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Joseph Barringhaus/Dallas Sports

Shockers Meet Memphis Thursday on ESPN

3/4/2020 9:02:00 AM

rv/rv WICHITA STATE (22-7, 10-6) at MEMPHIS (20-9, 9-7)
THURSDAY, MAR. 5, 2020 | 8:05 P.M. CT
MEMPHIS, TENN./ FEDEXFORUM (18,400)
TV: ESPN (WatchESPN)
RADIO: 103.7 KEYN FM (GoShockers.com/Listen)
SERIES: Tied 12-12 (WSU is 3-8 at Memphis)
LAST: Jan. 9, 2020 in Wichita (#23 WSU 76, #21 Memphis 67)
 
>>> Two of the nation's toughest defenses square off Thursday when the Wichita State Shockers (22-7, 10-6) take on the Memphis Tigers (20-9, 9-7) at FedExForum.
 
>>> Thursday's matchup airs nationally on ESPN with streaming available through the ESPN App, accessible on computer, smart phones, tablets and devices to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider. Adam Amin and Bryce Drew 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 1,257th consecutive game (not including exhibitions).
 
>>> Catch the Gregg Marshall Show on Monday nights throughout the season. Join Marshall and host Mike Kennedy LIVE from 6-7 p.m. at A.J.'s Sports Grill at The Alley, or listen on KFH (97.5 FM / 1240 AM). The show is rebroadcast in a television format Mondays at 9 p.m. on YurView Kansas (Cox 2022). Next Show:  March 9
 

OPENING TIPS:
  • The Shockers staged one of the largest comebacks in NCAA history on Sunday when they rallied from 24 down to defeat SMU, 66-62. Dexter Dennis (AAC Honor Roll) set career-highs with 25 points on 7-of-14 three-point shooting.
  • The Shockers have won five of their last six games and enter the week in sole possession of fourth-place -- one full game ahead Memphis and SMU with two to play.
  • A win over the Tigers would guarantee the Shockers a top-four seed and a first round bye in next week's conference tournament, by virtue of head-to-head tiebreakers over both challengers.
  • A win would also do wonders for WSU's postseason resume. The Shockers are seeking their eighth NCAA Tournament bid in nine seasons. Thursday's game qualifies for Quadrant I status on WSU's team sheet. The Shockers are a combined 9-7 in Q-I and Q-II games and have won all 13 of their Q-III and Q-IV contests.
  • WSU is looking to finish out a season sweep. The Shockers took the first meeting in Wichita, 76-67, in a battle of top-25 teams. The Shockers led by as many as 19 near the midway point of the second half. Jamarius Burton led WSU with 16 points. Precious Achiuwa paced the Tigers with 22 points and 12 boards. Neither side shot it well, but WSU committed just two second-half turnovers and finished the game +8 in takeaways (18-10).
  • Memphis (5th) and WSU (8th) are both among the top-10 nationally in KenPom's defensive efficiency metric. The Tigers lead the nation in field goal percentage defense (.362), while the Shockers rank 22nd (.393).
  • The Shockers are 5-4 this year in true road games and 96-54 in 13 seasons under Gregg Marshall.
  • WSU is 16-2 when it makes at least 40% from the field and a perfect 15-0 when outshooting its opponent.
  • The Shockers have already matched their 2018-19 win total (22) and join Duke, Gonzaga and Kansas as the only programs that have won at least 22 games in every season since 2010.
 

SO YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S A CHANCE?:
  • Wichita State's Mar. 2 comeback at SMU was one for the ages. The Shockers trailed 50-36 with 14:48 to go, at which point ESPN.com's probability calculator gave the host Mustangs a 99.8% chance of victory. WSU outscored SMU 40-12 the rest of the way to win 66-62.
  • It was the largest second-half comeback in both WSU and American Athletic Conference history and tied for the 14th largest in NCAA history. It was also one of the 10-largest second-half comebacks by a visiting team.
  • It was Division I's second-largest comeback this season behind Eastern Illinois' Feb. 20 rally from 27 down against Murray State.
  • Per the Wichita Eagle, WSU scored on 15 of its last 18 posessions, averaging 2.22 points-per-possession. The Shockers shot 58% from the field during that stretch and converted 14 second-chance points. In addition, they forced defensive stops on 13 of the Mustangs' last 19 possessions. Dexter Dennis scored 17 of his game-high 25 points during the comeback on five three-pointers.
  • WSU's previous comeback record came on Jan.11, 2014 in Springfield, Mo. when they erased a 19-point Missouri State lead over the final 11:48 to win in overtime. It was win No. 17 in a 35-0 start.
  • Mostly for lack of opportunities, the win at SMU was the first time in more than three years that WSU has come back to win a road game after trailing at halftime. It last happened Jan. 27, 2017 at Bradley when they trailed 25-20 at the break but went on to win 64-49.

Largest Second-Half Comebacks // NCAA Division I All-Time:
31 – Kentucky at LSU (2/15/1994) – Trailed 37-68 (15:34); Won 99-95
31 – Duke vs. TULANE (12/30/1950) – Trailed 27-58 (19:00); Won 74-72
29 -- G. Mason vs. ST. FRANCIS (12/20/1996) – Trailed 48-77 (11:59); Won 96-95
29 – Drexel vs. DELAWARE (2/22/2018) – Trailed 29-58 (19:37); Won 85-83
27 -- Eastern Ill. vs. MURRAY ST. (2/20/2020) – Trailed 23-50 (11:30); Won      63-60
27 – Princeton at Penn (2/9/1999) – Trailed 13-40 (15:11); Won 50-49
27 – Fairfield at G. Mason (3/16/2010) – Trailed 36-63 (15:54); Won 101-96 ot
26 – VCU at USF (2/20/1993) – Trailed 41-67 (9:26); Won 95-91 ot
26 -- Charlotte       at Tennessee (11/29/1995) – Trailed 27-53 (15:00); Won 79-76
26 – Bucknell at Army (1/2/2019) – Trailed 13-39 (19:43); Won 64-63
25 -- Va. Tech vs. MEMPHIS (2/9/1977) – Trailed 24-49 (17:43); Won 70-69
25 – Binghamton at Vermont (2/4/2009) – Trailed 30-55 (18:16); Won 85-83
25 – Nevada at New Mexico (1/7/2017) – Trailed 49-74 (11:00); Won 105-104 ot
25 – Army at Navy (2/18/2017) – Trailed 29-54 (12:51); Won 71-68
24 – UAB at SMU (1/16/2010) – Trailed 26-50 (12:28); Won 63-61
24 – Charlotte vs. OKLA. ST. (11/10/2018) – Trailed 28-52 (12:48); Won 66-64
24 – Dartmouth vs. BROWN (3/6/2015) – Trailed 26-50 (13:58); Won 75-69
24 -- Wichita St. at SMU (3/2/2020) – Trailed 26-50 (14:48); Won 66-62
24 – Rice vs. HOUSTON (1/17/2007) – Trailed 31-55 (15:00); Won 76-71
24 – Harvard vs. BROWN (2/12/2011) – Trailed 31-55 (19:30); Won 85-78

 

TRIPLE-CHECKING THE RECORD BOOK:
  • Sunday at SMU, Dexter Dennis became just the sixth player in Shocker history to hit seven threes in a game and just the third to attempt 14-or-more.
  • WSU's 36 total three-point attempts was the most by a Marshall Era team and second-most in school history. On Dec. 10, 1997, the Shockers took 39 in an overtime game against Kansas State.

WSU Single-Game Records // 3-Point Field Goals Made:
9-12 -- Jason Perez (2/2/2000 -- MISSOURI ST.)
8-9 -- Joe Ragland (12/4/2011 – UNLV)
8-16 -- Maurice Evans (12/12/1998 at Illinois St.)
7-9 -- Terrell Benton (2/12/2000 at Drake)
7-11 -- Austin Reaves (1/28/2018 – TULSA)
7-14 -- Dexter Dennis (3/2/2020 at SMU)
6 -- 25x, Last: Tyson Etienne (2/16/2020 – TULANE)

 

TRENDING:
  • Dexter Dennis made his 100th career three-pointer on Sunday at SMU. The sophomore's 102 career triples now rank 25th on WSU's all-time. He's just the fifth player in Shocker history to reach the century mark before the end of his sophomore season, joining Randy Burns, Maurice Evans, Sean Ogirri and Landry Shamet.
  • Over the past six games, the Shockers have gotten six 20-point performances from five different players: Erik Stevenson (27 at UCF), Dennis (21 vs. Tulane), Tyson Etienne (20 vs. Tulane), Jaime Echenique (20 vs. USF), Trey Wade (21 vs. Temple) and Dennis again (25 at SMU).
  • The Shockers are 15-1 when they make at least a third of their three-point attempts.
  • Four of the Shockers' eight February games were decided by three-points in either direction. Three of them were losses. After heartbreakers on Feb. 1 at Tulsa (54-51), Feb. 6 against Cincinnati (80-79) and Feb. 23 at Cincinnati (67-64), the Shockers finally caught some breaks in a 72-69 home win over Temple on Feb. 27.
  • If the Shockers defeat Tulsa in Sunday's Senior Day finale they would tie the school record for most regular season home victories (17), previously set by the 2013-14 and 2009-10 squads.
  • Since last season's 8-11 start, WSU is 36-11.
 

SENIOR MOMENTUM:
  • Jaime Echenique has blocked a shot in each of his last nine games and is averaging 2.3-per-contest over that stretch. He had streaks of 10 and 14 as a junior. The latter was WSU's longest since Antoine Carr in 1983.
  • Echenique (91 career blocks) is now tied for 10th on WSU's all-time list, despite playing just two seasons.

WSU Career Blocks Leaders:
1. Antoine Carr (1979-83) -- 209
2. Shaquille Morris (2014-18) -- 147
3. Robert Elmore (1973-77) -- 132
4. Claudius Johnson (1989-93) -- 109
5 Gene Wiley (1959-62) -- 105
6. Xavier McDaniel (1981-85) -- 103
7. Garrett Stutz (2008-12) -- 101
8. PJ Couisnard (2004-08) -- 98
9. Ehimen Orukpe (2010-13) -- 94
10. Jaime Echenique (2018-20) -- 91
10. JT Durley (2007-11) -- 91

  • Echenique had finished with 10+ rebounds in each of his last three games. Sunday's 13-rebound effort at SMU matched his career-high and was his seventh double-digit effort of the year.
  • The majority of WSU's core still has two or three years ahead of it, but not every Shocker has luxury of time. As the team's lone senior, Echenique has been playing with a much greater sense of urgency over the past month and h performing at an all-conference level.
  • For the season, Echenique ranks among the league's top-10 in blocks (5th, 1.6), double-doubles (t-5th, 6), rebounding (6th, 7.2) and field goal percentage (8th, .478).
  • On a per-40-minute basis, Echenique has been one of the American Athletic Conference's most-productive scorers and rebounders. He's averaging 19.3 points (8th) and 12.5 rebounds (2nd).

AAC Leaders // Points-Per-40-Minutes:
1. Caleb Mills (Houston) -- 23.80
2. Jayden Gardner (ECU) -- 22.90
3. Precious Achiuwa (Memphis) -- 20.71
4. James Bouknight (UConn) -- 20.55
5. Martins Igbanu (Tulsa) -- 20.03
6. Quinton Rose (Temple) -- 19.61
7. Christian Vital (UConn) -- 19.48
8. Jaime Echenique (Wichita St.) -- 19.34
9. Jarron Cumberland (Cincinnati) -- 18.98
10. Collin Smith (UCF) -- 18.81
 
AAC Leaders // Rebounds-Per-40-Minutes:
1. Precious Achiuwa (Memphis) -- 13.95
2. Jaime Echenique (Wichita St.) -- 12.50
3. Trevon Scott (Cincinnati) -- 12.47
4. Nate Hinton (Houston) -- 11.74
5. Josh Carlton      (UConn) -- 11.52

  • Echenique's block and defensive rebounding percentages stack up with the conference and even the nation's best, per KenPom.

AAC Leaders // KenPom Defensive Rebound Percentage:
1. Jaime Echenique (Wichita St.) -- 25.7 (No. 44 nationally)
2. Trevon Scott (Cincinnati) -- 25.1 (No. 53)
3. Precious Achiuwa (Memphis)  -- 24.5 (No. 66)
 
AAC Leaders // KenPom Block Percentage:
1 .Chris Harris (Houston) – 14.42 (No. 2 nationally)
2. Akok Akok (UConn) – 9.83 (No. 31)
3. Isaiah Whaley (UConn) – 8.68 (No. 45)
4. Jaime Echenique (Wichita St.) – 7.76 (No. 55)
5. Precious Achiuwa (Memphis) – 6.59 (No. 84)

 

POP'N FRESHMAN:
  • True freshman Tyson Etienne is averaging 9.7 points-per-game. Only two Shocker freshmen have averaged double-digit point totals under Gregg Marshall. Toure' Murry (11.0 ppg in 2008-19) and Landry Shamet (11.7 ppg in 2016-17) both went on to play in the NBA.
  • Etienne is now second on WSU's freshman three-point list and needs just 12 more to match Shamet's rookie  record (72 during the 2016-17 season). Etienne ranks among the league leaders in three-point shooting, by both percentage (.397) and volume (2.1).

 WSU Freshman Leaders // 3-Point Field Goals Made:
1. Landry Shamet (2016-17) -- 72
2. Tyson Etienne (2019-20) -- 60
3. Chad Elstun (1992-93) -- 59
4. Randy Burns (2001-02) -- 57
5. Dexter Dennis (2018-19) -- 54

  • Etienne has a seemingly unlimited supply of energy, and the same quickness that helps spring him for three-point looks has also come in handy on the defense end. He's on track to finish the regular season with 37 -- just seven shy of Toure' Murry's Shocker rookie record, set in 2009.

 WSU Freshman Leaders // Steals:
1. Toure' Murry (2008-09) -- 44
2. Aubrey Sherrod (1981-82) -- 39
3. Jason Perez (1996-97) -- 38
4. Tyson Etienne (2019-20) -- 35
4. Jamar Howard (2001-02) -- 35
4. Fred VanVleet (2012-13) -- 35

 

WINNING UGLY:
  • The Shockers shot 38.3% in their win at SMU. It marked the seventh time this season that they've managed to win a game while hitting 40%-or-less from the field (7-5). That total is tied with Virginia for the national lead.
  • Over the last two seasons, the Shockers have won a nation-best 16 times while shooting 40%-or-worse from the field. Conference foes Houston (11), Cincinnati (10) and Temple (9) and USF (9) also rank inside the top-10.

 "Ugly Wins" // Shooting 40% or Less // Last Two Seasons:
1. Wichita State -- 16       
2. Florida State --12
2. Virginia -- 12
4. Houston -- 11
5. Cincinnati, Providence, Saint Louis, Villanova -- 10

 

LAST TIME vs. MEMPHIS:
Jan. 9, 2020 (Wichita) | #23 WSU 76, #21 Memphis 67
  • Fueled by a raucous home crowd, No. 23 Wichita State out-toughed No. 21 Memphis, 76-67, for a statement win and an early leg-up in the conference race.
  • Jamarius Burton a team-high 16 points for the Shockers, who won their eighth-straight game.
  • Erik Stevenson added 12 points, Tyson Etienne chipped in 11 points with four steals and Dexter Dennis paired eight points with eight rebounds.
  • Precious Achiuwa paced Memphis with 22 points, 12 boards and four blocks. Tyler Harris had 17.
  • It was just the sixth head-to-head matchup of AP top-25 teams in the Roundhouse's 64-year history. The victory was WSU's first over an AP-ranked team since Feb. 18, 2018 at No. 5 Cincinnati.
  • The majority of the sellout crowd sported black attire. WSU players suited up in their black road uniforms.
  • In clash of highly-rated defenses, WSU shot 32.8% from the field but held the visiting Tigers to 35.7%. Memphis missed 17 of its 21 attempts from beyond the arc.
  • The Shockers committed only three second-half turnovers and finished the game +8 in takeaways (18-10).
  • Feeding off the crowd, WSU raced to a 17-4 lead, but Memphis clawed to within six by halftime. The second-half followed a similar script. Stevenson sank a pair of threes to key an 8-0 run that pushed the WSU advantage to 19 near the 12:00-mark. However, timely scoring from Achiuwa and Harris helped the Tigers trim the margin to six with 3:00 to go. The Shockers finally restored order when Stevenson fed Jaime Echenique for a slam to set off a 5-0 run.
 

SCOUTING MEMPHIS:
  • Memphis is in its second season under Penny Hardaway. He starred for the Tigers in the early 90s before launching a 14-year NBA career.
  • Memphis was preseason co-favoite in the AAC (with Houston), despite losing all five starters from a team that finished 22-14 and advanced to the NIT second round. The Tigers had one of the nation's highest-rated recruiting classes.
  • Preseason freshman of the year James Wiseman left the team in December and another hightly-regarded freshman forward, D.J. Jeffries (10.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg), has missed the past nine games with a knee injury.
  • 6-9 freshman Precious Achiuwa is averaging a team-high 15.5 points and nearly two blocks-per-game. He ranks among the national leaders in rebounds (18th, 10.4) and double-doubles (11th, 16).
  • Lester Quinones averages in double-figures at 10.7 points.
  • Sophomore guard Alex Lomax (6.8 ppg) ranks among the league-leaders in assists (4.2) and steals (46).
  • Memphis leads the nation in field goal percentage defense. Opponents are shooting just 36.2%, including a dismal 28.1% from three (fifth-lowest nationally).
  • The Tigers are also No. 5 on the blocks chart, averaging 6.0-per-game.
  • Only seven teams average more turnovers than the Tigers (16.8), but they force 15.3-per-game.
  • Memphis' 22.9 free throw attempts-per-game also leads the conference.
 

 MATCHUP MASHUP:
  • WSU and Memphis both have 8-6 records since parting ways after their Jan. 9 matchup.
  • WSU has held 20 of its 29 opponents under 40% and 10 of them to less than 60 points. Memphis had held 19 teams under 40% and 12 to less than 60 points.
  • Reserve point guard Alex Lomax originally signed with WSU but was granted his release after Penny Hardaway accepted the Memphis job.
  • Memphis' Isaiah Maurice spent his first two collegiate seasons two hours up the road at Kansas State. He redshirted the 2015-16 season and averaged 3.0 points and 8.8 minutes in 2016-17 as a redshirt freshman.
  • Before landing at Memphis, Maurice helped South Plains (Texas) College win the 2018 NJCAA national title. He scored 20 points in the championship game, played less than an hour away in Hutchinson, Kan.
  • WSU junior Trey Wade also played a year at South Plains (in 2018-19) after transferring from UTEP.
  • Two of the youngest teams in college basketball will share the floor. Memphis has seven freshmen and four sophomores on its 12-man roster. Maurice (a senior) is the only upperclassman.  Ten of the 13 scholarship players on the Shockers roster are underclassmen.
  • Maurice (who played a season at K-State) and WSU junior Asbjørn Midtgaard are the only scholarship players with more than two years of Division I experience.
  • Drawing largely from class listings and minutes played, KenPom rates Memphis the nation's least-experienced team with an average of 0.40 years. WSU is 27th on that list (1.04).
 

THE SERIES:
  • This is the 25th meeting all-time.
  • The series is knotted at 12-12 after WSU's win in Wichita back on Jan. 9.
  • Memphis swept the 2018-19 series. WSU has a chance to return the favor with a victory on Thursday night.
  • WSU is 2-2 against Memphis in The American Era. Each side has won once on the other's home floor.
  • WSU is 3-2 against Memphis under Gregg Marshall, having also won a neutral site meeting against the Tigers during the 2014-15 season in Sioux Falls, S.D.
  • WSU is 8-4 against the Tigers in Wichita but 3-8 when  facing them in Memphis.
  • The Shockers are 1-1 vs. Memphis at FedExForum.
  • The Shockers are 3-2 overall at FedExForum, helped by a semifinal run in the 2019 American Tournament.
  • Marshall is 3-3 against Memphis (3-2 at WSU). On Jan. 8, 2006, his Winthrop team lost to John Calipari's fourth-ranked Tigers, 73-63, at FedExForum.
  • WSU and Memphis played 11 times from 1968-73 during Memphis' six-year stopover in the MVC. The Tigers won six of the 11 games between the two.
 

MEMORABLE SERIES MOMENTS:
  • In the first-ever meeting (Feb. 7, 1959 in Wichita), Ron Heller hit a jumper in OT to lift the Shockers, 95-92.
  • On Jan. 13, 1968, helped by big plays from forwards Ron Washington and Warren Armstrong (Jabali), WSU fought off Memphis State's second-half comeback bid for a 77-69 victory in the first Missouri Valley Conference meeting between the schools.
  • On Jan. 30, 1969, Greg Carney's jumper with six seconds left gave WSU a 71-69 home victory.
  • On Dec. 30 1974, Calvin Bruton, playing with a leg cast to protect torn ligaments in his right foot, scored 18 points in WSU's upset win at No. 16 Memphis, 95-91.
  • On Feb. 7, 1983, the Tigers (led by Keith Lee and Andre Turner) downed WSU (led by Antoine Carr and Xavier McDaniel), 85-73. It was one of just three losses for the 1982-83 Shockers, who finished 25-3 but were ineligible for postseason. It would be more than 31 years before the teams met again on the hardwood.
  • On Nov. 18, 2014, No. 11 WSU won a neutral site game at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, 71-56. All-American Ron Baker led the scoring with 21 points.
  • On Feb. 6, 2018, the Shockers won their FedExForum debut and the first American Era meeting, 85-65. Landry Shamet scored 20 points.
 

A SHOCKER WIN WOULD….
... improve their record to 23-7 (11-6 American).
... be their third straight and sixth in seven games.
... clinch a first-round bye in the AAC tournament.
... make them 6-4 in true road games.
... give them a season sweep of Memphis.
... give them a 13-12 lead in the all-time series.
... make them 3-2 vs. Memphis in the AAC Era.
... make them 4-2 at FedExForum (2-1 vs. Memphis).
... up their AAC record to 35-18 since joining.
 
A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD…  
... drop their record to 22-8 (10-7 American).
... drop them into a fourth-place tie with Memphis heading into the final game.
... give them a regular season split with Memphis.
... give Memphis a 13-12 all-time series lead.
... make WSU 3-3 at FedExForum (1-2 vs. Memphis).
... drop their road mark to 5-5.
... be less good than a win.
 

 UP NEXT:
  • Wichita State returns home for its Senior Day finale against Tulsa (3 p.m. CT, CBSSN).
  • WSU will honor its lone senior, Jaime Echenique, immediately after the game.
  • Tickets are available at 316-978-FANS and online at goshockers.com/tickets.
  • Tulsa won the first matchup on Feb. 1 in Wichita, 54-51, on a buzzer-beating three-pointer.
  • The Hurricane are in search of their first victory at Charles Koch Arena since 2001. The Shockers captured seven-straight in Wichita.
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