The RoundHouse | 7/25/2024 4:41:00 PM

By Paul Suellentrop
 
Forward Harlond Beverly is in Koch Arena before 7 a.m. to work on his shooting. Guard AJ McGinnis sets four alarms to get him on the move. Forward Ronnie DeGray III sets his alarms at 6:47 and 6:55.
 
Assistant coach Quincy Acy meets them (as do other coaches and managers to help with workouts) and his routine is set – fresh fruit smoothie and tea.
 

"I'm like a robot," he said. "I put my pot on the stove, water, and I grind up some fresh ginger root. Two teabags – peppermint tea and a ginger turmeric tea. My alarm every day is at 5:30 and I get right up. That tea is what gives me my juice."
 
Those are the behind-the-scenes basics of Wichita State basketball's breakfast club, an hour of reserved gym time at 7 a.m. for Shockers who want to work on their game outside of practices. Wichita State is wrapping up its summer workouts this week.
 
"I have a lot to improve on," Beverly said. "We have great coaches that really know what they're doing skill-development-wise. When they suggest something you need to do to get better, I think I should listen."
 
Practices with the team are largely devoted to defense.
 
"It's the foundation," associate head coach Kenton Paulino said. "We spend the majority of time on defense and letting it be known early with a new group that we're going have a defense-first mentality."
 
Much of the breakfast club sessions with individuals are devoted to shooting, ball-handling and footwork. Getting out of bed to sweat in the gym when many of their peers are asleep also shows something.
 
"It's a professional mind-set," Acy said. "It's a determination to be better. If you commit to being disciplined and showing up, even when you don't feel like it, that translates into real life. That is what makes millionaires. That is what make successful people."
 
McGinnis, a newcomer, DeGray and center Quincy Ballard are among the regulars in the morning sessions for the same reason. It is a time to work on skills that will help them with the Shockers and if they choose to play professionally. They work on fundamentals such as a dribbling through orange cones for layups and floaters, three-pointers off the dribble or after a catch and free throws.
 
"I'm getting consistent repetitions for my jumper and expanding my game," McGinnis said. "Working on the things that I'm bad at, whether that be ball-handling or getting to different spots. Getting to the rim."
 

DeGray became eligible in mid-December and gradually increased his contributions as he acclimated to the team. In late January, he scored 12 points in a over SMU and followed that with eight points at Tulsa and 12 at Memphis. He scored a season-high 15 and eight rebounds in an AAC Championship win over Rice in the first round. He added eight points and six rebounds in a win over Memphis.
 
Early mornings this summer should help him continue that trend.
 
"I'm working on a lot of catch-and-shoot threes and a lot more ball-handling," he said. "I'm coming into what I can do to help this team and I feel like the coaches put a lot of confidence into me."
 
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.