MBB Preview: Friends (Nov. 11)

FRIENDS (2-3) at WICHITA STATE (1-1) Wednesday, Nov. 11 | 6:30 p.m. CDT

Wichita, Kan. | Charles Koch Arena

TV: ESPN+ with Shane Dennis & Bob Hull

Radio: KEYN 103.7 FM with Denning Gerig & Dave Dahl

Red, White & WU: Hometown Heroes Night - Veterans, active-duty military members, police, fire, EMS and healthcare workers can receive a free general admission ticket at the Shocker Ticket Office with a valid ID as we recognize and thank our hometown heroes for their service. Students are encouraged to wear Red, White & Blue to celebrate America!

OPENING TIPS

• Wichita State looks to bounce back from a close loss against No. 21 USC in the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic with a midweek Wichita showdown vs. Friends University.

• Wichita State is 41-11 all time vs. Friends with this being just the third meeting since the 1940s.

• Wichita State is 1-8 vs. ranked teams under Paul Mills after Sunday's loss to No. 21 USC.

• Since 1992, Wichita State teams are 32-2 in season openers. The Shockers are 91-29 all time in openers.

• In the program's history, Wichita State is 102-18 in home openers. They have won 30 of their last 32 home openers, including eight in a row.

• William Berg set career highs in points (26) and rebounds (16) in the season opener vs. CSUN, marking his 10th career double-double. He is one of only three players in the country to log a 25-15 game so far this season.

• Berg followed that performance with a 17-point, 11-rebound effort vs. USC. He's the first Shocker to record a double-double in the first two games of a season since Carl Hall in 2012.

• Berg is one of only three players averaging at least 21.0 PPG and 13.0 RPG so far this season in all of DI.

• Wichita State is coming off its first 20-win season since 2019-20. The 24 wins were the most since 2018 when they won 25.

• Paul Mills recorded 58 wins through his first three seasons at Wichita State, second most in school history. His 58 victories trailed only Eddie Fogler's 61 for the most in a WSU coach's first three years on the bench.

• Wichita State returns 12 letterwinners and 75.5 percent of its scoring from the 2025-26 roster, by far the most in the American Conference.

• Wichita State is one of just two (Hawaii) known schools without a single true freshman or '26 high school graduate on its roster this season.

• Wichita State's roster has student-athletes from six different countries (including U.S.), tied for 7th most in the country.

• The Shockers are the preseason favorites to win the American Conference in 2026-27, according to the league's coaches. Wichita State received 9 first place votes in the preseason coaches poll. • It marks the first time in Wichita State's 10 years in the American being picked preseason No. 1.

• Wichita State also led the league with three selections on the preseason all-conference teams. Berg was named to the first team, while Dillon Battie and Jordan Frison earned second team honors.

• Wichita State currently owns the longest streak in the nation with 32 straight games of 10+ offensive rebounds.

• Kenyon Giles scored 10+ points in 32 of the 36 games last season, including 18 games of 20+ and 2 games of 30+.

• Giles' 18 20-point efforts were T-2nd most in a single season.

• Giles was only the fourth Shocker since 2000 to have multiple games of 30 or more points in a season.

• Giles' 19.1 PPG last season, was the highest by a Shocker since Jason Perez in 2000.

• Giles ranked 4th nationally in total 3-pointers made (125) and 8th in 3-pointers/game (3.54).

• Giles smashed the Wichita State single season records for 3-pointers made (125) and attempted (331) in 2025-26.

• Dating back to last season, Giles has made at least one 3-pointer in 20 straight games - 8th longest in program history.

THE SHOCKS, IN SHORT

• Wichita State returns 75.5 percent of its scoring from a season ago. The Shockers lost just three letterwinners to the transfer portal (Dre Kindell, Brian Amuneke and Karon Boyd). Wichita State's roster is made up of student-athletes from six different countries (United States, Canada, Colombia, Congo, Nigeria, Sweden), which is tied for 7th most in the country.

• Wichita State brings back 12 returners, including nine that logged minutes in 2025-26: Kenyon Giles (36.2 MPG), William Berg (21.9 MPG), TJ Williams (22.1 MPG), Michael Gray Jr. (26.9 MPG), Dillon Battie (17.4 MPG), Emmanuel Okorafor (16.8 MPG), Jaret Valencia (13.2 MPG), Noah Hill (4.2 MPG) and Henry Thengvall (2.5 MPG). Valencia is returning from a torn achilles suffered last December, which forced him to miss all of conference play. Joy Ighovodja , Pierre Couisnard and Tyrus Rathan-Mayes are the other three returners, but all three redshirted in 2025-26.

SCOUTING FRIENDS

• A familiar face resides on the sidelines for Friends in the way of first year head coach Nick Jones . A Wichita native, Jones returns home following a three-year stint as assistant coach for the NCAA D-II Washburn Ichabods, a MIAA program in Topeka, Kan.

• This past season, Jones helped the Ichabods become one of the best teams in D-II, finishing with a record of 31-2 that included MIAA regular season and tournament championships along with a berth in the NCAA Central Regional quarterfinal round.

• Prior to arriving at Washburn, Jones spent eight seasons at Wichita State, including serving as Director of Player Development during his final four seasons. He also had roles as WSU's Video Coordinator (2017-19) and Graduate Manager (2015-17).

• The Shockers posted a record of 175-79 during Jones' time on staff and earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament four times (2016, 2017, 2018, 2021).

• Jones inherits a Friends team that went 26-7 overall and 18-4 in the KCAC in 2025-26. The Falcons were eliminated in the second round of the NAIA National Tournament. Jones' first squad in Wichita will be fresh with newcomers, as they graduated a majority of the 2025-26 roster, including all five starters.

• Now a sophomore, Eli Benning is the top returning scorer from a season ago. So far this season, Benning is leading the Falcons in assists.

ALL-TIME vs. FRIENDS

• Wichita State is 41-11 all time vs. Friends in a series that dates all the way back to 1906.

• Up until 2023, the two programs hadn't met in a regular season game since 1943 - a contest the Shockers won, 74-22.

• The two teams haven't even met in an exhibition game since at least 1970 when exhibition games started being recorded.

• Friends won the first four meetings in the series, but was dominated by Wichita State over the next 40 years. Friends won a high-scoring affair, 26-14, in the first ever meeting on March 2, 1906.

• The Shockers have won eight in a row entering Wednesday's matchup.

• In that 2023 meeting, Wichita State won 95-65 behind four Shockers in double figures. Colby Rogers scored a game-high 18 points.

• Xavier Bell was nearly perfect from the field, going 7-for-8 for 15 points and four assists.

• Dalen Ridgnal came in off the bench and tallied 16 points on 3-of-3 shooting from beyond the arc and 5-for-5 marksmanship at the stripe.

• Quincy Ballard grabbed 10 of the team's 54 rebounds as the Shockers won the rebound battle by 26.

• The two teams squared off again in 2024 - this time a little closer final score, as Wichita State won 87-72 in its first game back after Christmas break.

• Bell torched the Falcons behind a career-high 29 points. He scored 21 of his 29 points in the first half. Bell was efficient all night getting to the rim, finishing 11-of-16 from the floor, 2-for-2 from three-point range and 5-for-5 from the line.

• Ballard recorded his second straight double-double and third of the season behind 17 points and a career-high 16 rebounds.

CONNECT THE DOTS

• Just seven miles seperate the two universities in the city of Wichita.

• Joining Jones on the bench is another familiar face, former Wichita State basketball student and graduate manager Kellen Marshall . Marshall completed his graduate school in 2020 and is back on the sidelines for the first time since leaving Wichita State.

• Between the two schools, five student-athletes from the city of Wichita hold roster spots with four different area high schools represented. TJ Williams (Heights) and Henry Thengvall (Kapaun) reside on the Shockers' roster, while Eli Benning (Northwest), Brody Kreutzer (Bishop Carroll) and Rocco Keller (Kapaun) call Friends home.

NON-CON NOTES

• Wichita State has posted a winning non-conference record in 28 consecutive seasons entering the 2026-27 campaign.

• This year's non-con slate has four teams that finished inside the Top 80 of the NET rankings in 2025-26: Kentucky (No. 28), New Mexico (No. 46), Boise State (No. 60) and USC (No. 77).

• Three of the 13 games are against first-time foes. The Shockers have never faced Cameron, Southeast Missouri State and Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

• The Shockers face New Mexico, the preseason Mountain West favorite and Southeast Missouri State, who was picked second in the OVC.

KG1 --> KG3

• Wichita State's single season three-point record holder, Kenyon Giles, is back in the fold for the Shockers after being granted a 5th year.

• Giles put himself on several program single season Top 10 lists: points (689, 3rd), 20-point games (18, t-2nd), made field goals (250, 4th), field goal attempts (610, 2nd), 3-point field goals made (125, 1st), 3-point field goal attempts (331, 1st) and minutes played (1,302, 1st).

• Giles enters the season with a made 3-pointer in 20 consecutive games - 8th longest in program history.

• Nationally, Giles led the country in field goal attempts (610), ranked 2nd in 3-point attempts (331), 5th in 3-pointers made (125) and 8th in 3-pointers made per game (3.47).

• He needs 282 points to reach 1,000 as a Shocker. Giles is trying to become the 50th Shocker in program history to reach 1,000 career points.

• Giles is currently tied for 16th on the career 3-point list and needs 29 to enter the top 10. He's on pace to shatter the school record to become the fastest to 150 career made 3-pointers.

BERG'S BIG NIGHT

• William Berg had a night for the history books in Wichita State's season-opening win over CSUN on Nov. 4. The 7-foot-2 big man logged 26 points and 16 rebounds on 11-of-16 shooting - all of which were career highs. The double-double was his first of the season and 10th of his career.

• Berg is the first Shocker to record at least 25 points and 15 rebounds in a game in the last 34 seasons. The last Shocker to produce a 25-15 game was Jamie Arnold vs. Creighton on Jan. 24, 1994 when he had 25 and 17.

• The last Shocker to have at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in a season opener? The one and only Xavier McDaniel vs. Lamar on Nov. 24, 1984.

• Berg was one of only two players in the country to post a 25-15 game during the opening week of the season, joining Buffalo's Antoine Lorick III . Lorick had 28 points and 15 rebounds, but played 37 minutes compared to Berg playing just 28.

• Since the American was formed only 20 players have ever tallied at least 25 points and 15 rebounds. The last to do it before Berg was UAB's Yaxel Lendeborg on March 14, 2025.

• Along with Berg, Kenyon Giles added 21 points, making them the first pair of Shockers to score 20 points in a November game since Kenny Pohto and Colby Rogers vs. Saint Louis on Nov. 19, 2023. They are the first duo to score 20+ in a season opener since Jason Perez (24) and Maurice Evans (24) did it against Florida Atlantic on Nov. 18, 1998.

MAKE IT A DOUBLE-DOUBLE BERG-ER

• William Berg has recorded double-doubles in each of the first two games, becoming the first Shocker to log a points-rebounds double-double in the first two games of a season since Carl Hall in 2012. Through the first two games Berg is averaging 21.5 points and 13.5 rebounds on nearly 70 percent shooting.

USC LEFTOVERS

• Wichita State fell to 1-4 all time vs. USC, including three straight losses.

• Wichita State dropped its 11th straight game against a Top 25 team on a neutral court. Wichita State is 59-150 all time vs. ranked opponents.

• Wichita State outrebounded the Trojans by four, dropping to 49-22 under Mills when outrebounding its opponent.

• With their 12 offensive rebounds, the Shockers have now grabbed 10+ offensive rebounds in 32 straight games.

• Wichita State fell to 50-12 under Mills when leading at halftime, snapping a nine-game win streak.

• After committing just three turnovers in the season opener, Wichita State turned the ball over 20 times against the Trojans. The 20 turnovers were the most since Feb. 2025 vs. UTSA.

• The two teams combined for 54 fouls and 78 free throw attempts.

• USC's 37 made free throws were the second most a Wichita State opponent has made in a single game in program history. The last time a WSU opponent made 30+ free throws was Illinois State on Feb. 17, 2013.

• Michael Gray Jr. scored a team and season-high 18 points on 5-of-8 three-pointers. His 5 made three-pointers tied a WSU career high and were one shy of his collegiate career high.

• William Berg recorded his second straight double-double behind 17 points and 11 rebounds. He now has 13 career games with 10+ rebounds and 19 games with 10+ points. The double-double was the 11th of his career.

• Jordan Frison scored a season-high 17 points, while dishing 6 assists. Through his first two games at Wichita State he has 13 assists and only 3 turnovers.

• Kenyon Giles was held to single digits for just the fifth time in his Shocker career.

ACTIVE LEADERS

• Kenyon Giles' name is among the NCAA's active leaders in several offensive categories. Texas A&M's PJ Haggerty and Mississippi State's Josh Hubbard are currently the only active players over 2,000 career points, but Giles and St. John's Keyshawn Hall are on the hunt to reach the milestone next. Only three active players have more than 300 career made 3-pointers: Texas Tech's Donovan Atwell (344), Mississippi State's Josh Hubbard (320) and Giles (306).

ON THIS DATE: NOVEMBER 11

• 1982 – Sophomore Xavier McDaniel made two free throws with 30 seconds remaining to lift the Shockers to an 81-80 upset of the Soviet National Team at Levitt Arena. The loss was the first in five games for the Soviets are the American tour and came only hours after the announcement of the death of Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev . WSU played without injured All-American Antoine Carr , but McDaniel picked up the slack with 19 points and 13 rebounds. USSR's front-line featured a pair of 7-footers, including future NBA center Arvidas Sabonis . The Soviets took the last shot, but a hook by 7-2 Aleksandr Belostenny bounced off the rim with two seconds remaining and McDaniel grabbed the loose ball as time expired.

A SHOCKER WIN WOULD...

... Make them 2-1 on the season.

... Be their sixth straight home win.

... Move them to 42-11 all time vs. Friends and be their ninth straight win over the Falcons.

... Make Paul Mills 60-47 as Wichita State head coach.

... Give Mills 166 career coaching victories.

... Run their record to 1,717-1,292 all time.

A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD...

... Make them 1-2 on the season.

... Snap a five-game home win streak.

... Drop them to 41-12 all time vs. Friends, and snap an eight-game win streak vs. the Falcons.

... Make Paul Mills 59-48 as Wichita State head coach.

... Lower Mills' career record to 165-132.

... Drop their record to 1,716-1,293 all time.

GAME 4: AUSTIN PEAY

• Wichita State is 4-0 all time vs. Austin Peay with the last meeting in November 2004.

• The first-ever meeting came on Dec. 17, 1987 - a 72-66 Wichita State win in Wichita.

• Three of the four all time matchups have come in Wichita.

• Austin Peay is 1-1 to begin the 2026-27 season under fourth-year head coach Corey Gipson.

• As a player at Austin Peay, Gipson was a two-year starter at point guard, helping the Govs become the top defensive team in the OVC in '03 & '04.

MBB Preview: Friends (Nov. 11)

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