Men's Basketball | 6/3/2026 4:41:00 PM

 Podcast with assistant coach P.J. Couisnard on the additions to the roster


By Paul Suellentrop
 
Last season's Wichita State offense leaned on Kenyon Giles to score and then score some more. Even when he missed a shot, the defensive attention paid to him helped the offense.
 
Giles led the Shockers at 19.1 points, while taking 30.5 percent of the team's shots, and playing 36.2 minutes a game.
 
That approach worked well enough to get the Shockers tied for second in the American Conference and into the NIT. Next season, coach Paul Mills is building a more balanced offense by recruiting guards who can shoot and expand the offense by passing the ball to Shocker big men.
 
Summer workouts started this week.
 
"We needed to add creation," Mills said. "We needed to be able to match guys with our front line. We feel great about our front line. They're all trending upwards. They were all playing their best basketball at the end of the year."
 
The first goal of Wichita State's off-season was retention. The front line is stacked with returners Will Berg, TJ Williams, Dillon Battie and Noah Hill. The second goal was to maximize their skills through the transfer portal with guards who can shoot, drive and pass.
 
Jordan Frison, a 6-foot senior from Tennessee-Chattanooga, 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, who played two seasons at Pittsburg State, made 42 percent of his three-pointers and 82 percent of his foul shots.
 
Jahari Long, a 6-foot-5 graduate transfer from George Mason, averaged 12.2 points and 4.0 assists last season. He posted a Pomeroy assist rate of 23 percent (Dre Kindell led the Shockers at 22.9). He made 37.2 percent of his threes and shot 80.4 percent from the line.
 
"(Frison) is a top 100 creator in the country," Mills said. "His ability is passing. (Giles') ability was scoring. We needed a Jordan Frison in our lineup. We needed a Jahari Long in our lineup. I'm a big believer in that you have to have multiple play-makers on the court."

Those two will team with returner Michael Gray Jr., to give WSU three experienced guards.
 
"(Frison) can create, as well as make open shots," Mills said. "(Long) is a great creator. If you look at their numbers analytically, they're among the elite at being able to run pick and roll."
 
And there is more shooting potential with the addition of Bryce Heard, a 6-foot-6 junior transfer from Dayton. He averaged 6.6 points and made 37 percent of his threes.
 
Cyr Malonga, a 6-foot-11 senior center from New Mexico State, averaged 3.7 points and 2.5 rebounds in 24 games. He also played two seasons at East Carolina. In late May, WSU completed its roster with the addition of Desmeon Jones, a 6-foot-1 guard who played one season at Blinn (Texas) College. He averaged 12.4 points and 4.8 assists. He was a teammate of Battie's at Dallas' Lancaster High School.
 
The Shockers stitched together one of the America Conference's top offenses (No. 4 by Pomeroy's measurement) with Giles, a modicum of complementary shooting, offensive rebounds and big men who drew fouls.
 
This winter, the Shockers plan to diversify the offense with shooting and ball movement that can get the most out of their centers and forwards.
 
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.