The RoundHouse | 12/28/2021 2:29:00 PM
Dexter Dennis plays relentless, physical defense. Sometimes, defense is easy to overlook or forget.
Bust through a screen. Cut off a drive. Get a hand up. Shot goes in. Good defense. No reward.
Dennis, a 6-foot-5 forward, will leave Wichita State with a reputation as the defensive stopper of his era, much like Jamar Howard or Tekele Cotton before him.
The clip that should lead his highlight film – even before the chasedown blocks - sealed a life-changing outcome for the Shockers in their 68-63 win over No. 6 Houston on Feb. 18 in Koch Arena. Protecting a 64-63 lead with 15 seconds to play, Dennis stole a pass by Houston's DeJon Jarreau and turned that play into two free throws after Jarreau tackled him.
Two more free throws by
Tyson Etienne locked up the win.
Dennis diagnosed Jarreau's desire to get the ball to leading scorer Quentin Grimes. With Jarreau in a hurry and Grimes calling for the ball, Dennis burst from behind a teammate and snatched the pass.
"I was hiding a little bit," Dennis said. "I know he didn't see me. I knew (Grimes) was calling for it."
Game over.
"He saved us," Etienne said. "
Dexter Dennis is being
Dexter Dennis. I saw Dexter play through it like a cornerback."
The win likely put the Shockers over the top for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid. It gave then-interim coach
Isaac Brown a significant boost on his way to earning the job. Two more wins gave Wichita State its first American Athletic Conference title.
The Shockers snapped a six-game losing streak to the Cougars, who would advance to the Final Four in March. Wichita State defeated its highest-ranked opponent at home since a 1967 win over No. 2 Louisville and evened its record at 13-13 against Associated Press top 10 opponents at Koch Arena (dating to 1955).
"It felt legendary, almost," Dennis said.
No "almost" about it.
The Roundhouse is counting down the 10 most interesting and significant stories of 2021 for Wichita State athletics. Check back this week for more.
