WICHITA, Kan. – After securing a runner-up finish at last week's Maui Jim Maui Invitational, No. 8/8 Wichita State (4-1) returns to Charles Koch Arena for a Tuesday night matchup against Savannah State (2-5).
Please note, the game will air on YurView Kansas Extra (Cox HD 2122) instead of the Shockers' regular home on YurView Kansas (Cox HD 2022). Both channels are available to Cox Kansas subscribers on all tiers. Fans beyond the Kansas borders can stream the game on ESPN3.
The Voice of the Shockers, Mike Kennedy has the call on KEYN 103.7 FM and online at GoShockers.com/Listen. Join Kennedy and analyst Dave Dahl for Shocker pregame, beginning at 6 p.m. CT
STARTING FIVE:
1 ----- Heading into Tuesday, Charles Koch Arena attendance has exceeded the 10,000-mark in 199-consecutive regular season games dating back to December, 2004. That includes 146 official sellouts.
2 ----- WSU has won 21-straight campus home games (and 61 of its last 62). A win Tuesday night would tie for the second-longest streak in the Roundhouse's 63-year history. From February, 1982 through December, 1983, the Shockers won 22-straight at Henry Levitt Arena. From November, 2013 to February, 2016, the Shockers won 40-in-a-row at Koch Arena. A Feb. 13, 2016 loss to Northern Iowa is the lone blemish in the last four years.
3 ----- The Shockers have never faced Savannah State but are 12-2 all-time against current members of the MEAC (6-0 under
Gregg Marshall). In 2016-17, they claimed November wins over MEAC members South Carolina State, 85-39 and Maryland Eastern Shore, 115-79.
4 ----- Landry Shamet was named to the American Athletic Conference Honor Roll for the week of Nov. 20-26. The redshirt sophomore averaged a team-high 17.3 points along with 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting over 60 percent from the field to lead Wichita State to a runner-up finish at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. Shamet was one of three Shockers named to the all-tournament team. In Monday's win over California, he broke Ron Bakers school record for consecutive games with a three-pointer. That streak ended Wednesday at 29. Shamet is the second Shocker to make the honor roll this year, joining
Darral Willis Jr.
5 ----- Maui runners-up have a strong track record of success. Each of the last seven have made the NCAA Tournament, and six of those teams won at least one game. The exception – 2016 Vanderbilt, which lost to Wichita State in the First Four. A year ago, Wisconsin fell to eventual national champion UNC in the Maui final but recovered to make a Sweet 16 run. In the last 30 years, 25 Maui runners up have made the NCAA Tournament, seven of those reached the Elite Eight, and three advanced to the Final Four, most recently Kansas in 2011-12.
2017-18 – Wichita State
2016-17 – Wisconsin (Sweet 16)
2015-16 – Vanderbilt (First Four)
2014-15 – San Diego State (Round of 32)
2013-14 – Baylor (Sweet 16)
2012-13 – Butler (Round of 32)
2011-12 – Kansas (National Runner-Up)
2010-11 – Kentucky (Final Four)
SCOUTING SAVANNAH STATE:
**The Tigers are 2-5 to start the year with wins over Middle Georgia State (NAIA) and Alabama State.
**SSU's non-conference schedule features five teams that are ranked in the AP Top 25 poll (Michigan State, Wichita State, Cincinnati, Baylor and Texas A&M).
**SSU is picked fifth out of 13 teams in the MEAC. Second team preseason all-conference pick Dexter McClanahan comes in averaging over 16 points per game. Zach Seller (6-1, So., G) and Robert Kelly (6-7, So., F) both made the MEAC's all-freshman team last spring.
**Head coach Horace Broadnax played with Patrick Ewing on Georgetown's 1984 national championship and 1985 national runner-up teams.
**Broadnax picked up his 200
th career win last Wednesday. He is the dean of MEAC basketball coaches (13 years) and winningest in Savannah State history (156). Last season he surpassed Russell Ellington who had 148 wins in nine years.
**Savannah State led the nation in three-pointers per game last year (13.5).
**Savannah State attempted 51 three-pointers (and connected on 15) in its win over Middle Georgia State. Only two teams have attempted more in a game this year. In fact, SSU has three of the top-10 spots on the list (as of Sunday). The Tigers were 13-of-44 against Cincinnati and 11-of-42 versus Jacksonville State.
**Cincinnati edged Wichita State by a point in The American's preseason poll. Tuesday's game gives fans another measuring stick to compare the two teams. Savannah State dropped its season opener at Cincinnati, 107-77. The Bearcats made 10 three-pointers in a 60-point first half. Cincinnati's 65 total rebounds in that game are (as of Sunday) the season's highest total in any game involving two Division I teams.
THE SHOCKS, IN SHORT:
Landry Shamet (15.8) and
Shaquille Morris (15.6) lead the Shocker scoring.
Rashard Kelly is averaging a team-high 8.8 rebounds, and his 4.0 offensive rebounds per game leads the American and rank 15
th nationally.
Conner Frankamp averages a team-high 3.6 assists and has a 4.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio (tied for the American lead and 19
th nationally). Morris' 2.6 blocks lead the American and rank 23
rd in the nation.
The Shockers are fifth nationally in rebounding margin (+14.6) and lead the American in team field goal percentage (.498), blocked shots (5.8), and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5).
MILESTONES:
**
Landry Shamet broke Ron Baker's school record for consecutive games with a three-pointer during Monday's win over Cal. He connected again the following day to run the streak to 29 but came up empty in Wednesday's title game. It was the first time since Dec. 10, 2016 that Shamet has failed to hit at least one triple.
**Frankamp has 117 threes for his Shocker career. He needs just one more triple to match Maurice Evans (118 from 1997-99) for 16
th on WSU's all-time list.
**
Shaquille Morris registered a tournament-high seven blocks in three Maui Invitational games to move into a tie for third place with Claudius Johnson (1989-93) on WSU's career blocks chart with 109. Johnson's total was the most by a Shocker since 1985-86 when the block became an official NCAA statistic. Antoine Carr (209) and Robert Elmore (132) sit atop the list.
**WSU finished 2-1 at the Maui Invitational, defeating California (92-82) and Marquette (80-66) last Monday and Tuesday before falling to No. 13 Notre Dame in Wednesday's title game (67-66).
MAUI LEFTOVERS:
**
Landry Shamet averaged 17.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting over 60 percent from the field. In Monday's win over Cal, he matched his career-high with 21 points.
**
Shaquille Morris also scored a career-high against Cal, going for 25 points. He averaged 14.7 points and 4.0 rebounds over three games and posted a tournament-high seven blocks.
**
Rashard Kelly attempted just 11 shots over three games but made a big impression with his all-around game. The senior tallied an incredible 16 offensive rebounds and averaged 6.0 points, 9.3 rebounds.
**The Shockers erased a 16-point halftime deficit to defeat California in Monday's quarterfinal – their biggest second half comeback since fighting from 18-down at Missouri State in January, 2014.
**Two days later, WSU experienced the opposite extreme when No. 13 Notre Dame rallied from a 14-point halftime hole to win the championship game, 67-66. It was the Shockers' largest halftime lead in a loss since February, 1997 when they let a 38-21 lead melt away at Illinois State. It was just the fourth time in 11 seasons under
Gregg Marshall that WSU has squandered a double-digit edge at the midway point.
**Notre Dame loss ended a streak of 30 consecutive wins when leading at halftime
Also ended a 22-game Wednesday winning streak dating back to early December, 2015.
UP NEXT:
The Shockers travel to Waco, Texas on Saturday for a 1 p.m. CT tip at No. 16 Baylor on ESPNU.
