Wichita State Shockers
American (25-7, 14-4)
Wichita State picked up some decent non-conference wins over teams like California, Marquette, Baylor and Oklahoma State, but the squad also had some struggles in American Athletic Conference action. Overall it was a good season and this is a team that can win some games if they get hot at the right time.
Big Wins: 11/21 vs Marquette (80-66), 1/4 Houston (81-63), 2/18 at Cincinnati (76-72)
Bad Losses: 11/22 vs Notre Dame (66-67), 1/17 SMU (78-83), 2/1 at Temple (79-81)
Coach: Gregg Marshall
Why They Can Surprise:
When playing well, Wichita State can beat anybody. This is a team that shares the basketball extremely well, rarely gets beat on the glass and can score in bunches. Coach Gregg Marshall can go ten deep without much of a drop off in production and that has kept this group fresh throughout the season. Landry Shamet makes this team tick, averaging a team high 15.0 points and 5.1 assists. He will set up his teammates very effectively, including big men Shaquille Morris, Darral Willis, Jr. and Rashard Kelly. Morris, a 6-8, 279 pound senior, is a very good interior scorer who can step outside and knock down some three-pointers too. He is also the Shockers top shot blocking threat. Willis can score from everywhere on the floor too, but he is also a big reason why Wichita State is one of the best rebounding teams in the country.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Wichita State lost a few too many games to mid-level American Athletic Conference teams. Sometimes the Shockers got off their usual game plan and forced some bad shots. Sometimes the shots just were not falling. And sometimes turnovers were the problem. On average, especially considering how many points they score, Shamet and Wichita State do a great job of taking care of the ball, but it has been a problem in a couple of their losses. Against NCAA Tournament competition, Wichita State will not be able to afford an off shooting night or turn the ball over too much if they hope to make a decent run.
Probable Starters:
Landry Shamet, Sophomore, Guard, 15.0 ppg, 5.1 apg, 3.2 rpg
Austin Reaves, Sophomore, Guard, 8.3 ppg, 2.0 apg, 3.2 rpg
Zach Brown, Senior, Forward, 4.7 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.8 apg
Rashard Kelly, Senior, Forward, 5.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.5 apg
Shaquille Morris, Senior, Center, 14.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.6 bpg
Key Role Players:
Markis McDuffie, Junior, Forward, 8.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.0 apg
Darral Willis, Jr., Senior, Forward, 10.4 ppg, 6.0 rpg
Conner Frankamp, Senior, Guard, 10.1 ppg, 2.3 apg
Rauno Nurger, Senior, Center, 4.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg
Samajae Haynes-Jones, Junior, Guard, 5.3 ppg, 1.3 apg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 83.1 (20th in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 70.8 (135, 7)
Field-Goal Percentage: 48.0 (33, 1)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.7 (53, 4)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 9.2 (47, 1)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 38.6 (36, 2)
Free-Throw Percentage: 73.5 (93, 2)
Rebound Margin: 9.8 (3, 1)
Assists Per Game: 18.8 (3, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.5 (49, 2)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2017 NCAA Round of 64 win over Dayton
2017 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Kentucky
2016 NCAA Opening Round win over Vanderbilt
2016 NCAA Round of 64 win over Arizona
2016 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Miami (FL)
2015 NCAA Round of 64 win over Indiana
2015 NCAA Round of 32 win over Kansas
2015 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Notre Dame
2014 NCAA Round of 64 win over Cal Poly
2014 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Kentucky
2013 NCAA Round of 64 win over Pittsburgh
2013 NCAA Round of 32 win over Gonzaga
2013 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over LaSalle
2013 NCAA Regional Final win over Ohio State
2013 NCAA National Semifinal loss to Louisville
2012 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Virginia Commonwealth
2011 NIT First Round win over Nebraska
2011 NIT Second Round win over Virginia Tech
2011 NIT Quarterfinal win over College of Charleston
2011 NIT Semifinal win over Washington State
2011 NIT Final win over Alabama
2010 NIT First Round loss to Nevada
2009 CBI First Round win over Buffalo
2009 CBI Second Round loss to Stanford
2006 NCAA Round of 64 win over Seton Hall
2006 NCAA Round of 32 win over Tennessee
2006 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to George Mason
2005 NIT Opening Round win over Houston
2005 NIT First Round win over Western Kentucky
2005 NIT Second Round loss to Vanderbilt
*all team stats through 3/4
