The RoundHouse | 3/5/2021 4:49:00 PM

 
The Shockers told everyone this could be a special season before we had much reason to believe them.
 
"I'm ready to lead the rest of my team to things that the public may think that we're not capable of doing," guard Tyson Etienne said in early December. "I know what we're capable of doing and I know we're going to do that."
 
They were right. They can put a banner ending on a special regular-season on Saturday against USF at Koch Arena. A win gives Wichita State (14-4, 10-2 American Athletic Conference) its first conference title as an AAC member. 
 
Wichita State will recognize seniors Alterique Gilbert, Trey Wade, Jacob Herrs and Brycen Bush after the game. All four could return next season to use eligibility granted by the NCAA because of the pandemic.
 
It's worth remembering conference coaches voted the Shockers seventh for good reason in October – after the departure of the top three scorers and four others and in the midst of stunning coaching uncertainty. The pandemic hit the Shockers hard in the fall with quarantines, limited practices and low numbers on the roster for early games. 
 
Interim coach Isaac Brown – now no longer interim – led them through a 1-2 start and figured out improvements quickly, even as the staff hustled to reschedule games. Saturday, they've got a chance to hang a championship banner that might be as unlikely and uphill as any in program history.
 
"I'm so excited about this opportunity, just for those kids to be in this situation where we could be able to cut down nets in Wichita," Brown said after Wednesday's win at Tulane. "I like the fact that we control our own destiny."
 
All the turmoil of the fall and early winter will be on their minds Saturday. A win won't help the NCAA Tournament at-large resume much; a loss hurts significantly.
 
"We're trying to get this one for a lot of reasons," forward Dexter Dennis said. "We have an opportunity to do something that's never been done."
 
The Shockers will want to finish strong against the Bulls (8-11, 4-9), something they did not do in the first meeting. 
 
Wichita State led by five points with 17 seconds to play in regulation. It gave up a four-point play and two more free throws (twice fouling three-point shooters) to go to overtime. The Shockers won 82-77 with Etienne scoring 25 points.
 
The Shockers last won a conference title in 2017, the last of four straight as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference before joining the American. The 2017-18 Shockers lost to Cincinnati in the regular-season finale to cost the Shockers a share of the title.
 
In 2017, the Shockers had to win at Missouri State to share the title with Illinois State, denying them a chance to cut down nets at Koch Arena.
 
In 2016, the Shockers ran away with the MVC title. They clinched on the road and cut down nets a week later at home after a win over Illinois State on senior day for Fred VanVleet, Ron Baker, Evan Wessel, Bush Wamukota and Anton Grady.
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.