The RoundHouse | 12/27/2019 1:32:00 PM
ABILENE CHRISTIAN (7-5) at NO. 25 WICHITA STATE (10-1)
SUNDAY, DEC. 29, 2019 | 2:05 P.M. CT
WICHITA, KAN./ CHARLES KOCH ARENA (10,506)
TV: YurView Kansas (Cox HD 2022)
RADIO: KEYN 103.7 FM (GoShockers.com/Listen)
At the start of the season, we knew Wichita State possessed a bunch of big bodies and the potential to match depth with almost any team in and around the lane. We didn't, however, know exactly how that position would unfold.
Now we know more and the first thought remains – the Shockers can play with four centers, all of whom can present problems for the opponent.
The emergence of
Morris Udeze, who missed part of last season with a shoulder injury, has been a key factor in this group's rise. He averages 6.1 points and 3.5 rebounds and leads the Shockers by making 57.4 percent of his shots and his showing a growing variety of scoring moves. His 20 offensive rebounds rank second behind
Trey Wade's 30.
Jaime Echenique remains a game-changer with his soft scoring touch and shot-blocking. The Shockers know they can target him, as they did in the early possessions against VCU, and get the offense started. Asbjorn Midtgaard will prove valuable against other big teams and he proved at Oklahoma State that he can alter a game with his scoring around the rim and shot-blocking.
Isaiah Poor-Bear Chandler may be asked to do more in the absence of forward
Dexter Dennis. Poor Bear-Chandler is capable of playing power forward and may take some of those minutes when Wade rests.
It is a strong group of big men, as deep as any group in the recent era. While the Shockers wait on Dennis, on indefinite leave for personal reasons, their contributions will need to take on a little more urgency.
Those big men and their ability to either alter shots or take charges (as Udeze did twice against VCU) form the backline to a defense that also is a reminder of past Shocker teams.
For the season, Wichita State limits opponents to 61.8 points and 38 percent shooting while forcing 16.5 turnovers a game. Its turnover margin is 4.5 and its rebound margin is 6.6.
Ten Shockers play between 11 and 29 minutes a game. Seven Shockers score between 7.1 and 13.2 points. Those roster constructions are similar to the 2011 NIT champions (10 Shockers averaged 13 or more minutes) and the 2013 Final Four team (11 averaged 10 or more minutes). The 2012 Shockers went to the NCAA Tournament with six scoring between 8 and 13.4 points.
"Understanding that rebounding and defending and running and coming up with loose balls – those are effort and toughness plays," Marshall said after last week's win over VCU. "Everyone can do it to different degrees. You have to go for the loose ball as hard as you can go for it, with two hands."
Abilene Christian's statistics are inflated due to four games against non-NCAA Division I opponents in which its average margin of victory is 51 points.
Against teams in Wichita State's range of talent, the picture is different for the Wildcats (7-5). They lost 72-58 to UNLV and shot 37.3 percent from the field. In a 70-51 loss to SMU, Abilene Christian surrendered 61.9 percent shooting. Outside of 7-foot center Kolton Kohl, the Wildcats don't block many shots. SMU scored 32 points in the paint and added 7 of 17 three-point shooting.
Competitive losses to Pepperdine (73-69) and Texas State (61-56) were fueled, in part, by winning the score at the foul line (plus-4 vs. Pepperdine and plus-5 vs. Texas State).
The Wildcats leads the nation with a turnover margin of 7.7. They rank No. 11 with an average of 10 steals a game. Guard Payten Ricks, from Maize South, averages 13.6 points and is shooting 38.5 percent from three-point range.
Abilene Christian went 27-7 last season and played in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 15 seed before losing to Kentucky. They lost three senior starters from that team.
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
