Wilburn Shows His Will to Play for WSU

by Alan Hieber

Wright State's redshirt junior guard Tye Wilburn plays with grit at the point, which is what he showed on his journey to becoming a Raider.

The athleticism in Wilburn's family spans several generations. Two of his cousins have spent time in the NFL. This includes linebacker Jarvis Jones, who played at Georgia and most recently was with the Steelers last season and fullback Mike Tolbert, a three-time pro bowler currently with the Bills. He also has an uncle and grandfather who were in the NFL.

"It's something that brings us together. Sports are what we do, not what we are," Wilburn said. "They don't push us to play sports. We just enjoy doing it."

Wilburn was a standout in high school at Lake Central near Gary, Ind. On the AAU circuit, he played for the Chicago-based Meanstreets team where his father Terrence was a coach. A few of his notable teammates were former Kentucky standout Tyler Ulis, Oregon's Paul White and Butler's Tyler Wildeman.

Throughout the interview, Wilburn exuded humbleness about his role on the team. Initially, he was a walk-on at Ball State, where he was redshirted before entering the junior college ranks at Kilgore Community College in Texas.

Wilburn then walked-on at WSU after assistant coach Sharif Chambliss, who he knew from AAU, joined head coach Scott Nagy's staff last year and reached out to him. Knee injuries were also a struggle for him when he was younger.

"Not everyone gets the opportunity to say they've played college basketball at any level. It's a blessing to be able to continue to play," Wilburn said. "I'm grateful to be here, and I'll take whatever role they give me."

When reflecting on moments that have stood out, it wasn't something that took place on the court that came to mind for Wilburn. It was the work his team has done with Samaritan Feet, a global non-profit organization that provides shoes for children.

"That really touched me, getting people a pair of new socks and shoes and listening to their stories," Wilburn said. "It makes you appreciate everything much more."

Wilburn says he has taken on a mentorship role as one of the upperclassmen. He has also developed into a guard capable of playing in a sixth-man capacity for the Raiders. In the season opener against Loyola last week, he tallied six points, two assists and two rebounds in 15 minutes.

"He (Wilburn) is a really physical guard, tough and scrappy. What we need him to do is to fill whatever role we give him," Nagy said. "He is a utility guy for us. Of our guards, behind Justin Mitchell, he might be the best rebounding guard we have even though he might be the smallest guy on the floor."

The effort Wilburn has shown on the court has also been present in the classroom. The organizational leadership major was recently honored by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), along with teammate Parker Ernsthausen, for excelling academically with a 3.321 GPA. He expressed interest in being a sports agent, college athletic director or working in the front office for a professional team.

Wilburn will look to continue to fill whatever role necessary as the Raiders host Murray State in Saturday night's home opener.

Players Mentioned

Parker Ernsthausen

Justin Mitchell

Tye Wilburn

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