Kenyon Giles will miss Wichita State’s Murray State exhibition with ankle sprain

Wichita State guard Kenyon Giles will miss Wednesday’s exhibition against Murray State because of a sprained ankle, coach Paul Mills said Tuesday, according to Wichita Eagle beat writer Taylor Eldridge. The absence removes last season’s leading scorer from the Shockers’ first public test of the preseason.

Eldridge reported directly from Mills’ media availability that the exhibition will run for 40 minutes and no Wichita State player will play more than 25 minutes. Giles’ injury is an additional limit on the group Mills will have available at Charles Koch Arena.

Giles averaged 19.1 points last season and earned all-conference honors, according to Wichita State’s account of his return published September 25. He helped a team that finished 24-12 and reached the NIT quarterfinals. The latest report does not supply a recovery timetable or rule him out of the regular-season opener.

His return had already required Wichita State to plan through uncertainty over a fifth season of college eligibility. The university’s September account said a preliminary injunction in Indiana had cleared Giles to play at that time while legal proceedings continued. Tuesday’s absence was attributed to his ankle, rather than a new eligibility decision.

Mills has described a broader offensive plan for this roster. In the university’s September interview, he said newcomers Jordan Frison and Jahari Long would join Giles in the backcourt, with more players capable of scoring and creating opportunities. Both newcomers averaged double figures at their previous schools, according to that account.

Wednesday’s exhibition will therefore give the available group work without Giles. Mills’ reported 25-minute cap means the game is also designed to spread playing time across the roster rather than reproduce a full regular-season rotation.

Murray State’s official announcement lists tipoff at 6:30 p.m. Central on October 7. The teams are splitting proceeds between the Wichita Children’s Home and Cheese Johnson’s UJUMP. The event is an exhibition, and Tuesday’s injury update applies specifically to Giles’ availability for that game.

Giles’ absence changes the personnel available for Wednesday’s exhibition. His regular-season availability has not been settled by this report.