Men's Basketball | 11/15/2023 2:12:00 PM

By Paul Suellentrop
 
Isaac Abidde considered himself a worker, especially since his senior year in high school. His third season at Wichita State, however, is teaching him a new level of attention to improving his basketball skills.
 
In the spring, coach Paul Mills told Abidde he possessed talent.
 
"The question is, 'How committed are you to this, and how good do you want to be?'" Mills said.
 
Abidde's response in his first three games with Mills is solid. He scored a career-high 13 points, making 6 of 7 shots, with five rebounds in Wichita State's 76-59 win over Lipscomb on Monday. He scored seven points on 3-of-5 shooting in a 71-61 win over Western Kentucky.
 
WSU (3-0) plays Coastal Carolina (1-0) at 3:30 p.m. Thursday (ESPNU) in the Myrtle Beach Invitational in Conway, S.C.
 
Whatever work Abidde put in during a redshirt season in 2021-22 and last season, he is doing more now. Last season, he played in 20 games and scored a high of seven points against Tulsa.
 
"I usually work out a lot, but it's never been to this degree," he said. "I wanted to stay in the gym and be a gym rat."
 
When the "want" fades a bit, Abidde is motivated by the graduate assistants and coaches who push him and spend their time rebounding and working with him.
 
 

Flight 5, you are cleared for takeoff 🛫 pic.twitter.com/tWAPTiX5hL

— Wichita State Men's Basketball (@GoShockersMBB) November 7, 2023

 
 
""It's the coaching staff - they want to see the players get better," he said. "Even on days when I don't want to work out, they text me and ask me what time I'm working out. It's kind of hard for me to say 'No.'"
 
Abidde, who scored 12 points in Sunday's 95-65 win over NAIA Friends University, is earning Mills' confidence with his versatile scoring and his effort rebounding and on defense. He is 3 of 8 from three-point range, can make one-on-one moves to score in the lane and hit mid-range jumpers.
 
Abidde said the coaching staff is getting good things out of him because they instruct and then let the players play. They encourage work and guide players to the benefit of that work.
 
"(Coaches) don't try to put too many restrictions on players," Abidde said. "They want you to play really free and they really believe in you. Staying in the gym is going to ultimately get you better."
 
At 6-foot-8, Abidde is big enough to give the Shockers size and length off bench.
 
"He shows up and does everything we ask," Mills said after the win over Lipscomb. "He stated 'Tell me what I can do to help. His energy, defensively, was really good."
 
One indication of how Abidde is improving is his one turnover in three games. Mills loved a move he made against Lipscomb when he drove into the lane, came to a complete stop, and passed to Colby Rogers in the corner for a shot.
 
That play demonstrates Mills' instructions for Abidde to play under control and make his decisions on shooting and passing with two feet on the floor, instead of less-controlled moves while jumping.
 
"He just moved at a pace that was way too fast," Mills said. "We needed to get him more under control."
 
Against Friends, Abidde and forward Dalen Ridgnal came off the bench to give the Shockers a burst of energy and shooting. Those two are big enough to rebound and defend and the Shockers don't sacrifice shooting. Ridgnal scored 16 points in 20 minutes.
 
"(Ridgnal) can rebound with the best of them," Mills said. "They're so interchangeable, and they can still keep the floor spread. A lot of times you can't say that about people off the bench with their size."

 

Picking up where he left off...

5 quick points off the bench for Ike.

💻 ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/FvrNGRnbbJ

— Wichita State Men's Basketball (@GoShockersMBB) November 10, 2023

 

Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.