Another Wichita State basketball player plans to return to Shockers amid coaching change
Another current Wichita State men’s basketball player has re-upped with Armchair Strategies, a local collective with the goal of creating money-making opportunities for Shocker athletes to cash in on their name, image and likeness.
Two days after sharpshooter Colby Rogers, who redshirted last season, signed an NIL contract with the collective, Armchair Strategies announced 7-footer Quincy Ballard had done the same on Monday evening.
While signing with the collective demonstrates their preference of remaining in Wichita, it does not necessarily guarantee them a roster spot for the Shockers in the upcoming 2023-24 season.
That decision will ultimately come down to the new head coach. A national search conducted by WSU athletic director Kevin Saal, with the help of search firm Parker Executive Search, is still ongoing after the firing of Isaac Brown on March 11 following a second straight season ending without postseason play.
Financial terms to NIL deals are not released by Armchair Strategies, but the collective told The Eagle it is common for athletes to receive an NIL stipend each month in exchange for work in a variety of different ways that will mostly be centered around charity work in Wichita.
Locking up current players to NIL deals can be a valuable tool for Wichita State in recruiting. While coaching staffs cannot use it as an enticement in recruiting, it is possible for prospective recruits to speak with current players to inquire about their NIL potential. Taking care of current players could help recruit new players to the fold when a new coaching staff comes on board.
Ballard, a transfer from Florida State, showed flashes of promise in his first season in Wichita, although a back injury limited him to just 10 games. Ballard could apply for a medical redshirt since the injury was season-ending and occurred in the first half of the season, but it is not guaranteed because he played in 31% of WSU’s games — just over the NCAA’s cutoff at 30% of games played.
He scored a career-high 10 points with five rebounds and two blocks in WSU’s season-opening 79-55 win over Central Arkansas, then played a career-high 21 minutes on the road in a close game against Kansas State and blocked a career-high five shots in an 81-63 win over Longwood.
Ballard sat out three straight games in late December, but returned to play three minutes in a home loss to Cincinnati on Jan. 5. It was the last game he played in for the Shockers and could be what ultimately prevents him from receiving a medical redshirt.
Regardless, Ballard has at least two years of eligibility remaining and his combination of size and athleticism should be appealing to any coach who takes over the program. He was heavily recruited by Syracuse last offseason before spurning his hometown team to play for the Shockers instead.
Like Rogers, Ballard has already used his one-time free transfer and would not be guaranteed to be immediately eligible if he transferred again before WSU hires a new coach.
Of the players with remaining eligibility, leading scorer Jaykwon Walton, starting center Kenny Pohto and backup point guard Shammah Scott have entered the transfer portal. Walton and Pohto, according to sources, are open to possibly returning to WSU, depending on the new coach.
Incoming recruit Makhi Myles, a 3-star prospect from Starkville, Miss., told The Eagle he is currently honoring his commitment to the Shockers, but that could change depending on the next coaching hire.
Jaron Pierre, Xavier Bell, Jalen Ricks and Isaac Abidde have not made their intentions clear yet and are waiting to see who the hire will be, according to sources.
