The RoundHouse | 12/20/2019 12:22:00 PM

VCU (9-2) at WICHITA STATE (9-1)
SATURDAY, DEC. 21, 2019 | 11:01 A.M. CT
WICHITA, KAN./ CHARLES KOCH ARENA (10,506)
TV: ESPN2 (WatchESPN)
RADIO: KEYN 103.7 FM (GoShockers.com/Listen)
SERIES: VCU LEADS 3-2 (1-1 IN WICHITA)
 
 
A ceiling defines the upper limits of a room. Wichita State's limits, coach Gregg Marshall reminds us weekly, change with each victory.
 
When the season started, Wichita State wanted to return to the NCAA Tournament, after missing in 2019 for the first time since 2011. A win at Oklahoma State gave the NCAA resume a potentially valuable asset. The Shockers backed that up with a win over Oklahoma.
 
ESPN's Joe Lunardi places the Shockers as a No. 10 seed in his bracket projection. Wichita State (9-1) plays VCU (9-2) on Saturday and the Rams are seeded ninth by Lunardi.
 
So, there's plenty of ceiling left to raise, or something like that. 
 
"I think (Marshall) is talking about the potential is through the roof and it's a matter of cherishing that potential," freshman guard Tyson Etienne said. "We have the potential to be great, whether that's right now or in March as we continue to grow and evolve as a team."
 
The NCAA NET rankings back up the potential. The Shockers are No. 15 through Thursday's games (VCU is No. 55). 
 
"Everybody talks about how young we are," Etienne said. "A lot of these teams that we've been going against have a lot of senior experience. The fact we've been able to pull out some W's against that, despite our age difference, is very good."
 
Marshall's excitement about this team is tied to its youth – one senior – and its improvement since the start of the season. Inexperience limited the 2018-19 Shockers and their 10 newcomers, who started to figure things out too late for NCAA play.

"It's higher than last year, that's for sure," Marshall said. "We're more talented. We're more experienced. They know what it's like to win at home, on the road and in difficult environments."
 
Junior center Asbjorn Midtgaard played on the 2018 NCAA Tournament team. He played on last season's NIT team. He sees this season's team improving rapidly, much as last season's team did in February and March.
 
"Now, we just have a way better foundation," Midtgaard said. "We started out where we finished off (in 2019). Players here want to get better, want to be special. That's the word Coach uses – special."
 
He points to the improvements on offense made after difficult games against Texas Southern and West Virginia as proof the Shockers are taking practice habits and putting them into games. He points to the number of Shockers who work out on their own time as proof the group understands what it takes to reach a new level.
 
"We try and really be coachable," Midtgaard said. "He knows what a Final Four team looks like and we want to strive for that."
 
Wichita State's ceiling may be tied to offensive improvement.
 
Its defensive numbers are already strong – it holds opponents to 38 percent shooting and out-rebounds opponents by 6.8 a game. In Ken Pomeroy's advanced statistics, it ranks No. 12 nationally by holding opponents to .885 points per possession. 
 
This team demonstrates an ability to win with defense and rebounding that it took last season's team month to execute.
 
"Our defense has improved so much from last season," Midtgaard said. "It's not a choice. It's what we do."
 
The Shockers are shooting well – 34.8 percent – from three-point range and their foul shooting is strong at 73 percent. Their overall shooting percentage of 41.8 ranks in a tie for 10^thin the American Athletic Conference.
 
"The special thing about our team is that it's on both ends of the court," Etienne said. "We have good defenders now, but even the good defenders have so much room to get better. You never want to reach your maximum potential right off the bat."
 
While raising the ceiling takes a collective effort, it's likely the play of sophomore guard Erik Stevenson leaps to mind when discussing this team's upward trends. Whether it's crisp passing, hustle plays or fiery defense, Stevenson is contributing in all areas.
 
"He's playing the ball of his life," Midtgaard said. "He's doing so many good things for us."
 
A year ago, Stevenson scored 6.5 points and shot 32.5 percent from the field, 27.89 percent from three, in 11 starts.
 
This season, he might be Wichita State's most consistent performer. He leads the Shockers in minutes (27.9 a game), scoring (13.7) and is tied with Etienne at 1.3 steals a game. His average of 5.4 rebounds ranks second and his average of 2.8 assists is tied for second on the team.
 
Stevenson is shooting 43.4 percent from the field and 34.5 from three. While the Shockers wait for sophomore Dexter Dennis to return to his freshman form, Stevenson is providing outside shooting, defense and passing to help keep things moving.
 
"He's a leader," Marshall said. "You hear his voice all the time. He's fun to coach and he has a lot of energy."
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.