As the NCAA Tournament comes to a close, GMS likes to review some of the power conference or power program teams that made it to the Big Dance and ask whether or not they’ve got a shot to return to the show next season. We continue on with teams eliminated in the second round.
Recruit and Reload: Wichita State Shockers
Key Losses: Ron Baker, Fred VanVleet, Anton Grady
Key Returners: Landry Shamet, Connor Frankamp, Markis McDuffie
Key Newcomers: Darrlyn Willis
Breakdown: The end of an era for Wichita State is upon us. Frankly, it feels more like the end of an era for all of college basketball with WSU’s veteran backcourt graduating from the program. Now, head coach Gregg Marshall will be put to the test, having to rebuild a program that has become the envy of nearly every other mid-major in the country, not to mention many “high-major” programs.
Bringing back McDuffie and Frankamp is big, but getting a healthy Shamet cannot be understated, as many reports coming out of the WSU program were glowing about his potential, something that had just started to shine through publicly before an injury cost him the rest of his freshman season.
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