Free State High graduate Keith Wooden, a scholarship basketball player at Arizona State for the last two years, plans to transfer to Wichita State this summer.

Wooden was born in Wichita and lived there until he was 8.

“Tell everybody back there I can’t wait to get back,” Wooden told the Wichita Eagle, “and turn Wichita State into a top-25 team.”

Wooden, a 6-foot-9 forward, graduated from Free State in 2003 and signed a letter of intent with Arizona State. He played three semesters for the Sun Devils then was declared academically ineligible for this semester. Wooden averaged just 2.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in eight games.

As a freshman, Wooden scored 13 points in a Pac-10 game against USC, and had 12 points and seven rebounds against Oregon State. Wooden will have to sit out the 2005-2006 season under NCAA transfer rules.

6Sports video: Former Free Stater to return to Kansas

Wichita State, coached by former Kansas University player and assistant Mark Turgeon, went 22-10 this year and advanced to the second round of the National Invitation Tournament, where the Shockers lost to Vanderbilt.