The RoundHouse | 1/18/2018 10:28:00 AM

Roundhouse review: SMU 83, No. 7 Wichita State 78
 
By Paul Suellentrop
 
Key stats: SMU made a season-high 63.8 percent of its shots (30 of 47) and 11 of 22 three-pointers. The Shockers surrendered a season-worst 1.39 points per possession (according to kenpom.com) and a season-worst 75.5 percent effective field goal percentage.
 
"We gave them 83 points, and that's got to get better," Shocker coach Gregg Marshall said.
 
Records: SMU 13-6, 3-3 American (No. 32 Pomeroy, No. 59 RPI); Wichita State 15-3, 5-1 American (No. 15 Pomeroy, No. 28 RPI)
 
Topper: We knew the Missouri Valley Conference as a "coaches league" because its teams generally played hard, defended and knocked off higher-profile teams despite an almost total lack of big-starred talent.
 
Before this season, we were told the American is a "guard league." If you missed that point, the preseason all-conference team – five guards on the first team – drove it home.
 
Those predictions are holding up reasonably well. Ken Pomeroy's all-conference team is led by Cincinnati forward Gary Clark, followed by guards Shake Milton (SMU), Rob Gray (Houston), Jacob Evans (Cincinnati) and Wichita State's Landry Shamet.
 
On Wednesday, preseason Player of the Year Milton proved it again with a spectacular performance of efficiency and shot-making. He scored 33 points on 11-of-14 shooting with made 5 of 6 threes. He had five assists and two turnovers in 40 minutes. 
 
"Milton can get in the lane and finish over people — he did that quite a bit," Marshall said. "He goes 11-of-14, 5-of-6 from three, doesn't miss a free throw, and doesn't miss a play."
 
The Shockers are starting a gauntlet against some of the American's top guards. On Saturday, Houston's Gray, who leads the conference in Ken Pomeroy's offensive rating, is on the schedule. Central Florida is strengthened by Tuesday's return of guard B.J. Taylor, a preseason all-conference pick who averaged 17.4 points last season. A foot injury sidelined him most of the season.
 
Then it's Tulsa and Sterling Taplin, Temple and Shizz Alston and Memphis' Jeremiah Martin and we're not even to first-place Cincinnati and Evans.

It has taken outstanding guard play – Notre Dame's Matt Farrell, OU's Trae Young and SMU's Milton and Jahmal McMurray – to beat Wichita State this season. There are plenty more outstanding guards on the schedule.
 
Lineup check: Wichita State enjoyed a significant edge in depth, yet SMU's game-plan negated that factor. The Mustangs, who usually don't go much deeper than seven or eight players, saw starter Jarrey Foster leave the game early in the first half with what appeared to be a left knee injury. Foul trouble further limited the Mustangs.

There was a key stretch that began with 10:30 to play and SMU starters Ben Emelogu and Ethan Chargois on the bench with fouls and Foster out. SMU led 56-49. Milton and McMurray carried an scoring-challenged lineup to a 12-point lead. When Chargois returned with 5:21 to play, SMU led 65-57. Emelogu returned with 3:53 to play and SMU holding a 71-60 lead.

The Shockers missed an opportunity to take over against a short-handed lineup, largely because Milton and McMurray made tough shots and controlled the offense. 

"It seemed like every time we had a bucket and tried to get a stop, (Milton) would come down and make a tough three," Wichita State's Conner Frankamp said.
 
McMurray scored 16 points off the bench and SMU's patient style removed fatigue as a major factor.

"They were certainly in no hurry, and once they didn't have a quick hitter, they stood around, waited until the end of the clock, and gave it to the playmakers to make plays; and they certainly made them," Marshall said. "It was a great game plan."
 
That's history: The loss snapped a 27-game Koch Arena win streak.
 
Numbers: Milton is the third player to dent the Shockers for 30 or more points this season. California's Don Coleman scored 35 in the Maui Invitational and South Dakota State's Mike Daum scored 31 in December at Koch Arena. . . Neither team scored a fast-break point, according to the box score.
 
Worth noting: Frankamp handed out five assists and committed one turnover, bringing his season totals to 43 assists and six turnovers . . . Wichita State's Landry Shamet had 10 assists, one off his career high. He reached double figures in assists and points (20) for the second time in three games . . .  The win gives SMU its fourth over a team in the top 50 of the Pomeroy rankings, two of those over a top 25 team.
 
Next up: at Houston (14-4, 4-2), 11 a.m. Saturday (ESPNU) – The Shockers routed the Cougars 81-63 on Jan. 4 at Koch Arena after leading 53-32 at halftime and by 32 points in the final seven minutes.
 
Wichita State held Gray to 13 points on 6-of-14 shooting. The Shockers made 12 of 27 threes and Shamet scored 18 points.
 
Since that loss, Houston is 2-1 with wins over Tulsa and at East Carolina and a loss Wednesday at Tulane. The Cougars made an American record 18 threes in the 104-71 win over Tulsa.
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.