Wichita State basketball lands Kansas juco national champion in 2025 recruiting

Following an official visit earlier this week, Barton Community College point guard Dre Kindell committed to the Wichita State men’s basketball team on Thursday.

After playing as a key reserve for last season’s NJCAA national championship team, Kindell is motivated to show what he can do with an expanded role this season at Barton. If he is as successful as he believes he will be, his recruiting likely would have exploded in the spring.

But WSU’s dogged pursuit, led by assistant coach T.J. Cleveland, resonated with Kindell. He picked the Shockers over programs like UAB, Milwaukee and Robert Morris.

“I feel like if you can believe in me now, before I do what I know I’m capable of doing,” Kindell told The Eagle, “then that’s where I want to be.”

Kindell averaged a modest 9.7 points and 2.6 assists in 20.1 minutes per game as a freshman on a Barton team that finished 36-1 and won the program’s first national title.

According to his coach, Kindell is capable of much more.

“One of the biggest reasons why we were successful last year was our ability to play together as a team, but also because we had someone like Dre who sacrificed,” Barton coach Jeremy Coombs said. “He could have played a lot more, scored a lot more and probably started for a lot of other teams, but his sacrifice helped us. He’s going to be a huge part of what we’re going to do this year.”

With potentially nine players exhausting their eligibility this season, including point guards Justin Hill and Bijan Cortes, it makes sense for WSU coach Paul Mills to target an older point guard in what is shaping up to be a massive 2025 recruiting class. The Shockers landed a commitment from high school wing Tyrus Rathan-Mayes earlier this month.

While the 6-foot, 165-pound guard has a diminutive stature, Coombs compares him to boxer Roy Jones Jr., who was often called the best “pound-for-pound” competitor in his sport. He also likened his competitive spirit and play style to former Kansas State standout Markquis Nowell.

“He’s got that same mentality, which you have to have if you’re going to be a smaller player,” Coombs said. “He’s probably one of the quickest guards in juco basketball. The kid is an absolute blur on the court and he’s got the basketball on a string. He could run sprints against our guys with him running with the basketball and the others just running and he’s going to beat them.”

That speed was on full display in Kindell’s workout on Tuesday during his official visit to WSU. According to sources, the coaching staff was impressed by just how quick Kindell was with the ball in his hands. They envision him easily breaking down defenses, getting into the paint and making plays — either at the rim for himself or creating for others.

Another aspect of Kindell’s game that caught the eye of his future coaches was his raw athleticism. He can make a 360 windmill dunk look effortless, which looks cool for pre-game warm-ups, but that kind of athleticism translates on the court to real basketball skills — particularly on the defensive end.

Wondering how Kindell will hold his own on the defensive end in the American Athletic Conference? He says his determination will more than make up for what he might lack in bulk.

“I’ve heard I was too small my whole life,” Kindell said. “None of that matters because I have heart. You can match me up with anybody, a 7-footer, whoever, and I feel like I’m going to come out on top every single time I step on the court.”

Kindell, a Cincinnati native, has been motivated his entire life by proving people wrong, including those who might doubt him because of his size.

But for his upcoming juco season, he’s focused on proving WSU right — and showing what could come at Koch Arena next year.

“I want to win a national championship again,” Kindell said. “That’s the goal and I’m going to do whatever I’ve got to do to win it.”