‘I keep my word’: Fred VanVleet adds cherished memory in latest return to Wichita State

In his first trip back to Koch Arena in quite some time two summers ago, Fred VanVleet was stunned at what he saw.

More than five years had passed since his All-American career when the Shockers reached a Final Four and had a historic 35-1 season, yet the weight room for the men’s basketball team remained the same: completely outdated.

In a spur of the moment decision, VanVleet brought the situation to the light in his homecoming press conference and promised to make a change.

Two years and a $250,000 donation later, VanVleet was back in the Roundhouse on Friday night to see first-hand the renovations made to the weight room, now known as the Fred VanVleet Sports Performance Complex.

“I usually keep my word,” VanVleet told media with a grin. “It’s a good feeling to see it come full circle and be able to make an impact and give back to a program and a community that meant so much to my upbringing and my development as a young player, turning myself from a young kid into a man by the time I left.

“A lot of work was done in this space right here. It looks a little bit better today than when I was here. It’s all about pushing the program as far as we can.”

Gone are the generic weights, replaced by brand-new, Shocker-themed weights. Brand-new work-out stations are everywhere, complete with monitors that allows strength and conditioning coach Ashtin Meerpohl to program work-out plans for each individual player before they enter the weight room. The monitors also count repetitions for the athletes and can track bar speed and power, which allows coaches to create competitions.

A wall was knocked down for additional space and a 34-yard black turf with yellow “Shockers” written on it was installed for players to work pushing a sled. A nutrition station was also installed, which will allow Meerpohl to store fruits and make smoothies for the players.

“It’s an unbelievable transformation for those of you who saw the old room,” Meerpohl explained to a group of donors touring the facility with VanVleet. “This is completely different from what it was and it’s going to help our program tremendously.”

After VanVleet publicly called for improvements to be made, his donation was matched by longtime WSU supporters Steve and Regine Feilmeier and Ricky and Jeanie Brotherton to make the $1 million renovation possible. The project was spearheaded by WSU athletic director Kevin Saal, who made sure the timing lined up for VanVleet’s return this weekend for the 10-year reunion of the 2013 Final Four team.

Saal served as VanVleet’s guided tour of the facility, where he was also able to meet new WSU men’s basketball coach Paul Mills.

“Thanks for all you’ve done,” Mills told VanVleet at the end of the conversation with a handshake. “You’re an inspiration.”

VanVleet gave his endorsement of Mills following the brief interaction.

“It’s always good for a breath of fresh air,” VanVleet said. “IB (Isaac Brown) was my guy, but decisions were made and it’s time to get Wichita State back to where it should be and where it could be. And coach Mills is the guy for the job. We have a great relationship building, just meeting him and getting to know him more. I think he’s the guy who can really turn this thing around for us.”

VanVleet also briefly touched on his new three-year, $130 million contract with the Houston Rockets, ending a seven-year run with the Toronto Raptors, the franchise where he became an NBA champion and All-Star.

“Life’s good, obviously,” VanVleet said with a laugh. “I’m just happy, excited about what the future holds and looking forward to getting to Houston and getting it started with the guys. We’ve got a very young and exciting team this year, so I’m looking forward to it.”

When the tour was over, VanVleet and his family were escorted back to their seats right behind the WSU bench for the second half of the AfterShocks’ game on Friday, where they would witness one of the most stunning comeback wins in The Basketball Tournament history.

But before the rally, a funny scene was playing out outside of the Fred VanVleet Sports Performance Complex.

A group of former Shockers, which included Tekele Cotton, Demetric Williams, Nick Wiggins and coach Greg Heiar, had missed out on the halftime tour and wanted to see the renovations for themselves. Only one problem: the room was locked, which led to many jokes about begging VanVleet for a key.

“I thought we were walking to the weight room. This is the VanVleet Center,” Wiggins cracked.

Back on the court, the AfterShocks were whittling away at a 21-point deficit, much to the delight of the members of the 2013 Final Four team sitting behind their bench.

Chief among them was VanVleet, who yelled and clapped like he was wearing a Wichita State jersey again. During a crucial timeout in the Elam Ending, VanVleet was in the ear of AfterShocks star Conner Frankamp, analyzing the defense and letting his former teammate know what he was seeing.

It was only fitting for VanVleet to be able to experience a raucous Koch Arena crowd one more time, as the AfterShocks erased a 21-point deficit to rally for a 73-69 victory over Memphis’ Beale Street Boys.

When the final basket was scored, VanVleet was holding his son, Fred Jr., and fist-pumping behind the bench — another cherished memory back in Wichita for the program’s biggest basketball star.

“It always feels like no time has passed. It feels like yesterday,” VanVleet said. “The relationships are still strong. And obviously the fan base is as crazy as they ever were before. They always show up and show out. It’s always refreshing to come back here.”