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Wichita State completes coaching staff, hiring assistant K.T. Turner

Turner_mug

Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall has found his replacement for the departed Dana Ford, hiring former Texas A&M Corpus Christi assistant K.T. Turner on Thursday.

Ford decided to return to his alma mater last month, joining new head coach Dan Muller’s staff at Illinois State. That opened the door for Marshall to hire Turner, who has also been an assistant at Northern Arizona as well as multiple junior colleges.

“K.T. has a well-respected name in college basketball, especially in our region,” Marshall said in the school release. “I have been impressed with him while recruiting his players at Hutchinson Community College, and liked the way he deals with everyone on a personal level.

“He is a welcome addition to our staff.”

Marshall’s quote on his dealings with Turner while recruiting kids from Hutchinson is one to take note of, especially considering how successful the Shockers have been with junior college recruits.

“I am ecstatic about coaching at Wichita State and for Coach Marshall,” Turner said in the release. “I feel he is one of the best coaches in the country, and that Chris Jans and Greg Heiar are two of the top assistants in the country. I look forward to learning a lot from them.

“I grew up in Kansas, have always admired Wichita State, and I know the importance of basketball to Wichita State.”

The Shockers went 26-6 last season (16-2 MVC), winning the regular season title in the Missouri Valley and earning a 5-seed in the West region, where they fell to VCU in the Round of 64.

Wichita State has to replace their top five scorers from last season, led by center Garrett Stutz and guard Joe Ragland, meaning that rising senior forward Carl Hall (MVC Newcomer of the Year) will have a lot more responsibility on his shoulders.

The Shockers do add an outstanding guard in freshman Fred Van Vleet (along with forward Deontae Hawkins), who should have ample opportunities to contribute in 2012-13.

Raphielle is also the assistant editor at CollegeHoops.net and can be followed on Twitter at @raphiellej.