Wichita State basketball associate head coach Kenton Paulino prepares us for the American Championship. We discuss how Dillon Battie stayed locked in when he wasn’t playing and how it paid off for the sophomore forward. He tells us why coach Paul Mills is hard on guard Dre Kindell during practices and why that helps Kindell use his energy in a positive way. We also discuss how the Shocker defense is structured to limit three-point shooting, WSU’s superb 11 minutes to close out a win over FAU and his favorite March Madness moment. Wichita State is 21-10 and earned the second seed in the American Conference Championship. The tournament begins Wednesday in Birmingham. The Shockers play at 4 p.m., Saturday on ESPN2 in a semifinal game.
Wichita State junior center Will Berg and assistant coach Iain Layman join the podcast to talk about the Shockers as they wrap up the regular season with a big game on Saturday vs. FAU at Koch Arena before post-season play. We talk about a team meeting in January that helped right the ship after a loss and how the team’s common purpose has grown. Berg talks, with input from two former Shocker big men, about the challenges of being 7-foot-2 and how he deals with physical play. We also discuss Noah Hill’s significant four-second contribution, Kenyon Giles’ confidence and Karon Boyd’s physical presence.
Bruce Haertl played baseball for the Shockers, hosted a Shocker football coaches show, did play by play for the Wichita Wings, Wichita State basketball and baseball and much more. He is our guest after he recently retired from a lengthy career in sports broadcasting. We discuss the changing world of media and how a current student might approach careers. We dive into the similarities between Shocker baseball coach Gene Stephenson and Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder building programs from the bottom. Haertl, both at KWCH and as a radio host, chronicled the revival of WSU basketball under Mark Turgeon and Gregg Marshall and we get his thoughts on how those two coaches worked. We also discuss playing baseball in 1979 for Stephenson, favorite Shocker interviews and, of course, Bruce Springsteen.
Get set for the week with the Roundhouse Rundown podcast, the fastest five minutes in collegiate promotions. Wichita State men’s basketball is in the American Conference title race. The Shockers play at Memphis on Thursday (8 p.m., ESPN2) and UTSA on Sunday (7 p.m., ESPN+). They are back in Koch Arena to celebrate Senior Day vs. FAU on March 7 (3 p.m., ESPNU). Shocker baseball starts a series vs. Omaha on Thursday (3:05 p.m.). Wichita State softball is at Missouri this weekend for a tournament before opening up at Wilkins Stadium vs. Kansas on March 4 (6 p.m.). All that, plus promotions, ticket specials, Shocker trivia and Shocker history.
Wichita State is recognizing three MVC champions during Saturday’s basketball game vs. Temple (5 p.m.). We chatted with two members from each team – Ed Southern and Steve Kalocinski from the 1976 Shockers, Ryan Martin and Kyle Wilson from 2006 and J.R. Simon and Evan Wessel from the 2016 team. Southern reveals that a chance meeting at a pickup game at old Kapaun High School started him on a path to WSU. Kalocinski talks about his relationship with assistant coach Ron Heller, who became a father figure to him. Wilson describes how he landed at Wichita State after transferring from Illinois, aided by a neighborhood conversation involving coach Mark Turgeon. Simon and Wessel discuss why that Shocker team played such great defense on its way to the MVC title and NCAA wins over Vanderbilt and Arizona.
Dave Dahl, Mike Kennedy’s partner on the radio for Shocker basketball since 1980, joins the podcast to discuss Mike’s career, the current state of Wichita State basketball and more. He tells us how he connected with Mike in 1980, why the chemistry clicked immediately and how that duo prepares for games. We also discuss Mike’s relationship with officials, the magic of the MTXE era and why Kennedy’s skills calling volleyball explain so much. We dive into the three MVC championship teams that will be recognized this weekend and former Shocker star Warren Jabali, who is in the spotlight thanks to an ABA documentary “Soul Power.” On Saturday, WSU plays Temple at 5 p.m. It is Mike Kennedy Night and he will be honored at halftime.
Get set for the week with the Roundhouse Rundown podcast, the fastest five minutes in collegiate promotions. Wichita State men’s basketball is in the American Conference title race. The Shockers play at ECU on Wednesday (6 p.m., ESPN+). Then it’s a big Saturday honoring Voice of the Shockers Mike Kennedy and the 1976, 2006 and 2016 MVC championship teams. Temple visits Koch Arena at 5 p.m. (ESPN2). Shocker baseball starts a series at Hawaii at 10:35 p.m., Thursday. All games are on KFH, 97.5 FM. All that, plus promotions, ticket specials, Shocker trivia and Shocker history.
Wichita State sophomore forward Dillon Battie is on a roll in American Conference play and coming off a 19-point, 9-rebound effort in a win over Tulane. The Shockers play conference co-leaders USF and Tulsa at home this week and Dillon joins us to talk about the team’s winning ways and how a crowd can influence a game. We talk about coach Paul Mills’ devotion to defense and how he challenged the Shockers after a loss in January. Dillon reveals his newest hobby – day trading – and why he wants to share what he is learning about making money. Wichita State is 15-9, 7-4 in the American Conference. It plays USF at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday and Tulsa at 6 p.m., Saturday as part of Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame Weekend.
Get set for the week with the Roundhouse Rundown podcast, the fastest five minutes in collegiate promotions. Wichita State men’s basketball has won five of six games to put itself in contention in the American Conference. The Shockers can take a big step toward that goal with games against USF (6:30 p.m. Wednesday) and Tulsa (6 p.m., Saturday), the teams tied atop the standings. Shocker baseball opens its schedule with a four-game series at Eck Stadium vs. Northern Colorado. The opener is at 3 p.m., Friday. The Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame weekend starts Friday and continues during Saturday’s men’s basketball game. Tickets are available at goshockers.com. All that, plus promotions, ticket specials, Shocker trivia and Shocker history.
Get set for the week with the Roundhouse Rundown podcast, the fastest five minutes in collegiate promotions. Wichita State men’s basketball plays Charlotte at Koch Arena on Wednesday (6:30 p.m.). The WSU women face Tulsa at 6 p.m., Tuesday at Koch Arena. The first 250 fans receive a shirt to celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Shocker softball opens the season on Friday in Texas. Both Shocker tennis teams will play at their indoor homes this weekend. The Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame weekend (Feb. 13-14) nearing with tickets available at goshockers.com. All that, plus promotions, ticket specials, Shocker trivia and Shocker history.
