Men's Basketball | 6/26/2026 8:53:00 AM
By
Paul Suellentrop
Â
"Shocker basketball ace," Gene Wiley appeared on the front page of the student newspaper in 1962 as he prepared to join the Los Angeles Lakers.
While on his way to one of the NBA's most famous teams, his painting skills landed him on Page 1 of The Sunflower. Wiley exhibited nine of his watercolor and tempera works, in addition to illustrations with pen and ink, in the Shocker Room in what is now the Rhatigan Student Center.
"Wiley prefers illustrative art and express an interest in the commercial field," feature editor Kaye Wilson wrote. "His work in the show includes a portrait of Sophia Loren in her Academy Award winning role in the film 'Two Women.' Other work in the show depicts a man on a raft and a plane landing on a carrier."
Wiley, 88, passed away on Monday in El Dorado. Known as a quiet and reserved man, he continued painting throughout his life after a standout basketball career for the Shockers, four seasons in the NBA and a fifth in the ABA. He lived his final years at Lakepoint Nursing Home in El Dorado. Â
Wiley
"He was a professional artist," said Bobby Wiley, his younger brother. "That was his forte. He spent most of his life in California doing oil paintings, a lot of them actors. I've got an oil painting of Marlon Brando."
Wiley, a 6-foot-11 center, played for the Shockers from 1959-62 and was inducted into the Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. He earned All-Missouri Valley Conference honors in 1961 and 1962. He set high standards for blocked shots and rebounds as a Shocker.
"Gene was a classy young man," coach Ralph Miller wrote in "Spanning the Game." "Next to Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, he was probably the best shot-blocker in American. He was a great defensive player."
Wiley came to Wichita from Amarillo (Texas) Carver High School to play for Miller. Former Shocker football star Linwood Sexton heard about Wiley from a relative in Texas. He traveled to Amarillo to meet the family and recruit Wiley to Kansas. Wiley spent one year at Wichita East High School to complete his degree before attending college.
"(Sexton) was his mentor," said Pearlie McGrown, a younger sister. "Mr. Sexton heard about him. He came to Texas, talked to my mom and got permission to take him back to Wichita. They were friends until (Sexton) passed."
In 1965, Wiley purchased a home in Wichita for his mother and siblings.
When Wiley arrived, Miller had built the program into good shape in one of the nation's toughest conferences with seven straight winning seasons. But the Shockers had not returned to post-season play since 1954. Wiley's presence helped change the program's trajectory.
In 1961, the Shockers went 18-8 and appeared in the national rankings for the first time since 1958. In 1962, they returned to the NIT and finished 18-9.
Wiley is credited with the program's first four triple-doubles – 10 or more points, rebounds and blocks. He holds WSU's record with 15 blocks vs. Purdue in 1961. In 1962, he grabbed a then-record 26 rebounds vs. Bradley, one of his five career 20-rebound games.
For his career, he averaged 10.6 points and 10.1 rebounds. His 1961-62 total of 80 blocks remains first in Shocker history, as does his average of 3.2 per game.
Wiley joined the Lakers, who drafted him in the second round in 1962, to play with Jerry West and Elgin Baylor as the team began its long rivalry with Boston. He played in three NBA Finals vs. the Celtics and the Lakers lost all. Wiley averaged 4.2 points and 7.3 rebounds for his NBA career.
"I was always upset at the Celtics," Bobby Wiley said.
Wiley will be remembered as an important figure in the history of Shocker basketball, one who also possessed prodigious talent and interests away from the sport.
Â
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
Â
