‘Shocker for life’: Gus Okafor soaks up love from Wichita State fans in TBT return

When Gus Okafor committed to Wichita State, he had a dream of becoming a professional basketball player.

While he didn’t make the kind of impact he wanted in his lone season with the Shockers , Okafor was proud of how far he has come when he stepped back on the floor at Koch Arena on Saturday — even if it was for the away team.

Fresh off a strong rookie year in Denmark, Okafor returned to the Roundhouse to spearhead a scrappy effort from No. 8 seed Midtown Prestige with 18 points and nine rebounds off the bench in an 86-71 defeat to the hometown AfterShocks.

“I felt really comfortable being back at Koch Arena and it was just a lot of fun,” said Okafor, who played at WSU during the 2022-23 season. “After being overseas, it made me feel really grateful to have the chance to be on this court again and come back here and get some love from the Shocker fans even though I was playing against the AfterShocks. I’m a Shocker for life.”

When Okafor entered the game for Midtown Prestige, some Shocker fans wondered why he wasn’t playing for the WSU alumni team. The brief answer is that the AfterShocks have earned a reputation as consistent TBT championship contenders and have a deep talent pool to choose from.

There was no bitterness from Okafor, who was just happy to be back in Wichita and have the opportunity to show WSU fans what he could do on the court.

“That really meant a lot to me knowing that there are people out there who are still rooting for me,” Okafor said. “That was really cool to feel some of that love on my side.”

The 6-foot-6 wing rose to stardom in the college basketball world at Southeastern Louisiana , where he averaged 14.6 points and 6.4 rebounds in the 2021-22 season. After proving himself as a great player in the Southland Conference, Okafor sought out a chance to do the same at a higher level and that’s when he picked WSU in the transfer portal to finish out his collegiate career.

He scored 27 points and eight rebounds against Tarleton State in his sixth game as a Shocker, but that turned out to be just a blip. After being a starter for most of the nonconference slate, Okafor fell out of the rotation by American Athletic Conference season and ended his lone year at WSU averaging 4.0 points and 3.4 rebounds.

Despite the dip in production, Okafor still looks back on his season playing for former head coach Isaac Brown fondly.

“I had great memories here in Wichita, even though the season didn’t go the way as I would have hoped,” Okafor said. “The Shocker community helped me through the whole year by showing me that love and support from the fans. It felt really good coming here to Wichita after being at a low-major and not really having that fan support. I’m just really grateful to have come to a school like this. It’s all a part of the journey.”

It worked out in the end because Okafor found an ideal landing spot for his first professional season , playing for Team FOG Naestved in Denmark’s top league. More importantly, he joined a team that would allow him to play — and play freely.

He started every game but one, averaged nearly 28.6 minutes and responded with a superb all-around season: 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals while knocking down 65 3-pointers at a 37.6% clip.

“What I figured out being overseas was that when I play hard and don’t really think too much about the game, that’s when I play my best,” Okafor said. “From the jump, my coach kind of gave me the keys to my position and I just wanted to play hard. I feel like I got my confidence back on the court this past year overseas.”

The best version of Okafor was on full display on Saturday against the AfterShocks. His constant motor led to five offensive rebounds and to some easy put-backs, which established a rhythm and allowed Okafor to feel comfortable stepping out and hitting a handful of jumpers. He also made 7 of 10 shots from the foul line.

Despite the loss, Okafor earned respect from the AfterShocks for his effort and was showered with well-wishes by Shocker fans before and after the game.

Walking out of the Roundhouse, Okafor was asked to reflect on how far he’s come since leaving a little more than a year ago. He’s already entertaining options to move up in the pro ranks, which will help him provide more for his family back home in Baltimore, and he’s found a fan base he can always count on.

“Just knowing that I don’t have to stress out about so many things now, it takes so much off of me,” Okafor said. “Being able to help with my family while I’m playing overseas, that’s always been the dream.”