Former Shocker Xavier Bell signs with team in Georgia

Owen Prothro, Sports Editor • August 29, 2025

Senior Xavier Bell answers questions in the press conference after playing Memphis in the AAC Championship quarterfinals round. The Shockers were eliminated from the tournament with the 83-80 loss.

Another former Wichita State men’s basketball player has signed an overseas deal.

The CIU Basketball Club, a team in the Georgia Superleague, announced that they signed Xavier Bell ahead of the 2025-26 season on Friday morning.

Bell, a Wichita native, played three seasons for the Shockers after transferring from Drexel ahead of the 2022-23 season.

His stats steadily rose over the course of his career in Koch Arena, going from scoring 4.0 points per game his sophomore season to 15.2 as a senior.

He scored 20 or more points in eight games last season, and scored a season-high 29 points last December against cross-town Friends University.

Bell finished his collegiate career with a loss to Oklahoma State in the first round of the National Invitational Tournament, but became a 1,000-point scorer at Wichita State despite this.

About the Contributors

Owen Prothro, Sports Editor

Owen Prothro is the sports editor for The Sunflower for the Fall 2025 semester. Prothro is a senior pursuing a degree in journalism and media production and hopes to pursue a career in sports writing after graduation. This is Prothro’s third year on staff. Prothro uses he/him pronouns.

Zachary Ruth, Photo Editor

Zachary Ruth is the photo editor for The Sunflower. Previously, Ruth was a photographer during the 2024-2025 year. Ruth is a sophomore and previously served as the editor-in-chief at Newton High School. Ruth is studying journalism and media production and hopes to pursue a career in photojournalism after university.