Wichita State's next opponent is riding a Green Wave of momentum. Head coach Isaac Brown met with local media this afternoon to preview Wednesday night's matchup with a much-improved Tulane team.
 
###
 
HEAD COACH ISAAC BROWN ON…
 
… Wednesday's opponent, Tulane:
"The Cook kid is really good. He's (the highest-scoring freshman in the country) with 19-per-game and shooting 45% from the three-point line. He's a big-time player. He's changed their offense. They're really scoring and can really shoot it as a team, 39% from the three-point line. Their big guy, (Kevin) Cross, is in the top-10 in three categories, scoring, rebounding and assists. They sit back in that matchup zone. They have a smaller team but they will force you to shoot jump shots and you've got to do a good job of attacking the zone, but they've played really well. They're a good basketball team, really improved, and they can really shoot the basketball."
 
… Whether he's feeling any anxiety after an 0-2 start:
"Definitely anxious for that first win. We lost the first two games, but we had a good practice and we're going to put up a lot of shots. We're working against that zone because we know we're going to see it a lot (vs. Tulane). We can't just settle for threes; we've got to throw it inside. We've got to try to get out in transition and get some easy baskets. It's been our Achilles heel this year -- (always going) against a set defense all the time. We've got to create some scoring opportunities in transition, so that's what we've got to do. We've got to rebound versus the zone and get on the offensive glass to try to get some extra shots."
 
… How the team is responding in practice and off the court:
"Those guys have been coming in early. (In the morning when I arrive) I see those guys in the gym getting up shots after practice when I'm walking up. We talked about the fact we need to be able to make shots. We've got to stop making silly turnovers. They've been in the office watching film with the coaches, so they're very anxious to get this first win."
 
… Cracking Tulane's matchup zone defense:
"Number one, we've got to try to get out in transition to beat the zone down the floor. We've got to have good movement, good spacing. We've got to drive and kick to try to get someone a better shot. When we do shoot the basketball, we've got get some guys on the glass to try to get offensive rebounds. The one thing about a zone is you don't have assignments to check out, so we've got to do a good job getting on the glass and trying to create some other opportunities to get baskets inside and wide-open threes."
 
… The importance of keeping Morris Udeze out of foul trouble:
"It's very important. We need Morris on the floor. He's a veteran guy, one of the best big guys in our league. We talked yesterday with him about doing a better job defending in the post and not playing behind. Playing behind in the post will get you in foul trouble, so that's the main thing we talked about, just being in the right position and not picking up any silly fouls because we need him on the floor. Kenny Pohto has done a tremendous job, but we put him under pressure having to play a lot of minutes with Morris out of the game, so hopefully Morris can stay out of foul trouble."
 
… Ways to cut down on turnovers and "atomic bombs":
"You just can't make careless passes. You can't be nonchalant. You've got to snap your passes. The guy that's trying to receive the ball needs to hold his man off, and we show a lot of video on that. We're working on a lot of passing drills in practice, and those are the things you've got to do in order to be able to win basketball games. If you're going to turn it over, it'll be hard to stop teams on the other end, because you will continue to give them easy transition baskets, so we've got to do a better job of (protecting) the basketball, getting a good shot, spreading back on defense and making them go against a set D every trip up the court."
 
… What the second-half comeback at Houston revealed about this team's character"
"Those guys have never quit in a basketball game. ... We started out last year with Oklahoma State and Mizzou, and when we lost those games, those guys didn't point fingers. They came to practice every day, ready to work, ready to get better. We watched a lot of film, realized what we had to do in order to start winning basketball games, and that's all we've been talking about in the film room and on the practice court, what we've got to do to become a better basketball team and cut back on our silly mistakes. Those guys are taking on the challenge."
 
… Defense the last two games:
"I think the defense has slipped a little bit. Going into the Memphis game, I think we tried to contest shots with their size, and they made some shots that they hadn't made during the year. I think that us not making threes in the game versus Memphis hurt our defense. A lot of times players, when the ball is not going through the net, sometimes can slack on defense, but we can't have those types of breakdowns. I think we guarded, for the most part, well against Houston. Those turnovers hurt us. It's hard to get back and set your defense when you have turnovers and they're getting layups. I thought the big guy, Carlton, inside, really hurt us. We didn't guard him well, but overall I thought it was a good defensive effort against that team."
 
… Keys to getting Tyson Etienne's shooting back on target:
"Just be patient and take your time. Going into the game, the defense is set to stop you, so you may have to turn down some tough shots, pass it, cut through, be ready to get the ball back in your hands, try to get out in transition to get some easy shots, get to the free throw line. I told his teammates we've got to do a better job of screening to try to get him some wide-open shots."
 
… On the importance of this upcoming homestand:
"Very important. These are some big basketball games. Tulane is really good. We've got to do a good job and take advantage of playing at home in front of our crowd. We've got two games back-to-back, and we need to win these games."