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Wichita State Basketball: Shockers add class of 2018 big man Morris Udeze

By Lukas Harkins

ST. LOUIS, MO - MARCH 4: Head coach Gregg Marshall of the Wichita State Shockers directs his team against the Missouri State Bears during the Missouri Valley Conference Basketball Tournament Semifinals at the Scottrade Center on March 4, 2017 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO - MARCH 4: Head coach Gregg Marshall of the Wichita State Shockers directs his team against the Missouri State Bears during the Missouri Valley Conference Basketball Tournament Semifinals at the Scottrade Center on March 4, 2017 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /
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While power conference programs are in the midst of an FBI investigation, Wichita State basketball has received a commitment from Morris Udeze.

Wichita State basketball is having a rollercoaster of an offseason. After being severely under-seeded in the 2017 NCAA Tournament, the Shockers reached the second round and pushed Kentucky to the limit before losing. Then, the program decided to change conferences for the first time in several years. Previously a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, the Shockers will begin to play in the American Athletic Conference during this upcoming season.

After that, preseason rankings for the 2017-18 season started to circulate from many media outlets. In those rankings, many (myself included) have stated that the Shockers are a preseason top-10 team in the country. They return the majority of their roster from last season and will be a special team this year, led by two stars in Markis McDuffie and Landry Shamet.

However, the roller coaster continued when news broke over the summer that both Shamet and McDuffie will likely miss portions of the nonconference play. Shamet is expected to return by mid-November while McDuffie will be back by mid-December.

Just a few days after news broke on McDuffie’s injury, though, head coach Gregg Marshall secured another commitment for his recruiting class of 2018. Morris Udeze is a three-star recruit ranked at No. 256 by 247Sports. In addition, he is expected to be one of the best big men in this recruiting class, which is heavy in guards and wings.

Udeze was rumored to be between Wichita State and Butler for his final decision, with the Shockers gaining momentum late in the process after Coach Marshall visited Udeze on Sept. 21.

Udeze made his commitment via his Twitter page less than a week later on Sept. 26:

https://twitter.com/MorrisUdeze34/status/913161661997076482

Udeze is a 6’8″ center and will fit tremendously well with the Wichita State roster. Although the frontcourt is currently led by Shaquille Morris and Rashard Kelly, Udeze will be their replacement after they leave. This is already good news for Wichita State fans, but this is not the only recruit that Marshall has received a commitment from.

In fact, Udeze joins to other recruits in Wichita State’s current class of 2018. Rodgerick Brown and Erik Stevenson are also three-star recruits and round out the recruiting class that is currently ranked No. 37 in the country by 247Sports.

Next: Wichita State's season preview

This season is expected to be a special one for Wichita State basketball, but with another recruit committing, the future looks to be in great shape as well. The Shockers got a good one in Morris Udeze and he will fill a much-needed role when he steps on campus for the 2018-19 season.