Former Rockford Auburn star Fred VanVleet is rebounding from a hamstring injury and now looks for a third straight Missouri Valley basketball title and perhaps another trip to the NCAA Final Four with Wichita State. (Wikipedia photo)

Fred VanVleet’s been hurting this season and his Wichita State basketball team has also felt the pain.

But the former Rockford Auburn star is shaking off a left hamstring injury sustained early in the season and is helping the Shockers return to form that resulted in to a 2013 trip to the NCAA Final Four followed by back-to-back conference titles.

“I was out for a month or so, it was terrible, it was the first time,” VanVleet said following a recent game at Bradley. “I think I’m getting over the hump now. I’m getting a little more healthy and starting to get the trust back in my legs.

“I wouldn’t say 100 (percent) but I’m close.”

The 6-foot senior point guard missed four of the Shockers first six games, including three losses. He returned on Dec. 5 to play 18 minutes and score 11 points in a 68-53 victory over St. Louis.

Wichita State is 7-1 since and improved to 10-5 (4-0 Missouri Valley) with last Saturday’s 83-58 win at Southern Illinois. He collected six points and a team-high 12 rebounds and six assists as 15 Shockers saw action.

VanVleet is averaging 11.7 points per game, slightly under his average last year and second on the team behind guard Ron Baker (14.9) He also has a team-best 5.1 per game assist average.

“He’s looking more and more healthy,” said Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall. “I know he’s going to try to play regardless and he tells me he’s fine. Hopefully he can continue to get stronger. … We know how valuable he is.”

VanVleet entered 2015-16 as the nation’s winningest senior, participating in 95 wins over his three years, with seven of those coming in the NCAA Tournament, including a 2013 trip to the Final Four.

In high school, VanVleet earned several first team all-state honors in his final Auburn season, helping the Knights to a third place state tournament finish in Auburn’s first trip to the finals since 1975.

He was not heavily recruited by colleges, reportedly considering Northern Illinois, Wichita State and Kent State offers before choosing the Shockers.

As a freshman backup, he appeared in 39 games and he stepped in the season’s final weeks and in the NCAA Tournament. VanVleet had double-figure efforts in two of the five tourney games, with 13 against Gonzaga and 12 against Ohio State as Wichita State reached the Final Four.

VanVleet’s responsibilities increased considerably the next season. He started all 36 games and averaged 11.6 points and had 193 assists as the Shockers won the Missouri Valley.

Last year as a junior, he earned all-Missouri Valley first team honors and was an honorable mention Associated Press All-American after averaging 13.6 points per game for a Wichita State team that repeated as conference champions.

VanVleet entered his final year as Missouri Valley pre-season player of the year along with a collection of other honors, including spots on several award watch lists.

The Associated Press ranked Wichita State ninth nationally early in the season but the Shockers vanished from the Top 25 by the fourth week of the season. In the poll dated Jan. 4, they reappeared among teams also receiving votes.

But it’s where you finish is what counts most and VanVleet knows exactly where he wants to go.

“To get to the Final Four,” he said. “We’ve got a pretty good track record here. We didn’t start off the way we wanted to, but we’re (moving) in the right director. Our immediate goals are to win the Valley and win the conference tournament.”

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— Former Rockford Auburn star picking up pace for Wichita State —