How a pair of super subs change the game in positive way for Wichita State basketball

A shift in energy happens every time the bench duo of Dalen Ridgnal and Isaac Abidde checks into a game for the Wichita State men’s basketball team.

They each bring their own brand of chaos created by their combination of length, athleticism and motor. It’s not a coincidence that Ridgnal and Abidde paired together are featured in the most potent lineup WSU has used so far in its 6-1 start to the season.

“I feel like when we come in, we provide a lot of energy off the bench,” Abidde said. “It’s always good to come in with (Ridgnal). He gives me energy and I give him energy.”

The Shockers only go seven deep in their rotation most games, but the super-sub combination of Ridgnal and Abidde allows WSU to make up for what it lacks in quantity with quality.

The duo is averaging a combined 15.9 points and 11.4 rebounds entering Wednesday’s 6:30 p.m. game against Richmond (4-2) at Koch Arena. Although they both routinely come off the bench, Ridgnal (24.6) and Abidde (22.0) play as many minutes as some starters.

“I’ve always thought you need to have at least seven potential starters, and I think we have that,” WSU head coach Paul Mills said. “You don’t want to go to the bench and get worse. I think having a guy like Dalen who you can bring in and you feel like you’re getting better and your energy level increases is a luxury a lot of teams don’t have.”

Ridgnal and Abidde, who almost always substitute five minutes into the game for a starting guard and center Quincy Ballard, also give Mills some valuable lineup flexibility.

WSU goes from playing a three-guard lineup with two centers to up-sizing its backcourt with Abidde (6-foot-8, 210 pounds) and downsizing its frontcourt with Ridgnal (6-foot-6, 210 pounds) replacing Ballard (6-foot-11, 250 pounds) and Kenny Pohto shifting to center.

What Mills values the most about his bench unit is how Abidde (43% 3-point shooter, 3.3 rebounds per game) and Ridgnal (35% 3-point shooter, 8.1 rebounds per game) can be a rebounding presence while also spacing the floor with their outside-shooting ability.

“They’re so interchangeable and they can still keep the floor spread to allow Xavier (Bell) or Harlond (Beverly) or Colby (Rogers) to still get downhill,” Mills said. “When you have those guys out there, they can still extend defenses and a lot of times you can’t say that about people off the bench with their size.”

The sample sizes are extremely small, but pairing Ridgnal and Abidde with Ballard has been encouraging in just about every stint. In around 48 possessions together this season, the trio of Abidde-Ridgnal-Ballard is outscoring opponents by 43.3 points per 100 possessions with an offensive rating of 121.3 and a defensive rating of 78.0, per Hoop-Explorer.

WSU’s best lineup (again, small-sample alert) early in the season has been the combination of Bell, Rogers, Abidde, Ridgnal and Ballard, which has outscored opponents 36-18 in their 30 possessions together.

“Those guys definitely bring the energy and versatility,” Rogers said of the bench unit. “They both can play on the wing or play down low. They’re both big wings who can spread the floor and attack. They both crash the glass super hard and are both super athletic. Bringing in two athletic wings like that allows us to get more paint touches and be more physical. And then their length on defense makes it harder for teams to get to the rack and attack those gaps.”

Richmond at Wichita State basketball preview

When: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Koch Arena (10,506), Wichita

Streaming: ESPN+ (Shane Dennis and Bob Hull)

Radio: KEYN, 103.7-FM (Mike Kennedy and Dave Dahl)

KenPom says: WSU 71, Richmond 70

Series history: WSU leads 1-0 (First meeting in Wichita)

Projected starting lineups

Wichita State Shockers (6-1)

Coach: Paul Mills, first season, 6-1

Richmond Spiders (4-2)

Coach: Chris Mooney, 19th season, 331-264