GARDNER-WEBB (0-3) at WICHITA STATE (3-0)
TUESDAY, NOV. 19, 2019 | 7:05 P.M. CT
WICHITA, KAN./ CHARLES KOCH ARENA (10,506)
TV: YURVIEW KS (COX HD 2022 / YurView.com/Kansas)
RADIO: KEYN (103.7 FM / GoShockers.com/Listen)
SERIES: WSU LEADS 1-0
 

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The Wichita State Shockers (3-0) welcome the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs (0-3) for a 7 p.m. Tuesday tip.

TICKETS:
Tickets are still available for this game, as well as for the Nov. 23 ORU contest at 316-978-FANS or goshockers.com/Tickets
 
TUNE IN:
Tuesday's matchup will air statewide on YurView Kansas, available to Cox subscribers on HD 2022 and to fans in all 50 states on YurView.com/Kansas. Shane Dennis and Bob Hull have the call. Division I college basketball's most-tenured tandem, Mike Kennedy and Dave Dahl, tip off their 39th season together on radio (KEYN 103.7 FM and online at goshockers.com/listen).
 
THE GREGG MARSHALL SHOW:
Catch the Gregg Marshall Show on Monday nights throughout the season. Join host Mike Kennedy and Coach Marshall LIVE from 6-7 p.m. at A.J.'s Sports Grill at The Alley, or listen on KFH (97.5 FM / 1240 AM). The show is rebroadcast in a television format Mondays at 9 p.m. on YurView Kansas (Cox 2022). Upcoming Dates: Nov. 18, Dec. 2, 9, 16
 

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OPENING TIPS:

• The Shockers are coming off a 103-62 win over UT Martin on Saturday. Tyson Etienne (21 points) and Jamarius Burton (18) both set career scoring highs and combined to hit nine of the Shockers' school record-tying 15 three-pointers. WSU shot 56.3% and won the rebounding (+16) and turnover battles (+9). Their 29 assists was fifth-most in AAC history and the most by a Shocker team at home since CKA's 2003 renovation.
• GWU (23-12 last year) is coming off its first NCAA tournament appearance. The 15th-seeded Bulldogs led eventual national champ Virginia by 14 points in the first half before bowing 71-56.
• This is only the second meeting between the schools.On Dec. 12, 2008 in Wichita, the Shockers won 76-64 behind Toure' Murry's 19 points and six assists.
• Despite heavy minutes from true freshmen point guards, the Shockers entered the week ranked second nationally in both assist-to-turnover ratio (2.08) and turnovers-per-game (8.0). They're also among the top-10 in turnover margin (9th, +9.3).
• WSU is in search of its sixth 4-0 start in the last eight years (and the 24th 4-0 start in school history).
• As of Monday, 74 teams are still undefeated. WSU is one of only seven to do it while shooting less than 40% from the field: Vermont (4-0; 38.4%), Manhattan (2-0; 38.6), Fordham (3-0; 38.9), Temple (3-0; 39.2), WSU (3-0; 39.4), Virginia (3-0; 39.8) and Brown (3-0; 39.8).
• Burton became the second Shocker in as many weeks to land on the American Athletic Conference Honor Roll.  He finished with 18 points, six rebounds and five assists in 22 turnover-free minutes against UTM. The team was +35 with him on the floor.
• Dexter Dennis ranks among the AAC's top-10 in scoring (10th, 14.3), threes-per-game (t-3rd, 2.7), blocks (t-9th, 1.0), defensive rebounds (t-9th, 5.7) and three-point percentage (10th, .444).

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SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS:

• Gardner-Webb (located in Boiling Springs, N.C.) made its first ever NCAA tournament appearance last spring after upsetting regular season champion Radford in the Big South tournament final. Seeded 16^th, the Runnin' Bulldogs held a 14-point first-half lead over eventual national champion Virginia before falling 71-56.
• All-conference guard and leading scorer David Efianyi and BSC Tournament MVP DJ Laster both graduated, but the Bulldogs otherwise return three starters and five of their top-seven scorers.
• Gardner-Webb is picked second in the Big South Conference. The Bulldogs earned more first-place votes than preseason favorite Radford (14 to 13), but lost in overall points (299-295).  Gregg Marshall's former team, Winthrop, is picked third.
• The Bulldogs (0-3) opened with a 70-63 home loss against Furman (WSU's 2019 NIT first round opponent) then dropped road games at Western Kentucky (71-59) and No. 6 North Carolina (77-61).
• GWU plays four of its first five games this year against KenPom top-100 opponents. In addition to Furman, UNC and WSU, the Bulldogs also have a Friday date at South Carolina (WSU's Cancun semifinal opponent).
• 6-foot-5 sophomore guard Jose Perez leads the team in points (14.7), assists (3.3) and minutes (35.3). He was named first team preseason all-conference after landing on the Big South's All-Freshman Team last spring. Perez scored 19 points against Virginia in last year's NCAA tournament.
• 6-3 junior wing Nate Johnson -- a second team preseason all-conference pick – averages 8.0 points in 32.3 minutes. He has a team-high eight steals.
• Ludovic Dufeal is the team's leading rbounder (6.0) and shot-blocker (6).

MATCHUP MASHUP:

• GWU's Kareem Reid and WSU's Tyson Etienne played together last year at Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut. Both players were rated as four-star prospects. The team went 38-2 with a No. 2 national ranking and reached the semifinals of the National Prep Championship.
• G-W joined the Big South in 2008-09 – two years after Gregg Marshall left Winthrop from WSU. Marshall faced the Bulldogs three times in non-conference games, winning twice.
• GWU won the 2019 Big South Tournament. Marshall did it seven times in his nine seasons at Winthrop.

NOT MANY WITH 20:

• Freshman guard Tyson Etienne scored 21 points off the bench in WSU's 103-62 win over UT Martin. It was only the fourth 20-point game by a Shocker true freshman in Gregg Marshall's 13 seasons.

20-Point Games by Shocker Freshmen (Marshall Era):
23 -- Toure' Murry (Fr.) – MISSOURI ST. (2/10/2009)
23 – Landry Shamet (R-Fr.) – at Missouri St. (2/25/2017)
22 – Garrett Stutz (Fr.) – CENTENARY (11/24/2008)
21 – Landry Shamet (R-Fr.) – SOUTH DAKOTA ST. (12/22/2016)
21 – Erik Stevenson (Fr.) – RICE (11/25/2018)
21 – Tyson Etienne (Fr.) – UT MARTIN (11/16/2019)
20 – Landry Shamet (R-Fr.) – vs. Kentucky (3/19/2017)

 
FRESH TAKES:

• Freshmen guard Tyson Etienne and Grant Sherfield have as many combined steals (11) as turnovers (11) this year.
• Etienne's six steals are the most by a WSU frosh in his first three games since Aubrey Sherrod 38 years ago.
• Sherrod -- an eventual second round pick by the NBA's Chicago Bulls -- tallied seven in his first three contests during the 1981-82 season. He still ranks seventh on WSU's all-time steals list (148).
• Sherfield has five steals -- a total matched only by Sherrod, Etienne, Jamar Howard (2001-02) and Landry Shamet (2015-16).
• Toure' Murry owns WSU's single-season freshman record (44 in 2008-09).

Most Steals by a WSU Freshman; First 3 Games (1980-Pr.):
7 -- Aubrey Sherrod (1981-82)
6 -- Tyson Etienne (2019-20)
5 -- Grant Sherfield (2019-20)
5 -- Jamar Howard (2001-02)
5 -- Landry Shamet (2015-16)
* = season ending foot injury after 3 games

 
LEARNING TO SHARE:

• What a difference a week makes:
• The Shockers' assist total against Texas Southern (6) was their lowest in a home game since Feb. 8, 2011 when they registered six assists on 18 baskets in a 56-53 loss to Southern Illinois. It tied the Marshall Era low.
• The Shockers' assist total against UT Martin (29) was the fifth-highest in American Athletic Conference history and the most by a WSU team at Charles Koch Arena since its 2003 renovation.

3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3 :

• Wichita State's 15 three-pointers (on 28 attempts) against UT Martin tied a school record set four times previously (most recently Feb. 20, 2019 at Tulsa).
• Tyson Etienne (5-of-8), Jamarius Burton (4-of-5), Trey Wade (2-of-3) and Erik Stevenson (2-of-3) did the bulk of the damage.
• The Shockers tied another school mark with 10 first-half treys on just 15 attempts.

WSU Single-Game: 3-Point Field Goals (All-Time):
15/26  -- Md. Eastern Shore (11/20/2016)
15/28 – UT Martin (11/16/2019)
15/30 – Northern Iowa (1/4/2003)
15/33 – at Tulsa (2/20/2019)
15/34 – South Dakota St. (12/22/2016)

YOUNG AT HEART:

• An already youthful roster gets even younger without senior Jaime Echenique. 10 of the 13 players that have seen action are freshmen or sophomores. Underclassmen have accounted for over 80% of the minutes.
• WSU has had at least one freshman on the court for every second of every game (39-straight) going back to last year's season opener.
• KenPom puts the Shockers among the bottom-10 nationally in his experience rankings.

KenPom // Least-Experienced Rotations (as of Monday, Nov. 18):
1. Memphis (3-1) -- 8 Fr., 3 So., 1 Sr. averaging 10%+ of teams' minutes
2. Utah (3-0) -- 7 Fr., 3 So., 1 Jr.
3. Incarnate Word (1-3) -- 7 Fr., 2 So., 2 Jr.
4. Central Conn. (0-4) -- 6 Fr., 1 So., 1 Jr., 1 Sr.
5. Virginia Tech (4-0) -- 6 Fr., 21 So.,  Jr.,
6. USC Upstate (1-3) -- 4 Fr., 6 So., 1 Jr.
7. Holy Cross (0-3) -- 4 Fr., 2 So., 2 Jr.,
8. Wichita St. (3-0) -- 4 Fr., 5 So., 2 Jr.

DEPTH CHARGED:

• Boosted by big scoring efforts from Tyson Etienne (21 points) and Jamarius Burton (18), Wichita State reserves combined for 56 points in the Nov. 16 win over UT Martin.
• It was the third-highest bench scoring total in school history.

WSU Single-Game // Bench Points:
68 – Savannah St. (11/28/2017); W, 112-66
64 – Md.-Eastern Shore (11/20/2016); W, 116-79
56 – UT Martin (11/16/2019); W, 103-62

 
TRENDING:

• A year after ranking second-to-last in the 12-team American Athletic Conference in three-point percentage (.310), the Shockers have hit a league-best .367 from deep (.387; 29-of-75). WSU, Tulane and Memphis are the only AAC schools shooting better from the new three-point distance than they did last year.
• The Shockers are in the midt of a five-game homestand -- their longest since 2003-04.  They'll play a school record 19 regular season home games in 2019-20.
• WSU's shooting percentage against Texas Southern (24.2%) was the lowest by a winning team in a Division I game in nearly five years. On Nov. 14, 2014, Temple toppled American 40-37. The Owls shot 22.9% (11-of-48) while holding their opponent to just under 31%.
• WSU made 34 free throws in the TSU win -- fifth-most in a Division I game this season (as of Monday).
• Dexter Dennis has the team's longest active starting streak: 16-straight going back to last Feb. 20.

GETTING ALL DEFENSIVE:

• Going back to last March, the Shockers have held six-straight and 16 of their last 19 opponents to 40-percent-or-less from the field.
• WSU foes made more than half of their shots on just two occasions in 2018-19: Alabama (.510 on Nov. 19 at the Charleston Classic) and Tulsa (.532; Feb. 3; Wichita).
• Since Jan. 1, 2014 (a span of 83 games) just two visiting teams have shot better than 50% against the Shockers at CKA. WSU defeated Tulsa 79-68 on Feb. 2, 2019 despite the Hurricane's 53.2 percent shooting display. On Jan. 17, 2018, SMU shot 63.8 percent to claim an 83-78 upset against a Shocker team that ranked No. 7 in the national polls.

THREE'S COMPANY:

• Dexter Dennis has connected on a three-pointer in 20 consecutive games going back to last season. It's the fifth-longest streak in school history. Dennis is 50-of-114 (.439) since his streak began back on Feb. 2, 2019.
• Dennis made 54 threes with 40% accuracy as a freshman in 2018-19, but the bulk of the damage came in the second half of the year. He hit 42 of those 54 triples over the final 17 games.

Consecutive Games w/ 3-Point Field Goal (WSU All-Time):
1. Conner Frankamp – 40 (1/1/2017 to 1/28/2018)
2. Landry Shamet – 29 (12/17/2016 to 11/22/2017)
3. Ron Baker – 27 (11/18/2014 to 2/22/2015)
4. Ron Baker – 25 (4/6/2013 to 2/5/2014)
5. Dexter Dennis – 20 (2/2/2019 to Present)

 
CENTER ROULETTE:

• With incumbent starter Jaime Echenique out, WSU has started a different center in each of its first three games:
• Sophomore Morris Udeze made his first career start against UT Martin and finished with a career-high 14 points on 6-of- 8 shooting to go with six rebounds in 18 minutes.
• Sophomore Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler started the Texas Southern game (also his first career start). Despite coming off the bench on Saturday against UT Martin, he played the most of WSU's three centers (23 minutes), hitting all four of his shots from the field en route to eight points, four rebounds and a block.
• Junior Asbjorn Midtgaard started the opener but logged just 17 minutes in the first two games. Saturday's performance against UTM was arguably his best of the year. He put up four points, five rebounds (three of them on the offensive glass) in 13 minutes of action.
• Those three Shockers combined for 26 points, 11 rebounds on 12-of-16 shooting against UTM, compared to 8 points, 14 rebounds on 3-of-10 shooting against Texas Southern.

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A SHOCKER WIN WOULD….  
... make them 4-0 for the sixth time in Marshall's 13 seasons and the 24th time in school history.
... up the series lead to 2-0 on GWU.
... make Marshall 4-1 against GWU.
...  give them six-straight home wins.
... give them eight-straight regular season victories going back to Feb. 28, 2019.
... make Marshall 506-196 (312-113 at WSU, 166-26 at CKA).
 
A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD…  
... drop them to 3-1.
... be just their second Nov. home loss since 2010.
... snap a five-game home winning streak.
... even the series with GWU at 1-1.
... be only their 27th at CKA under Marshall (165-27).
... be less good than a win.
 
UP NEXT: ORAL ROBERTS (Saturday, 2 p.m., YurKS)
WSU concludes its five-game homestand to begin the 2019-20 season when it plays host to Oral Roberts on Saturday afternoon. The 2 p.m. CT tip will air statewide on YurView Kansas (Cox HD 2022) and streams in all 50 states on YurView.com/Kansas and ESPN3.