The RoundHouse | 11/9/2021 11:39:00 AM

 
 
We return you to regularly scheduled college basketball.
 
Packed arenas. No cancelled games. A full season of basketball.
 
Wichita State opens its season at 7 p.m. Tuesday against Jacksonville State. Like many teams during the pandemic/transfer portal era, the Shockers are a veteran team – three returning starters – and a team with a new look – six newcomers.
 
"I'm just excited to be back playing in front of the best fans in the country," coach Isaac Brown said. "I think that'll be huge for our guys having that home court advantage again."
 
 

Molded by darkness. pic.twitter.com/8sAMAWtGm3

— Wichita State Men's Basketball (@GoShockersMBB) October 12, 2021

Let's get ready for basketball:

What is Jacksonville State all about?

The Gamecocks aren't a team the Shockers can take lightly. They are picked third in the Atlantic Sun Conference after going 18-9 last season. Jacksonville State returns five starters.
 
Its roster includes four seniors and four juniors, highlighted by guard Darien Adams, an All-Ohio Valley Conference pick last season. He averaged 15.7 points and made 36.9 percent of his three-pointers. Center Brandon Huffman, who played three seasons at North Carolina, averaged 10.4 points and 6.5 rebounds last season for the Gamecocks.
 
Huffman, 6-foot-10, 255 pounds, will be a challenge for the Wichita State interior defense.
 
"He's a really good player," Brown said. "We have to double him in the low post. We've got to make sure we do a good job of not letting him seal us under the rim, and then we've got to box out."
 
Gamecocks coach Ray Harper is in his sixth season. He recorded four winning records in his first five, three with 20 or more wins. In short, this is an experienced team that shouldn't be overwhelmed by the situation in Koch Arena. The Gamecocks could end up helping Wichita State's power ranking if they meet or exceed expectations this season.
 
"It wouldn't surprise me if they won their conference championship," Brown said. "They're that good. We've got to get up for the challenge."
 
Jacksonville State is on quite a realignment ride. It left the OVC for the Atlantic Sun this season and will join Conference USA in 2023.

What matters for the Shockers this season?

Wichita State's guards and wings possess the potential to form a special group. There is plenty of experience, shooting and strong defenders.
 
Guard Tyson Etienne and forward Dexter Dennis are back after helping the Shockers win the American Athletic Conference title in 2020-21 and advance to the NCAA Tournament. They, and their teammates, are also clear that the disappointing loss to Drake in the NCAA's drives them.
 
Guard Craig Porter Jr. is back and healthy after injuries and COVID-19 protocols sidelined him for long stretches last season. Forward Ricky Council IV earned a spot on the American's All-Freshman Team.
 
Newcomer Qua Grant, a guard who transferred from West Texas A&M, showed off his quickness and skills at driving to the rim with 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting in a 90-58 exhibition win over Missouri Southern State last week. He should team with Etienne and Porter to provide plenty of ball-handling and direction for the offense.
 
Add in Clarence "Monzy" Jackson and Chaunce Jenkins and this group is deep and experienced. It should be able to influence games with defense and scoring.

What about the bigs?

Center Morris Udeze is an experienced and physical presence in the lane. He started all 22 games last season and averaged 10.3 points and 4.7 rebounds. He scored a career-high 22 points against Drake.
 
Udeze's ability to stay out of foul trouble is critical and it is an area he improved on dramatically last season.
 
The position to watch is backup center, where freshman Kenny Pohto shows excellent shooting skills. Brown also likes his defense and maturity, helped by his time at Sunrise Christian Academy and international competition.
 
"He's smart," Brown said. "He understands angles. He does a great job in listening to the scouting reports, and he's a grown man. This kid has been over in the United States now for two years on his own, so that helped him mature."
 
Power forward Joe Pleasant, a transfer from Abilene Christian, is a strong defender who can guard post players. Jackson, a versatile, high-energy forward, is also needed to defend and rebound. He led the Shockers in offensive and defensive rebound rate, according to Ken Pomeroy's statistics.

Will the Shockers rebound?

Rebounding is a constant practice point for the Shockers, who didn't work on the backboards as strongly as Brown desired last season.
 
They won't beat opponents with overwhelming size this season, so it is important for all five Shockers to box out and chase rebounds. Their size on the wings should help.
 
"We can't allow teams second shots," Brown said. "We weren't one of the better rebounding teams in the country, and that's something we really worked on this summer. We talked about rebounding, rebounding, and just making sure we check guys out. If you don't get a checkout, you're probably going to come out, so you've got to rebound."

What other areas is Brown keying on?

The Shockers won last season by limiting turnovers and getting to the foul line enough (their 482 free throws ranked third in the AAC) to overcome some shooting weaknesses. They limited opponents to 31.1 percent three-point shooting and 40.2 percent overall to rank third in the conference.
 
Those assets helped the Shockers shine in close games last season. They went 9-3 in games decided by five points or fewer. That, however, is a dangerous way to live regularly – the Shockers dropped one-point decisions in the conference tournament and in the NCAA opener.
 
Brown wants the Shockers to continue their smart passing and up their shooting accuracy. They made 33.8 percent of their three-pointers and their 40.5-percent shooting ranked eighth in the AAC.
 
The Shockers can improve in several ways – better shots, fast pace, create turnovers. Early last season, Wichita State fell into the trap of playing too much hero ball. Their offense improved as those tendencies declined.
 
"We've got to make sure we're not turning the basketball over on offense," Brown said. "We've got to make sure we're sharing the basketball. We've got to keep the floor spread. We can't let the ball stick in our hands trying to go one-on-one."

What are the big games on the schedule?

In non-conference play, the Shockers can set up themselves up for NCAA at-large candidacy during a five-game stretch that starts in late November. They play Arizona in the Roman Main Event in Las Vegas and then either Michigan or UNLV.
 
That is followed by games at Missouri and at Oklahoma State and vs. Kansas State at Intrust Bank Arena.
 
A strong showing in those five games is crucial.
 

Handled our business 💼 pic.twitter.com/Xyv7BTrqRU

— Wichita State Men's Basketball (@GoShockersMBB) November 2, 2021

 

What's a sneaky interesting game?

The Shocker face future AAC member North Texas on Dec. 18. The Mean Green won the Conference USA Tournament in 2021 and knocked off fourth-seeded Purdue in the NCAA Tournament.

In conference play, the Shockers face Memphis and its much-hyped recruiting class on Jan. 1 on CBS and Houston, fresh off the Final Four, on Jan. 8 on CBS.

Those opponents, including the rematches in late February, will likely determine the top of the American standings and go a long way toward NCAA resumes.
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.