WICHITA, Kan. – For
Gregg Marshall, November and December will ideally serve as both test and testament.
Wichita State's 12-game non-conference men's basketball slate – released Wednesday morning – could feature as many as nine games against schools that qualified for last year's postseason and up to six encounters with 2017 NCAA Tournament teams.
Along with a potential resume boost, the grind will almost certainly prepare the Shockers for more of the same come January and February when they dive into American Athletic Conference play for the first time.
Non-conference highlights include a trio of December games against Big 12 foes. The Shockers travel to Baylor (Dec. 2) to begin a two-year home-and-home series between the schools, then trek to Stillwater eight days later to face Oklahoma State (Dec. 10). The Bears (27-8) are coming off a Sweet 16 appearance. OSU (20-13) had KenPom's top-rated offense in 2016-17 but fell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Two years removed from a Final Four run, Oklahoma makes its first visit to Wichita since 1975 for a Dec. 16 clash at INTRUST Bank Arena. The Shockers won last year's meeting in Oklahoma City.
Wichita State Men's Basketball
2017-18 Non-Conference Schedule |
NOVEMBER
Sat. 4 -- HENDERSON STATE (exhibition)
Fri. 10 – UMKC
Mon. 13 – COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON
Mon. 20 – vs. # California
Tues. 21 – vs. # Marquette/VCU
Wed. 22 – vs. # tbd
Tues. 28 – SAVANNAH STATE
DECEMBER
Sat. 02 – at Baylor
Tues. 05 – SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
Sat. 09 – at Oklahoma State
Sat. 16 – OKLAHOMA (INTRUST Bank Arena)
Dec. 19 – ARKANSAS STATE
Dec. 22 – FLORIDA GULF COAST
Home games in CAPS
# -- Maui Jim Maui Invitational (Maui, Hawaii) |
WSU takes on a loaded field, Nov. 20-22, at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational in Hawaii. First round opponent, California (21-13) was a No. 1 seed in NIT last year, and potential second day foes Marquette (19-13) and VCU (26-9) each made the NCAA Tournament draw. Michigan (26-12, NCAA Sweet 16), Notre Dame (26-10, NCAA Second Round), LSU (10-21) and host Chaminade round out the field.
Charles Koch Arena will play host to 16 total dates, beginning with a Saturday, Nov. 4 exhibition against Division II Henderson State.
The regular season kicks off with two games in four days against UMKC (Nov. 10) and College of Charleston (Nov. 13). Last March, UMKC earned its first postseason bid in 30 years at the Division I level with a trip to the CBI quarterfinals. Charleston – which played in the NIT – is led by former Shocker assistant, Earl Grant.
Following their Maui trip, the Shockers close out November against Savannah State (Nov. 29).
Two other NCAA Tournament teams will visit Charles Koch Arena in December: South Dakota State (Dec. 5) won the Summit League Tournament last March. FGCU (Dec. 22) tied a school record with 26 wins and swept the Atlantic Sun's regular and postseason crowns.
WSU officially joined The American on July 1, but the real transition begins in late December when it kicks off an 18-game league schedule. The Shockers (31-5 last year) return all five starters and the top-eight scorers from a team that won its fourth-consecutive Missouri Valley Conference title and reached NCAA Tournament play for the sixth-consecutive year.
As a whole, WSU's full 30-game schedule will feature at least 14 games (and potentially a 15
th) against teams from last year's RPI top-100, compared to just six in 2016-17.
As previously announced, WSU will play home-and-home conference series with seven of its new American Athletic Conference opponents: Cincinnati, UConn, UCF, Tulsa, Temple, SMU and Houston. In addition, the Shockers will play host to Tulane and USF and travel to ECU and Memphis as part of their 18-game league schedule.
Five of the seven American home-and-homes come against teams that finished in the KenPom Top-100:
SMU (11), Cincinnati (23), Houston (52), UCF (68), UConn (96).
SMU (30-5, 17-1 American) swept the league's regular season and tournament titles. Cincinnati (30-6, 16-2) was runner-up in both instances.
UCF (24-12) won nine of its last 11 games on its way to an NIT semifinal appearance at Madison Square Garden. Houston (21-11) also reached the NIT.
American Athletic Conference dates, plus times and television info for all 30 regular season games will be released in September.
HENDERSON STATE (Exhibition)
Saturday, Nov. 4
Charles Koch Arena
2016-17 Review --
Record: 16-13, 11-11 Great American (T-5
th/12)
Notes --
*Henderson State is an NCAA Division II program located in Arkadelphia, Ark.
*Head Coach Jimmy Elgas is a 1993 Illinois State graduate and spent six years as an assistant at Kansas State under Jim Wooldridge. From 2007-14, he was Marty Simmons' top assistant at Evansville.
UMKC
Friday, Nov. 10
Charles Koch Arena
2016-17 Review --
Record: 18-17, 8-6 WAC (4
th/8)
Postseason: 1-1, CBI Quarterfinals
RPI/KenPom: 181/219
Series --
WSU leads 6-3 (4-1 in Wichita)
Notes --
*UMKC's 2017 CBI appearance was its first postseason bid in 30 years at the Division I level.
*Under Marshall, WSU is 61-3 in regular season non-conference games inside Charles Koch Arena. One of the three losses came to UMKC in 2008.
*The Roos are the last road team to win a November game in Wichita. Since dropping a three-point decision to UMKC on Nov. 19, 2008, WSU has won 25-straight.
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON
Monday, Nov. 13
Charles Koch Arena
2016-16 Review --
Record: 25-10, 14-4 Colonial (2
nd/10)
Postseason: NIT, 1
st Round
RPI/KenPom: 65/89
Series --
WSU leads 1-0 (1-0 in Wichita)
Notes --
*Marshall was a Charleston assistant from 1988-96 under John Kresse. He faces his former school for the second time at WSU. The other came in the 2011 NIT Quarterfinals.
*Marshall will coach his 353
rd game on the WSU bench, tying Ralph Miller (1951-64) for the most in Shocker history.
*Charleston head coach, Earl Grant worked six seasons under Marshall, three at Winthrop (2004-07) and three at Wichita State (2007-10). Former Shocker Matt Braeuer (2004-08) is Charleston's Director of Basketball Operations.
CALIFORNIA
Monday, Nov. 20
Maui, Hawaii / Lahaina Civic Center
Maui Jim Maui Invitational Quarterfinal (Thumbnails of possible Nov. 21 & Nov. 22 opponents listed below)
2016-17 Review --
Record: 21-13, 10-8 Pac-12 (6
th/12)
Postseason: 0-1, NIT First Round (#1 Seed)
RPI/KenPom: 63/62
Series --
Cal leads 1-0 (1-0 on neutral courts)
Notes --
*Marshall will coach his 354
th game on the WSU bench, officially passing Ralph Miller (1951-64) for the most in Shocker history. Marshall (261-90 through 10 seasons) supplanted Miller as the program's all-time wins leader in February, 2015.
*This will be just the second meeting between the two programs. The other came in December, 1975 when the Bears defeated the Shockers, 75-68, at the Lobo Invitational in Albuquerque.
*The Bears were one of the last teams out on Selection Sunday 2017 but earned a top seed in the NIT. It was their eighth postseason appearance in the last nine years.
SAVANNAH STATE
Tuesday, Nov. 28
Charles Koch Arena
2016-17 Review --
Record: 13-16, 10-6 MEAC (5
th/13)
Postseason: None
RPI/KenPom: 282/317
Series --
First Meeting
Notes --
*WSU is 12-2 all-time against MEAC schools after sweeping South Carolina State and Maryland Eastern Shore last year. The Shockers have never faced Savannah State.
*Head coach Horace Broadnax played with Patrick Ewing on Georgetown's 1984 national championship and 1985 national runner-up teams.
*Savannah State led the nation in three-pointers per game last year. The Tigers' 13.5 threes-per-game was just two-tenths off of VMI's national record, set in 2009.
BAYLOR
Saturday, Dec. 2
Waco, Texas / Ferrell Center
2016-17 Review --
Record: 27-8, 12-6 Big 12 (t-2
nd/10)
Postseason: NCAA Sweet 16 (#3 Seed)
RPI/KenPom: 9/13
Series --
Tied 2-2 (First Meeting in Waco)
Notes --
*WSU kicks off a two-year home-and-home agreement with its first-ever visit to Waco. The Bears come to Charles Koch Arena in December, 2018.
*The teams last met in the 2007 Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands in
Gregg Marshall's second game as Shocker head coach. Their last mainland matchup came in 1960.
*Baylor ranked fourth nationally in rebound margin last year. WSU was second.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
Tuesday, Dec. 5 | Charles Koch Arena
2016-17 Review --
Record: 18-17, 8-8 Summit (6
th/9)
RPI/KenPom: 152/185
Postseason: 0-1, NCAA First Round (#16 Seed)
Series --
WSU leads 2-0 (2-0 in Wichita)
Notes --
*The Jackrabbits have played in four of the last six NCAA Tournaments, including back-to-back.
*Summit League Player of the Year, Mike Daum ranked third nationally in scoring as a sophomore at over 25 points per game and set the school's single season points record (878).
*WSU defeated the Jackrabbits 89-67 in Wichita when it "held" Daum to just 20 points.
Landry Shamet scored 21 points on six three-pointers in the win.
OKLAHOMA STATE
Saturday, Dec. 9 | Stillwater, Okla. | Gallagher-Iba Arena
2016-17 Review –
Record: 20-13, 9-9 Big 12 (5
th/10)
Postseason: NCAA First Round (#10 Seed)
RPI/KenPom: 41/22
Series --
OSU leads 30-8 (15-2 in Stillwater)
Notes –
*WSU makes a return trip to Stillwater to wrap up a home-and-home contract that began last December. Last year, OSU ended the Shockers' school record 42-game non-conference home winning streak with a 93-76 victory in Wichita.
*This is the 39
th meeting in a series in a series that dates back 83 years. The teams first played in December, 1934 when first-year head coach Henry Iba swept a home-and-home from the Shockers.
*The Shockers will be trying for their first win in Stillwater since 1957, when Gallagher-Iba Arena was still known as Gallagher Hall. WSU is 2-14 all-time in the building.
*John Cooper, a former Wichita State standout, joined the Oklahoma State coaching staff in April.
OKLAHOMA
Saturday, Dec. 16 | INTRUST Bank Arena
2016-17 Review --
Record: 11-20, 5-13 Big 12 (9
th/10)
Postseason: None
RPI/KenPom: 162/65
Series --
OU leads 4-2 (2-1 in Wichita)
Notes --
*The teams faced off last season for the first time in 41 years. This is only the fourth post-World War II meeting between the programs.
*WSU defeated Oklahoma last December (76-73) to win the 79th All-College Classic at Oklahoma City's Chesapeake Energy Arena.
*The two coaches have combined for over 1,000 wins.
Gregg Marshall (455-173 entering his 20
th season) faces Lon Kruger (601-381 entering his 32
nd year).
ARKANSAS STATE
Tuesday, Dec. 19 | Charles Koch Arena
2016-17 Review --
Record: 20-12, 11-7 Sun Belt (t-3
rd/12)
Postseason: None
RPI/KenPom: 113/124
Series --
Tied 1-1 (WSU leads 1-0 in Wichita)
Notes --
*This is the first meeting since 1972. The Shockers won 73-68 in Wichita in January of 1972. ASU won 84-74 in Jonesboro a year later.
*Both of
Austin Reaves' parents played collegiately at Arkansas State. His mother, Nicole, was an all-conference forward who averaged over 20 points per game in her final season… His father, Brian, is tied for third on ASU's career assists chart (384).
FLORIDA GULF COAST
Friday, Dec. 22 | Charles Koch Arena
2016-17 Review --
Record: 26-8, 12-2 Atlantic Sun (1
st/8)
RPI/KenPom: 88/108
Postseason: NCAA First Round (#14 Seed)
Series --
First Meeting
Notes --
*Longtime Kansas assistant Joe Dooley (2003-13) is in his fifth season at Florida Gulf Coast. He's led the Eagles to four 20-win seasons and four postseason appearances (2 NCAA's, 1 NIT, 1 CIT).
*In 2013, FGCU became the first 15-seed in NCAA history to reach the Sweet 16.
*FGCU's "Dunk City" nickname is accurate. The Eagles finished third nationally in dunks last season (159 – 11 more than the original Dunk City Sweet Sixteen team in 2012-13).
VCU
Possible Nov. 21 Maui Opponent
2016-17 Review --
Overall: 26-9, 14-4 Atlantic 10 (2
nd/14)
Postseason: 0-1, NCAA #10 Seed
RPI/KenPom: 26/48
Series --
Tied 2-2 (VCU leads 1-0 on neutral courts)
Notes --
*The Rams have made seven-straight NCAA trips and begin their first year under Mike Rhoades.
*WSU and VCU have both reached the 25-win mark in each of the last eight seasons. Only Kansas (12), Gonzaga (10) and Duke (10) have longer active streaks.
*WSU and VCU both played in the 2016 Battle 4 Atlantis but fell on opposite sides of the bracket. The Shockers claimed a fourth-place finish, while VCU was fifth.
*A potential day-two matchup in Maui would be the first since 2012 when the Shockers won a Bracket Busters return game in Richmond, 53-51.
MARQUETTE
Possible Nov. 21 Maui Opponent
2016-17 Review --
Record: 19-13, 10-8 Big East (t-3
rd/10)
Postseason: 0-1, NCAA First Round (#10 Seed)
RPI/KenPom: 67/32
Series --
Marquette leads 4-3
Notes --
*Since 2006, Marquette has appeared in nine NCAA Tournaments.
*The teams have met seven times, but a potential day-two battle would be their first since 1978.
*Marquette led the nation in three-point percentage in 2017 (.429) and was fifth in three-pointers per game (10.5).
*As a freshman last year, Markus Howard went 82-of-150 from three. His .506 percentage was the highest in the national among players who averaged at least two makes per game.
CHAMINADE
Possible Nov. 22 Maui Opponent
2016-17 Review --
Record: 18-11, 13-7 Pac West (t-4
th/14)
Postseason: None
Series --
WSU leads 2-0 (1-0 at the Maui Invitational)
Notes --
*Chaminade has reached the NCAA Division II Tournament three times since 2011.
*The Swords own seven victories in the Maui Invitational – most recently in 2012 when they bumped Texas in the quarterfinal round. Past tournament victims include Oklahoma, Stanford and Villanova.
*WSU leads the series 2-0. The Shockers downed the Swords, 79-58, in a 2010 consolation semifinal matchup behind 19 points from David Kyles. WSU also won a December, 1998 meeting in Wichita, 80-51. The duo of Jason Perez and Maurice Evans delivered 17 points each.
LSU
Possible Nov. 22 Maui Opponent
2016-17 Review --
Record: 10-21, 2-16 (t-13
th/14)
RPI/KenPom: 195/172
Postseason: None
Series --
WSU leads 5-1 (2-1 on neutral floors) with five-straight wins
Notes --
*WSU leads 5-1 (2-1 on neutral floors) with five straight wins.
*WSU routed LSU last November in the Battle 4 Atlantis quarterfinals behind 15 points from
Markis McDuffie, 12 points from
Landry Shamet and a career-high seven assists from
Conner Frankamp. The Shockers scored the first 11 points and led 46-19 at halftime.
MICHIGAN
Possible Nov. 22 Maui Opponent
2016-17 Review --
Record: 26-12, 10-8 Big Ten (t-6
th/12)
Postseason: 2-1, NCAA Sweet 16 (#7 Seed)
RPI/KenPom: 23/20
Series –
Tied 3-3 (0-2 on neutral courts)
Notes --
*The teams haven't played since 1984.
*Michigan is 2-0 against the Shockers in postseason play, winning first round games in the 1976 NCAA Tournament and the 1984 NIT.
*The Shockers are 3-0 against the Wolverines in Wichita.
NOTRE DAME
Possible Nov. 22 Maui Opponent
2016-17 Review --
Record: 26-10, 12-6 ACC (t-2
nd/15)
Postseason: 1-1, NCAA Second Round (#5 Seed)
RPI/KenPom: 22/27
Series --
ND leads 2-1 (1-0 on neutral courts)
Notes --
*A potential rematch from the 2015 NCAA Sweet 16. Fred VanVleet (25 points) and Darius Carter (21) had big scoring nights for the Shockers, but the Irish shot 75 percent in the second half to advance, 81-70.
*Notre Dame was a No. 5 seed in last year's NCAA Tournament and reached the second round.
*The Irish were the nation's best free throw shooting team in 2017, knocking down an even 80 percent for the year, and their 1.66 assist-to-turnover ratio was second only to UCLA.
