The RoundHouse | 1/18/2020 7:59:00 AM

rv/rv HOUSTON (13-4, 3-1) at 16/16 WICHITA STATE (15-2, 3-1)
SATURDAY, JAN. 17, 2020 | 3:05 P.M. CT
TV: ESPN2 (WatchESPN)
RADIO: KEYN 103.7 FM (GoShockers.com/Listen)
SERIES: WSU leads 17-12 (12-2 in Wichita)
LAST: 1/12/2019 in Houston (UH, 79-70)

 
Three weeks ago, Wichita State veterans said the newcomers needed to experience the grind of conference play before they could understand it fully.
 
Consider this week an introduction to the highs and lows and how the travel and stress can tax a team in ways it can't totally explain.
 
"We looked mentally and physically tired," Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall said after Wednesday's loss at Temple. "We'll have to figure out why that is."
 
The 16th-ranked Shockers (15-2, 3-1 American Athletic Conference) didn't get much time to work on their issues, and that's the way conference play goes. They returned to Wichita on Thursday and practiced Friday to prepare for Saturday's game against Houston (3 p.m., ESPN2).
 
That will conclude a stretch of five games in 15 days, four against Pomeroy top 100 teams and a fifth against Mississippi, which has fallen from No. 79 before the game to No. 111. The Shockers won an emotional game against No. 21 Memphis at home. The road trip started on Sunday with a double-overtime win at UConn. 
 
If you watched Temple celebrate after Wednesday's 65-53 win, you understood another hazard of conference play. Opponents are gearing up for the Shockers. For them, it's a chance at a season-changing win. Beating Wichita State means something.
 
Temple coach Aaron McKie told reporters his team went to school on UConn's success with a press against the Shockers. The Owls forced 15 turnovers and, just as importantly, pushed the Shockers.
 
"We wanted to wear those guys down," McKie told reporters after the game. "The focus and the mindset was if we're tired, they've got to be tired. And we just wanted to have those guys feel us all game long." 
 
The Temple scouting report also included significant attention on Wichita State's best three-point shooters – Tyson Etienne and Erik Stevenson. Neither scored, with Stevenson missing all eight of his shots and Etienne seven. Both can be seen as catalysts for the offense and opponents are going to scheme to take them out of their comfort zones, especially as conference play continues and scouting reports become more detailed.
 
"No one else could make a shot," Marshall said. "Good defensive game-plan."
 
The Shockers got 36 of their 53 points from senior Jaime Echenique and sophomore Jamarius Burton. Conference play is about adjusting, countering, and adjusting again. Opponents will continue to pressure the Shockers as long as it works. Wichita State handled defensive pressure from opponents such as VCU and Ole Miss well at home.
 
Houston and Wichita State has been an important American Athletic Conference series because of their success, the matchup of Final Four coaches and because of their similar styles.
 
Both teams prioritize rebounding and can win a game with their offensive rebounds and putbacks. Boxouts, chasing loose balls and rebounding with two hands are priorities against the Cougars.
 
This season, the Cougars (13-4, 3-1) rank first nationally by grabbing 41 percent of available offensive rebounds, according to Pomeroy. That leads to an average of 15.7 second-chance points a game, double what their opponents score. 
 
Houston leads the nation in rebound margin at plus-11.5.
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.