Bob Powers and Robert Litan are the co-authors of a new book about Wichita State All-American basketball player Dave Stallworth. Powers was a teammate of Stallworth’s with the Shockers and a member of the 1965 Final Four team. Litan grew up in McPherson and Wichita as a Shocker fan watching the great teams of the early 1960s. All royalties from the book will be donated to the WSU Foundation for the David Stallworth Memorial Scholarship.
Wichita State softball’s dinner and auction is Saturday and the Shockers open their fall schedule with a scrimmage on Sunday. Associate head coach Elizabeth Economon is here to update fans on newcomers making a good impression this fall, how the program’s success changes recruiting and how the coaches challenge returners such as Addison Barnard and Sydney McKinney. We also discuss the opening at first base, Jessica Garcia’s career arc and the new batting cages built next to Wilkins Stadium. We wrap up by breaking down the accuracy of the “Coach E impressions” video directed by McKinney and featuring her teammates, sunglasses and a bucket hat.
P.J. Couisnard, a member of Wichita State’s 2006 NCAA Sweet 16 basketball team, talks about the docuseries “A Cooz Story.” The film is about Couisnard’s work in Houston’s Third Ward helping children through sports and academics at Cooz Elite Sports. We talk about the influence of his parents and how their ministry shaped his life, how his own academic struggles played a role and why he returned to Houston to do this work. We wrap up by indulging in 2006 reminiscing about a big game against Bradley and the NCAA Tournament win over Tennessee that sent the Shockers to the Sweet 16.
Brent Kemnitz is one of the inductees into the Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame. We talk about his 38-year career as pitching coach, starting with a detailed response from Gene Stephenson that directed him away from a career teaching history and driver’s education in high school to college baseball. Kemnitz details his “Brain” and “Flow” meetings, two essential parts of his work with pitchers. He talks about best wins, toughest defeats and chooses one Shocker to get a crucial strikeout. He discusses selling Shocker football tickets for former AD Ted Bredehoft, low-maintenance pitchers such as Kennie Steenstra, Jordan Cooper and Aaron Shafer and the highest of all high-maintenance pitching stars of the 1989 NCAA champions.
Mike O’Donnell, analyst for ESPN and CBS Sports, joins the podcast to talk about an interesting summer for the American Athletic Conference. He discusses why he thinks Wichita State’s Tyson Etienne is one of the nation’s top guards and his expectations for Dexter Dennis. He provides insight on newcomer Kenny Pohto and how he might help the Shockers with his I.Q. and shooting. O’Donnell also talks about Memphis’ big recruiting news, Houston’s consistent toughness and success and the additions that may boost SMU.
Associate head coach Sean Carter gets us started on the 2021 season with his thoughts on a strong group of setters, the possible return to the 5-1 system and the potential at libero and defensive specialist that a 5-1 would highlight. Carter describes the American Athletic Conference race, Sophia Rohling’s next steps after an all-conference season and the depth at middle blocker.
Shocker coach Isaac Brown wraps up the summer with updates on his newcomers, Craig Porter’s strong workouts and how the NBA experience sets up the season for guard Tyson Etienne. He discusses Kenny Pohto’s summer with his national team, favorite restaurant and where he wants the Shockers to improve. Also, Twitter questions from fans.
Wichita State basketball’s Morris Udeze and Monzy Jackson talk about their first impressions of each other and why Udeze wasn’t sure about Jackson after that pickup game at the YMCA. They talk about their lessons learned in college basketball, how they viewed the sudden end to the season in the NCAA Tournament and their hopes to play in front of big crowds in Koch Arena. Udeze discusses the transfer portal and what he thinks potential transfers might learn from the experience. Jackson details his plans to work on his game in the off-season.
Wichita State forward Ricky Council IV joins the podcast to talk about his strong debut season and what’s next during spring and summer workouts. Council, a 6-foot-6 forward from Durham, N.C., averaged 7.1 points and 3.4 rebounds for the Shockers with a high game of 23 points vs. Cincinnati. He earned a spot on the American Athletic Conference’s all-freshman team. Council reminisces about backyard basketball with his older brothers and describes his affection for Kevin Durant and what the Shockers can learn from their NCAA Tournament experience.
Taylor Eldridge, a 2011 communications graduate from Wichita State, is the Shocker athletics beat writer for The Wichita Eagle, a position he has held since 2017. Eldridge joins the podcast to discuss his popular video breakdowns, how his job changed over the years and his advice for young journalists. He discusses the Shockers, the impact of Morris Udeze and Tyson Etienne’s rise. We wrap up by talking about his favorite stories, his favorite pickup basketball spots and how he handled the time-honored tradition of a sportswriter locked in a stadium late at night.
Tag: NCAA Tournament 
