The RoundHouse | 9/28/2023 2:49:00 PM

 By Paul Suellentrop
 
The sprints, Kenny Pohto remembers, were the worst.
 
"One sprint down, three sprints, four, five, seven, nine, eleven," he said. "And then back down. That was real tough. Not many of us made it. We came back the next day and did a lot better."
 
The Shockers started full-team practices on Wednesday after weeks of individual sessions, team-building work and five days of conditioning called the "10^th round" to evoke the final minutes of a boxing match.
 
"I would say it wasn't very fun," coach Paul Mills said. "It's 6 a.m. We were on the track more than the track team during that particular week. These are heavyweight games. You've got to be able to deliver at the end when it matters from a focus standpoint and from a physical standpoint. They've been trained accordingly."
 
Pohto, a 6-foot-10 junior center, is leading the Shockers in many categories. Although there are teammates with more college experience, Pohto's 59 games and 30 starts in a Wichita State uniform grant him status. He is working in all aspects to live up to that position.
 
"I'm really impressed with Kenny Pohto," Mills said. "Those words don't even do it justice. He's a joy to be around. One of those guys who you can tell him once and the next day it's going to get corrected."
 
Being in top physical condition is a necessity for Pohto, who struggled early last season after an injury cost him practice and conditioning time. He averaged 11.1 points and 6.8 rebounds over his final 19 games, almost double his output in his first 12.
 
In late December, he dented ECU for 21 points and 11 rebounds. Two weeks later, he scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds with five assists in a win over USF. In February, he scored a career-high 28 points, making 13 of 15 shots, in a double-overtime win over SMU.
 
 

On our grind. pic.twitter.com/MJCWTnUVFK

— Wichita State Men's Basketball (@GoShockersMBB) September 28, 2023

 
 
After two years of college, he appreciates the need to physically prepare for the grind.
 
"I'm stronger, more agile," he said.
 
Pohto will need to do many things for the Shockers as they adjust to a new coaching staff. Wichita State's offense perked up last season when he did more ball-handling from the perimeter because of his unselfishness and passing skills. He shot 48.9 percent from the field and his 60 assists ranked second on last season's team. His offensive rebounding percentage of 9.8 ranked fifth in the American Athletic Conference.
Those skills and attitude put him in position to speak up in the locker room, set up an example and lead. Mills, like many coaches, knows many messages make more of an impact coming from a teammate than a coach.
 
"In order to be a leader in that locker room, you have to have competitive integrity," Mills said. "(Kenny) is good enough as a player to where people pay attention. He's much more so, 'I'm going to give it to you through deeds, and not words,' and you admire that because there's a lot of guys who will say things and don't necessarily do them. He's not one of them."
 
Pohto knows he is the best choice to speak up, enforce standards and keep things positive.
 
"I've been trying to be the main guy, be a leader," he said. "We are having a lot of fun. The new coaching staff is great. We're going to win games."
 
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.