who understand the experiences of moving to a new country.

“This is your family,” he said.

Usmani also encouraged students to hold fast to their culture and their religion.

“Do something that is beyond yourself, because that is what gives you peace in your heart,” he said.

Usmani closed his talk by encouraging the students to present with an Urdu poem.

“Do not be afraid of the opposing wind. O eagle. It blows only to lift you higher,” he said.

“So if you all guys who are sitting here, guys and gals, don't worry about the pressures or the challenges or anything that comes your way,” Usmani said. “Because what it's doing is actually helping you grow, fly higher and grow higher.”

Halal food was provided, giving students a safe meal and time to connect over shared cultures.

“I hope all students thrive in a new place,” Ahmed said. "I know how tough it is, so I just hope that every student can find the comfy in their uncomfy.”

Sophomore Candace Britting, a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma (KKG), attended the Wellness Coloring Event during Wellness Week. The event took place on Wednesday, Nov. 6, from 6-8 p.m. in the RSC. |

Photos by Aubri Baker / The Sunflower

Freshman Serenity Stewart participated in a coloring event organized by Mental Health America of South Central Kansas. The event took place during Wellness Week, where WSU students participated in activities to improve their mental health and wellness.

Freshman Darius Black poses at a coloring event on Nov. 9 at the RSC. The event allowed students to focus on coloring and relaxation.

Wilson ended the night with a piece of advice for writers and creative writing students.

“Read as much as you can; read everything; read all the fiction and

Dawe and Wilson look over the 2004 attendance logs after the reading, trying to find out why she was absent that day. | Photo by Sophia Best / The Sunflower

Freshmen Jude Ferraro, Darius Black and Serenity Stewart talk during a Wellness Week event aimed at encouraging students to take a break from their schoolwork and spend time with friends while coloring. The event was a partnership between WSU, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Sigma Phi Epsilon and Mental Health America of South Central Kansas.

Sophomore Camille Wallick smiles at friends during the Kappa Kappa Gamma and Sigma Phi Epsilon wellness event hosted by the Mental Health America of South-Central Kansas.

Senior Ryan Summerlin colors at Kappa Kappa Gamma and Sigma Phi Epsilon’s (SigEp) Coloring Event for Wellness Week. The event took place in the RSC on Wednesday night.

PREP FOR PEP

for

THE SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS PRESENTS THE ‘TWELFTH NIGHT’ THURSDAY, NOV. 7 THROUGH SUNDAY, NOV. 10

7:30 - 9 p.m.

Wilner Auditorium

Hisorically viewed as the “perfect comedy,” William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” tells the tale of Viola, a shipwrecked maiden who finds herself in a love triangle. WSU students can receive a ticket for free online or at the box office.

FLU VACCINES AT POP-UP CLINIC

TUESDAY, NOV. 12

11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Shocker Success Center, first floor

Student Health is hosting a pop-up clinic for students, faculty and staff to receive a flu vaccination. Bring your insurance card with you. Flu vaccine and administration fees may be free with WSU employee health plans. Fees can be applied to students’ myWSU student account.

NAVIGATE YOUR POTENTIAL

TUESDAY, NOV. 12

2 - 4 p.m.

Wichita State Connect

Join this event hosted by Shocker Strengths and Shocker Career Accelerator, with workshops designed to help you “Discover, Design, (and) Connect,” like Strengths Discovery and Design Your Life. Enjoy snacks and a raffle while you connect and network with other attendees.

BIBLE STUDY

TUESDAY, NOV. 12

7 - 8 p.m.

Grace Memorial Chapel

Join Wichita State student organization Redeemed Campus Fellowship for a time of fellowship and discussion on how God’s word translates to modern college life.

RIE BLOOMFIELD ORGAN SERIES PRESENTS JAMES O’DONNELL

TUESDAY, NOV. 12

7:30 - 9 p.m.

Grace Memorial Chapel Renowned as one of the foremost concert organists, choral conductors and liturgical musicians of this time, O’Donnell has served as Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral and Organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey. O’Donnell directed the music for the 2011 wedding between Prince William and Catherine Middleton. The event is free to all WSU students.

CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY COLLOQUIA SERIES: PROF. PIERRE THIBAULT

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 13

3:30 p.m.

McKinley Hall, room 224

Professor Pierre Thibault from University of Montreal is presenting as part of the Fall 2024 Colloquium series. The series continues for two more weeks on Wednesdays before wrapping up with student presentations on Dec. 4.

FIRST-GEN STUDENTS: FAIRMOUNT COLLEGE COFFEE, COCOA, COOKIES AND CONVERSATION

FRIDAY, NOV. 15

9 a.m. - noon

Lindquist Hall, room 200

The Fairmount College Student Advisory Council invites firstgeneration students to share Coffee, Cocoa and Conversation with other students, faculty and staff that are cheering for your success as a firstgeneration Shocker.

HAVE AN EVENT YOU WOULD LIKE LISTED?

CONTACT THE ARTS EDITOR: arts@thesunflower.com

CONTACT THE NEWS EDITOR: news@thesunflower.com

Members of the Shocker Sound Machine throw the Wichita State hand sign in support of the men’s basketball team during one of their home games last month. Sound Machine musicians participated in a range of spirited traditions, from chants to foam and newspaper props. | Photos by Allison Campbell / The Sunflower

Jocelyn Mallonee, a piccolo flute player, holds up a sign after a Wichita State player made a 3-pointer. Mallonee is a member of the Shocker Sound Machine and has been performing at WSU home basketball games since 2021.

Trumpet players with the Shocker Sound Machine line up during their court performance on Oct. 27.

Members of the Shocker Sound Machine meet twice a week to practice, learn and rehearse marching drills, songs and on-the-court shows.

Members of the Shocker Sound Machine cheer and shake foam noodles as Wichita State scores a point against Emporia State University on Oct. 27. Members of the pep band participate in a range of traditions, from war cries to tearing The Sunflower’s newspapers for confetti.

Members of the Shocker Sound Machine drumline tap their drumsticks together in between beats while performing at the men’s basketball game against Emporia State University. The pep band took to the court to perform their halftime show

fans.

Trumpet player Katie Melton points at a fan in the audience after concluding the Wichita State fight song, “Hail Wichita,” on Oct. 27.

Members of the Shocker Sound Machine drum up enthusiasm for the men’s basketball game against Emporia State University on Oct. 27. WuShock joined the pep band outside to welcome fans as the band played snippets from their drum show and the school fight song.