Picture this: A heated college basketball scrimmage where the score screams victory, but the coaches shrug it off like it was just a practice drill. Who really won? The answer might surprise you—and spark a debate among fans.
In the world of college basketball fandom, it's not uncommon for fans to crave straightforward answers, especially when it comes to rivalries like Wichita State versus Drake. On Saturday, after a nearly three-hour scrimmage at Koch Arena, supporters from both sides were buzzing with one burning question: Who came out on top? Yet, as you'll see, pinning down a definitive winner is trickier than it sounds. But here's where it gets controversial... Coaches on both benches approached the event not as a high-stakes showdown, but as an opportunity to experiment and adjust strategies. While fans fixated on the scoreboard, the focus was squarely on development, not domination.
Drake could arguably claim the overall edge, having edged out Wichita State 69-62 when tallying up the results from both 20-minute scrimmage segments. However, the breakdown reveals a more nuanced picture. In the first half, Wichita State heavily relied on its bench players, allowing Drake to cruise to a 39-24 victory. The tables turned in the second segment, where Wichita State's starters dominated, flipping the script for a 38-30 win. It was a strategic dance, with each team prioritizing different player combinations over sheer competitiveness. And this is the part most people miss... The scrimmage also included a controlled offense-defense-offense drill, where Wichita State's Mike Gray Jr. dazzled by draining six three-pointers, powering his team to a 31-20 lead. Still, these lineups were far from what you'd see in a real game—think mismatched groups that might never share the court on November 3.
Drake coach Eric Henderson summed it up best: 'I wouldn’t read too much into it,' he said. 'Both teams had moments where they were pretty good and we both learned a lot about our teams.' It wasn't about bragging rights; it was about gathering insights for the season ahead.
For Wichita State's head coach Paul Mills, the event reinforced suspicions rather than unveiling surprises. He emphasized that his top-eight players—likely Kenyon Giles, Dre Kindell, Gray, Brian Amuneke, Karon Boyd, Jaret Valencia, Will Berg, and Emmanuel Okorafor—proved their mettle. These core players dominated the second scrimmage, logging nearly all the minutes, while Drake rotated more freely. 'The eight that you think that you have, I thought those eight showed up,' Mills noted. 'That was pretty obvious.'
Mills stuck to his planned rotations about 90% of the time, though it came with a bit of regret. He used the first scrimmage to test younger, less experienced players—like Joy Ighovodja, T.J. Williams, Dillon Battie, and Noah Hill—against Drake's best, resulting in a lopsided 20-point deficit at one stage. Instead of swapping in stars to salvage the score, Mills let the bench navigate the challenge. He wanted to observe their resilience, and while it wasn't easy, he was impressed. 'I wanted to let them go through that,' he explained. 'You’re really not trying to give them solutions right now, simply because you want to see how they fight through it and how they handle it. You want to see if the bench gets really, really negative. But I thought they stayed engaged during that time. It’s not fun because they’re looking like, ‘Can you sub someone in that can help us out there?’ I said, ‘Hey, we’re going to feel this out.’ We have to maintain positivity and I did see that.'
In the second half, Giles shone brightly, scoring 16 points and showcasing why he's a preseason first-team all-conference pick in the American Athletic Conference. Guards like Gray and Giles were the offensive heroes, making clutch shots that could be game-changers. 'I love that, because we have the same logo on,' Giles said, referring to the shared team spirit. 'It’s always lovely. I know late clock, we’ve got a guy (in Gray). That’s a separator in games, that late shot clock. The play isn’t always going to work, so I love that we’ve got two guys.'
Wichita State isn't resting on these insights—they're gearing up for another scrimmage in just one week, traveling to Denver to face Santa Clara on Saturday.
Now, here's a thought that might ruffle some feathers: Is it fair for coaches to treat scrimmages as experimental labs, leaving fans with ambiguous 'wins'? Or should every scored point carry the weight of rivalry pride? What do you think—does this approach help teams build better chemistry, or does it just confuse the fans? Drop your opinions in the comments below; I'd love to hear if you agree, disagree, or have a different take on how preseason events should unfold!
Wichita State athletics beat reporter. Bringing you closer to the Shockers you love and inside the sports you love to watch.
