‘Absolutely worth it’: Seniors say goodbye

“You’ve got to understand how special this is.”

Wichita+State+redshirt+senior+Zach+Bush+and+Wichita+State+senior+John+Robert+Simon+shake+hands+and+hug+prior+to+the+game+against+Evansville+Aces+on+Tuesday+night+in+Koch+Arena.+%28Feb.+21%2C+2017%29

Brian Hayes

Wichita State redshirt senior Zach Bush and Wichita State senior John Robert Simon shake hands and hug prior to the game against Evansville Aces on Tuesday night in Koch Arena. (Feb. 21, 2017)

Six minutes of pure basketball bliss. That’s all John Robert Simon needed to say goodbye to Charles Koch Arena.

Simon, a four-year walk-on who was granted a scholarship earlier this season, made the journey all worthwhile. In many ways, Tuesday’s home finale was a perfect finish for Simon.

With 7:06 left in the game and a 23-point lead, Simon subbed in for the last time on Devlin Court. And in less than a minute on the floor, he swished a 3-pointer.

“I don’t really know what happened out there,” Simon said.

Simon had the night of his life, quickly swishing two more 3-pointers, a perfect 3-3 from the field. He topped his career-high at nine points.

Zach Bush, the Shockers only other senior, a five-year walk-on, hit a miracle two-point jumper with contact to add to the senior night thrills.

“I told them, ‘You guys cannot take this for granted,'” head coach Gregg Marshall said. “You’ve got to understand how special this is, soak it up and enjoy it. Just revel in it.”

Simon, a final minute blowout backup to former Shocker guard Fred VanVleet and Conner Frankamp, played in his 65th career game. Bush played for his 57th. Bush is the last remaining Shocker player of the Final Four season in 2013.

“[Tonight] made every hard day I’ve had here absolutely worth it,” Bush said. “It’s the hard way here, but it shows how the hard way works because of how much we’ve worked and how much we’ve accomplished.”

Simon, who was the undisputed player of the game in the Shockers’ blowout triple-digit victory over Evansville, was not one to take praise, but show it.

“Every single teammate I’ve ever had has been an unbelievable person on and off the court,” Simon said. “They’ve treated me ridiculously well and I am thankful for that.”

No. 25 Wichita State topped the Evansville Purple Aces 109-84 — the third 100-plus point game for the Shockers this season. Simon was not the only Shocker to hit big from the 3-point line, where the Shockers hit 7 of fourteen attempts in the first 20 minutes alone.

Rashard Kelly, Markis McDuffie, Landry Shamet and Frankamp each cashed in from deep. Frankamp and Shamet led the Shockers to a streak of three 3-pointers in back-to-back-to-back possessions.

“All 16 guys on the team can knock down a three,” Frankamp said.

WSU led by 16 at the half — their nineteenth consecutive double-digit halftime lead at home.

The second half was no shortage of high-power offense. The Shockers shot more than 53 percent from the field in the game’s final 20 minutes.

“The crazy part is were not even at our peak yet,” junior center Shaquille  Morris said of his team, which now ranks in the AP polls for the first time this season. “We’re still getting better every time we step on the court, in between the lines, we grow as a team.”

Morris led WSU scorers with 18 points. Six other Shockers scored in double figures.