Fred VanVleet confirmed, details emerge for Wichita State 2013 Final Four reunion event

Taylor Eldridge
·2 min read

Details are emerging for the upcoming 10-year reunion of the 2013 Final Four Wichita State men’s basketball team.

High-profile players such as Fred VanVleet, Ron Baker, Cleanthony Early and Tekele Cotton have already confirmed they will be in attendance for the anniversary event, which will be held on Saturday, July 22, at Mark Arts, an art gallery located at 1307 N. Rock Road.

The event will be held the same weekend as the AfterShocks’ run in The Basketball Tournament at Koch Arena. The WSU alumni team is slated to play Thursday and potentially Friday with the regional championship game on Sunday.

Armchair Strategies, WSU’s NIL collective, is organizing the event and is promising autograph and picture opportunities and panel discussions with coaches and players reliving their journey to the 2013 Final Four in Atlanta.

Tickets will be sold through Armchair Strategies for $150 per person, which also includes a dinner.

Other players from the 2012-13 roster who have already committed include Demetric Williams, C.J. Lufile, Evan Wessel and Zach Bush. A handful of other players are still uncertain due to summer plans, but an effort is being made by Baker and Wessel, who is spearheading the recruiting efforts, to ensure as many players and coaches from the team are in attendance.

WSU’s 2012-13 team featured a starting lineup of Malcolm Armstead, Baker, Cotton, Early and Carl Hall with a bench unit of VanVleet, Williams, Nick Wiggins, Lufile, Kadeem Coleby, Derail Green, Ehimen Orukpe, Jake White and Bush. The team was coached by Gregg Marshall with Chris Jans, Greg Heiar and K.T. Turner as assistant coaches.

“It’s kind of scary to think that it’s already been 10 years,” Baker said. “Some of those guys are still playing professionally, so they haven’t had a lot of time to get back to Wichita because they’re getting ready for their next season. It’s going to be good to see how everyone is doing and hopefully their families can come out and make it. Reunions are always fun because you get to relive the good times, but then also catch up and see how everybody is doing. We’re all busy and got stuff going on in the summers, but this is a good chance for us to break bread together and catch up.”