The Shockers are practicing basketball on Thursday afternoon, working on their jump shots and ball-handling. Most of the coaching staff is on the road recruiting.
It is a normal scene for summer in Koch Arena. For Wichita State, that is significant.
While the transfer portal and name, image and likeness issues push college athletics into upheaval – as schools wrestle with the financial burden of a pandemic – things are going smoothly for Shocker basketball. The great changes of the past 12 months are diminishing in their impact.
On Wednesday, guard Tyson Etienne confirmed his return to Wichita State after weeks working out for NBA teams and showing off the point-guard skills that will be prominent in 2021-22 for the Shockers.