After locking up head men's basketball coach Greg Marshall, the Wichita State Shockers are expecting to have both Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet back for their senior seasons.
The team announced Baker's return in a statement in which the Shockers' guard indicated VanVleet made the same choice. ESPN's Jeff Goodman backed up Baker's claim, confirming VanVleet would also be exercising his final year of NCAA eligibility.
It is not clear if Marshall's decision to stay at Wichita State influenced the decisions of two of his key players.
"I spent a lot of time talking it over with Coach, my teammates and my family," Baker said in the statement. "The reality is, I felt like any decision I made was going to be a good one. I think I'll eventually be successful at the next level, but with what we have coming in and the people we have returning, including Fred VanVleet, next season has the potential to be very special. It's been an amazing ride here at WSU, and my family and I aren't quite ready for it to end."
Baker averaged nearly 15 points per game last season, including a .383 shooting percentage from beyond the three-point arc. VanVleet, also a guard, averaged about 13-and-a-half points and five assists per game. Both players have exhibited steady improvement every year and figure to help Wichita State earn a top-10 preseason ranking.
"We are so happy to be able to coach Ron Baker during his senior season," Marshall said in the statement. "It goes without saying that Ron has already established himself as an all-time Shocker great, as well as an iconic figure in college basketball. Any coach would be hard-pressed to find a better representative of his program."