The RoundHouse | 3/20/2019 7:51:00 AM

 
The pathways to the 2011 NIT and 2019 NIT for Wichita State are different. In a best-case scenario, however, the results are similar.
 
In 2011, an experienced Wichita State basketball came up short of an NCAA Tournament bid and ended the regular season disappointed. The 2019 Shockers, loaded with newcomers, aspired to make the NIT months ago with an NCAA bid unlikely.
 
The 2011 team – led by seniors such as NIT MVP Graham Hatch, J.T. Durley and Aaron Ellis – made the most of its situation by winning the tournament. "Bloom where you're planted" became one of coach Gregg Marshall's many catch-phrases as the Shockers routed Washington State and Klay Thompson and defeated Alabama in New York for their first NIT title. That success provided a boost to the program that helped produce a 2012 NCAA Tournament bid and much more.
 
"Winning a championship does a lot for the confidence for everybody," former Shocker Demetric Williams said. "Once you end on a good note it brings you into the next season. It set the tone for all the seniors for the next year about what we're trying to do and what the city of Wichita expects."
 
Williams, a sophomore on the NIT title team, returned for 2012 and the 2013 Final Four. Garrett Stutz, who scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the NIT semifinal win over Washington State, was part of a program-changing recruiting class that included Toure Murry and David Kyles. That trio joined Joe Ragland and Ben Smith, all in their senior season, to carry the 2012 team to a Missouri Valley Conference title and a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
 
"Spending a week in NYC playing twice and cutting down the nets at the (Madison Square) Garden is one of the best memories I have of my college playing days," Stutz said in a text message. 
 
While the 2019 NIT isn't what Shockers such as senior Markis McDuffie are accustomed to, the current Shockers aren't burdened by expectations. They are not a senior-laden team that spent January and February grinding toward the NCAA Tournament. The Shockers are motivated to keep playing in what is the first taste of NCAA Division I post-season for most.
 
"We're definitely eager to continue playing," freshman guard Jamarius Burton said. "It's good for us to gain some more experience. We're gaining the experience of tournament play, one and done, playing on the road, traveling."
 
The Shockers went 7-5 in non-conference play and started American Athletic Conference play 1-6. The NIT is a reward for the improvement that resulted in an 11-3 run to end the season and a crucial win over Temple in the American Tournament. 
 
"We've been fighting for everything," junior center Jaime Echenique said. "We deserve something. It wasn't the NCAA Tournament, so we are in the NIT and it's a good tournament. We're excited to get this experience."
 
Marshall placed the NIT in their minds earlier this season. McDuffie is from Paterson, N.J. 18 miles from Madison Square Garden and the Shockers want him to end his college career in that building.
 
"I started talking about our experience in 2011 - Madison Square Garden, staying in Times Square with the big interactive billboards - the lights flashing and staying at the Marriott Marquis right there in downtown Manhattan," Marshall said. "I think it just woke them up a little bit, it sparked their interest just enough. You have to win three to get to Madison Square Garden. That's now the goal."
 
McDuffie will miss March Madness, but he sees the NIT as a good step for this team.
 
"This team got a lot better throughout the season and we don't want it to end now," he said. "We're very excited to keep on playing."
 
The 2011 Shockers needed to find that excitement – a mood missing in a 2010 NIT that ended with a loss at home to Nevada. Marshall didn't want to accept the 2011 NIT bid unless he knew everybody was fully motivated to play. Stutz remembers the discussion before the 2011 NIT produced a team that went all-in and played with a freedom and passion absent in 2010.
 
"Coach Marshall reminded us of that - he didn't want to have that again," Williams said. "Our group of seniors led a players meeting and they told us that they wanted to go out on a good note and set a good legacy. Be winners. Set the tone for all the young people."
 
Williams said the NIT title pushed the returners into a summer dedicated to basketball and conditioning. The wins over Nebraska, Virginia Tech, College of Charleston, Washington State and Alabama confirmed the Shockers could handle good competition.
 
"We worked out all summer and took it very seriously," he said. "We told ourselves that next year, we're not going to the NIT."
 
The reaction of the fans highlighted the experience for Williams. He remembers large crowds for the NIT home games and a police escort from the airport to their championship reception at Koch Arena.
 
"That's what made my team proud and happy," he said. "It does so much for the city. 
We knew the Shocker fans appreciated it."
 
The 2011 turned the NIT into a memorable month that helped launch future success by sparking fan enthusiasm and boosting the program's profile. The 2019 NIT offers its own potential rewards for a team in a different place.
 
"Don't waste this opportunity," Stutz said.
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.