Pair of Wichita natives team up to give Wichita State women’s basketball local flair

Around two dozen friends and family of Tre’Zure Jobe were in the stands at Koch Arena on Saturday evening to watch the Wichita native make her debut performance on the Wichita State women’s basketball team.

Another boisterous cheering section was there for Kapaun Mt. Carmel graduate Ella Anciaux, entering her third year with the Shockers.

The pair of Wichita natives both figure to be key parts for WSU in coach Terry Nooner’s first season on the sidelines. If Shocker Madness on Saturday was any indication, they both will bring more local fans to the Roundhouse this season too.

“I had a lot of family out there sitting behind the bench and being able to play in front of them with this jersey on with the Wichita name, it means a lot,” said Jobe, a graduate transfer from Emporia State. “When I came on my visit, (Anciaux) was like, ‘You need to come back home.’ I’m here now and I’m glad to be here.”

Although both played in the City League, Anciaux was just a freshman at Kapaun when Jobe was a senior at South and had played for coach Antwain Scales, who is now an assistant with the Shockers.

When Jobe became a recruiting target for WSU after an All-American career at the Div. II level, Anciaux strongly pushed for Jobe to join her on the hometown Shockers.

“I remember growing up and I looked up to Tre’Zure,” Anciaux said. “My goal was always to do what she did. Back in her days at South, they were a pretty special team. They kind of beat up on us at Kapaun. Now I’m excited we can get some wins together. Having both of us back in Wichita, I think it’s important to keep local talent here and I think it’s going to be a pretty special year.”

Anciaux played a reserve role for WSU last season, averaging 3.4 points and 2.3 rebounds in 8.6 minutes per game. But with graduation and transfer portal losses, playing time at the center position is available and the 6-foot-4 post appears to be in line for an expanded role.

Meanwhile, Jobe is expected to make an immediate impact for the Shockers after the 5-foot-7 guard averaged 22.3 points last season at Emporia State. She passed up the chance to play in the SEC or Big 12 to finish her collegiate career at WSU.

As a result, both have earned leadership roles on the team, which plays an exhibition on Nov. 1 against Missouri Southern and opens the season on Nov. 6 with a road trip to Oklahoma.

“They bring a special kind of energy and a special kind of pride in this place,” Nooner said. “It’s good to have them on the team so they can make sure everybody who is not from here understands the power of Wichita State. They’re both great kids, two of the hardest workers on the team, both great attitudes. And it’s been fun to coach them.”

Being from Wichita led to an immediate bond between the point guard and center, who are workout partners in the weight room and pick-and-roll partners on the court.

“I’m Kobe and this is Shaq,” Jobe laughed.

“They’re pretty good in the pick and roll together,” Nooner said. “Tre’Zure will find Ella on the roll and then Ella sets great screens to get her open for shots.”

New-look Shocker Madness deemed a success

More than double the amount of fans showed up to Saturday’s version of Shocker Madness compared to last season.

WSU athletic director Kevin Saal worked with the WSU Foundation and Student Affairs to turn Shocker Madness into a daylong celebration that involved every team in the athletic department. It started with a tailgate before the event, then continued inside Koch Arena where every team was introduced to around 2,500 fans in attendance.

It made for a more lively atmosphere and fans who stuck around after the basketball scrimmages were treated to a live concert from Kansas City rapper Tech N9ne, who ended the show wearing a customized Wichita State basketball jersey.

As for the basketball portion, the 12-minute scrimmage for the men’s team featured a slew of dunks and 3-pointers as players treated it as an all-star event after a two-and-a-half hour practice earlier in the day.

The black team consisting of Xavier Bell, Harlond Beverly, Isaac Abidde, Kenny Pohto and Quincy Ballard won the scrimmage 41-37 over the yellow team consisting of Bijan Cortes, Colby Rogers, Ronnie DeGray III, Dalen Ridgnal and Jacob Germany.

“It was a chance for our fans to get to know these players,” WSU head coach Paul Mills said. “You can kind of see some of their personalities on the court. This is a fun group to be around. I tell every player this: I love them all, but I don’t necessarily like them all. I like this group. This is a good group and they’ve approached it the right way. They’ve done everything right.

“Tonight was more for the fans to give them something, more than it was for us to get anything out of it from a basketball perspective.”

Of note, redshirt sophomore Jalen Ricks was not in attendance and is currently on a leave of absence from the team, according to a WSU spokesperson. Recent WSU commit T.J. Williams, a 2024 prospect from Wichita Heights, was in attendance along with teammate Amalachi Wilkins on unofficial visits.

Abidde put on a show during the scrimmage with multiple high-flying dunks, as well as Ballard. Mills pointed out fans received a glimpse of the shooting ability from Ridgnal and Cortes, who both drained long 3-pointers well beyond the arc.

At the end, Mills was just pleased to avoid any injury. Freshman Yanis Bamba did not participate, as he is currently rehabilitating a foot injury.

“We told the guys to enjoy it, have fun, but at the end of the day, don’t get hurt,” Mills said. “It’s good to channel these sight lines with the crowd involved and kind of get them through a little bit of what a real game may actually look like.”