By: Wichita State
Kent State (7-1) vs. Wichita State (6-2)
7:07 p.m. ? Wed., December 17, 2008 ? Charles Koch Arena (10,502) ? Wichita, Kan. ? $1 Night
Radio: KNSS 1330 AM (Brian Petrotta) / www.shockerradio.comTV: Kansas Now 22 (Bruce Haertl, Jackie Stiles)
In what Wichita State has deemed its month of growth under first-year head coach Jody Adams, it will be Wednesday night's lesson that Adams hopes will have a lasting impression on the Shockers.
WSU continues its seven-game homestand Wednesday when the Shockers take on their toughest non-conference opponent yet as they play host to Kent State (7-1) at 7:07 p.m., in Charles Koch Arena. The game will be broadcast live on Kansas Now 22, with Bruce Haertl and MVC Hall of Famer Jackie Stiles on the call in what could be called Wichita State's biggest game in recent memory.
The bright lights of television, the hopes of a large crowd with general admission tickets selling for just $1, a top 50 RPI opponent and the hunger of a team looking for a signature win has created plenty of buzz about the Shocker women's basketball program this week.
As big as the game looks on paper however, Adams knows it will not count more than once. The Shockers will use Wednesday night as a learning experience, taking notes from a team that has several qualities of a program Adams aspires to build.
"They have depth and they have talent," Adams said. "When they sub they don't lose a step. They are very confident in their system and what they do. They have perfected a lot of the things that Coach (Bob) Lindsay wants them to do, and that is the point that we want to get to."
The Golden Flashes have won all four of their true road games this season by an average of nearly 10 points per contest, but they have had Wichita State's attention long before their latest road swing. Wednesday night provides an opportunity for WSU to face the total package and take a glimpse at what a run against the top of the conference will look like when the Shockers tackle that task next month.
"I've been very honest with the team," Adams said. "I think ORU and Kent State are the two best non-conference teams we will play. Kent State is very similar to what we will face in the Valley. They are very smart, they know their strengths and try to use them and they will try to pick us apart offensively."
While the buzz surrounding the program's start to this season over the last week has been welcomed, Adams is hopeful the Shockers can zone out everything else surrounding Wednesday night's game and play well. Off to their best start in years Adams knows, no matter what, that there will be plenty the Shockers can learn from taking on Kent State before starting conference play.
"How we play in this game is going to be the lesson," Adams said. "This is where we grow, regardless of the outcome. This game does not mean any more than the rest of them, it's just against a better opponent. Kent State is battle tested, they have won two of their last four games in overtime, they don't quit and aren't afraid to battle back. It's going to be great competition for us."
NOTES: All general admission tickets for Wednesday's game are just $1. Call the Shocker Ticket Office at 316-978-FANS to order your seats ... A win Wednesday night would match WSU's 7-2 start in 2005, one that led to a 15-13 record and a fifth-place finish in the Valley ... The Shockers will face one of the most dynamic players in the nation in KSU's center Anna Kowalska, who ranks 23rd nationally with more than 19 points per game ... The Shocker guards will not get the night off however, as Jena Stutzman ranks fourth nationally, shooting nearly 55-percent from three-point range ... The Shocker defense will face its toughest test yet as Kent State enters the game ranked 14th nationally in scoring, and WSU has yet to face a top 50 offense ... Wednesday's game will be broadcast live on Kansas Now 22 ... Due to the television broadcast, there will be no live in-game blog.
