The RoundHouse | 11/26/2019 12:09:00 PM

WICHITA STATE (5-0) vs. SOUTH CAROLINA (4-1)
CANCUN CHALLENGE | RIVIERA BRACKET SEMIFINAL
TUESDAY, NOV. 26, 2019 | 5 P.M. CT (6 P.M. ET)
CANCUN, MEXICO | HARD ROCK HOTEL RIVIERA MAYA
TV: CBS SPORTS NETWORK (CBS All-Access)
RADIO: KEYN 103.7 FM (GoShockers.com/Listen)
SERIES: FIRST MEETING
 
 
The Shockers know what is coming, just like previous teams knew when they went to Kansas City or Maui or the Bahamas.
 
This week is a step up in competition, a chance to signal what's ahead and a chance to grab back national attention. Winning two games (South Carolina on Tuesday and either West Virginia or Northern Iowa) would put the Shockers on the rapidly diminishing list of unbeaten teams and give them a neutral-court win or two that adds heft to the resume.
 
"We got the job done with five wins, but now we're playing . . . the big boys," Wichita State guard Erik Stevenson said. "Size. Speed. Athleticism. Quickness is a big thing. They can really move. We're going to have go down there and play harder than we ever have and get two wins."
 
Wichita State's 5-0 start, as intended, gave the Shockers both humility and confidence. Those five games reinforced how things work at Wichita State and, when used properly, how those things win games. Newcomers enjoyed a comfortable introduction to this level; returners expanded their games without the security of Markis McDuffie to help.
 
The Shockers shot poorly in their first two games and used a week of practice to reacquaint themselves with the importance of passing, trust in the offense and execution. Oral Roberts grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and outscored Wichita State 14-6 on second-chance points. 
 
Wichita State showed significant offensive potential with five Shockers averaging in double figures and encouraging work in areas such as limiting turnovers (less than 10 a game) and shooting (36.1 percent from three-point range and 71.4 at the line). 
 
"It's coming to that time where we're playing better teams and we've got to pick it up, be ready, and I think we are," junior forward Trey Wade said. "Coach (Gregg Marshall) gets us ready every day in practice. Coach brings that intensity every day and we follow."
 
Wichita State often used these tournaments to announce coming attractions. 
 
In 2008, the Shockers battled No. 21 Georgetown and No. 5 Michigan State before losing in the Old Spice Classic. Even at that early date in the Marshall tenure, and facing a talent disparity, they showed they would compete. A 2009 rout of Iowa in Kansas City's Sprint Center provided another indicator of things to come. Even a painful 2010 loss to eventual NCAA champion UConn in Maui set a level at which Wichita State could run.
 
The 2013 Final Four team thumped DePaul and Iowa in the Cancun Challenge. The 2014 Shockers handled DePaul and BYU in Kansas City on their way to a perfect regular season. 
 
The Cancun Challenge field isn't elite, at least not now. But South Carolina (4-1), West Virginia (4-0) and Northern Iowa (6-0) are all top-100 Pomeroy teams with the potential to impress the NCAA Tournament selection committee.
 
This Wichita State team is in a similar position as some of its predecessors with a chance to move up in the conversation.
 
This Cancun Challenge is a clinic in defense. All four schools are coached by men highly regarded for their acumen in stopping opponents from scoring and playing hard-nosed basketball. 
 
All four rank in the top 90 of Ken Pomeroy's defensive efficiency, with Wichita State tops at No. 28. All four own a top-50 ranking at least once in the previous five seasons with Wichita State (No. 1 in 2016), West Virginia (No. 4 in 2017) and South Carolina (No. 3 in 2017) at elite levels.
 
South Carolina will challenge the Shockers with size (two 6-foot-11 starters) and four shot-blockers. The Gamecocks rank No. 18 nationally, according to kenpom.com, by blocking shots on 16.5 percent of possessions, almost double the national average. Opponents are shooting 38.1 percent from two-point range and 26.9 percent behind the arc. 
 
That defense comes at a price. The Gamecocks foul and have been outscored at the line in each of their five games. The Shockers own a 14-point edge at the line over opponents this season, but much of it comes from a 34-of-42 performance against Texas Southern. Marshall wants the Shockers to get to the line more – its high in the other four games is 11 points.
 
Sophomore guard A.J. Lawson averages 17.2 points to lead the Gamecocks. He is 27 of 33 from the line in five games.
 
The Shockers will give up size for the first time this season. How they handle that as scorers and rebounders may determine Tuesday's game.
 
Wichita State senior center Jaime Echenique can counter some of that size. He played 11 minutes against ORU in his first action of the season after suffering a hand injury in November. 
 
Echenique looked more aggressive and confident in pre-season workouts, thanks both to a year of conditioning and strength work and experience in the Shocker system. If he can quickly return to that level of play and play significant minutes, it will help immensely. 

"He gives us a little more shot-blocking," Stevenson said. "He's a rim-protector that we need and he's just another guy on the offensive end that can post up on the block, especially when he gets back into his rhythm. It's good to just have another experienced guy."

The Shockers will continue to work him into the rotation slowly to protect his hand and his endurance. Maximizing his minutes will be important during these back-to-back games.
 
"We need him," Marshall said. "He's 6-11. He's big. He's long. He doesn't have the same problems that some of the other guys had trying to contain (ORU center) Elijah Lufile . . . on the glass."
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.