Men's Basketball | 6/18/2026 3:56:00 PM

By Paul Suellentrop
 
Jordan Frison didn't start basketball as a point guard. While he changed roles as he grew older, his approach didn't need adaptation.
 
"I always played the right way," he said. "Communication and making people better – those are two main things that the point guard should be able to do."
 
Frison, a 6-foot senior guard, transferred to Wichita State from Tennessee-Chattanooga (after two years at Pittsburg State). He and graduate transfer Jahari Long are the key pieces in a remake of Wichita State's offense. The guards will score, but they will also be tasked with getting more scoring out of the big men.
 
That job suits Frison perfectly. He thinks pass. Defenses can't play off him because he is an expert shooter.
 
He averaged 16.7 points and 4.1 assists last season. His assist rate (assists divided by the baskets made by teammates while in the game) of 29.5 percent ranked No. 98 nationally in Ken Pomeroy's statistics. Frison made 42 percent of his three-pointers and 82 percent of his foul shots.
 
"Creating as a point guard is making plays," he said. "It's getting my teammates good shots. (Coach Paul Mills) trusts me and believes in me to be able to do that."
 
The Shockers are early in their summer workouts and pickup games. Frison will spend the summer watching Will Berg roll to the rim, dunk, and shoot his one-handed floater from the middle of the lane. He will observe TJ Williams cutting to the rim for a left-handed shot and work on adding to his shooting range. Dillon Battie blossomed as a rim-attacking force in American Conference play and figures to expand his scoring moves.
 
It is Frison's job to push them along with accurate and timely passes.
 
"I want to maximize their strengths," Frison said. "I'm watching what shots they like, what passes they like, what spots on the floor? How can I help them get shots?"
 
The Shockers, 24-12 last season, start summer workouts ahead of many teams. Ten Shockers return from last season, a number envied by most coaches.
 
"It's great to know guys want to be here," Mills said. "There's a variety of reasons behind that, but the fact guys want to be here brings a smile to my face."
 
Returners such as Williams, a junior, are on task to help his new teammates with food and haircut recommendations. More important, the veterans will demonstrate how the Shockers want to play and how they succeeded last season on their way to a tie for second in the American and two NIT wins.
 
If the newcomers didn't figure out defense and rebounding lead the way during the recruiting process, they will soon.
 
"Coach said it in our first meeting – this league plays through your chest," Williams said. "They got a little glimpse of that in our last run. Some of the new guys kind of got put on their butt trying to box out. We were like 'Yeah, that's our identity.'"
 
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
 
Season tickets are on sale now, and season ticket renewals are available as well. To purchase, visit GoShockers.com/Tickets, dial 316-978-FANS (3267) or stop by the Shocker Ticket Office, located inside Charles Koch Arena, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.