Seniors Cleo Littleton, Dave Stallworth and Warren Jabali form one of the best back-courts in the country albeit unless you live in Kansas you probably don’t know it.  Littleton has had a great career for the Shockers and defines the term Trail Blazer. Littleton comes into the season as the ‘Man’ for the Shockers as he was the first black player to ever play in the Missouri Valley and earned all the accolades he has received.  This athletic forward basically was the force behind making this program viable in the MVC.  Miller was the Coach at East High and his first move on being named Head Coach for the Shockers was to bring along his star player Littleton.  This was the shocker of shockers and it changed the entire league as Littleton was the first star black player West of the Mississippi.  He was immediately a scoring machine and by far the best player on the team.  This last season he showed what kind of player he was by becoming more of a team player which included playing much more wing (he is only 6’3 after all) especially on the defensive end.  He took a step back scoring wise but was still part of this super offensive machine.  His # 13 has become synonymous with Kansas basketball though some dude from Lawrence seems to think it is not unlucky either. 

The aforementioned Jabali, the former Armstrong, is the leader of the Shockers. This Kansas City Kid is an athletic point guard who can flat get to the hoop and finish when he gets there.  He loves to throw it down with either hand when he arrives but really excels at setting up his teammates.  Jabali has ridiculous hops and can rebound with anyone including much bigger men.  He is a terrific scorer with range beyond the arc but is even better getting to the hoop and stirring things up so his teammates can get open.  He loves to drive ‘downhill’ and either finish with a powerful left handed tomahawk jam or more likely dish off to an open teammate when he gets the inevitable double team.  Jabali has a mind of his own and is not afraid to shake things up a little bit and sometimes this does not sit well with Midwestern folk. Jabali also had to overcome a bit of a knee injury that limited his great jumping ability.  But like all great players he figured out other ways to beat you.  He is one of the most unique and talented players in the country.  You may not hear about him as much as some of the other guys on this star laden team but he easily is the most respected and is the one all the others answer to.  Thus the nickname the Rock.  He changed his name to the Swahili word for rock as a matter of fact.  Nobody in Wichita ever questioned this decision though to the rest of the world it might have looked like a religious statement, to the fans of the Shockers it was just the Rock being the people’s champion.  

Fellow senior Dave ‘the Rave’ Stallworth will have a great career at the next level.  A tremendous shooter this wing can fill it up from anywhere and uses his size (6’7) to get off his patented bank shots.  Stallworth can also rebound and pass. This Dallas kid plays with heart and desire and will do whatever it takes to help the Shockers win.  He can play four positions as he showed when he guarded Wilt Chamberlain for the final five minutes in the near upset of the Jayhawks and shut the ‘Dipper’ down.  He is also a very gifted offensive player that easily would have scored twenty a game if he had not taken one for the team like many of his teammates did as well. He can score inside or from the wing and is a good rebounder as well.  Speaking of his heart, the Rave missed some games last year due to some fatigue which turned out to be a heart ailment.  He had transitioned into being a wing player because as we all know this team is full of great forwards and showed he can facilitate as well as score.  The Rave had some issues with his heart and missed many games but was there for the stretch run and learned to love his role as the first guy off the bench.  He is a very gifted player who, if healthy, Miller can use as instant offense off the bench as after all the Rave is a matchup nightmare for the other team.  The fans from Wichita want thier rave back in full health as he is adored here.  

Sophomore Xavier McDaniel is like a volcano ready to explode.  He plays with as much passion as anyone you will ever see.  He longs to deliver.  His enthusiasm sometimes gets taken wrong but he is all about winning and doing whatever it takes to get the V.  McDaniel is a gifted offensive player who can score from anywhere.  His mid-range game is supplemented by a tough inside game that relies on getting to the hoop and finishing with power.  He is also a tenacious board man who led the team in rebounding and technical fouls after he was put into the lineup.  His emotion carries him though and the fans love the X-Man.  McDaniel was one of Miller’s first major recruits not from the Midwest and this South Carolina kid was a huge get choosing the Shockers over all of those ACC teams.  Weirdly he did not play much the first ten games of the year until the Rave went down with with his heart ailment. The X-Man took advantage of his opportunity and then some.  From the moment he got into the lineup he showed he took the role as primary instigator and pot stirrer extraordinaire.  Nobody in this conference or maybe even the country played with such unbridled passion and desire as this kid with a healthy chip on his shoulder.  But do not forger he is the real deal.  And remember “Steve, don’t Cum yet.” 

Fellow Sophomores Cliff Levingston and Antoine Carr are the ‘bookend forwards’ up front for the Shockers. They have become synonymous with each other but are really quite differ-ent.  Carr is a bull inside.  He is big and mean and physical.  When this Wichita high school leg-end decided to come to play for the Shockers it was a huge coupe for Miller. The ‘Big Dog’ relies on his ability to get off shot in the key and to bang relentlessly.  His low post on the game is every bit as good as a Hayes or a Malone and boy can he hit turn arounds.  His little push shot from 15 feet is also golden.  He is as intimidating as they come but weirdly is not a terrific rebounder which on this team is truly out of character.  His matchup’s with fellow monster Paul Silas of Creighton are legendary.  Nobody would dare get in between these two when they go toe to toe. Levingston is a good post player but nowhere the level of Carr.  He is much better on the boards however and can block a shot.  Though he came in from San Diego he immediately became a huge part of this team and almost as popular as Carr.  He can score but is the type of all-around good team player you have to have to win games.  His best scoring is on put backs and a tricky little turnaround.  Levingston may not get the publicity but really is the glue that holds the Shockers together.  ‘Good News’ always has a smile, works hard and always comes to play.  Levingston became adept at holding down the fort so his teammates could shine whether starting or coming off the bench.  One of the big moves Miller made this season was bringing Carr off the bench the last half.  He teamed with Stallworth to give the Shockers the kind of depth only elite programs have at their disposal. 

The Shockers had all kinds of size off the bench up front who played different roles.  Senior Nate Bowman takes up space and contributes on defense with his size. Bowman started a few games but always made an impact when he was on the court either grabbing big boards or intimidating the other team with his tough presence.  Fellow Senior Gene Wiley is a board guy who plays good defense and blocks shots.  Neither one of these guys is afraid to commit a foul or two on the opposing team’s big men.  Ask Chamberlain and Kurland about that.  Junior Bob Elmore showed some potential and was getting some good minutes at center but missed the second half with a foot injury opening the door for those bookend forwards to get more minutes.  This three-headed monster will have a hard time splitting minutes but they do bring the beef and Miller loves using those 15 fouls against the right opponent.   

Arguably the most important player on the bench was Sophomore Aubrey Sherrod who backed up Jabali and gave Miller someone else who could handle the ball and distribute to his teammates.  He is a big guard at six four and can score but really played well behind Jabali and got some minutes at the two.  Sherrod is another Wichita native who was a huge recruit for Miller.  He is nowhere near the athlete Jabali is but can flat fire from long range (a huge Shocker weakness from behind the arc) and defends.  This smooth stroking lefty will no doubt be leading the team next year from the point and this Shocker will not disappoint his hometown fans.  Miller gave many others a shot in the back court with mixed results throughout the year in what was by far the Achilles heel for this team.  Seniors Kelly Peete, Jamie Thompson, Ernie Moore and Greg Carnay and junior Cal Bruton (from the streets of NYC) will battle for the back up roles in the backcourt.  Peete is a gamer and this 6’1 combo guard is tough as hell.  He started some games last year and has had huge impact here and will play but with the trio in front of them he will not get the minutes he used to in this cattle town.  Carnay and Thompson are scorers but nowhere near as athletic as the guys in front of them.  They can shoot so there will be a role for them though how much nobody knows.  Moore is only 5’10 from KC but is cat quick though more of a scorer than a point guard.  Bruton is a true point guard and is ready to play after two years on the JV.  He might not be much though behind Jabali.  One player who played well throughout last year in a different role was Junior forward Lynbert ‘Cheese’ Johnson.  Johnson was once a huge part of this team up front but has become a role player on the wing who can defend, score and can handle the ball.  He got first dibs when Stallworth went down but was not up to snuff defensively and nowhere near as physcial as the X-Man.  Cheese is a popular as anybody on this team and this New York city kid has accepted his bench role with the same energy he always has.

The Wichita State Shockers are a very good program hidden in the corn fields of Kansas.  They have a very good season and have a slew of super talented players.   The Shockers may not have made this program and the whole plan for Coach Ralph Miller is to do whatever it takes to help this program become one of the elite if not the elite Mid Major in the country.  And get a ticket to that most exclusive dance they hold in March.  They have no desire of moving into one of the Big Leagues as they love their home in the Missouri Valley and though they might not get the respect they deserve from the casual fan who only follows the big teams the real basketball fans know this is one of the best programs in the country.