Former Runnin’ Indian Larry Wise earns second LSC Player of the Week honor

KBEC Sports report

CANYON, Texas — A change in scenery is proving to be quite beneficial to the basketball career of former Waxahachie standout Larry Wise.

After transferring from Division-I UNT to Division-II powerhouse West Texas A&M this past spring, Wise was selected as the Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week — again. 

Wise earned the honors for the second time this season after leading the 11th-ranked Buffs to a pair of victories over Texas A&M-Commerce and UT Tyler, who each received votes in the national polls. 

Against the Patriots, the Waxahachie product posted a season-high 27 points while matching his season-best eight rebounds and six assists.

During the weekend, he averaged 23.0 points, shooting 50 percent (16-of-32) from the field, 35 percent (5-of-14) from beyond the arc and 75 percent (9-of-12) at the free-throw line. Wise also dished out 3.5 assists a game and collected nine rebounds with one steal.

Wise previously garnered LSC Player of the Week honors after he torched Eastern New Mexico and Western New Mexico for 18 and 19 points on 52.2% shooting from the field. He also pulled down 11 rebounds and dished out seven assists in the two conference wins on Dec. 2 and 4, respectively.

The 6-foot-4 guard is currently averaging 14.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in his first season with the Buffs. 

Wise is classified as a sophomore, following redshirt, medical redshirt and COVID-shortened seasons during his collegiate campaign at UNT. He appeared in 14 games a sophomore in 2019-20, averaging 5.8 minutes per contest before suffering a season-ending injury. He also played in four games this past season for a Mean Green team that made it to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. 

The 2018 Waxahachie graduate helped lead the Runnin’ Indians to the regional semifinal and top-20 national ranking during his senior campaign. He averaged 18 points per game that season, starring alongside former WTAMU guard Qua Grant (now at Witchita State) and current Buff guard JT Warren.