The RoundHouse | 2/10/2018 2:05:00 PM

By Paul Suellentrop
 
UConn at No. 22 Wichita State
 
When: 5 p.m. Saturday
Records: UConn 12-12, 5-6 American; Wichita State 18-5, 8-3
Listen: KEYN 103.7 FM/goshockers.com
Watch: ESPN2
 
 
Wichita State did a good job guarding UConn guard Jalen Adams in the 72-62 win earlier this season and that will be the main job again on Saturday.
 
The Shockers forced Adams into guarded shots and long two-point attempts on his way to 18 points on 7-of-20 shooting. When he came off screens, the Shockers crowded him into tough shots and avoided fouling him.
 
He missed all three of his three-pointers and handed out six assists and three turnovers in 39 minutes.
 
Adams leads the Huskies in scoring (17.7 points) and assists (4.2). He is shooting 30.2 percent from three-point range and is 4 for 17 in his past four games.
 
UConn's offense struggles with Adams scoring. Limit Adams and the Huskies are in bigger trouble. UConn ranks No. 330 nationally in effective field goal percentage at 46 percent. It is shooting 30.9 percent from three-point range, No. 335.
 
The Huskies, in 11 American games, have 108 assists and 134 turnovers.
 
The Huskies will play a lot of zone defense. In the first meeting, the Shockers handed out 17 assists and made 12 of 25 three-pointers. Landry Shamet made 5 of 6. Conner Frankamp added 3 of 7 and Austin Reaves 3 of 4.
 
While Frankamp is in a slump – 18 points in his past five games – the Shockers need his scoring and he will continue to get shots.
 
"The slump only exists in a mind, and I'm a firm believer in that," Shocker assistant coach Kyle Lindsted said. "We've just got to let some good shots come his way. Get him some good looks. I'll take Conner Frankamp, wide open, any day of the week."
 
Lindsted's advice for Frankamp, or any shooter, is to find ways to contribute on defense.
 
"Get into the game defensively, get to the free throw line," Lindsted said. "Do other things and that will take care of itself."
 
The Shockers squandered a 10-point second-half lead and lost at Temple in overtime. At Memphis, the Shockers finished strong and expanded a five-point lead to 27 in the game's final 11 minutes.
 
"It's our guys understanding that it's possession by possession," Lindsted said. "You can't play the score. Every possession counts. We grade that possession. You can't think about 'We're up 20.'"
 
Shocker guard Austin Reaves owns three consecutive games of 20 or more points. Ron Baker (2013) and Garrett Stutz (2012) are the only Marshall-era Shockers to score 20 or more in four straight.
 
Reaves is playing 31.7 minutes and averaging 21.7 points over those three games. He is 21 of 35 (60 percent) from the field and 15 of 27 (55.6 percent) from three-point range.
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.