When Kenyon Giles committed to Wichita State via the transfer portal 10 months ago, the vision of Paul Mills and the rest of the coaching staff was clear: they were adding a much-needed sharpshooter.
“He can go get his own,” Mills said after the Shockers’ season opener in November. “That’s why he’s here.”
Yet, few could have predicted the profound impact the 5-foot-10, 172-pound guard from Chesapeake, Va., would have. With only three regular-season games remaining, Giles is poised to etch his name into the upper-echelon of Koch Arena’s history.
Not only is he averaging 19.1 points per game — which would be the highest by a Shocker since Jason Perez averaged 20.2 at the turn of the century — but he is also rapidly closing in on Colby Rogers’ single-season 3-point record of 99, set in 2023-24.
Giles quietly slid into second place on the single-season list after hitting 5-of-10 from deep in last Saturday’s 69-57 win against Temple, bringing his season total to 93. That night, which honored past champions and long-time play-by-play announcer Mike Kennedy, highlighted the transfer’s immediate impact.
While Giles and Rogers possess distinct scoring arsenals, they share one common trait: neither started their collegiate careers at Wichita State. Both represent the kind of impactful transfer Mills envisions for the program. Rogers finished his collegiate career at Memphis, however.
“There was a tradition here long before this player showed up,” Mills said. “That whole idea that you can catapult yourself to one of the better players in a (program’s) history (is) something that I think those guys will always remember.”
Lately, Giles has mastered creating open looks by subtly lagging behind the fast break.
The maneuver turns into a game of “peek-a-boo” for the defense. When players like seniors Karon Boyd and Mike Gray Jr., or freshman TJ Williams, attack the paint, the defense collapses and Giles often gets completely lost in the scramble to protect the rim.
“Sometimes you can hear me laughing because everyone falls for it,” Williams said after the Temple game. “I just get downhill, trying to put pressure on the paint. They usually collapse in because my man usually needs help. Then the help comes from the best shooter in the conference. I kick it out, and then it’s green from there.”
For Giles, this subtle trick is his favorite type of play because of its natural nature.
“I like to score organically,” he said. “You don’t have to call a lot of plays for me. I’m going to get in transitions. What we run, it gives me a lot of space, especially getting to the middle game or downhill.”
Since the start of American Conference play, few players have demonstrated the ability to single-handedly take over and dictate an outcome quite like Giles.
His resume includes a career-high 33 points against North Texas and 31 points against Tulsa, both crucial to the final scores. His late-game poke, steal and layup against South Florida secured an overtime victory for the Shockers.
More recently, Giles hit two clutch shots to keep Wichita State alive at the end of regulation and the first overtime during a tight matchup at East Carolina.
In 15 league matchups this season, Giles is averaging 21.1 points per game (second in the conference) while playing a staggering 581 minutes — the most among the 25 players listed on the American’s website. He also ranks second in the league in 3-pointers made per game (3.6) and third in steals (1.8).
While logging so many minutes might typically lead to fatigue and reduced efficiency, Giles is proving those doubts wrong.
“I’ve been around a lot of guys who’ve had stamina,” Mills said after the Temple game. “The stamina usually allows you to shoot well simply because you have legs.”
Giles credits his competitive edge as a smaller guard to growing up playing pick-up games with and watching the likes of Pierre Jackson and Marcus Keene. Both stand under six feet but mastered creating space and scoring at a high level.
Jackson averaged 16.7 PPG over two years at Baylor. Keene famously led the NCAA in scoring with 30 a game in 2016, also making memorable moments this past summer for the AfterShocks in The Basketball Tournament.
“I’m not the tallest, you know,” Giles told The Sunflower. “Most people my size aren’t really supposed to be a scoring point guard. They got 6-6 guys for that. I just feel like I’m living proof to other kids that, ‘Hey, even though if you’re small, if you can go out and just prove that you can score the ball at a high level, you have a chance.’”
When asked about the record, Mills emphasized that the joy goes beyond the box score.
“When you watch things materialize for them, you’re really, really happy,” he said. “From a coaching perspective, I’m just happy to help. Like, I don’t make a shot, so are we putting those guys in a position to succeed? The only question I ask at the end of every single year is, ‘Did we do right by that kid?’
“I take tremendous pride in knowing, ‘You know what? We treated that kid the right way. That kid grew, and he got better during his time here.’”
So far, the evidence overwhelmingly supports that conclusion for Giles.
“I’m proud to say I went to WSU,” Giles said. “I’m proud that I spent the year here. I’m proud to say I graduated from and played basketball here. I’m really glad that I made this decision.”
That decision back in April, perhaps unknowingly, may rewrite the record books.
