THE ROUNDHOUSE
Podcast with AD Kevin Saal on Shocker Basketball
Wichita State Athletic Director Kevin Saal joins the podcast to wrap up the past season and give his views on what the retention of several key players from last year's squad means to the program.
Newcomer Podcast Series Coming Soon
Paul Suellentrop will sit down with the team's five newcomers over a multi-part series to discuss a wide range of topics giving Shocker fans an inside look at the personal side of each student-athlete.
- Part 1 feat. TBD | Coming Soon
- Part 2 feat. TBD | Coming Soon
PRESS CONFERENCES
MEET THE GUYS
MIKE GRAY JR.
Grad | Guard | Fredricksburg, VA
Previous School: George Mason, Nicholls State
2025-26 Stats: 8.2 PPG | 3.3 RPG | 2.3 APG
Notables:
- Started all 36 games for the Shockers in 2025-26, tied for the 4th most in a single season in WSU history
- Averaged 26.9 minutes per game
- Posted first career double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds against Rice (Jan. 7)
- Earned American Conference Weekly Honorable Mention after averaging 16.5 points in a two-game stretch
In The News
TJ WILLIAMS
RS-So. | Guard | Wichita, KS
Previous School: Wichita Heights HS
2025-26 Stats: 8.7 PPG | 5.0 RPG | 46.6 FG%
Notables:
- Appeared in 35 games, making 16 starts as a redshirt freshman last season for the Shockers
- Relentless at the rim — taking 65% of his shots at the basket, a staggering 34% above the national average
- Career high against East Carolina with 27 Points (Feb. 18)
- First freshman in American Conference history with 10 Points, 10 Rebounds and 5 Assists, while going 10-for-10 at the free throw line (Nov. 8)
- A Top-200 prospect out of high school who chose to stay home, picking the Shockers over Iowa and Missouri
- Named Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year in 2023-24
In The News
WILL BERG
RS-Sr. | Center | Stockholm, Sweden
Previous School: Purdue
2025-26 Stats: 8.8 PPG | 8.1 RPG | 55.9 FG%
Notables:
- Appeared in 35 games, making 10 starts as a redshirt junior last season for the Shockers
- 2026 American Conference 6th Man of the Year
- Finished 26th nationally in Offensive Rebounds per Game (3.34)
- Finished 41st nationally in Total Offensive Rebounds (117)
- Recorded nine double-doubles and earned American All-Tournament Team honors
- Tied for the tallest Shocker student-athlete in athletic department history
In The News
DILLON BATTIE
Jr. | Forward | Dallas, TX
Previous School: Temple
2025-26 Stats: 7.6 PPG | 4.7 RPG
Notables:
- Started in his last 20 games
- Ranked in the Top 15 in the American Conference in 2-PT FG Pct. (59.4%)
- Constantly puts pressure on opposing defenses, drawing 5.6 fouls per game
- Grabbed at least one rebound in 25 straight games to finish the season
- Recorded a career-high 22 points & 12 rebounds vs FAU (Mar. 7)
- Named the Texas 5A Player of the Year as a senior at Lancaster High School
In The News
Joy Ighovodja
RS-Jr. | Guard | Abeokuta, Nigeria
Previous School: NBA Academy Africa
2025-26 Stats: N/A
Notables:
- Used a medical redshirt during the 2025-26 season after sustaining an injury during practice last fall
- Appeared in 14 games off the bench for the Shockers in 2024-25
- Member of Wichita State's American Conference All-Academic Team
- Developed through the NBA Academy Africa, one of the continent's premier basketball programs.
- Selected for the prestigious BAL Elevate program featuring Africa's top young prospects
- Represented Nigeria on the international stage, helping secure a U16 bronze medal in 2019
- Began playing basketball at age 14
In The News
Jaret Valencia
RS-Sr. | Forward | Quibdo, Colombia
Previous School: Monmouth
2025-26 Stats: 2.8 PPG | 1.8 RPG
Notables:
- Played in only 11 games with the Shockers after missing all of conference play due to a torn achilles
- Named to the CAA All-Rookie and All-Defensive Team as a redshirt freshman in 2023-24
- Averaged 8.9 points and 4.4 rebounds while starting 32 games at Monmouth
- Rated among the nation's Top 60 power forwards in his recruiting class
In The News
Henry Thengvall
Sr. | Forward | Wichita, KS
Previous School: Kapaun Mt. Carmel HS
2025-26 Stats: 0.3 PPG
Notables:
- Wichita native who earned a scholarship after beginning his career as a walk-on
- Three-time American Conference All-Academic Team selection
- Played in a career-high 11 games in 2025-26
- Wichita Eagle Top-5 selection
In The News
Tyrus Rathan-Mayes
RS-Fr. | Guard | Houston, TX
Previous School: Legacy School of Sports & Sciences
2025-26 Stats: N/A
Notables:
- Packed the stat sheet with 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists per game as a high school senior
- Earned First Team All-State and First Team All-District honors
- Listed as a 3-Star recruit according to 247Sports and the 13th-ranked player in the state of Texas
- A highly-rated prospect from former Shocker standout and current Assistant Coach PJ Couisnard's AAU Program (Cooz Elite) in Houston
In The News
Noah Hill
So. | Forward | Frisco, TX
Previous School: Sunrise Christian Academy
2025-26 Stats: 1.4 PPG | 2.2 RBP
Notables:
- Grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds in only 10 minutes at Florida Atlantic (Jan. 15)
- Defensive rebounding rate of 28.4%, which ranked among the best in the country
- Rated the No. 188 prospect and 3rd-ranked player in the state of Kansas in the 2025 class rankings by 247Sports and chose Wichita State over Texas A&M
In The News
Pierre Couisnard
RS-Fr. | Guard | Houston, TX
Previous School: Legacy School of Sports & Sciences
2025-26 Stats: N/A
Notables:
- Pierre was born before his father PJ's final season as a student-athlete at Wichita State in 2007
- Overcame a severe patellar fracture that required a 5-year rehabilitation process
- Named to the Wichita State Athletic Director's Honor Roll
- Helped Legacy School of Sport Sciences capture a state championship
In The News
Desmeon Jones
So. | Guard | Dallas, TX
Previous School: Blinn College
2025-26 Stats: 12.4 PPG | 4.8 APG
Notables:
- Started all 31 games as a Freshman for the Buccaneers
- Scored 10 or more points in 26 of 31 games
- One of the top junior college point guards in Texas after leading Region 14 in assists
- Ranked second in Region 14 in steals while averaging 12.4 points per game
- High School teammates with current Shocker Dillon Battie at Lancaster HS in Dallas
In The News
Bryce Heard
Jr. | Guard | Chicago, Ill
Previous School: NC State, Dayton
2025-26 Stats: 6.6 PPG | 2.4 RPG
Notables:
- This past season for the Flyers, Heard played in 36 games, making six starts
- Scored in double figures nine times in 2025-26
- Knocked down 53% of his mid-range looks in 2025–26, an elite mark that’s 16% above the national average
- Scored a career-high 16 points vs. nationally ranked BYU (Nov. 28)
- Consensus 4-Star Recruit in class of 2024
In The News
Jordan Frison
Sr. | Guard | Memphis, TN
Previous Schools: Pittsburg State, Chattanooga
2025-26 Stats: 16.7 PPG | 4.1 APG | 45.1% 3PT
Notables:
- Led Chattanooga in scoring and assists
- Ranked 5th in the SoCon in 3-PT Pct. (42%)
- Converted 71% of his shots at the rim, 8% above the national average in 2025-26
- Scored 10+ points in 28 games during the 2025-26 season
- 2024-25 MIAA Player of the Year as a sophomore and the 2023-24 MIAA Freshman of the Year
In The News
Jahari Long
Gr. | Guard | Houston, TX
Previous School: Seton Hall, Maryland, George Mason
2025-26 Stats: 12.2 PPG | 4.0 APG
Notables:
- Helped lead George Mason to a 23-10 record in 2025-26 that included an appearance in the A-10 Championship game and a berth in the NIT
- Last season he scored 10 or more points 20 times and posted 10 games of 20 or more
- Connected on 41% of his above-the-break 3-point attempts
- Ranked in the 90th percentile as a scorer out of the pick-and-roll in 2025-26
- Two-time finalist for the Guy V. Lewis Award, recognizing Houston's top high school player
- Played AAU basketball for Cooz Elite previously led by current assistant coach P.J. Couisnard
In The News
Cyr Malonga
Sr. | Center | Pointe-Noire, Congo
Previous School: East Carolina, New Mexico State
2025-26 Stats: 3.7 PPG | 2.5 RPG | 67.3% FG
Notables:
- As a junior with New Mexico State, he appeared in 24 games, making 16 starts
- Averaged 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists during his prep career and helped lead team to their first district title
- Ranked among Texas' top prospects by 247Sports (13th)
- Known for his versatility as both a scorer and playmaker
In The News
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