AJ McGinnis has donned many jerseys throughout his college basketball career.
He got his start wearing blue and gold, nursed injuries while adorned in red and black, made shots dressed in purple and gold, and is now sporting yellow and black for his final season on a collegiate court.
McGinnis, a fifth-year transfer student, committed to the Shockers in April. Over his career, McGinnis has shifted from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro to the University of Cincinnati to Lipscomb University, before finally finding a home in Wichita.
A proclaimed “sharpshooter,” McGinnis started every game during his last season at Lipscomb. He shot 39.7% on 77 3-pointers during the season, averaging 13.2 points per game.
McGinnis said the main selling point for Wichita State was the “atmosphere.”
“I love Wichita … the people here, and the coaching staff, they’ve welcomed me with open arms and showed me love since I got here,” McGinnis said.
McGinnis has already made connections with coaches and fellow teammates, including senior guard and fellow sports management major Bijan Cortes.
“He’s going to compete; he’s going to go hard,” Cortes said. “He can shoot it, and as a point guard, being able to kick it out to someone you know is going to make a 3 makes it easy.”
McGinnis and Cortes also enjoy hanging out during their short stints of downtime outside the gym.
“We’re always together,” Cortes said. “Whether we’re walking my dog, or we’re just talking about life … we’ve gotten really close.”
McGinnis is also an avid gamer when he finds time to switch out the basketball for a controller. However, even in his free time, he can’t stray too far from sports. McGinnis said he watches a lot of football and some NBA preseason games but doesn’t take enjoyment from watching basketball during the season.
“I do watch it (basketball) to study it, and learn things to add to my game,” McGinnis said. “But as far as entertainment, I can’t … I get enough of it here.”
As a fifth-year senior, McGinnis awaits his final season on the court and his post-grad plans, whether in basketball or something entirely new.
“I would like to play professionally … wherever it may take me,” McGinnis said. “I would like to stay in the United States, but there’s a high chance I might be going across water just to play.”
McGinnis’ future may also hold plans that involve going back to school.
“After the ball stops bouncing, I would really like to get into architecture,” he said. “I’ve always been a math guy, an artist … I want to do residential architecture and design because I love the thought of building a development or building a neighborhood.”
But before McGinnis walks the stage, he plans to make strides for the team this season.
“I’m feeling pretty good, just excited to get on the court and play,” McGinnis said. “I just want to win … I want to compete every night and just have that chance to really experience college for the last time.”
