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Erik Stevenson vs. UConn

Road Swing Continues Wednesday at Temple

1/14/2020 4:53:00 PM

16/16 WICHITA STATE (15-1, 3-0) at TEMPLE (9-6, 1-3)
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 15, 2020 | 8 P.M. CT (9 P.M. ET)
PHILADELPHIA, PA./ LIACOURAS CENTER
TV: ESPNU (WatchESPN)
RADIO: KEYN 103.7 FM (GoShockers.com/Listen)
SERIES: Temple Leads 5-3 (1-0 in Philadelphia)
LAST: Mar. 15, 2019 in Memphis; AAC Quarterfinals (WSU, 80-74)
 
>>> The first-place Wichita State Shockers (15-1, 3-0 and a consensus No. 16 in the national polls) continue their East Coast road swing Wednesday night with an American Athletic Conference matchup against the Temple Owls (9-6, 1-3) beginning at 8 p.m. CT (9 ET).
 
>>> Wednesday's matchup airs nationally on ESPNU with streaming available through the ESPN App, accessible on computers, smart phones, tablets amd devices to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider. Jon Meterparel & Sean Harrington have the call.
 
>>> Mike Kennedy and Bob Hull describe the action on KEYN 103.7 FM and online at goshockers.com/listen. Kennedy, who is now in his 40th year as Voice of the Shockers, will call is 1,244th consecutive game.
 
 
OPENING TIPS:
  • WSU carried a No. 16 rankings into its only previous Liacouras Center visit -- Feb. 1, 2018 -- but lost 81-79 in overtime.
  • Temple leads the all-time series, 5-3, and has won two of the three regular season conference games between the two. The Shockers, however, have bounced the Owls in each of the last two AAC tournament quarterfinals.
  • Wichita State's nine-game winning streak is its longest since joining The American. It's tied for the nation's fifth-longest active streak (as of Tuesday) and includes five Quadrant I or II victories.
  • Wichita State's eight-game true road winning streak is the nation's second-longest active behind Gonzaga (14). It's one shy of the American Athletic Conference record, set earlier this year by Houston It's also tied for the third-longest road streak in Shocker history.
  • As of Tuesday, the Shockers are one of just eight teams with one loss or fewer. WSU's lone defeat came Nov. 27 to West Virginia (NET No. 10) in the Cancun Challenge title game. The Shocker resume includes a 2-1 record in Quadrant I games and a 3-0 mark in Quadrant II contests. Wednesday's game against Temple (NET No.  83 on Tuesday) currently qualifies for Q2 status.
  • Saturday setbacks for SMU and Houston left WSU as The American's lone unbeaten (3-0 in conference play).
  • The Shockers held onto first-place on Sunday with a wild, double-overtime win at UConn (89-86). It was their first 2OT game in eight years. The Huskies erased a nine-point deficit in the final 65 seconds of regulation, capped by a last-second three. WSU regrouped to win it behind 19 points from Jaime Echenique and 16-each from Dexter Dennis and Erik Stevenson.
  • The Shockers rank among the national leaders in scoring margin (20th, +13.7), turnover margin (22nd, +4.2) and field goal percentage defense (28th, .382) and turnovers forced (35th, 16.8) KenPom rates the WSU defense 20th nationally in adjusted efficiency.
 
 
THE SHOCKS, IN SHORT:
  • Wichita State has one of the nation's youngest teams and  -- according to the rankings -- one of its best. The Shockers are a consensus No. 16 in the AP and Coaches Polls and have climbed to No. 9 in the NCAA NET ratings.
  • WSU rejoined the AP Top-25 on Dec. 30 after a season-and-a-half absence. The Shockers went wire-to-wire in the 2017-18 polls but spent last year rebuilding.
  • 10 of WSU's 13 scholarship players are underclassmen, though many of them gained valuable experience during a surprise run to the NIT semifinals.
  • The '18-19 team found an identity with defense, rebounding and ball security. Those qualities still apply, but the current group packs a little more scoring punch and has had greater success creating turnovers.
  • After a year in the NIT, WSU is seeking a return to the NCAA tournament for the eighth time in nine years and has put together an at-large quality resume: 5-1 in Q1 and Q2 games. Ten of the 15 remaining games on the Shocker schedule are of the Q-I or Q-II variety.
  • KenPom rates the Shocker defense 20th nationally in efficiency (up from 44th last year). WSU has held 13 of its 16 opponents under 40% from the field. Only two teams have scored more than 70 points against the Shockers this year in regulation and none more than 75.
  • Nine Shockers average 10+ minutes and eight are scoring at least 6.0 points-per-game.
  • The starting lineup of (1) Burton, (2) Etienne, (3) Stevenson, (4) Wade and (5) Echenique has started every game since Dec. 5 and is 9-0 together.
  • Sophomore guard Erik Stevenson -- a two-time AAC player of the week pick -- leads the Shockers in points (14.1) and steals (29) and is the team's second-leading rebounder (5.4). He's topped 20-points three times. In three conference games Stevenson is  averaging a team-high 15.0 points on 8-of-19 three-point shooting (.421) along with 6.3 rebounds, and 2.0 steals.
  • Sophomore Jamarius Burton (11.1 ppg) can play point guard or on the wing, as needed. He's averaging a team-high 3.8 assists with a 1.73 A:TO ratio and has scored in double-figures in six-straight games.
  • The team's lone senior -- 6-11 center Jaime Echenique -- averages 10.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks. On a per-40-minute basis, he leads the team in plus-minus (+24.5), points (20.7) and blocks (2.2).
  • 6-foot-6 forward Trey Wade -- a JUCO transfer from South Plains (Texas) College -- has been an impactful addition at the four-spot. He's the team's top rebounder (6.9) and owns a pair of double-doubles.
  • A couple of four-star freshman guards have also helped elevate the Shockers. Tyson Etienne (10.4 ppg) has nailed a team-high 37 triples with 43.0% accuracy. He ranks second on the AAC leaderboard in threes-per-game and is fourth in percentage. Combo guard Grant Sherfield (9.2 ppg) has been the team's other primary point guard while providing scoring off the bench.
  • Sophomore Dexter Dennis (7.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg) -- an athletic wing and the team's most versatile defender -- was an AAC All-Freshman pick last year.
  • The Shockers are one of the league' deepest teams in the post with Echenique backed by 6-9 sophomore Morris Udeze (6.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg), 7-foot junior Asbjørn Midtgaard (2.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg), and 6-9 sophomore Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler (2.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg).
  • Three other true freshmen are on the roster: Forward DeAntoni Gordon (11 games) and point guard Noah Fernandes (12) have shown flashes of potential. 6-10 forward Josaphat Bilau is redshirting.
 
 
ROAD WARRIORS:
  • WSU has been one the nation's most successful road teams under Gregg Marshall. Since the start of the 2013-14 season, the Shockers' .795 winning percentage is second only to Gonzaga. The Shockers are 93-50 overall under Marshall in true road environments. Those wins have come in 37 different buildings.
  • Per Warren Nolan, WSU's eight-straight true road wins is the nation's second-longest active streak.

Longest Active Road Winning Streaks (as of 1/14/2020):
14 – Gonzaga (6-0 in 2019-20); Next: Jan. 30 at Santa Clara
8 – Wichita State (2-0), Next: Wednesday at Temple
6 – San Diego State (5-0); Next: Tuesday at Fresno St.
5 – Harvard (5-1); Next: Jan. 25 at Dartmouth

  • Wichita State's eight-game true road winning streak is tied for the third-longest in program history.
  • A win at Temple would tie the longest streak in the American Athletic Conference's seven-year history. Houston saw a nine-game streak come to an end in late November at Oregon.

WSU's Longest True Road Winning Streaks (All-Time):
12 – 11/20/2013 to 12/3/2014 at #25 Utah (68-69 ot)
11 – 1/17/2017 – 1/20/2018 at Houston (59-73)
8 – 1/1/2011 to 2/26/2011 at Missouri St. (64-69)
8 – 2/20/2019 – Active

AAC's Longest True Road Winning Streaks:
9 – Houston – 1/16/2019 to 11/22/2019 at #8 Oregon (66-78)
8 – Wichita State – 2/20/2019; Active
7 – Tulsa – 12/7/2014 to 2/12/2015 at UConn (45-70)
7 – SMU – 1/11/2015 to 3/1/2015 at UConn (73-81)
7 – Cincinnati – 12/16/2017 to 2/15/2018 at Houston (62-67)

 
 
WORKING AHEAD:
  • Last year's team didn't win its 15th game until Mar. 3. This year's team beat that mark by 51 days (Jan. 12).
  • Win No. 16 came on Mar. 5 last year (ECU). With a win on Sunday, the 2019-20 Shockers would be 50 days ahead of schedule.
  • The Shockers' 15-1 record is tied for the fourth-best one-loss start in school history. 

Wichita State's Best One-Loss Starts (All-Time):
35-1 --- 2013-14 (Finished 35-1; First 35-0 start in NCAA history)
18-1 – 1926-27 (Finished 19-2)
16-1 --- 1953-54 (Finished 27-4; First Modern Postseason Bid; NIT)
15-1 --- 2012-13 (Finished 30-9; Final Four)
15-1 --- 2019-20

  • The Shockers are looking to become only the 11th  team in league history to build a 10-game winning streak. Memphis won 10-in-a-row earlier this season before falling at home to Georgia on Jan. 4.
  • Two of the 10 streaks came to an end at the Liacouras Center, including SMU's conference-record 18-game winning streak in 2015-16.
  • WSU won its last four American games in 2019 and is out to a 3-0 start this year. 
  • A win a Temple would give the Shockers one of the 10-longest conference winnings streaks in league history (2013-14 to Pr.).
  • WSU's nine-game winning streak is its longest since joining the American Athletic Conference. The Shockers had a 16-game streak January-March, 2017.
  • A win at Temple would give the Shockers their 11th double-digit winning streak in program history and the fourth of the Marshall Era (2007-Pr.).
 
 
ABOUT TEMPLE:
  • Temple won 23 games last year and earned an NCAA at-large bid to the First Four where it lost to Belmont. It was the final game under coach Fran Dunphy, who retired last spring after amassing nearly 600 career victories, including 270 in 13 seasons at Temple.
  • Former Temple standout Aaron McKie was promoted last spring after five years working under Dunphy. McKie played for four teams, including the hometown 76'ers, during a 13-year run in the NBA (1994-2007).
  • The Owls are out to a 9-6 start (4-3 at home). They won their conference opener at UCF on New Years Eve but are still searching for their first victory of 2020. Subsequent losses at Tulsa (44-70) and at home to Houston (74-78) and Tulane (51-65) have dropped Temple to 1-3.
  • A pair of preseason all-conference guards carry the  scoring load. Quinton Rose is averaging a team-high 14.4 points to go with 10.6 points and 8.8 rebounds from Nate Pierre-Louis.
  • Defense has been the Owls' calling card. They ranks 29th in KenPom's defensive efficiency rankings. The Owls areholding opponents to 63.7 points on 38.5% shooting (33rd nationally). Temple foes have hit less than 29% of their three-point tries (tops in the AAC).
 
 
THE SERIES WITH TEMPLE:
  • Temple leads the all-time series 5-3. The Shockers are 3-2 in the American Era, but Temple has won two of three regular season games, including the only other meeting in Philadelphia.
  • The Shockers have eliminated the Owls from each of the last two AAC tournaments -- both times in the quarterfinal round. WSU was one of the very last teams invited to the 2019 NIT. Its semifinal run may not have been possible without an 86-80 upset of the third-seeded Owls. Markis McDuffie's 34-point outburst carried the Shockers that day. In 2018, No. 2 seed WSU rode 24 points from first round NBA draft pick Landry Shamet for an 89-81 win over No. 7 seed Temple. Shamet was 6-of-8 from three in that game.
  • Closely contested games were the norm between Marshall and Dunphy. Three of the six meetings, including a chance encounter in the 2010 Puerto Rico Tipoff,  went to overtime. The other three were single-digit margins.
  • No lead has been safe for either side...
  • WSU lost its first visit to Liacouras Center on Feb. 1, 2018 (81-79 in OT) after leading by eight at halftime and by seven with 5:02 to go. The Shockers managed just two more points in regulation. Shizz Alston Jr. forced overtime on a layup with seven seconds remaining and delivered two go-ahead free throws with 18 seconds to play in overtime. Markis McDuffie missed a potential game-winning three before the final buzzer.
  • Two weeks later in Wichita (Feb. 15, 2018), the Shockers overcame a 14-point halftime deficit and Temple's Charles Koch Arena record 16 three-pointers for a 93-86 win. It was one of the largest comebacks in school history.
  • Last year in Wichita, the Shockers led by 13 at halftime and by 11 with just over 3:00 to play. Temple scored the last 11 points of regulation to force overtime and went on to win, 85-81. It was one of the largest opposing team comebacks in Shocker history.
  • In the 2011 Puerto Rico tipoff, the Shockers battled back from down eight at the 7:00-mark to force overtime, but Temple won 78-74 in extra time behind 23 points from Ramone Moore. Toure' Murry scored a game-high 24 for the Shockers, who went on to win 25 of their next 27 games en route to the first NCAA Tournament bid of the Marshall Era.
  • On Dec. 22 1983, Temple ended WSU's 22-game home winning streak with a 78-73 victory. Junior All-American Xavier McDaniel played all 40 minutes and tallied 24 points and 18 rebounds. That streak stood for more than three decades as the school record before the Ron Baker/Fred VanVleet Shockers broke it with a 40-gamer that stretched from 2013-16.
  • A year later (Jan. 27, 1985), the Owls squeezed out a 62-60 win in the championship game of the Pizza Hut Shoot Out. The Shockers held a 51-42 advantage with 8:56 remaining, but Tim Perry's three-foot jumper at the buzzer capped a furious Temple comeback.
 
 
MATCHUP MASHUP:
  • WSU freshman Noah Fernandes celebrates his 20th birthday on Wednesday. His hometown -- Mattapoisett, Mass. is roughly five hours from Philadelphia.
  • Fellow rookie Tyson Etienne should also have a cheering section. He's originally from Englewood, N.J.
  • Temple junior Justyn Hamilton and WSU freshman Jamarius Burton were teammates at Independence High School in Charlotte, N.C. (or at least that was the plan). Shortly after transferring to Independence, Burton tore his ACL and missed the entire 2016-17 season. He returned for his senior year and led Independence (minus Hamilton, who had already graduated) to North Carolina's 2018 Class 4A state title.
  • Temple is one of just three American teams that the Shockers haven't beaten on the road since joining. Houston (0-2) and USF (0-1) are the others. WSU lost its only other visit to the Liacouras Center in 2018.
  • Former Shocker Landry Shamet was briefly a Philadelphia 76'er. He was drafted 26th overall in 2018 and set a couple of rookie three-point shooting records for the Sixers before a mid-season trade sent him to the LA Clippers.
 
A SHOCKER WIN WOULD….
... make them 16-1 (4-0 AAC).
... Extend their winning streak to 10 games -- tied for ninth-longest in school history and tied for the seventh-longest in AAC history.
... make them 3-0 in true road games.
... give them nine-straight true road wins -- the third-longest streak in school history.
... be their first at Liacouras Center (1-1 all-time).
... make them 94-50 in Marshall Era road games with wins in 38 different venues.
... up their road mark to 59-15 (.797) since 2013-14.
... make them 4-0 in AAC play for the second time in three seasons and 28-12 (.700) overall.
... give them eight-straight AAC wins -- one of the 10-longest in league history.
... give them a 4-5 record vs. Temple (4-2 AAC era).
... make them 84-29 in January under Marshall.
 
A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD…
... drop them to 15-2 and snap an nine-game streak.
... be their first since Nov. 27 (vs. W. Va. in Cancun).
... end their eight-game true road winning streak.
... give Temple a 6-3 lead all-time (2-0 in Philly).
... give every AAC team at least one loss.
... be less good than a win.
 
 
UP NEXT:
  • The Shockers return home Saturday to face rv/rv Houston at 3 p.m. CT on ESPN2..

 
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