Xavier Bell: Setting the Standard

Xavier Bell is getting his daily vitamins, but not the ones you’d find at the pharmacy. He’s arriving to the gym before practice and staying after, putting up extra shots, getting in extra lifts — not to mention studying to complete his master’s degree — and it’s paying off. 

“Daily vitamins is what they’re called, trying to do something every day, whether it’s work out, a lift, a stretch, just to give back to the game so hopefully it sees that — and I think the basketball gods are real, so hopefully they see that and they see you putting in so much time and effort; they’ll give something back to you,” Bell said. 

The senior guard at Wichita State University is putting up career high numbers this season, and has become a leader for the Shockers, setting a high standard of work ethic and character, shaping the culture of the team for years to come. 

“It’s been a lot of confidence, I bank a lot of the stuff that I’m able to do now on my faith and really my resiliency to keep showing up every day,” Bell said. “But at the same time, it’s not all on me, I’m not the only one showing up in the gym, I’ve got a bunch of GAs coming in early morning, staying after practice, I’ve got guys going through film, I’ve got family members who are reaching out to me, it takes a whole village for somebody to start to make the right stride, but at the same time it doesn’t happen overnight.”

Bell has a strong tie to the city and the university. The senior is originally from the Wichita area — playing both football and basketball at Andover Central High School and earning top honors as a high school basketball player, including a McDonald’s All-American nomination. He was named Mr. Basketball by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association and led the Jaguars to a state title his junior year. 

But his ties to WSU run even deeper — his father, Wayne Bell, a native of St. Louis, played football at WSU. It’s what brought him to Wichita years ago, but the elder Bell’s time as a Shocker student-athlete stopped short when the football program was cut after his sophomore season. Now, he’s once again a regular on campus, attending every game in support of his son. 

“It’s been a real blessing to see Xavier come through and be able to do all of those things that I would loved to have done,” Wayne Bell said. “He’s been able to flourish, and he’s doing really well right here in Wichita. It’s been wonderful, it’s definitely full circle.” 

A Shocker Namesake

At the time Wayne Bell attended Wichita State University, legends like Antoine Carr, Aubrey Sherrod and Xavier McDaniel played basketball for the Shockers. All three would go on to play professional basketball. Wayne Bell and McDaniel became friends, and Wayne went on to name his son, Xavier, after the Shocker legend. 

“It wasn’t so much that I named him after Xavier [McDaniel] because of the relationship, it was because I really loved his name,” Wayne Bell said. “I thought it was cool that everyone called him ‘X-Man’ and that name was one of my favorites. It’s cool to see Xavier [Bell] embracing that.” 

Xavier Bell is now a key player for the Shockers, both on the court and off, embodying his namesake who held a similar role in the mid 1980s. Bell has watched some of the most successful Shocker teams in action as he was growing up in Wichita, and he understands the tradition of Wichita State basketball. 

“Being around when they went to the Final Four, seeing that, experiencing that — I just hold that time and remember what it can be like when we’re winning. It’s something I try and work toward every single day,” Bell said. 

Bell’s work in the gym has led him to a standout season — averaging more than 14 points per game, making more than 36 percent from three-point range and more than 86 percent behind the free-throw line — improvements of 7 and 13 percent respectively from last season. Coach Paul Mills attributes these strides to Bell’s extra work and dedication. 

“You can get 3 to 5 percent better, and if you see guys doing that they probably had to put in a ton of time in order to do that — but you don’t see double digit jumps in one year,” Mills said. “It’s a tribute to him; he wants to leave this place better than he found it.” 

‘If you keep showing up with the right attitude, right intentions, it will all play out the way it should.’ — Xavier Bell

The hard work, the daily vitamins as Bell calls them, they are coming despite the team’s struggles. Wichita State men’s basketball has struggled to reach .500 over Bell’s time on the team. They’ve gone through coaching staff changes and player transfers, but Bell understands that the work he’s putting in now will set the foundation for future greatness. 

“At the end of the day, it’s not always pretty going through these transitional years, but it can’t be like this forever,” Bell said. “If you keep showing up with the right attitude, right intentions, it will all play out the way it should.”

That’s the legacy Bell will leave at Wichita State — selflessness, hard work, dedication and, as Coach Mills calls it, a high care factor. 

“These players will hear about Xavier Bell for a while — his approach. I don’t know that he’s ever missed a single practice. I think he’s shown up, he’s been very vocal,” Mills said. “I’ve always been able to do that in previous programs — put up a player that players are very aware of, that set the standard — and he’s done that for us as a staff, and we are very appreciative of his investment.”

For Wayne and the rest of Bell’s family, the end of his college career has been bittersweet. 

“I just know that our family, all of Xavier’s siblings, everyone is happy and so proud of him, and we’re looking forward to senior day at WSU. I know it will be a sad moment, but we’re really proud of him,” Wayne Bell said. 

Not only is Bell a top performer on the court, but the senior recently made the fall Athletic Director’s Honor Roll with a 4.0 GPA, and was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Academic team in both his sophomore and junior seasons. 

Bell expects to graduate in the fall with his master’s degree in sports management, after already completing his bachelor’s degree in business management. He hopes to continue his basketball career and eventually pursue a sports management career in operations, coaching or the front office of a professional sports league or team. 

WSU men’s basketball senior game is March 9 against Tulsa. The team will travel to Fort Worth, Texas, for the American Athletic Conference Championship March 12–16.