Replica jerseys highlight new basketball merchandise

Last season may have been the greatest in the history of Wichita State men’s basketball, but hard work happened on and off the court.

With the university and the city of Wichita in an adrenaline-fueled basketball frenzy, demand for basketball merchandise was sky-high. This led to the most frantic month the WSU campus bookstore ever experienced.

“When you can have a month where it’s like Black Friday every day, it’s a great experience,” bookstore director Andi Stipp said. “It’s one that Wichita State has never experienced.”

Of course, the expectations for this year’s basketball team are high, which means the bookstore has had to step up their merchandise game. With an assortment of new items in stock at the Rhatigan Student Center and Charles Koch Arena store locations, fans wanting to showcase their Shocker spirit have some new options.

Perhaps the most noteworthy of these new additions is a set of Nike replica player jerseys with three available numbers from the current team roster. Ron Baker’s number 31, Fred VanVleet’s number 23, and Evan Wessel’s number 3 are all available to any fan wanting an authentic Shocker men’s basketball jersey for the price of $75.

According to the bookstore’s retail buyer Misti Marsh, acquiring these replica jerseys was a priority because of high fan demand.

“The fans want things like that,” Marsh said. “If it’s something that we can have based on the brand that our basketball team is, then we’re definitely going to do it.”

Replica jerseys are available at other outlets around Wichita, but Ron Baker’s number 31 jersey is exclusive to the WSU campus locations. Baker’s jersey figures to be a popular one, so acquiring the rights to distribute it exclusively on campus is a big deal.

“You have retailers all over town that can carry virtually the same stuff that we can,” Marsh said. “We have to have things that set us apart that make you want to come here and purchase your items.”

While the replica jerseys are a point of emphasis for the bookstore, they are certainly not the only new item available to fans. Hats, autographed Nike basketballs and “bling” shirts and jewelry for women are some of the other new items fans can expect to see on campus.

There is still a long way to go before this season’s NCAA tournament. Until then, it is uncertain what the atmosphere will be around the bookstore this fall compared with last March. If it is as hectic, the bookstore’s employees will be prepared, and Shocker fans can spend the regular season rocking all sorts of new basketball gear.