Better conditioning could lead to better play for Harlond Beverly with the Shockers

A calm summer has made a difference in the conditioning and development of Harlond Beverly at Wichita State.

Last offseason was nothing short of chaotic for Beverly, who saw his season extend until April for a Final Four run with Miami. That meant a late start to entering the transfer portal and, even though he quickly decided on WSU, a late start with his new team.

He also had to stick around for his graduation ceremony, which delayed his move to Wichita. Once he arrived in Wichita, he needed time to learn a new system and the daily expectations of coach Paul Mills. Before a rhythm could be established, the team was on its way to Greece for an exhibition tour with the start of official team practices right around the corner upon their return.

After WSU’s season ended on March 15, Beverly was already training for this upcoming season a week later at Koch Arena. He’s had a consistent schedule for the past five months and consistency has been key.

“I feel like I’ve actually had some time this offseason to improve,” Beverly said. “It’s been a much longer summer, which has made a huge difference for me.”

Beverly has returned closer and closer to his pre-injury form in terms of explosiveness the further away he gets from the back surgery he underwent in December 2021.

A full offseason working with WSU strength and conditioning coach Ashtin Meerpohl has also made a difference in the Beverly that the Shockers now see on the court.

“Being in shape allows you to accentuate your abilities and if you’re having to get in shape during the season, then you get behind,” Mills said. “The shape that Harlond is in has allowed him to increase his athleticism. He has a phenomenal first step and a phenomenal change of direction. He’s making strides there.”

Beverly said he feels “as athletic as ever” and that’s made him more of a factor in transition, where his length and athleticism make him tough to slow down.

The extended practice time this summer has also been spent on improving his 3-point shot, a main priority for Beverly entering his final college basketball season.

He connected on just 25.8% of his shots beyond the arc last season, as defenders began to leave him unoccupied along the perimeter to muck up the paint and clog driving lanes for WSU’s offense.

Defenses aren’t likely to change that strategy anytime soon, so Beverly knows he will be counted on to step up and knock down open 3s this season to make teams pay for leaving him alone. So far, the results have been encouraging.

“It was probably the start of April when people were coming up to the office and saying, ‘You have to see Harlond shoot now,’” Mills said. “He’s changed his shot. Some of that is just being more of a mid-line shooter instead of a sideline shooter. Harlond is in the gym every morning doing form shooting. He has shot it better this summer, so we’ll see how that translates.”

Beverly was at his best last season when he was attacking advantages downhill, then finishing in the paint or finding an open teammate.

Even with solid averages of 11.2 points and 3.1 assists, there’s room for improvement. Although he led WSU in assists last season, he also led the team in turnovers. Improving his ball-handling and decision-making have been a focus this summer, while his increased athleticism should make him a better finisher around the rim than last season.

“Really the biggest thing was just understanding what coach (Mills) needs from me in the offense,” Beverly said. “I know what coach Mills expects now and what he wants, so I can tailor my workouts to what best fits into his schemes and what will put us in the best position to win some games.”

Although he is more of a wing, Beverly spent last season as a primary ball-handler — a role that will almost certainly change on this year’s team.

Mills recruited an experienced floor general in fifth-year Georgia transfer Justin Hill , who will likely have the ball in his hands plenty, and also added some instant pop in freshman Zion Pipkin . Not to mention fellow guards Xavier Bell and Bijan Cortes return from last year’s rotation.

Beverly has bought into the change, as a shift to a secondary play-maker role could see his efficiency increase if he’s no longer having to do so much of the heavy lifting to create on offense.

“I just really trust this whole coaching staff,” Beverly said. “They’ve been nothing but open and honest with me. They’ve challenged me, but also put some belief in me. I know I can call (Mills) and ask him about anything.

“I could ask him what could I do better as a teammate this year and he could say, ‘We need you to come in and give us 12 minutes off the bench because we have some new players coming in.’ He’s very open and honest. Some coaches would tell you, ‘You’re good. You’re going to be all-league.’ But I know I can talk with (Mills) and he’s going to be real with me. I could ask him how to parallel park and he would do his best to give me an answer.”