[00:00:14] Speaker A: Hello. Welcome to the Roundhouse podcast with Paul Solentrop of Wichita State University strategic communications. Thanks so much for listening. Today's guest is Selyse Blow of the Shocker women's basketball team. Selyse is a sophomore guard from Plano Senior High School in Texas. She's coming off a strong freshman season in which she averaged 12.3 points. She earned AAC Freshman of the week honors three times. Solis scored a season high 24 points against SMU. She had 23 at North Texas and 20 against Dayton. She also earned AAC Academic all conference honors last season. Shockers play an exhibition game. It's coming up on October 30 1st. Northeastern State, they opened the season for real on November 4 versus Oklahoma Christian at Coc Arena. Solis, let's start. Favorite WNBA favorite NBA player. Who do you enjoy watching?
[00:01:06] Speaker B: My favorite NBA player right now would probably be Ja Morant. Or we just gonna stick to Ja Morant. Ja Morant and then WNBA.
I can name so many of them. I just like watching so many different people play. So, like, Nafisa Collier on the lynx, Dejane Carrington on the sun, Asia Wilson. Chelsea Gray. Kelsey plum. Kalia copper.
I'm missing a rike. Agambu ale.
There's one more. I'm forgetting one more. One more. Oh, Kayla McBride on the links, too.
[00:01:44] Speaker A: Okay. That's a lot of WNBA players.
[00:01:46] Speaker B: Okay, so my favorite. I like just. I'll just. I'll say Kalia Carper is my favorite.
[00:01:52] Speaker A: Okay. Is there one of those WNBA players that you try to steal things from, model your game after a little bit?
[00:01:59] Speaker B: Khalia, definitely.
[00:02:00] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:02:00] Speaker B: She can shoot way better than me, but, like, just the way that she, like, handles the ball, gets to her spots.
I like watching her, too. Oh, and Jackie Young on the aces. I model her. I try to model her a lot, too. Actually, when I watched film with coach Brooke, like, last week, she was showing me synergy footage of Jackie Young and, like, how she, like, uses jabs to get to her spots, how she's always moving. So I'd say I model my game after those, too. I try to.
[00:02:26] Speaker A: Is that a helpful way of learning to see video of them?
[00:02:29] Speaker B: It definitely is, because what she's doing is not nothing that I can't do, even though she is a part of some stuff that she can do, I can't. But just like what Brooke shows me, I can be able to break it down and use it in the game. So it's what she shows me is. Is very doable.
[00:02:42] Speaker A: So you sound very locked into the WNBA. Take us through your journey. As a WNBA fan, when did you really start following it closely?
[00:02:50] Speaker B: I've been watching basketball all my life, so I really couldn't even give you, like, a date or, like, a time in my life where I started watching the WNBA, but I've been watching it since forever, so I really couldn't give you, like, a time, but I've been watching it for a while.
I started, like, the women's college, of course, and then, like, you know, men's and women's. And then I got to the NBA first, of course, because it's more, you know, broadcast, and then the WNBA.
[00:03:15] Speaker A: Tell us about your journey to Wichita State. How did you end up choosing the school?
[00:03:18] Speaker B: So, coming out of high school or, like, my sophomore year, I didn't really have too many offers, but after junior year, they started to roll in a little more. I think I ended up with, like, six or seven, and I took a visit to North Texas and then a visit here, and then I was like, you know, I kind of like it here. So then I committed, and then when Keitha ended up leaving, she had called me and was like, hey, if you. My contract ended or whatever, if you would like to come to Utah, we always have a spot. And I was like, okay. Then I got to thinking about it. I was like, you know, I'm already committed to Wichita, so I might as well stay. And then I saw Nooner got the job, and his whole coaching staff kind of looked like me in a sense, so I was more comfortable here, and then I was like, you know, might as well stay, then see what the future holds.
[00:04:09] Speaker A: What did you like about Coach Nooner that you decided to stick with Wichita State and play for him?
[00:04:14] Speaker B: So, just like, what he told me about, like, what he wants to do as far as, like, being a winning organization and stuff like that, I was definitely drawn into that factor because coming out of high school, my last year, we didn't do so well, so I was, you know, tired of losing and stuff. So, like, what he said was kind of like, okay. And then, like, the way he was gonna coach me up to get to where we could win a lot of the times I was locked in.
[00:04:38] Speaker A: He was very pleased last year with how you came ready to play from a conditioning standpoint. Take us through that. A lot of freshmen, that's a tough adjustment for them. You were ready. How did you get ready?
[00:04:49] Speaker B: My mom was always a sticker on me being in shape, so. Cause, like, for her refereeing job, she has to be in shape and she's like, she told me, like, when you go to college, like, being in shape is the main thing. You're not gonna get to play if you're not in shape. So at home, I would always go to the gym, like, my dad, he said the same thing, she said, but I would always go to the gym with my dad. And then after we shoot and do ball handling drills, I'm on the line, I'm running. Or sometimes I go to the track with my mom. So for both of them, it was just them knowing what it takes and just instilling it in me.
[00:05:20] Speaker A: Demetrius and Stacy, that's your father and your mother. Both of them, big basketball backgrounds. How did growing up in that kind of a family, how did that influence you?
[00:05:31] Speaker B: I always, especially my mom, like, playing in Arizona, I was always like, you know, I want to be like my mom. Like, she played in college, so definitely that. And with my dad too, like, just knowing that he played, just knowing both my parents played, I just wanted to, you know, follow in their footsteps. They both also did track, but I'm not fast enough for track. So I was like, they both play basketball. You know, I want to play. And I fell in love with it at a young age. And their constant influence and their constant advice just led me to want to continue to do it outside of high school.
[00:05:57] Speaker A: Did you try other sports, or was it always basketball?
[00:05:59] Speaker B: I did. I did track of volleyball, soccer. I was a big soccer kid.
Soccer was the most fun. I was never really good at volleyball. And then I kind of just did track for conditioning. I was never fast enough. But basketball has always been the top since I was. Since I started in kindergarten.
[00:06:16] Speaker A: So you mentioned your mother played at Arizona. She now officiates college games, g league games. Do you have a more sympathetic view of officials because of what your mom does?
[00:06:27] Speaker B: Only with her.
[00:06:28] Speaker A: Only with her?
[00:06:28] Speaker B: Yeah, only with her. Like, when I go to, like some. Like, if I was able to go to a college game or a G league to watch her. Like, when people say stuff, I gotta get real defensive. Cause she's my mom, but I don't have sympathy for any other raps. Just my mom.
[00:06:40] Speaker A: Just your mom. Have you watched her officiate quite often?
[00:06:43] Speaker B: Only on Tv.
[00:06:44] Speaker A: Only on Tv.
[00:06:44] Speaker B: Cause most of the time when she's doing stuff, I'm playing here. So I watch it on Tv. And then, like, when she makes a call and the bench doesn't like it, or, like, I hear or, like, I'll hear people, like, combat her call, I get mad. Cause, like, why are you talking to my mom like that? Yeah.
[00:06:59] Speaker A: Do you ever give her notes? Do you ever say mom? You know, I think maybe you missed that.
[00:07:02] Speaker B: I do. I do. And then she's like, you think so? And then we'll go back and watch it, like on her thing. And then sometimes I'll be wrong. But, yeah, I do it just cause.
[00:07:11] Speaker A: I think officials are probably right more often than we, than we often give them credit for. Definitely your nickname, Bobo. Tell us about the origins of your nickname.
[00:07:19] Speaker B: Oh, my God. I love telling this story. So when I was a baby, my full name was Solis Blow. And when I was a baby, I would pronounce my first name as Solis and then my last name as Bo. So my mama took my pronunciation of my last name as Bo and she made Bo Bonjennae. So that's where it comes from.
[00:07:37] Speaker A: Good story. Good story.
Coach Terry Nooner has a picture of you in his phone in the practice gym. 08:00 on a Wednesday night. You're shooting on your own. Why are you working so hard?
[00:07:49] Speaker B: Me too. Like, nothing is going to be given to me and my mom. That's one of the things my mom and dad told me. Nothing is given to you. You have to earn it. And even though I'm going by myself, I just know that I'm like, what's done in the darkest, you know, it shows. So I don't have to have anybody with me. I don't have to post about it. I don't have to tell anybody. I'm going. I can just go just cause I don't need the validation. Only validation I need from anybody is myself. Like, I just know what I have to do and what it takes. And being those late nights is what it takes.
[00:08:19] Speaker A: Describe practices with coach Terry nooner. What are they like?
[00:08:24] Speaker B: You on a good day or a bad day?
[00:08:25] Speaker A: Let's go both. That would be a fair, well rounded description. Let's go both.
[00:08:30] Speaker B: So a good day is us doing a lot of shooting drills, a lot of scrimmaging. So, like, using our practice players to go through plays, and we're playing defense on them against certain plays, learning principles, learning new stuff, a little bit of conditioning at the end, you know, just because we need it. That's a good day on a bad day.
And of course, bad days stem from us not having enough energy and, you know, not coming off of an off day, not really locked in. So a lot of running, a lot of yelling, a lot of.
Yeah, he really tries not to yell at us, but sometimes it's self inflicted harm on ourselves. Cause we're not coming in locked in.
[00:09:08] Speaker A: He seems like such a nice, outgoing, good humor guy, but he does have a tougher side to him.
[00:09:15] Speaker B: He has an edge.
[00:09:15] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, definitely.
[00:09:17] Speaker B: Only if you bring it out of him.
[00:09:18] Speaker A: Right. So when they're. When practice isn't going well, who is the voice in the locker room? Oftentimes that's more important than the coach. Coach can yell and sometimes it just becomes background noise. Who's the voice in the locker room that's saying, all right, it's time for us to pick it up?
[00:09:33] Speaker B: I would say me, like, I'm growing into more of a, you know, talkative role. It was very, like, quiet last year. I'm still learning. So I would give a lot of props to Ella as well. Ella's such a sweet girl. She is always speaking positivity in the others.
[00:09:48] Speaker A: Ella Anco is who you're talking about. Center.
[00:09:51] Speaker B: The Wichita native.
[00:09:51] Speaker A: Yes, right, Wichita native. Cape and Mount Carmel High School.
[00:09:55] Speaker B: So definitely her. She's always positive. I think a lot of people pitch in, so. But definitely Ella's. I guess she speaks like positivity. And Taylor sometimes says stuff, too, so it's a lot of different people describe this team.
[00:10:09] Speaker A: What do you like about what you've seen from the shockers so far?
[00:10:11] Speaker B: I like how fast we can play, like getting up the court. I like how defense is a major component because it pushes me to.
What am I trying to say? Okay, so I like how the team is like, we can play faster and how defense is like the main core we're trying to do. And it pushes me to work on my defense more because even this was definitely a struggle for me last year. So with Nunner bringing in a lot of defensive like players, it allows me. It actually pushes me to no work on mine so I can stay on the court because I know defense is going to be something that he really, really harps on. So if I'm able to get buckets and, you know, lock somebody up on defense or be in help at the right time or, you know, get a rebound, that'll help me a lot.
[00:10:56] Speaker A: So fans got a brief look at the shockers at shocker madness. I thought the women's team really played well. That was a nice, crisp scrimmage.
Just give fans a sneak peek who is a newcomer or two that's really made a good impression on you. Who should they be paying attention to when they come out later this month to watch?
[00:11:16] Speaker B: Definitely KP, the little freshman. She's super energetic on defense. Like, she's gonna pick you up full court for the whole game. She doesn't care. She doesn't get tired. She runs super fast off the court. She's able to kick the ball off the court, make full court passes. So she's definitely an electric player to watch.
[00:11:32] Speaker A: Do you guard her? Does she guard you a lot in practice? What's that like being guarded by a pest like that?
[00:11:38] Speaker B: It pushes me to go to the gym, like, at late hours and work on my ball handling because I know I'm gonna go up against the, like her, who are really good at watching the ball, so.
[00:11:46] Speaker A: And that is KP Parr. She's a freshman guard. She's from Waco. Am I remembering that right? Yes, yes. I've heard, heard some good things about KP, definitely. So you had a strong freshman year. Why do you think you were able to come in and make that adjustment as smoothly as you did?
[00:12:02] Speaker B: Just knowing, like, going back to what my parents told me, like, nothing is given, you know, you gotta work hard. And just me coming in, wanting it bad for myself, like, I don't want to come in and be the one. I can be the freshman who just rised upon. I want to actually play, and I want to be able to work into my playing time. I don't want anything to be given to me. So I know usually coming into college, a lot of freshmen, they kind of sit their first year, they don't get to play a lot. I was like, no, I don't want that to be me. I want to show him enough to where he has no choice but to play me.
[00:12:30] Speaker A: So you have the strong freshman year. Things change. As a sophomore, maybe you move up a couple rungs in the scouting report, defenses adjusted. What are you working on to keep things moving in the right direction? As a sophomore?
[00:12:42] Speaker B: Definitely, I said defense earlier, but definitely my three point shooting. So, like, I know I won't be able to get to the basket a lot of the time. There's a lot of trees down there, a lot of tall girls, and a lot of different people possibly coming at me. So just being able to score at three levels is definitely or two or hot, however, but just being able to score from three mid range as well. And when I can get to the basket, but definitely three point range is like something I'm definitely focused on.
[00:13:09] Speaker A: So last season, you would have been able to learn from observe with DJ McCarty and treasurer Joe, both very experienced college guards on the team. What are you doing this year to help out the newcomers just giving them.
[00:13:22] Speaker B: A lot of positivity every day. Knowing that not every day is going to be good, especially for, like, when we have hard days in practice, knowing that, like, hey, this isn't, like, I tell them to just psych themselves out. Cause, like, Noona can get worse, like, a bad day. Like, he can have even worse days. So I just tell them to, you know, keep their heads up, don't get discouraged about stuff like that. Like, we're gonna win and lose as a team. It's just about how we bounce back day to day.
[00:13:46] Speaker A: So when a fan comes and watches the shockers, what do you hope they are thinking about Solis blow when they walk out of the arena?
[00:13:54] Speaker B: I hope that they thought I did a lot of things well. I hope they thought that I scored the ball well, facilitated well in the offense, saw my open people, made good assists, played great defense, and got some rebounds. I hope that they think, like, they walk in the gym, like, dang. Like, she really does a lot, and she really can play.
[00:14:12] Speaker A: So, over the last two years, I guess, Wichita State has made a lot of investment in things such as nutrition, strength and conditioning, mental health.
You were part of a group that went to Dylan's over the summer to learn more about how do we properly fuel our bodies. What have you picked up from the. All these kind of tips and. And support that's been helpful for you?
[00:14:33] Speaker B: Well, going to Dillon's was, like, really eye opening because we don't have a Dillon's in Texas. So I was like, oh, wow. Like, we have Kroger's and Tom thumbs in Texas, but going to the Dillon's, it was just like, it was something. Like, it was. Every aisle was packed, so I was like, oh, my gosh, there's, like, so much to choose from. So definitely going to the nutrition. Like, the nutrition people shows that, like, a lot of what I eat isn't good, and there's very, like, healthy and, like, other, like, healthier options that I could choose from. And, like, we just had a nutrition workshop last week with our nutritionist here, and we got to make these snacks. They were like, they consisted of rolled oats, peanut butter, honey, vanilla extract, chocolate chips, and seasoned salt. Oh, not season salt, but just salt. And, like, you roll them up into, like, a ball, and you can put them in a bag, and you can put them in the refrigerator or the freezer. They last up to, like, I think it was a month or something like that. And it's like, just. They called them power bites, like, energy bites. You can have before practice. They were super healthy, and I was sometimes eating them after practice because they were so good. Like, I just use them as a regular snack. So just having a nutritionist and, like, being able to go to workshops or, like, being able to go to Dylan's, it helps a lot. So I can balance what I eat, so I don't eat bad every day.
[00:15:55] Speaker A: What's been the food that's been toughest to cut down or cut back on for you?
[00:16:01] Speaker B: Probably chick fil a or wingstop. I love wingstop, but Chipotle's not too unhealthy. But I guess if I get steak instead of chicken, so I guess. Definitely, definitely chipotle, wingstop, or chick fil.
[00:16:15] Speaker A: A. I hear that a lot about Chipotle. It's a place you can go, and you can be reasonably healthy.
[00:16:20] Speaker B: You can either be healthy or unhealthy.
[00:16:22] Speaker A: Right. What advice would you give to a high school athlete, maybe in the position you were as a sophomore, just beginning to figure this all out? What advice would you give to them when they're checking out colleges and starting to make this decision?
[00:16:39] Speaker B: I'd say go choose a college where you know that you're gonna succeed, like, academically and on the courthouse, because academics is a part of it as well. So make sure they have your major. Make sure when you visit, like, the campuses, what you, like. Make sure when you go watch practices, you're watching how engaged they are in practice and, like, what coach expects out of them. And you can tie that back to yourself, like, hey, am I doing enough, like, am I working out hard enough to play in college, or am I studying hard enough to go to this school and, like, you know, and pursue my major? So definitely, like, looking in, look at the academic side and the physical side.
[00:17:21] Speaker A: Tell us about your academic interest. What are you studying?
[00:17:23] Speaker B: Forensic science.
[00:17:24] Speaker A: Okay. What do you want to do with that in the future?
[00:17:26] Speaker B: Possibly go to the FBI.
My aunt put that thought in my head. I was like, oh, yeah. But I've been wondering, like, if I wanted to change it or not. If I was to change it, it would probably go to, like, physical training or something. But, um, it's definitely forensic science right now.
[00:17:40] Speaker A: Okay. Interesting. When I hear people talk about good academics and being an athlete, you're very busy. They always seem to say time management is a key. Do you have a time management tip for people? What keeps you organized?
[00:17:53] Speaker B: I have a whiteboard calendar in my room that's posted, like, on the door outside of my bathroom. So when I wake up and I turn my body to get out of my bed. I see it every day. So I look before I go in my bathroom every day. I look to see, see what assignments I have, and I tie them into my day. So I practice at 1245 and 130, and I have the rest of the day after that. I need to get some assignments done before I go to bed.
[00:18:15] Speaker A: Okay, very good. Let's wrap up. Give people a recommendation. What are you reading or watching or listening to?
What should people check out?
[00:18:25] Speaker B: So there's a book that my assistant coach, coach Brooke, just gave me, like a couple weeks ago. It's called what drives winning? By Brett Ledbetter. It's a lot of motivational quotes in there and a lot of famous coaches in there who talk about how practices go and what they expect from players and what they expect from their staff as well. So it's just a great read. It gives me confidence on the court and just pushes me to keep going.
[00:18:54] Speaker A: And give us the name and the author again.
[00:18:55] Speaker B: What drives winning? By Brett Letbetter.
[00:18:58] Speaker A: What drives winning? Coaches are big on those kind of books. Okay, the shockers, they play an exhibition game October 30 versus north eastern state. The real season opens November 4 versus Oklahoma Christian. Some other notable home games for the Shockers old Missouri Valley conference rival Missouri State comes in on November 13. Oklahoma on November 19, the Shockers start American Athletic Conference play against North Texas, one of the teams that shared the conference title last season and had a real interesting game with the Shockers in Denton last season. That game is December 29 at home. Solis Blow, thank you very much for your time.
[00:19:34] Speaker B: Thank you for having me.
[00:19:50] Speaker A: Hi, this is Rick Newma, president of Wichita State University. Check out the latest episode of the Forward together podcast. Each episode, I sit down with different guests from Shocker nation to celebrate the vision and mission of Wichita State University.
[00:20:04] Speaker B: Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
[00:20:21] Speaker A: Thank you for listening to the Roundhouse podcast, courtesy of Wichita State University Strategic Communications. We encourage you to rate, review and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can find more Roundhouse
[email protected] dot it's over. It is over, ladies and gentlemen. Say it slowly and savor it. Wichita State is going to the final four for the first time in 48 years. Unbelievable.
[00:20:52] Speaker B: What a scene, folks. The shocker fans are just going crazy in this dance.
[00:20:56] Speaker A: Just maybe the greatest win in the history of Wichita state basketball.
