How a freshman embraced his defensive pest role to impress Wichita State basketball

Ask around for the surprise of the summer on the Wichita State men’s basketball team and the answer almost always comes back to Zion Pipkin.

The incoming freshman, a 6-foot point guard from Houston, arrived in Wichita this June with a reputation as a scorer. He has lived up to the billing, even impressing coaches with his skill set for an 18-year-old freshman.

But that’s not what has created the most buzz about Pipkin. That belongs to his endless amounts of energy, typically reserved for the defensive end.

“It’s like being in a room and having this 3-year-old constantly running around,” WSU head coach Paul Mills said. “Everybody is like, ‘Where did he get that energy from?’ That’s Zion.”

Mills suspects that Pipkin has spent some time studying New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado, who has made a living in the NBA as a defensive pest.

Pipkin has even picked up on Alvarado’s flair for swooping in from out of nowhere for full-court steals on unsuspecting ball-handlers.

“He can pick you up for 94 feet and keep you guessing on where he’s at on the court,” Mills said. “You see a lot of similarities (between Pipkin and Alvarado). When you watch open gym now, you’re like, ‘This is totally different than a year ago,’ and it’s simply because of him being a water bug out there the entire time.”

That commitment to harassing ball-handlers on defense was instilled in him by a former Shocker, P.J. Couisnard, who coached Pipkin in both high school and AAU.

“For Cooz, you’ve got to play hard and get down and guard or you’re not going to play,” Pipkin said. “It’s the same thing here (at WSU).”

Pipkin, who was rated by 247Sports as the No. 174 recruit in the class of 2024, fits the mold of the kind of point guard who has thrived under Mills in the past.

In fact, he reminds Mills of Deondre Burns, who averaged 15.3 points and 4.1 assists for Oral Roberts in the 2019-20 season and was a defensive pest. Obviously, an 18-year-old Pipkin with no college experience will not replicate the success of a fifth-year player like Burns right away, but the final product could look similar.

“I do feel like Zion will have the chance to dominate a game because of his ability to stay in front of the ball,” Mills said. “If you’re not getting beat at the point of attack because that guy is so good on the ball, then you’re going to put your team in a really good position. Again, he can extend it and it goes beyond half court for Zion.”

Bringing a consistent effort on defense is a sure way to impress a coach as a freshman, but Pipkin also has the offensive ability to potentially help WSU as soon as this season.

At 6-foot and 180 pounds, Pipkin has a slender frame that will surely be tested by veteran college basketball players. But he has been holding his own against experienced teammates like Justin Hill, Bijan Cortes and Xavier Bell. Mills mentioned specifically he has been impressed by Pipkin’s ability to maintain his pace and not allow hounding defenders to speed up his decision-making on the ball.

Like all freshmen, Pipkin’s shot is considered a work-in-progress but he has shown the ability to knock down perimeter shots. He also has the skills to operate an offense as a pick-and-roll creator, as his quickness and athleticism make him a difficult cover.

But what has earned the respect of his older teammates already is his brashness.

“My biggest takeaway from this summer was he is fearless,” WSU senior Harlond Beverly said of Pipkin. “I feel like that’s a very important trait in a point guard. You can’t be afraid to step on some toes or to show how good you are. He’s really done that. Every day, he was taking care of the ball, making tough shots, defending 94 feet. He’s going to be really, really good. He already is good, but I’m excited to see what he looks like this season.”

Before the summer, it seemed like Pipkin faced an uphill battle toward earning immediate playing time with such an experienced cast of players ahead of him at the guard position.

But Pipkin’s talent, and more importantly, effort might be too much for Mills to keep off the court this upcoming season.

“All I know is any time I get on the court, I’m going to play hard every chance I get,” Pipkin said. “I just want to win, that’s all I really care about. Just win every day. I’m going to leave it all out there.”