By Matt Browning
Wichita Trinity boys basketball coach Nate Awbrey describes senior Tyler Wertenberger as a player whose impact goes far beyond the box score.
“He consistently sets hard screens, boxes out his man, and dives for loose balls—always doing the little things that make a big difference,” Awbrey said. “Off the court, he is one of the most coachable players I’ve ever worked with.”
While Wertenberger strives to be the smartest player on the floor, he is still trying to be a better decision maker.
“I hope to improve my basketball IQ before the end of the season,” Wertenberger said. “I want to be able to make quick, confident decisions on the court that positively affect the team.”
The Knights, which were 11-4 at the end of January, have fallen short of the state tournament the past couple of seasons and Wertenberger is hopeful 2026 is different.
“I really want to win our sub-state and make a run in the state tournament,” Wertenberger said. “This has been something that I have always wanted to do and fallen short in the past couple years. Our season has been going pretty well so far. I’m happy with the effort my team and I have all put in and the way that our team has worked together. We’ve had some ups and downs, but overall I think we’ve all grown and improved as the season has gone on.”
