Wichita State basketball coach Paul Mills and Voice of the Shockers Denning Gerig join the podcast to discuss the non-conference schedule. We discuss how Wichita State’s high number of returners informed scheduling plans and why a move from Nashville to Lexington didn’t change Mills’ desire to play Kentucky. Home games vs. Boise State and New Mexico are highlights and we dive into their importance to building an NCAA Tournament resume.
We also talk about learning from NBA coaches and Mills’ choice for a road arena he would love to visit.
Shocker Madness is Oct. 3 and the 19-game home schedule starts on Nov. 4 vs. vs. Cal State Northridge. For ticket information, visit goshockers.com or call (316) 978-3267.
Get set for the week with the Roundhouse Rundown podcast, the fastest five minutes in collegiate promotions. Shocker volleyball faces Kansas at 6 p.m., Tuesday at Koch Arena. It is a Yellow-Out with free shirts for the first 300 fans. The Shockers travel to Northern Iowa for matches on Friday at 6 and Saturday at 1, both available on ESPN+. Shocker Madness, complete with men’s and women’s basketball scrimmages, is at 6:30 p.m., Oct. 3 with more information to come.
Get set for the week with the Roundhouse Rundown podcast, the fastest five minutes in collegiate promotions. Shocker volleyball is on the road again this weekend with three matches in Columbia, Mo. WSU plays Florida Gulf Coast at 4 p.m., Friday. On Saturday, the Shockers face Arkansas State at 10 a.m. and Missouri at 4 p.m. The next home match for the Shockers is at 6 p.m., Sept. 15 vs. Kansas for a Yellow-out with T-shirts for the first 300 fans.
WSU baseball scrimmages Cowley County at 1 p.m., Saturday at Eck Stadium.
Shocker Madness is set for Oct. 3 (6:30 p.m.) with details to be announced.
Denning Gerig, Voice of the Shockers, is back for the second day of previewing 2026-27 around Wichita State athletics. We draft compelling Shockers for fans to think about as the school year gets started. We offer Maddie Wilson in the middle for WSU volleyball, Dillon Battie’s rise on the basketball court and pitcher Caleb Reed, among others, for your consideration.
Welcome to the 2026-27 school year from the Roundhouse podcast. We open the athletic season with Voice of the Shockers Denning Gerig and a five-round draft of top storylines across Wichita State athletics. We dive into Will Berg’s potential and the enticing non-conference schedule for men’s basketball. We also discuss shortstop “rats” at Eck Stadium, bowling’s run at an NCAA title and returning softball stars. Come back Friday for a five-round draft of Shocker athletes.
Wichita State women’s basketball coach Terry Nooner details the book project that started his team’s summer workouts. We discuss how 12 newcomers are adjusting to Wichita State and how two new assistant coaches are fitting in. We also talk about strong summers for transfer Ma’Riya Vincent and freshman Mari Milton. Wichita State, 8-23 last season, scrimmages Newman on Oct. 28 and opens the season at Kansas State on Nov. 2. The Shockers open their home schedule against Missouri State on Nov. 10.
Wichita State director of athletics Kevin Saal gets us started on the 2026-27 school year with a look at basketball scheduling, retention of athletes and a discussion of coach Paul Mills’ contract extension. We discuss American Conference basketball coaching upgrades, the NCAA Tournament in Wichita, basketball season tickets and more. We also review successes of the past year, including bowling, women’s tennis and more.
Wichita State basketball coach Paul Mills, who recently signed a three-year contract extension, wraps up summer workouts with a look at the Shocker newcomers and how the offense is expected to look different this season with more creation on the menu. We discuss the importance of graduate assistants, Dillon Battie’s journal skills and how the arrival of new guards changes the role of Michael Gray Jr.
Melanie Balcomb joined the Wichita State women’s basketball coaching staff this spring as associate head coach. We discuss her desire to work for coach Terry Nooner and her role installing a new offense for the Shockers. We also talk about her coaching success at Xavier and Vanderbilt, how she identifies hidden gems while recruiting and her love for the music of Bruce Springsteen.
Balcomb brings 26 seasons of experience as a head coach, including 14 at Vanderbilt and seven at Xavier, to WSU. She coached teams to 19 NCAA Tournaments, highlighted by a 2001 trip to the Elite Eight with Xavier and 12 straight trips to the NCAA Tournament with Vanderbilt.
Wichita State women’s basketball assistant coach Rachel Swartz joined the staff earlier this summer. We discuss her journey into coaching, which was influenced by her playing career at Missouri State from 2013-17. She talks about how she learned to embrace her role as a post player who rebounded, set screens and tried to make the team work. She talks about her favorite NBA and WNBA players and the current Shockers who are making a good impression in summer workouts.
