What keeps former Wichita State basketball players returning to TBT and AfterShocks

The honeymoon phase isn’t wearing off any time soon between the AfterShocks and The Basketball Tournament.

The combination of Wichita State fans, the Wichita State men’s basketball program and the Shocker alumni have embraced the $1 million, winner-take-all summer tournament broadcast on ESPN more than any other community in the country.

That’s why Wichita was once again selected as a host city for this summer’s TBT, which kicks off Friday, and why Koch Arena will be the first home site for a quarterfinals game in TBT history next Wednesday. Tickets to Wichita TBT games are still available to purchase.

Ahead of when the AfterShocks play in their first game at 8 p.m. Friday against We Are D3, a game broadcast on ESPNU, the core group of former Shockers who make up the alumni team say there was never a doubt of returning to Wichita this summer to see if they could improve upon their run to the TBT quarterfinals last summer.

“It’s like one big reunion after being away from everybody for so long overseas, this gives us a chance to come back and connect,” said Markis McDuffie, a 2019 WSU graduate. “And then you look at what we did last year, so why not come back? Why not try this again? We had a lot of fun.”

Fun is the operative word to Zach Bush, back again for the second year as AfterShocks head coach.

Everyone wants to win the $1 million grand prize, but the key to making the team a long-term success is making sure the players have fun. That means organizing team meals outside of practices and setting up hang-outs for bonding.

“We genuinely enjoy being around each other,” Bush said. “I know it sounds cheesy, but when you care about the guy next to you and you want to spend time together, it’s more enticing to come back and play. There’s a lot of nostalgia coming back here. You miss this stuff and you miss being with your boys.”

That’s been enough to attract former Shockers like Conner Frankamp, Rashard Kelly and Zach Brown, a trio of 2018 graduates, to become mainstays on the team. Darral Willis and Shaquille Morris, two more 2018 graduates, are slated to make their AfterShocks’ debut, while McDuffie and Samajae Haynes-Jones, both 2019 graduates, are back for their second year and Clevin Hannah, a 2010 graduate, has decided to suit up again for the team.

Bush heads a coaching staff that also includes former Shockers in Garrett Stutz and J.R. Simon, while notable former WSU players like Ron Baker and Evan Wessel have also provided support to the team in recent years.

“Being back here really does bring back the memories,” Frankamp said. “All of those guys are having successful pro careers, so it’s been fun to see that. And everyone had so much fun last year. It was really cool to be able to win three here and make a run. Playing together with these guys again like we used to, it’s been great.”

“The reason I come back is for the environment, the people, the reunion,” Brown said. “Seeing my brothers again, man, we were so close my four years here. ‘Play Angry’ was basically my foundation for how I play as a pro. It’s what I do now. Being with this program, being with that mindset that everybody had as a collective, it really grew me as a basketball player. And now it’s allowed me to get paid to do what I love.”

Of course, winning helps fuel those feelings. And winning in dramatic fashion, like the AfterShocks did last summer highlighted by Frankamp’s Elam Ending shot, helps even more.

The intensity of the Elam Ending created a unique atmosphere at Koch Arena, not quite like a high-stakes college basketball game, but something different entirely.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect it to be this much fun,” McDuffie said. “That was crazy.”

“Having a whole college career and a whole professional career, those are just a different level,” Brown said. “But to feel those clutch moments and the intensity during the Elam Ending, shoot, it might as well be on that same level.”

Coming just three wins away from $1 million last summer made a championship seem attainable for the returning players. They have practiced with a purpose this week, knowing what it takes to make a deep run in the TBT.

The Wichita regional features plenty of competition with a potential matchup against a Texas Tech alumni team in the semifinals and a potential championship showdown against either a K-State alumni team with Michael Beasley, Bill Walker and Jacob Pullen or a loaded Eberlein Drive squad.

But with home-court advantage all the way through to the semifinals, the AfterShocks know they have a chance to capitalize on the opportunity.

“I think last year’s run gave us confidence and put a little taste in our mouths of why you want to do this and how much fun it is,” Bush said. “Not only can you win money, but it is a lot of fun. That’s what all of the guys told me after last year’s run, just how much fun they had even outside of playing basketball. Even if you’re playing in the best leagues over in Europe, it’s hard to beat a Koch Arena crowd erupting over a game-winning shot here.”