The RoundHouse | 12/10/2022 6:55:00 PM
Melvion Flanagan calls himself and teammate
Jaron Pierre Jr., "Boot Boys," a tribute to their home state of Louisiana and its distinctive shape.
"We're from Louisiana, and that means out here being a dog," Flanagan said. "Going to work every time. Playing hard. That's what Louisiana guys do."
Flanagan did not mention making baskets, which he did not need to. That part was obvious after Wichita State's 81-63 win over Longwood (Va.) at Koch Arena.
Pierre, benched by coach
Isaac Brown a week ago for practice issues, led the Shockers (5-4) with 20 points, 15 in the first half. Flanagan, a walk-on who had not played since the opener, scored 14 points and made 4 of 7 three-pointers.
The Boot Boys kicked it in on Saturday through less-than-ideal circumstances. Pierre handled his benching, practiced hard, and played Saturday with a swagger and enthusiasm.
"I knew I messed up," Pierre said. "The whole week I played hard, practiced hard the whole time."
Flanagan stayed ready through weeks of practice and played with confidence and energy.
"It's just zoning out the crowd and playing your game," he said.
While walk-ons might run up a few baskets late in a game, Flanagan contributed at important moments. He made his first three-pointer to cut Longwood's lead to 19-13. He made another to give the Shockers a 27-23 lead. His floater at the buzzer put WSU up 43-29 at halftime over the Lancers (5-5).
The Shockers trailed 17-8 and finished the half on a 35-12 run. Flanagan more than did his part to turn a scary-looking game into one that Shockers controlled through the second half.
"As soon as he got out there, we picked up the tempo," teammate
Craig Porter Jr. said. "He got us going, whether it be getting baskets, getting steals. He just brought the energy."
Flanagan is not a newcomer to scoring. He averaged 20.6 points at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and 21.8 as a senior at Peabody Magnet School in Louisiana. He said he anticipated getting playing time on Saturday, based on Brown's insistence on practicing hard, and got himself ready.
"I was feeling like in warmups that I needed to be ready," he said.
When you're a Boot Boy, confidence is not a problem.
"That first shot of the game – I seen it and it went in – so I knew 'Oh, yeah, keep pushing, keep going,'" he said. "Then it got everybody good looks. Everybody was making them. Playing hard. Real Shocker basketball."
Brown told the Shockers that they determine their minutes with their practice habits. Flanagan, from Alexandria, La., is proof.
"A big-time spark off the bench," Brown said. "He's a walk-on who's really been playing well in practice. Every day in practice, no matter what team he's on, that team has a chance to win because of his energy and the way he can make shots."
Flanagan's two first-half threes came off assists from Pierre.
"That's my guy," Pierre said. "When he got in, I told myself I was going to get him going. He does that every day in practice. Nothing's going to change in a game. It's a Louisiana thing."
Pierre, from New Orleans, made 6 of 10 shots and two of three three-pointers in the first half. His three gave the Shockers their first lead of the game at 21-20 with 6:26 remaining in the half.
For about 10 minutes, Longwood gave the Shockers problems. Then the Boot Boys did their Louisiana thing.
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
