Wichita State Basketball: Breaking down the 2018 recruiting class

SAN DIEGO, CA - MARCH 16: The Wichita State Shockers mascot gestures in the second half against the Marshall Thundering Herd during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena on March 16, 2018 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

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ST. LOUIS, MO – MARCH 5: Head coach Gregg Marshall of the Wichita State Shockers directs. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /

PF/C Morris Udeze – Montverde, FL

Lastly, Morris Udeze is the top-rated recruit in Wichita State’s 2018 recruiting class. A 6-foot-8 and 240-pound big man, Udeze comes in ranked at No. 210 in the class. What makes him a potentially special recruit is his athleticism and size. He is not an “explosive” leaper but he does get off of the floor well for rebounds and blocks while also being able to run the court extremely well in transition. Udeze is a versatile big man on both ends of the floor despite being somewhat raw overall.

Offensively, he is at his best when working as a screener in the pick-and-roll or when catching off of drives. He can rise up for dunks as a rim-runner and also has no trouble taking one dribble and quickly up for a lay-up. In addition, he has solid touch as a shooter out to mid-range. He is a developing post scorer and has a few nice moves already in his bag of tricks.

On the other end of the floor, Udeze is a tough body to move because he is very well built. His strength gives him an advantage against much taller opponents and he understands when to bring help defense and how to affect shots at the rim. He is an instinctual shot-blocker and boasts an awesome wingspan that allows him to swat shots despite being slightly undersized. Although he does not project as a switchable defender, he can be played at either power forward or center.

Next: Updated preseason top-25

Wichita State might be heading into a down season but these players will hopefully be the future of the program. Coach Marshall has an excellent eye for talent and you can be sure that at least a couple of these players will blossom into stars under his coaching. The Shockers could be down this season but don’t expect that to last long. The Shockers will be back…and soon. (Who knows, though, maybe they will still have a strong year in 2018-19. I’m not going to count this program out.)