As the COVID-19 pandemic swept its way across the country, it left many people asking questions. One of those people was Wichita State junior combo-guard Dexter Dennis. 

This summer, Dennis was one of many who declared for the NBA Draft which saw significant changes due to the pandemic. For Dennis, with everything surrounding the draft, he felt that it was his best decision to return to WSU and opt-out of the NBA Draft. 

“It pretty much limits what I can do for any NBA teams besides Zoom calls and stuff like that,” Dennis said in a phone interview with The Sunflower. “So, I just actually couldn’t get to work out for anybody. Obviously, the best decision was to come back to school.”

Although the draft process was changed a lot for this year, he felt that he could still take a lot away from the experience.

“It was more just a learning process more than anything,” Dennis said. “You still learn that you’ve got a lot of work to do. I Still have a chance to make a case this upcoming year, so I can’t wait.”

Another one of Dennis’s takeaways from this experience would be how important his actions off the court could play into a potential career in the NBA one day. 

“A lot of the teams talk about character, what type of person you are off the court, do people like being around you, stuff like that,” he said. “Pretty much do you come to work every day, are you focused on getting better? A lot of the teams and scouts, that’s what they’re looking for. What type of player you are.”

Overall, the Baker, Louisiana native feels that this was a learning experience and could be something that not only helps him out for this upcoming year but for many years down the road especially given the circumstances of COVID-19. 

“Since COVID just came out, I think this will help me tremendously,” Dennis said. “It builds a little character. It’s not about how fast you want it to come, it’s about God’s time. Honestly, it happened this way and I’m not mad, upset or anything. I’m just happy I get one more year with the Shockers or however many years.”

Since arriving back on WSU’s campus, Dennis said this year’s team reminds him a lot of the team during the 2018-19 season which featured nine newcomers. Following six transfers and the graduation of Jaime Echenique, this year’s team will feature seven newcomers to the roster. 

But for Dennis, being one of the returners has been exciting this time around. 

“It’s been nothing but love, nothing but fun,” he said. “It kind of reminds me of freshman year when I first got here. Now, being a part of the other side, it’s fun to see these players grow. Just to hear the things they say, reminds you of your younger self.”

As one of those few returners on the roster for this upcoming season, Dennis has started to take on more of a leadership role coming into this season. According to Dennis, it has been challenging at times as he works on improving as a leader. 

“Being in a leadership role is not easy,” Dennis said. “Every day you have to come to work, you’ve got to set the tone, you’ve got to lead by example. I think with the amount of upperclassmen we got, I think we can definitely be that.”

With the amount of the newcomers on this year’s roster, Dennis has been impressed with the group as a whole as they come into this season. 

“I think the main thing is that they don’t even care about the score, they just want to do the right things on the court. With the veterans coming in, just trying to do the right thing every time, giving an honest effort every day, I still think we have a great group,” Dennis said.