Wichita State University Men's Basketball

Wichita State announced Paul Mills as its 27th head men’s basketball coach on Mar. 22, 2023 and formally introduced him the following day.   Mills has totaled 34 wins over his first two seasons, third most by a Wichita State head coach over their first two seasons. After going 15-19 in his first season on the bench, Mills led the Shockers to a four-win improvement in Year 2 (19-15) that saw Wichita State earn a postseason bid (NIT) for the first time since 2021.  Wichita State finished the non-conference portion of the schedule with 10 wins, the most by a Shocker team since 2019. After a 1-7 start to begin conference play in 2024-25, Wichita State reeled off six straight wins, including a Top 25 win over Memphis. The win over No. 14 Memphis snapped a 10-game losing streak vs. ranked opponents for the Shockers.   A longtime Baylor assistant under Scott Drew, Mills took his first head coaching job at Oral Roberts and ran with it, transforming the Golden Eagles from Summit League bottom dwellers to undefeated champions over a six-year span (2017-23) with NCAA tournament bids in two of the last three years.   In 2021 Mills became just the second coach to guide a No. 15 seed to Sweet 16, upsetting Ohio State and Florida in the first two rebounds before losing a heartbreaker to Arkansas in the South Regional Semifinal.   Mills raised the bar again in 2023 when he led ORU to a 30-5 record and swept the Summit’s regular season and tournament crowns. The Golden Eagles became just the second team in conference history to go 18-0 and their No. 12 seed in the Big Dance was the program’s best in nearly four decades.   Mills was a finalist for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year award as well as the NABC’s Skip Prosser Man of the Year honor, presented annually to a coach who achieves success on the basketball court and displays moral integrity off the floor.”   Mills’ teams are fast-paced, yet efficient, annually ranking among the NCAA leaders in tempo, scoring and three-point field goals while playing tough, gritty defense.   Over the years Mills has also demonstrated a knack for finding and developing talent. His greatest success story is 6-foot guard Max Abmas, an overlooked recruit, turned NBA prospect who scored more than 2,500 career points in Mills’ system and was twice named Summit League Player of the Year.     AS HEAD COACH AT ORAL ROBERTS (2017-23):   Mills spent six seasons on the south side of Tulsa, Okla. rebuilding the program at Oral Roberts. He was 106-84, including 67-28 over the final three years.   ORU finished 30-5 during the 2022-23 season, including 21-0 against Summit League foes, becoming just the second team in conference history to run the table. The 12-seeded Eagles entered the NCAA tournament on a nation-best 17-game winning streak but fell to No. 5 Duke in the Round of 64.   Abmas earned Summit League Player of the Year for the second time and was a third team NABC All-American after ranking among the NCAA leaders in scoring (9th, 21.9 points), threes (6th, 3.50) and free throw percentage (5th, 91.9%).   Arkansas transfer Connor Vanover made an immediate impact as the nation’s second-leading shot-blocker (110). He joined Abmas on the Summit League’s first team and was both newcomer and defensive player of the year.   Junior guard Issac McBride earned second team all-conference, hitting 64 threes on 40.8% accuracy.   ORU ranked third nationally in scoring (83.3), second in threes (10.7) and sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.56).   Mills was named Summit League Coach of the Year for the first time after guiding ORU to its first 30-win season at the Division I level. He was also a finalist for the NABC’s Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year award, as well as the Hugh Durham Award (mid-major coach of the year) and the Skip Prosser Man of the Year honor, presented annually to a coach who achieves success on the basketball court and displays moral integrity off of it.   Nagging injuries to Abmas and the loss of all-conference forward Kevin Obanor to the transfer portal took a toll on ORU in 2021-22, but Eagles still managed a 19-12 record and a tie for third place in the Summit League standings (12-6).   Abmas finished the season at No. 5 in the nation in points per game (22.8) and third in three-point field goals (3.8) to earn first team all-conference and honorable mention AP All-American status for the second time.   ORU averaged 11.6 triples (fourth nationally), connecting on double-digit treys in 22 of its 31 contests. The Eagles set a school record with 21 treys in a win over Southwestern Christian and 19 against Tulsa.   Mills and his 2020-21 team were an overnight sensation, four years in the making, bursting onto the national scene with a run to the NCAA Sweet 16.   With the foundation of Mills rebuild firmly in place, the Eagles played some of their best basketball down the stretch, winning the Summit League tournament as the No. 4 seed to secure the program’s first NCAA tournament appearance since 2008.   Behind the one-two punch of Abmas, CBS Sports Third-Team All-American, Summit League Player of the Year and the nation's leading scorer (24.5 ppg), and Obanor, a College Insider Mid-Major All-American, the Golden Eagles were the Cinderella story of March. They were the highest scoring duo in the country, combining to post 43.2 points-per-game, including an incredible 50.0 points during the Eagle’s NCAA tournament run.   In the Round of 64 against No. 2 seed Ohio State, Abmas and Obanor combined for 59 points in a 75-72 overtime win. It was the program’s first NCAA tournament victory since 1974.   ORU fans didn’t have to wait long for the next one, as two days later, Mills’ Eagles sent No. 7 seed Florida packing, 81-78, becoming just the second No. 15 seed in NCAA tournament history to advance to a Regional Semifinal.   The run nearly continued with ORU battling No. 3 seed Arkansas to stalemate for 39 minutes and 57 seconds before falling 72-70 on a last-second jumper.   ORU closed the season leading the NCAA in 3-pointers made per game (11.1) and free-throw percentage (82.1), while having the 14th-highest scoring offense in the nation (81.1).   Excitement from the Golden Eagles’ Sweet 16 run sparked renewed interest in the men’s basketball program. In the Fall of 2021, ORU made a series renovations to its 50-year old arena, including new seats and a 35-foot video board, and broke ground on a multi-million dollar training facility.   ORU was dominant at home in 2019-20 posting a 13-1 record at the Mabee Center on the way to Mills' first winning season as head coach. The Golden Eagles were invited to a postseason tournament for the first time since 2015, earning a spot in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT), however the event was canceled due to COVID-19.   A 17-14 overall mark, including a 9-7 record in league play, was highlighted by ORU's ability to protect the basketball. The Eagles’ 13.9% turnover percentage was the NCAA’s second-best, according to KenPom.   Emmanuel Nzekwesi landed NABC All-District Second Team and First Team All-Summit League honors, leading ORU in scoring and rebounding in his final collegiate season, while Deondre Burns and Abmas earned recognition on the All-Newcomer Team.   ORU finished 11-21 in 2018-19 while laying the groundwork for its future success. Obanor earned the Summit League’s freshman and sixth-man of the year honors and joined fellow big man Emmanuel Nzekwesi on the all-conference second team. The duo both ranked among the league’s top-10 in scoring and rebounding.   In his first season in south Tulsa (2017-18), Mills led ORU to a fifth-place finish in The Summit League, while earning four postseason honors from the league. Albert Owens was the Sixth Man of the year, Austin Ruder was the Transfer of the Year, Nzekwesi was an honorable mention All-Summit League selection and Sam Kearns was named to the All-Newcomer team.   Mills was introduced at ORU on April 28, 2017 as the 11th head coach in program history.   AS AN ASSISTANT COACH:   Before making the trip to south Tulsa, Mills was at Baylor under Head Coach Scott Drew for 14 seasons – six as a staffer (2003-09) and the last eight as assistant coach (2009-17) -- helping the Bears graduate 36 of 38 seniors.   From 2003-17 Baylor played in seven NCAA tournaments, including a pair of NCAA Elite Eights and four Sweet 16s. The Bears were nationally-ranked for 10 straight seasons and reached No. 1 in the polls for the first time since school history during Mills’ final year (2016-17).   Mills was on the Rice staff from 2002-03 and, before that, was head coach at Fort Bend Christian Academy from 1998-2002. He led the school to its first-ever TAPPS 4A Final Four and was the South Region Coach of the Year and a four-time District Coach of the Year. Prior to his time in Sugar Land, Texas, Mills won three straight district championships as the head coach at North Belt Christian.   Mills served as the Big 12 representative for the National Association of Basketball Coaches and was a board member for the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches from 2001-03.   PERSONAL:   He is a 1996 graduate of Texas A&M with a degree in finance and completed a Master of Biblical and Theological Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary in the summer of 2020. He and his wife, Wendy Scott-Mills, have two daughters, Audrey and Abbey.     WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT PAUL MILLS:   “Paul Mills’ heart for people, passion for life and approach to the development of young people and programs is energizing. He aligns with Shocker Athletics’ core values, facilitates a first-class student-athlete experience and fuels broad-based competitive excellence. We are thrilled to welcome the Mills family – Paul, Wendy, Audrey and Abbey – to Wichita, Wichita State University and Shocker Nation!” --Kevin Saal, Wichita State Director of Athletics   “We are looking forward to the next chapter of WSU basketball under Paul Mills’ leadership. He’s fully aligned with our priorities, which includes creating success for our student athletes and a winning culture for all of Shocker Nation.” --Dr. Richard Muma, Wichita State University President   “Paul Mills helped build Baylor Basketball then took Oral Roberts to levels never before achieved. He is an outstanding coach and, above all, a man of high integrity and character. He LOVES building relationships and mentoring his players, helping them become winners on and off the court. Wichita State hit a homerun with Coach Mills.” --Scott Drew, Baylor Head Coach   “WSU hit a grand slam with Paul Mills as its new head men’s basketball coach. Paul is a terrific husband and father, a caring son, and a dynamic leader. The young men that will be blessed to be mentored and molded by his enthusiasm for faith and family will be changed for life and will be exponentially better because of the time spent with Paul and his family. Shocker Nation will have a lot to celebrate, on and off the court!!!” --Jerome Tang, Kansas State Head Coach “Paul Mills, first and foremost, is a wonderful man with a strong foundation of faith. From the time we first met, it was apparent he’d become a star in this profession. As a coach, teacher and leader, Paul is the total package. This is an absolutely tremendous hire. There’s no doubt he’ll build a program that honors the history of Shockers basketball and one that Wichita State fans will take great pride in.” --Rick Barnes, Tennessee Head Coach   “Congratulations to Kevin Saal and Wichita State on hiring one of the rising stars in college basketball in Paul Mills. Paul is an outstanding leader, will run an exemplary program and develop his student-athletes on and off the court.” -- Ian McCaw, Liberty Athletic Director   “Paul is highly regarded in the coaching profession and has all the qualities needed to restore the iconic Wichita State basketball program to its former heights and to take it to even greater renown. We are pleased to welcome Paul to our conference and to add his name to a strong roster of conference coaches. Congratulations, also, to Athletic Director Kevin Saal on this outstanding hire. There is renewed excitement in the Shockers’ men’s basketball program.” -- Mike Aresco, American Athletic Conference Commissioner.   “The hiring of Paul Mills is a great step forward for Wichita State basketball. It has been my privilege to spend many hours talking basketball with Paul and watching his teams play. He is a coach that not only understands the X’s and O’s of the game, but the importance of his role in shaping the lives of his student-athletes. His teams will be well coached and also represent Wichita State University in a first-class way. I am excited to watch the progress of the Shockers over the next several years.” Rick Byrd, Former Belmont Head Coach   “Paul Mills is one of the next stars in our profession! Wichita State just got a triple double! He is incredibly adept in his offensive schemes. He is an elite evaluator and recruiter. However,  his greatest attribute is the kind of person he is; honest, relational, relatable, and authentic! Shocker Nation got a great one!” --Ritchie McKay, Liberty Head Coach   “Paul Mills is one of the most incredible basketball minds I have ever had the pleasure of being around. His IQ and character set him apart from the rest. Wichita State got everything and more with this hire.” --Jay Williams, Former Duke guard and current ESPN college basketball analyst   THE MILLS FILE:   Full Name: Paul Kerry Mills   Birthdate: April 4, 1972 in Houston (Age 53)   Education: Undergrad: Texas A&M ‘96 Masters: Dallas Theological Seminary ‘20   Family: Wife: Wendy Daughters: Audrey & Abbey   Coaching Experience: 2023-Pr. – Wichita State – Head Coach 2017-23 – Oral Roberts – Head Coach 2009-17 – Baylor – Assistant Coach 2003-09 – Baylor – Coordinator of Operations 2002-03 – Rice – Operations 1998-02 – Fort Bend Baptist Academy, Head Coach 1995-98 – North Belt Christian Academy, Head Coach   Awards: Hugh Durham Award Finalist (2023) Jim Phelan Award Finalist (2023) Skip Prosser Man of the Year Finalist (2023) Summit League Coach of the Year (2023)   Year-by-Year (as Head Coach): 2017-18 – 11-21 2018-19 – 11-21 2019-20 – 17-14 – CIT (Invited; Canceled due to COVID-19) 2020-21 – 18-11 – NCAA Sweet 16 2021-22 – 19-12 2022-23 – 30-5 – Summit League RS, Tourney Champs, NCAA Rd. of 64 2023-24 – 15-19 2024-25 – 19-15 – NIT, First Round TOTAL: 140-118   Postseason Experience (as Head Coach): 2025 – NIT, First Round 2023 – NCAA, Round of 64 2021 – NCAA, Sweet 16 2020 – CIT, Invited (canceled due to COVID-19)   Postseason Experience (on Baylor Staff): 7 NCAA tournaments – Elite Eight (2010, 2012); Sweet 16 (2010, 2012, 2014, 2017) 2 NITs – Champion (2013), Runner-Up (2009)   Coaching Tree: Solomon Bozeman (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) Talvin Hester (Louisiana Tech)

After two seasons at Oral Roberts, Kenton Paulino accompanies head coach Paul Mills to Wichita State where he’ll take on the new title of Associate Head Coach.   Mills formally announced the promotion on April 10, 2023, stating:   “KP has done phenomenal work at every stop. He’s experienced and is a sharp tactician, an excellent recruiter and a tremendous teacher. I had the privilege of watching Kenton work up close with players during our time at ORU and saw how he dramatically propelled their development as players and people. I’m confident KP will soon be a head coach because of his diverse skillset as a leader and coach.” ORU was an offensive dynamo during Paulino’s two seasons as assistant coach (2021-23) while putting together a 49-17 record.   The 2022-23 squad recorded ORU’s first 30-win season at the Division I level (30-5) and earned its highest NCAA tournament seed in nearly four decades (No. 12). The Golden Eagles were undefeated against Summit League foes (21-0), sweeping the conference’s regular season and tournament titles.   Led by Summit League Player of the Year and NABC Third Team All-American Max Abmas (21.9 ppg), ORU finished among the NCAA leaders in scoring (3rd, 83.3 points), three-point field goals (2nd, 10.7) and assist-to-turnover ratio (6th, 1.56). They also boasted the nation’s lowest turnover percentage, per KenPom (13.2%).   Paulino came to the Golden Eagles in June of 2021 after two seasons at UTEP where he helped head coach Rodney Terry turn around a struggling program and reestablish its home court dominance with a 23-6 record at the Haskins Center.   The 2019-20 Miners totaled 17 wins – nine more than the previous year – and more than doubled their Conference USA victory total. It was the program’s first winning season in four years. UTEP went 12-12 during a COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign but jumped another 52 spots in the NCAA NET Rankings.   Paulino also assisted Terry – a former assistant from his playing days at Texas – for five seasons at Fresno State (2012-17). In between, he was part of two winning seasons at Tulsa under another of his former Longhorn mentors, Frank Haith (2017-19).   During Paulino’s five-year run in Fresno State, the Bulldogs made the postseason three times. In 2016 they finished 25-10 and won the Mountain West tournament title to secure an NCAA tournament berth. The 2014 team won 21 games and finished runner-up in the CBI, while the 2017 squad had 20 wins and an NIT invite.   Paulino spent the 2011-12 season with Pat Knight at Lamar where he took part in yet another run to the NCAA tournament. The Cardinals finished 23-12 and won the Southland Conference’s North Division and postseason tournament titles.   Paulino got his coaching start as a special assistant at his alma mater under his former head coach Rick Barnes. Texas advanced to the NCAA tournament in all three of Paulino’s seasons on staff (2008-11) and posted 75 victories. On Jan. 11, 2010, the Longhorn rose to No. 1 in the Associated Press Poll for the first time in program history.   From 2002-06, Paulino was a two-year starter and four-year letter winner for the Longhorns, appearing in 106 games while playing both the point guard and shooting guard positions. He was a member of four NCAA Tournament teams and made trips to the Final Four (2003), Elite Eight (2006) and Sweet 16 (2004). During Paulino’s senior season (2005-06), he helped the Longhorns to a 30-7 record, the Big 12 Conference regular-season title and an Elite Eight appearance. He started all 37 games that year as a team captain and was one of six players nationally named to the Sports Illustrated "All-Glue" team.   After his collegiate career, Paulino played two years of professional basketball, spending a year overseas in Turkey and another as a member of the Austin Toros (2007-08), the NBA G League affiliate of the San Antonio Spurs.   Paulino earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Ethnic Studies from Texas in 2008. The Los Angeles native is married to the former Shelette Williams and the couple has two children, Kiera and Kaleb.   Coaching Resume: 2023-Pr. – Wichita State; Associate Head Coach (Paul Mills) 2021-23 – Oral Roberts; Assistant Coach (Paul Mills) 2019-21 – UTEP; Assistant Coach (Rodney Terry) 2017-19 – Tulsa; Assistant Coach (Frank Haith) 2012-17 – Fresno State; Assistant Coach (Rodney Terry) 2011-12 – Lamar; Assistant Coach (Pat Knight) 2008-11 – Texas; Special Assistant (Rick Barnes)

Iain Laymon is the longest tenured member of Mills’ staff, having worked with him for all six years at ORU. He was elevated to an assistant coach in 2024 after spending the previous two seasons as the director of player development.   He’ll continue that role at WSU, preparing student-athletes for personal, academic and athletic success. His responsibilities include the coordination of individual development sessions with players as well as internal and opponent scouting reports. “Iain is a star in this profession," Mills said. "He had so much influence in our ascension at ORU during my tenure, and his work ethic is second to none. I’ve watched his development up close these past six years, and he’s as good a coach, relationship builder and competitor as I’ve observed during my nearly 30 years of coaching basketball. He truly prioritizes the players and their development. I’m glad he is on our team.”   Throughout his time at ORU (2017-23), Laymon assisted the staff with its game and practice preparations and self-scouting. He cut video clips for scouting reports and aided with the collection and distribution of game film.   Laymon gained additional experience during the off seasons, touring two summers in Liberia with Managers on a Mission (now called Uncommon Sports Group) and another in Israel with Athletes in Action (2019). A native of Cambridge City, Ind., Laymon was a four-year student manager at Indiana under Tom Crean (2013-17) while working toward his undergraduate degree in sport marketing and management. He added a Leadership Master of Business Administration degree from ORU in 2020.

 Xavier Holland was elevated to an assistant coach in 2024 after joining head coach Paul Mills' staff as a special assistant. “X is a player’s dream," Mills said when announcing the hire. "There are no office hours in his world. He makes their daily improvement his top priority and is available around the clock to teach and assist. X is strategic about the time that he puts in with each individual player and caters their daily development toward a long-term blueprint. Every drill is another building block in place that will eventually take their games to new heights. Past players have cherished their time with X because of his expertise and teaching ability. He is one of the bright young coaches in college basketball.”   Holland has spent the past year in Nashville, Tenn. as Lipscomb’s Director of Operations under head coach Lennie Accuff. He helped the Bisons to a 20-win season and a berth in the 2023 ASUN tournament semifinals.   Prior to that, Holland assisted the ORU staff as a graduate manager from 2020-22 and was part of the Golden Eagles’ 2021 run to the Sweet 16.   His resume also includes a year as assistant coach at Beckley Prep in West Virginia (2020-21) and two years at Northwestern Ohio (2017-19). In between he interned for the men’s basketball program at Michigan (2019-20).   The Fluvanna County, Va. native started his collegiate playing career at Mt. Vernon Nazarene in Ohio before transferring to NAIA Truett McConnell University near Atlanta. He was an all-conference point guard for the Bears averaging 4.8 assists with a better-than 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio over his two seasons (2014-16).   Holland earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Truett McConnell in 2016 while serving as a student assistant and added a master’s degree from ORU in 2022.

Nolan Magee was named Director of Basketball Operations for the Wichita State men's basketball program in September 2024. As the Director of Operations, Magee has a hand in scheduling, camps, practice times, team itineraries and coordinating academics between student-athletes and student services. Magee followed head coach Paul Mills to Wichita State after a year as a graduate assistant at Oral Roberts. He completed his master's degree as a graduate assistant at Wichita State in May 2024 and was elevated to Director of Operations. Prior to Oral Roberts, Magee was a student manager for the Iowa State University men's basketball program for four years. He graduated from Iowa State in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in marketing. He is a native of West Des Moines, Iowa.

Ognjen Stranjina was named the Director of Recruiting in July of 2023. Stranjina handles recruiting efforts for the men’s basketball staff, including travel itineraries, prospective student-athlete visits and prep tournaments. He comes to Wichita State after two years as a graduate assistant on Paul Mills’ staff at Oral Roberts. Prior to coming over to the U.S. from Serbia, Stranjina was the Director of Scouting for Balkan Prospects for three years, and was a commissioner’s assistant for the Serbian Basketball Federation and Junior NBA Serbia League. Stranjina received his bachelor’s degree in faculty of sports and physical education from the University of Belgrade in 2021. He then obtained his master’s degree in sports management from Oral Roberts in June of 2023. He is a native of Belgrade, Serbia.