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No. 2: Wichita State Overcomes Obstacles on Way to NCAA Berth

RH AAC title

The RoundHouse | 12/31/2021 8:15:00 AM

Paul Suellentrop Byline 

A season that started with questions ended with confetti.
 
Wichita State's men's basketball rolled out the confetti cannon twice – when athletic director Darron Boatright announced interim coach Isaac Brown as the permanent hire and when the Shockers won the American Athletic Conference championship.
 
By March, the uncertainty of November seemed far away. Brown took over after the departure of Gregg Marshall and dealt with that transition, the loss of the top three scorers from 2019-20 and all the complications of COVID-19.
 
In March, the Shockers returned to the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in nine opportunities. Guard Tyson Etienne led the way with his confidence, serious approach to the game and his scoring. He refused to let the challenging circumstances of 2020 diminish expectations.
 
The preseason poll placed the Shockers seventh in the conference.
 
"You're going to get what Shocker fans expect to get from their teams, despite everything that's going on," Etienne said early in the season. "None of us have lost our talent, our athleticism, or our intelligence. So, we'll go out there and play and as everything starts to get underway, we'll be ready to produce."
 
 

After a 1-2 start that featured a win over Oral Roberts on its way to the Sweet 16, the Shockers got whole and found their roles. Morris Udeze developed into a reliable scorer at center. Dexter Dennis continued his lockdown defense and Trey Wade provided toughness and veteran leadership. Alterique Gilbert gave the Shockers a creative point guard who defended well on the perimeter.
 
Newcomer Clarence "Monzy" Jackson quickly earned the affection of fans with his hustle. Off the bench, freshman Ricky Council IV flashed considerable scoring skills and confidence, highlighted by 23 points in a win over Cincinnati.
 
"This team, we don't waver," Dennis said after winning the AAC title. "I'm here every day with these guys and I see the amount of work we put in. I see how guys respond to certain things." 
 
Brown earned the job over the course of the winter, first by holding the Shockers together during the upheaval and then by turning them into a championship team. A win over then-No. 6 Houston highlighted his work.

"He's very selfless, very encouraging," Etienne said in February. "He never makes it about him. He always makes it about the players and puts us first."
 
Brown, from November to March, kept the spotlight on the Shockers. He wanted the season to be about his team, not his personal story, and said he owed his job to the leaders in the locker room.

"I'm excited for the players and I'm excited to be the coach at such a great basketball school," Brown said. "We want to compete to be at the top of the league every year."
 
Etienne scored 29 points in an 83-79 win at Mississippi, after the Shockers trailed at halftime. That win, the Shockers agreed, set the stage for the rest of the season. Wichita State went 9-3 in games decided by five points or fewer.
 
The Shockers, who lost to Drake in the NCAA Tournament's First Four, finished with a 16-6 record in the COVID-shortened season. They went 11-2 to win the school's first AAC title.

 

"We knew we weren't finishing seventh," senior guard Brycen Bush said. "Proving everybody wrong is pretty special."
 
Brown, who came to Wichita State as an assistant coach in 2014, earned conference Coach of the Year honors. Etienne earned conference Co-Player of the Year honors with guard Gilbert on third team All-AAC. Council landed on the All-Freshman team.

The Roundhouse is counting down the 10 most interesting and significant stories of 2021 for Wichita State athletics.
 
 No. 10 - Baseball's new home in downtown Wichita
No. 9 - Setter Kayce Litzau leads Shocker volleyball
No. 8 - Smash Sisters bash their way to NCAA regional
No. 7 - Win over Houston propels Shockers to AAC title, NCAA berth
No. 6 - Shocker baseball pushes toward top of AAC
No. 5 - Seniors lead men's tennis to NCAA Championships
No. 4 - Wichita State distance runners excel in 2021
No. 3 - Brown earns top basketball job
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Players Mentioned

Brycen Bush

#15 Brycen Bush

G
6' 0"
Senior
Trey Wade

#5 Trey Wade

F
6' 6"
Senior
Alterique Gilbert

#3 Alterique Gilbert

G
6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
Dexter Dennis

#0 Dexter Dennis

G
6' 5"
Junior
Tyson Etienne

#1 Tyson Etienne

G
6' 2"
Sophomore
Ricky Council IV

#4 Ricky Council IV

G
6' 6"
Freshman
Morris Udeze

#24 Morris Udeze

F
6' 8"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Brycen Bush

#15 Brycen Bush

6' 0"
Senior
G
Trey Wade

#5 Trey Wade

6' 6"
Senior
F
Alterique Gilbert

#3 Alterique Gilbert

6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
G
Dexter Dennis

#0 Dexter Dennis

6' 5"
Junior
G
Tyson Etienne

#1 Tyson Etienne

6' 2"
Sophomore
G
Ricky Council IV

#4 Ricky Council IV

6' 6"
Freshman
G
Morris Udeze

#24 Morris Udeze

6' 8"
Junior
F