The RoundHouse | 12/7/2019 2:52:00 PM

 
There are strategy things to wonder about and execution, positioning and smarts are certainly a big part of Wichita State's first visit to a hostile gym.
 
The Shockers, however, are mostly thinking about the play-hard and composure components of Sunday's game at Oklahoma State. All the positive aspects – rebounding, effort, defense – from Thursday's win over Central Arkansas were immediately reframed in relation to the trip to Stillwater and from the learning experience in Cancun against West Virginia and South Carolina.
 
"Adversity is going to hit us," guard Tyson Etienne said, reflecting on the Cancun Challenge. 
 
Count on that on Sunday. Oklahoma State (7-1) owns wins over Syracuse and Mississippi and is No. 26 in Ken Pomeroy's national ranking (Wichita State is No. 48). The Cowboys are a strong defensive unit that holds opponents to 35.8 percent shooting and forces 16.3 turnovers a game. They start three seniors and two sophomores who started as freshmen. 

"This was a tune-up game for us coming off the trip to Cancun," Shockers coach Gregg Marshall said Thursday. "Now we have to carry it on the road. Got to see what you can do against a Big 12 opponent that's really talented, long, athletic, and well-coached on Sunday." 

As of now, the Cowboys are Wichita State's highest-ranked (Pomeroy) opponent. A road win over this caliber of non-conference opponent would be a chip many other schools won't match come NCAA selection time, similar to a win at VCU to open the 2012-13 season.

The Shockers are a long way from worrying about March. In 2017, it took a 30-point, five-assist performance from Landry Shamet to lead the Shockers past Oklahoma State 78-66.

"I know that going to Stillwater and winning is difficult," Marshall said. "We did it last time we were down there. It was a great game and it took tremendous effort, heart, and toughness and some big-time players making big-time plays. We'll have to do the same. If we don't, we'll come back 7-2." 

The previous two Wichita State-Oklahoma State games went to the point guard who played the best. In 2017, Oklahoma State's Jawun Evans sliced up the Shockers on his way to 22 points and a 93-76 win. The next season, Shamet dominated the second half with his scoring and passing, needing a mere 11 shots to score his 30.

The Cowboys play an aggressive defense that denies passes, while mixing in some matchup zone, which will put a premium on making plays. Beat the pressure, make a good decision to make the defense pay for its aggressiveness. Two years ago, the Shockers turned the game over to Shamet, who scored 23 of his points in the second half while making 10 of 12 foul shots and not committing a turnover.

The Shockers can't count on a similarly dominating performance from point guard on Sunday, but both Jamarius Burton and Grant Sherfield can score and limit turnovers. Burton is good at drawing fouls, although his accuracy from the line (11 of 21) is down from last season. Sherfield is coming off one of his best performances of the season – 15 points, five assists, one turnover in the win over Central Arkansas.

If it's helpful for Sherfield to get a boost of confidence heading into his first road game, consider Wednesday's win a success. He made 3 of 5 three-pointers after entering the game 2 of 12.

"I knew I could shoot it well," Sherfield said. "My teammates know it. Coach knows it."

Also working in the point guard's favor is the number of teammates who can plays as secondary ball-handlers. Sophomore Erik Stevenson has 27 assists and six turnovers and his role as a pressure-relief option who can hit an open teammate quickly could be crucial. Tyson Etienne is a floor-spacer who can also drive.

Oklahoma State sophomore Isaac Likekele averages 13.7 points, 5.0 assists and 2.8 steals. He is a strong finisher who is 28 of 38 from the foul line. He did not play in Wednesday's loss to Georgetown due to illness. 

The Shockers don't need a 2017 Shamet performance on Sunday (you won't find many better in Shocker history). They do need their point guards to play well and give the offense a chance to work. 

Another matchup to watch: Cowboys center Yor Anei averages 11.8 points and 6.6 rebounds. Foul trouble limited him to 18 minutes and four points in the loss to Georgetown. Wichita State senior Jaime Echenique could provide a boost if he wins that matchup on Sunday.

It is a big weekend for the American Athletic Conference, which ranks seventh in the Pomeroy rankings. UConn's November win over then-No. 15 Florida is the conference's lone win over a team ranked at the time of the game. Florida is No. 32 in the Pomeroy rankings, also the American's best win in that category.

The American could use some quality wins.

Cincinnati plays at No. 27 (Pomeroy) Xavier. No. 64 Missouri is at Temple. No. 55 Georgetown is at SMU. Houston is at No. 102 South Carolina. No. 113 Saint Louis is at Tulane. On Tuesday, UConn faces No. 20 Indiana at Madison Square Garden.

Seven American teams are in the Pomeroy top 100, five in the top. None, however, are in the top 30. This weekend gives the conference a chance to improve its resume.

Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.