6 Reasons Wichita State Basketball Is The Best Basketball

Chances are that if you live in Wichita or anywhere else in Kansas (sans Lawrence or Manhattan) you love Wichita State basketball. But why exactly? You don’t know.

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Here’s a list to help you out.

1. Every player has a story

This team should be signing a Hollywood contract because their story is gold. Whether it be barely recruited Ron Baker flourishing into Pre-Season All American, Fred VanVleet working his way out of roughened Rockford, or hometown boy Evan Wessel holding that unbelievable winning percentage, every player has a backstory worth talking about.

2. Gregg’s facial expressions

I could write a paragraph about this … or I could just insert this picture and you can decide for yourself why Gregg’s face is so legendary.

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3. Always the underdog

Somehow despite recent success, WSU remains consistently underrated by critics, analysts, and other major teams. Sure, it gets annoying. Would a little more respect be nice? Yes, but isn’t relishing in victory over a team you should not have beaten one of the best feelings ever? I rest my case.

4. Giving back

Whether it’s Gregg teaming up with the Wichita Children’s Home or players visiting local schools, the team is always giving back. It’s no secret that basketball and the Wichita community are very intertwined, but knowing that the team cares as much about the city as the fans do about them speaks volumes. We know as fans that we aren’t just backing a good basketball team, but good people.

5. The atmosphere

One of my favorite things about watching televised broadcasts of WSU games is the commentators, that is, if you can hear them. Koch Arena is so ridiculously loud that they sometimes give up even trying to talk over it.

No matter where they’ve been before, teams, journalists, and visiting fans alike are always blown away by the sheer energy in Koch Arena. Regardless of how well the team is performing, the atmosphere is rivaled by few.

6. The community

Because Wichita doesn’t have any NBA or NFL teams, the city latched onto Wichita State. Drive down any street and you’ll see billboards adorning the beloved ‘Go Shox.’ On shirts, cars, and everything in between, Wu is everywhere. When the team is winning, the entire city celebrates and when the team is losing, we stand behind them in support.

Whether or not Wichita State is mid-major is up to you. But Wichita has some major love for its basketball team and that’s not up for debate.