Wichita State Athletics

Career Summary (2018-21, 22-23)
Big man provided steady production in four seasons as a Shocker appeared in 97 total games, tallying 236 points, 186 rebounds and 34 blocks while shooting 51.7% from the field… As a freshman helped WSU to 22 wins and a run to the NIT semifinals, contributing three rebounds and a basket in the final minutes of the team’s second-round win at Clemson… Back-up center on a WSU team that won the 2021 AAC regular season title and earned an at-large berth to the NCAA tournament, averaging 3.0 points and 2.4 rebounds in 12.0 minutes-per-game… After brief stint at Omaha in 2021-22, returned to WSU for his final season (2022-23) while finishing up his bachelor’s degree in General Studies- Communications… One of just a handful of Native Americans who have played Division I college basketball, Poor Bear-Chandler – who grew up on a reservation in South Dakota before moving to Omaha in the eighth grade – used the platform as an opportunity to educate fans about his Oglala Lakota ancestors... Originally returned to Wichita as a walk-on but earned a scholarship for the spring semester and was later voted Most Inspirational Player by WSU staff.
 
Individual Honors / Accolades:
4x WSU Letterman (2019, 2020, 2021, 2023)
2023 Shafter Dart Most Inspirational Player*
*=WSU men’s basketball honor
 
Team Success:
2021 NCAA tournament qualifier (2021)
2021 American Athletic Conference regular season champion (2021)
2019 NIT semifinalist
 

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2022-23 (Senior):
Returned to WSU for his final season (originally as a walk-on before earning a scholarship for the spring semester) and provided veteran leadership for a roster that included just two returning lettermen… Voted Shafter Dart Most Inspirational Player by WSU men’s basketball staff… Backup center appeared in 25 games and averaged 2.4 points and 1.5 rebounds in 10.5 minutes while shooting 60.5% from the field (23-of-38), 50% from three (3-of-6) and 76.9% at the foul line (10-of-13)… Tallied 13 blocks, including a career-high four in the Feb. 23 trip to Memphis… Scored a season-best six points on 2-of-3 shooting to a key Feb. 8 road win at South Florida… Made his first start of the season (and the second of his career) on Senior Day and chipped in four points and four rebounds in WSU’s win over South Florida (Mar. 5).

2021-22 (Junior II at Omaha):
Appeared in four non-conference games and averaged 7.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steal in 22.3 minutes... scored eight points in back-to-back games vs. Hastings (Nov. 9) and Ball State (Nov. 13)... scored a season-best 10 points vs. Drake (Dec. 8) and narrowly missed a double-double with eight boards.
 
2020-21 (Junior):
Appeared in 18 games and was the first Shocker off the bench in 15 of them while backing up Morris Udeze at the center position… Averaged 3.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in 12.0 minutes-per-game… Shot 46.7 percent from the field, including 4-of-11 from three… Blocked six shots…  Nailed two threes and scored a season-high 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting in a win over Newman (Dec. 30)… Sparked a road win at Tulsa (Dec. 15) with 10 points (nine of them before halftime) and five rebounds… Clocked 19 minutes at No. 11 Houston (Jan. 6) and finished with five points and a career-high seven rebounds… Missed three games in March to an ankle injury but returned for the NCAA tournament.
 
2019-20 (Sophomore):
Saw time in 23 games with one start and averaged 1.8 points and 2.1 rebounds in 9.0 minutes-per-contest… Totaled seven blocks and eight steals… Shot 51.4 percent from the field (18-of-35)… Averaged close to four offensive rebounds-per-40-minutes of court time… Contributed six points and four rebounds in 14 minutes off the bench in the win over (rv/25) VCU on Dec. 21… Five points, four rebounds and a block in 14 minutes in the Dec. 8 win at (rv/25) Oklahoma State… Scored eight points with four rebounds in a 103-62 win over UT Martin (Nov. 16)… Made his first career start against Texas Southern (Nov. 9) and collected seven rebounds, two blocks and a pair of steals in 23 minutes.
 
2018-19 (Freshman):
Appeared in 31 games off the bench and averaged 8.2 minutes... For the year, averaged 2.6 points and 1.9 rebounds while shooting an even 50-percent from the field (30-of-60)... Finished the year at No. 3 on the center depth chart, spelling Jaime Echenique and Asbjorn Midtgaard, but contributed in some key spots… Helped WSU close out a win at Clemson (Mar. 24) in the NIT second round with three boards and a key putback during a four-minute stint late in the second half… Scored eight points (all in the first half) in the regular season finale at Tulane (Mar. 9)… Set personal-bests with six offensive rebounds and seven total boards in 10 minutes of action at Cincinnati (Feb. 12)… 12 points and six rebounds in a season-high 24 minutes in an overtime game against Temple (Jan. 6)… Filled in for an injured Morris Udeze at Memphis (Jan. 3) and responded well with a career-high 12 points (10 of them in the first half) on 5-of-7 shooting and five rebounds in 21 minutes. He was 2-for-2 from three… Played 17 minutes and finished with four points and two rebounds in the Dec. 19 win over Oral Roberts…Played nine minutes in the Dec. 1 win over Baylor (after totaling just eight minutes through the first six games combined) and finished with three points, four rebounds and three assists.
 
Prep School:
Enrolled at Wichita State and practiced with the team during the 2017 summer session but spent the 2017-18 school year at nearby Sunrise Christian Academy working on his body and his game... Played for the post graduate team.
 
High School:
Four-star prospect and the No. 3 recruit in Nebraska, per the Omaha World Herald, following his senior season at Omaha Central High School (four years after being cut from his eighth grade team)… Averaged 14.4 points and 9.5 rebounds with 90 dunks… Helped his team to the state quarterfinals in Nebraska’s largest classification… Second-team Class A all-state selection and a third-team Super-Stater… First Team All-Metro Conference … Coached by Ben Holling… Appeared in Nebraska’s 2017 high school all-star game and scored a team-high 20 points... Signed with New Mexico in November, 2016 but was released from his NLI after a coaching change… Played for Omaha Elite on the AAU circuit.
 
Personal:
Born Nov. 20, 1998 in South Dakota... Son of Larry Chandler and Pte San Win Poor Bear... Is 50 percent Native American and the first half of his last name “Poor Bear” reflects that ancestry... A member of the Oglala Lakota tribe who grew up on a reservation in Pine Ridge, S.D. before moving to Omaha, Neb. for high school.... General Studies Communications major.