Why Colby Rogers and Shocker coach Paul Mills could be match made in basketball heaven

One of the first things Paul Mills did as new Wichita State men’s basketball coach was set up face-to-face meetings with the players on campus.

These meetings were mostly for Mills to put a face to the name and to introduce himself to the new players.

When Colby Rogers showed up at his door, the Shocker sharpshooter came prepared with a list of typed-up questions to ask his new head coach.

“I don’t like walking into situations where I don’t know what’s going on,” Rogers said. “I like to be prepared. I think it shows a sense of professionalism and a sense of seriousness.”

It made a serious first impression on Mills.

“They were all really valid questions,” Mills said, laughing. “There were a lot of things he was inquisitive about and he was looking for answers to. I told him, ‘I can’t answer (in March) about what’s going to happen on November 6.’ But it showed his diligence and his approach to things.”

After redshirting last season at WSU, Rogers is looking forward to showing Shocker fans what he can do. The last time he was on a basketball court, the 6-foot-4 guard averaged 14.1 points and knocked down 42.9% of his 3-pointers at Siena to earn a reputation as one of the nation’s best shooters.

Rogers has continued to impress the new coaching staff during their first offseason together. WSU was scheduled to practice for the 10th and final time at Koch Arena on Monday before departing Tuesday for a 10-day overseas tour in Greece to play three exhibition games.

WSU plays its first exhibition at 10 a.m. Central on Friday against the Thessaloniki All-Stars (no radio, television, streaming or live stats will be available).

“Colby is a complete basketball nut and he’s a gym rat,” Mills said. “He puts the time in. I’ve been here many Saturday mornings when Colby is already here shooting. He just loves the game and I’m glad he’s going to get a chance to continue to be a really good player here.”

Rogers has a sweet shooting stroke that proved deadly when he was able to come off a screen, catch and fire. He made 2.6 3-pointers per game in his last year at Siena, volume that could even increase under Mills, who saw his last three Oral Roberts teams finish first, second or third in 3-pointers made per game in the country.

It seems to be a match made in basketball heaven, and after four months of practices, Rogers is intrigued by what might be possible playing under Mills.

“What player wouldn’t want to shoot a lot of 3s and play fast?” Rogers said, flashing a smile. “I think we’ll have more possessions, more chances to have the ball. It’s a similar style to the next level, which is where I want to get to, so the best way to get there is to practice that style every day. Coach Mills is a great teacher and I’m excited to see how we get acclimated to the system and how far we can take it.”

When he decided to leave Siena and seek a second transfer, Rogers knew sitting out an entire season was a possibility. He thought he was mentally prepared but learned there was no way to prepare himself for the mental toll sitting out games took on him.

It was agonizing watching the team last season struggle, knowing he could help the Shockers by filling up the bucket. The previous coaching staff internally believed Rogers would have been right there in scoring with Craig Porter Jr. and Jaykwon Walton — and could have been the difference in so many closely contested games.

He experienced isolation. He experienced anxiety. He had to face his fears, focus on his studies and try to continue to improve every day in practice. In the end, Rogers believed the year away from competitive basketball proved to be a beneficial one for himself as a player and, perhaps more importantly, as a person.

“Sitting out last year definitely helped me grow mentally and physically as a player and off the court,” Rogers said. “It took me a while to figure out who I am without basketball, but it was good. It made me uncomfortable, but I grew out of that. It’s always good to get outside of your comfort zone. I feel like I’m better for it.”

On a team with so many question marks and a new coach at the helm, Rogers figures to be one of the few constants.

He was without question the team’s best player in last Wednesday’s intrasquad scrimmage, which was officiated like a real game. His college basketball experience and time at WSU should make him a likely candidate for one of the five starting spots in the lineup.

After averaging just 2.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.4 blocks in nearly 33 minutes per game at Siena in the 2021-22 season, Rogers wants to impact winning at WSU by more than just scoring.

The absence of point guard Bijan Cortes due to eligibility issues in summer practices has allowed Rogers to spend more time handling the ball and executing pick-and-roll reads in practice. He worked diligently this past season on trying to become a better on-ball creator but acknowledges it’s a work in progress.

Although he fears being pigeonholed as “just a shooter,” Rogers shares the same philosophy with Mills — don’t forget where your bread is buttered. Rather than dedicating practice time in an attempt to elevate average skills to merely good ones, Rogers and Mills both agree that his primary focus should be sharpening the main skill that makes him elite when he steps on the court.

“I worked on a lot of different things when I was sitting out, but I know my best strength is my shooting,” Rogers said. “I don’t want to stray too far away from that. If I can make six or seven 3s in a game with no dribbles, then I’m going to do that. But I can also put it on the deck, so I’ll be ready for different situations. I know teams are likely going to play me physical, some teams will deny me, some teams will make me go off the dribble. I’m just going to read the game and see what the defense gives me.”

For the first time in his career, Rogers is also set to become one of his team’s primary vocal leaders. His game has always earned him respect wherever he has gone, but at WSU, where he is second only behind Jacob Germany in career minutes played, he will have a voice in the locker room.

Throw the additional leadership responsibilities on top of the challenge of replicating his success in the American Athletic Conference, a considerable step-up from the competition he faced at Cal Poly and Siena, plus the uphill challenge the Shockers face in their first season under Mills, and Rogers knows there will be no shortage of doubt outside the program of what he can accomplish this season.

The way he sees it, though, is it won’t be the first time he’s beaten the odds.

“If you know my story, I’ve had to prove myself every single stop in my career,” Rogers said. “It’s not like a crazy extra drive of motivation because at this point, it’s just me being me. I feel like everywhere I go, I have to prove myself anyways, so I plan on continuing to do that.”