WICHITA STATE (16-13, 9-8) at TULANE (4-25, 0-17)
SAT., MAR. 9, 2019 | 7:30 P.M. CT
NEW ORLEANS, LA./ DEVLIN FIELDHOUSE
TV: CBSSN
RADIO: KEYN 103.7 FM / GOSHOCKERS.com/LISTEN
SERIES: WSU LEADS 2-0 (FIRST IN NEW ORLEANS)
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>>> Wichita State closes out the regular season with its first-ever visit to Tulane at 7:35 p.m. Saturday evening from Avron B. Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse.
>>> Watch the game on CBS Sports Network with Pat O'Keefe (pbp), Tim Doyle (analyst)
>>> Listen on KEYN 103.7 FM and online at GoShockers.com/Listen. Mike Kennedy, now in his 39th season as "Voice of the Shockers," and Bob Hull tip things off at 6:30 p.m. with the INTRUST Bank Pregame Show.
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OPENING TIPS:
***Picked eighth in the preseason, a Shocker win would lock in the No. 6 seed at next week's conference tournament in Memphis and a first round date with ECU (Thursday, 9 p.m. CT, ESPNU).
***Even with a loss at Tulane, WSU could still claim the No. 6 seed with either a Tulsa win (Saturday at Memphis) or a USF loss (Sunday vs. SMU). Otherwise, the Shockers would fall to the No. 7 line for a first round date with SMU or UConn (Thurs., 7 p.m., ESPNU).
***Wichita State is 2-0 all-time against Tulane. The first two wins came in Wichita, including a 77-62 decision back on Feb. 9.
Markis McDuffie supplied 25 points and eight rebounds to lead the way.
***This is WSU's second season in The American. It took until game No. 36, but after Saturday, WSU will have played at least one road game at every conference opponent.
***The Shockers have won three-straight and eight of their last 10 games following a 1-6 start to conference play.
***WSU dropped its first six true road games but has since won three of its last four trips (ECU, Tulsa, SMU). The only loss came at Cincinnati. The Shockers are one of just three teams (along with Cincy and Houston) to win at Tulsa. Going back to the 2013-14 season, WSU's .776 road percentage (52-15) trails only to Gonzaga.
***WSU downed ECU on Tuesday, 72-55. McDuffie celebrated Senior Night with 16 points.
Dexter Dennis added 10 points and eight rebounds.
Asbjørn Midtgaard finishe with 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting with three blocks. WSU shot just 39% but finished +10 on the glass and charted 14 assists with only seven turnovers.
***WSU is rebuilding this year behind 10 newcomers but has faced one of the nation's toughest schedules (No. 29, per NET). As of Thursday, the Shockers had played a league-best 17 Quadrant I or II games, ahead of UConn (15) and Houston (15).
***On Feb. 28, head coach
Gregg Marshall recorded his 300th Shocker (he's 302-111 in 12 seasons). He now needs just four more wins to reach the 500-mark for his career (496-194, 21st).
***McDuffie is the highest-scoring Shocker of the Marshall Era (18.0 ppg) and just the fourth to reach 500 points in a season, joining All-Americans Cleanthony Early (2013 & 2014) and Ron Baker (2015). McDuffie is rapidly climing WSU's all-time lists -- 16th in scoring (1,375) and 10th in three-pointers (143). The two-time AAC Player of the Week has scored at least eight points in every game this year and topped 20 on 10 occasions.
***
Jamarius Burton is the reigning American Freshman of the Week. His 3.1 assists and 1.79 ratio are tops among AAC rookies.
***
Jaime Echenique is the team's leading rebounder (5.9) and shot blocker (1.55). His streak of 14-straight games with a block is WSU's longest since Antoine Carr's 24-gamer in 1983.
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SHOCKER SEEDING SCENARIOS:
***Picked eighth in preseason, Wichita State will be either the No. 6 or No. 7 seed in net week's Air Force Reserve American Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Championship, Mar. 14-17 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn.
***WSU controls its own destiny for the No. 6 seed. A Saturday win at Tulane would lock in a first round matchup with No. 11 seed ECU on Thursday, Mar. 14 (9 p.m. CT, ESPNU).
***Even with a loss, the Shockers could still earn the No. 6 seed with a USF loss (Sunday vs. SMU) OR a Tulsa win (Saturday at Memphis).
***WSU can still tie Memphis for fifth-place but won't move up in seeding. The Tigers swept both meetings.
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TRENDING:
***Since late January, Wichita State has been one of the American Athletic Conference's hottest teams, winning eight of its last 10 games. Only Houston (9-1) has been better.
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Last 10 Games (as of March 8):
Houston – 9-1 (15-2 overall in AAC play)
Wichita St. – 8-2 (9-8)
UCF – 8-2 (13-4)
Cincinnati – 8-2 (14-3)
Temple – 7-3 (12-5)
Tulsa – 6-4 (8-9)
USF – 5-5 (8-9)
Memphis – 5-5 (10-7)
ECU – 2-8 (3-14)
UConn – 2-8 (5-12)
SMU – 1-9 (5-12)
Tulane – 0-10 (0-17)
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WHO'S HOT:
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Dexter Dennis has scored in double-figures in five of his last six games (after doing so just four times in the first 23 contests). Over that stretch he's averaging 12.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and shooting 50% from deep (20-of-40). Dennis has 138 rebounds this season -- most by a Shocker freshman under Marshall.
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Jamarius Burton is The American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week after averaging 10.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in victories over UConn and SMU last week. He finished with a 5.00-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio... Burton is the league's freshman leader in assists (3.3) and A:TO ratio (1.79). The latter would be the highest ever by a Shocker true freshman (min. 3 APG).
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Samajae Haynes-Jones hit a buzzer-beater to break a 63-all tie and defeat UConn on Feb. 28. For his efforts, the senior was named to Monday's American Honor Roll. Haynes-Jones has played at least 30 minutes in 10-straight games. He's scored in double-figures 19 times this year and has three 20-point games.
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Jaime Echenique is the team's leading rebounder (5.9) and shot-blocker (1.57). He's swatted at least one shot in 13-straight games (longest since Antoine Carr's 24-gamer in 1983). Echenique has blocked a league-high 31 shots in conference play.
***12 of sophomore center
Asbjørn Midtgaard's 19 blocks have come in his last six games. The 7-footer is averaging 6.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 15.5 minutes-per-game over that stretch.
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BLOCK PARTY:
***
Jaime Echenique's streak of 14-straight games with a block is the longest by a Shocker since Antoine Carr's 24-gamer in 1983.
***Echenique has blocked 32 shots in WSU's 17 conference games. He had four in the Jan. 16 win over UCF and five in the Jan. 30 victory against SMU.
***Echenique has blocked at least one shot in 26 of the 29 games this year.
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Consecutive Games with a Block (Since 1980):
25 – Antoine Carr (1980-81)
24 – Antoine Carr (1982-83*)
14 – Jaime Echenique (2018-19) – Jan. 16 to Present
12 –
Shaquille Morris (2017-18)
11 – Claudius Johnson (1990-91)
10 – 3x, Last:
Jaime Echenique (2018-19)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
*= Streak began the previous season
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BIG HELP:
***WSU's three-headed --
Jaime Echenique, Asbjorn Midtgaard and
Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler – split 40 minutes at the center position. Marshall rotates them frequently, like a hockey coach calling line changes. Midtgaard and Echenique take the lion's share of minutes, with Poor Bear-Chandler at the ready if foul trouble hits.
***The group has been a source of strength, lately, on both ends of the floor. Over the last 10 games, they're averaging a double-double with 18.1 points and 12.8 rebounds to go with 3.7 blocks. It's no coincidence that WSU is 8-2 in that stretch.
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WSU's Center Platoon, Last 10 Games:
Jan. 30 – SMU (W) – 22 pts, 11 reb, 5 blk
Feb. 2 – TULSA (W) – 18 pts, 6 reb, 2 blk
Feb. 6 – at ECU (W) – 14 pts, 21 reb, 3 blk
Feb. 9 – TULANE (W) – 13 pts, 12 reb, 2 blk
Feb. 17 – at Cincinnati (L) – 17 pts, 25 reb, 6 blk
Feb. 20 – at Tulsa (W) – 21 pts, 6 reb, 6 blk
Feb. 23 – MEMPHIS (L) – 25 pts, 14 reb, 2 blk
Feb. 28 – UCONN (W) – 11 pts, 7 reb, 6 blk
Mar. 3 – at SMU (W) – 18 pts, 9 reb, 1 blk
Mar. 5 – ECU (W) – 22 pts, 17 reb, 4 blk
10-GAME AVERAGE: 18.1 pts, 12.8 reb, 3.7 blk
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1,375 FOR McDUFFIE (AND COUNTING):
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Markis McDuffie is the 47th member of WSU's 1,000-point club. He reached the mark in his 100th game (Dec. 8, 2018 at Okla.).
***McDuffie needs just 25 more points to become WSU's 16th 1,400-point scorer. He's 64 shy of former teammate Fred VanVleet for No. 15 all-time.
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McDuffie on WSU's All-Time Scoring List:
12. Toure' Murry (2008-12) -- 1,539 (+164)
13. Cliff Levingston (1979-82) -- 1,471 (+96)
14. Sasha Radunovich (1985-89) -- 1,463 (+88)
15. Fred VanVleet (2012-16) -- 1,439 (+64)
16. Markis McDuffie (2015-Pr.) -- 1,375
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McDUFFIE A TRIPLE THREAT:
***McDuffie (143 career three-pointers) is 10th on WSU's career list. He needs just one more to catch Paul Guffrovich (1987-91) for ninth-place.
***McDuffie is sinking 2.31 threes-per-game would be the fifth-best season average in Shocker history.
***McDuffie's 67 three-pointers this year is already one of the 10 highest totals on the single-season list.
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McDuffie on WSU's All-Time 3-Point Field Goal Chart:
6.
Conner Frankamp (2015-18) – 164 (+21)
7.
Landry Shamet (2015-18) – 159 (+16)
8. David Kyles (2008-12) – 153 (+10)
9. Paul Guffrovich (1987-91) – 144 (+1)
10. Markis McDuffie (2015-Pr.) -- 143
11. Fred VanVleet (2012-16) -- 141
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HAPPY 300:
***
Gregg Marshall celebrated his 56th birthday on Wednesday (Feb. 27), then picked up his 300th Shocker win the following evening against UConn.
***22 active head coaches have 300+ wins at their current school. Kentucky's John Calipari joined the club earlier this week. Cincinnati's 13th-year head coach Mick Cronin (293) is next.
***Marshall is one of just half-a-dozen coaches in that group that made it to 300 within their first 12 seasons, joined by Bill Self (Kansas), Roy Williams (UNC), Mark Few (Gonzaga), Dave Rose (BYU) and Calipari (Kentucky).
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SCOUTING TULANE:
***Tulane is in the midst of a 19-game losing streak -- tied with Chicago State for the nation's longest active. The Green Wave are in search of their first win since Dec. 17 against Texas Southern and are looking to avoid the first 0-18 finish in The American's six-year history.
Tulane is averaging a league-low 66.7 points and surrendering a league-high 77.2 points-per-game.
***Caleb Daniels ranks among the league's top-10 in scoring (10th, 16.1) and minutes played (8th, 33.9). He's scored at least 20 points on nine occasions.
***Samir Sehic is No. 3 on the conference rebounding chart (7.7) and has nine double-doubles and 10 double-digit rebounding games to his credit.
***Jordan Cornish (team-high 4.1 assists) has a pair of double-digit assist games this year.
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THE SERIES WITH TULANE:
***WSU is 2-0 all-time against Tulane. Both meetings came in Wichita.
***WSU has played three times in New Orleans but never against Tulane. Their last visit came over 36 years ago in the 1982-83 season opener. A loss to the University of New Orleans was one of just three suffered by the Shockers that year.
***WSU's lone victory in The Big Easy was one of the most memorable in Shocker history. Mike Jones' last-second jumper gave WSU a 66-65 win over Kansas in the 1981 Midwest Regional Semifinal, played inside the Louisiana Super Dome. Two days later, WSU fell to top-seed LSU in the Elite Eight.
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Feb. 9, 2019 | Wichita | WSU 77, Tulane 62
***
Markis McDuffie scored 18 of his game-high 25 points in the first half to lift WSU to a 15-point home victory.
Erik Stevenson hit three triples on his way to 13 points and
Samajae Haynes-Jones added 12.
***WSU's plus-eight turnover margin was its best of the conference season. The Shockers forced eight steals and turned 17 Tulane turnovers into 15 points.
***Tulane attempted 28 free throws to WSU's 14 but shot 36.7% from field. Connor Crabtree and Caleb Daniels paced paced the Green Wave with 17-each.
***The Shockers stretched a six-point halftime lead to 20 with a 17-3 push to begin the second half. WSU held Tulane scoreless until the 14:00-mark, and Stevenson's back-to-back three-points made it a 58-38 with 11:58 to go.
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Feb. 21, 2018 | Wichita, Kan. | 13 WSU 93, Tulane 86
***The debut meeting between WSU and Tulane was the only meeting in 2017-18, due the league's unbalanced scheduled. Minus
Landry Shamet (illness), the Shockers won 93-86 in Wichita.
***
Shaquille Morris matched his career-high with 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds in 30 minutes.
Conner Frankamp ran the point in Shamet's absence and scored a season-best 18 points with four assists in 32 turnover-free minutes.
***WSU led 47-31 at halftime but struggled to put away Tulane, which shot 50% from the field and hit 11-of-19 threes. Melvin Frazier led the Wave with 22 points and 11 boards.
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MATCHUP MASHUP:
***
Dexter Dennis' hometown of Baker, La. Is less than 100 miles from New Orleans. Dennis is the first Louisiana native to ever play for the Shockers. His mother, Dawn McQuirter, played collegiately at Grambling State… Dennis is a distant cousin of Aaron James, the first player ever drafted by the expansion New Orleans Jazz.
***Both sides' rosters have been hurt this year after their respective leading scorers left early for the NBA Draft. Tulane's Melvin Frazier was taken 35th overall by the Orlando Magic. WSU's
Landry Shamet went in the first round (26th overall to the 76'ers).
***A former national coach of the year meets a former NBA coach of the year.
Gregg Marshall won consensus honors in 2014 after guiding WSU to a 35-0 start. Mike Dunleavy Sr. joined the college ranks in 2016 following 17-years leading the Lakers, Bucks, Trail Blazers and Clippers. He was NBA Coach of the Year in 1999 after taking Portland to the Western Conference Finals.
***Marshall grew up rooting for the University of South Carolina, and Dunleavy was one of his favorite players.
***Three of the league's most improved players, in terms of on-court productivity, will share the floor Saturday. Caleb Daniels appeared in 30 games off the bench last year for Tulane and averaged 6.4 points in 18.3 minutes. He's started all 28 games as a sophomore and is putting up 16.1 points in 33.9 minutes... WSU's
Samajae Haynes-Jones played in just one game after Feb. 10 last year but now rarely leaves the floor. His scoring has jumped from 5.3 points to 12.1, and he's playing a team-high 32.6 minutes (up from 11.0 last year)....
Markis McDuffie is averaging a team-high 18.0 points this year after putting up 8.5 as a junior.
***WSU joined The American on July 1, 2017 after a 72-year run in the Missouri Valley Conference. Tulane was one of four new league foes that the Shockers had never faced prior to the move (along with ECU, UCF and USF).
***Mickey Loomis, general manager of the NBA's Pelicans and the NFL's Saints, earned his master's degree in sports administration at Wichita State in 1982.
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A SHOCKER WIN WOULD…
… make them 17-13 with wins in 9 of their last 11.
… give them at least 17 wins for the 10th-consecutive season and for the 16th time in 17 years.
… put them four games over .500 for the first time.
… give them a final 10-8 AAC mark after a 1-6 start.
… secure the No. 6 seed and a first round matchup with ECU (9 p.m. CT, ESPNU) next Thursday at the conference tournament in Memphis.
… be three-straight on the road (and four-of-five).
… make them 3-0 against Tulane all-time.
… give them their fourth home-and-home sweep.
…  move
Gregg Marshall within three wins of 500.
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A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD…
… close out a 16-14 regular season (9-9 American).
… snap a three-game winning streak.
… be just their third loss since Jan. 27
… give Tulane a split of the season series.
… narrow WSU's all-time lead to 2-1.
… make WSU 1-3 all-time in New Orleans.
… be less good than a win.
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UP NEXT:
***Wichita State opens play in the 2019 Air Force Reserve American Athletic Conference Championship, Mar. 14-17 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn.
***The Shockers will play in the evening session as either the No. 6 seed (9 p.m. CT vs. No. 11 ECU) or the No. 7 seed (7 p.m. CT vs. No. 10 SMU or UConn). All four of Thursday's first round games will air on ESPNU.
***In addition to Shocker Radio coverage on KEYN 103.7 FM in Wichita, KFH 1240 AM will carry select non-WSU games produced by Learfield IMG College.
***Streaming audio will not be available on GoShockers.com, but fans outside of the KEYN listening area can hear Learfield's national feed for all 11 tournament games on Sirius XM (134/XM channel 202) and via TuneIn on the College Sports Now channel. The championship game will also air on Westwood One radio.
***For more information about the tournament, visit: TheAmerican.org/AmericanHoops.
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