Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall spoke to the media Tuesday ahead of the Shockers' ranked matchup against Memphis where he discussed limiting the Tigers' offense, Jamarius Burton's improvement from downtown and his excitement level for highly-touted games. Fans can purchase tickets to Thursday's 6 p.m. Blackout at GoShockers.com/tickets or by calling (316) 978-3267.
 
GREGG MARSHALL on…
 
... limiting Memphis' offense:
"Everyone's going to (guard) a guy who's capable of going and getting a bucket. We'll have to execute against their sets and the things they do to get an advantage. (They just have) a lot of tremendously talented young players. It's a young group. I think they've got one senior JUCO transfer in the post, and two sophomores we played last year. I know that the big kid inside, Boogie Ellis and D.J. Jeffries are all tremendous players. They play hard and really fast."
 
… if this is the biggest test down low since West Virginia:
"Perhaps. I haven't thought about that. They'll be challenged. Everyone will be challenged. If you're on the floor, you have (to guard) a guy who can play the game. You've got to be in a stance and be alert to our gameplan. We've been doing that. I'm pleased with our defensive effort."
 
… what opportunities a highly-touted matchup brings:
"They've got a lot of attention around them because of their recruiting class. I thik they were picked to win the league this year. We get them twice: once in Memphis and once here. In the scheme of the league, this is a big game. It sets the tone for who's looking up at whom. Hopefully it'll be us on top."
 
... Jamarius Burton's transformation in 3-point shooting:
"I'm very pleased with that because he put in a lot of work. A lot of work over the summer and in the fall. Last year, teams were able to camp in the lane on him, and that makes it difficult to drive or pass into the post. They're daring that guy to shoot, and we struggled because of that. You can't do that with him this year. It looks great coming out of his hand. I'm excited that he's seeing the benefits of all that work."
 
… his reaction to the news of Cheese Johnson's heart attack:
"I've been in contact with him a little bit via text. My last text to him says: 'When are you coming back? We need you.' He's such a positive guy. He loves Wichita State and he loves the program. He loves everyone and everyone loves him. I mean how could you not? He's such a great personality. I look forward to him coming back and being around, stopping by practice and talking to the fellas."
 
… if he gets excited for big games:
"Absolutely. I mean, you're going to be seeing some pros. Memphis has a great tradition, a proud program and a famous coach. He's got some players that'll be famous real soon too. We've got pros too. It's a fun matchup. That's why you join this league. That's why the American Athletic Conference makes sense for us. It's big boy basketball in early January. It's a meaningful game. I think it's going to be really, really entertaining."