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MBB Preview: Tarleton State (Nov. 26)

11/25/2022 5:00:00 PM

TARLETON STATE (3-2) at WICHITA STATE (3-2)
Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022 | 3 p.m. CT
Wichita, Kan. | Charles Koch Arena
 
TV: ESPN+
Radio: KEYN 103.7 FM (goshockers.com/Listen)
Series: WSU leads 1-0; Last: Nov. 16, 2021 in Wichita (WSU, 65-51)
 
 
TICKETS:
Fans can purchase tickets online at goshockers.com/Tickets, by phone at 316-978-FANS (3267), or in person at the Shocker Ticket Office, open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on game days beginning 90 minutes before tipoff.
 
WHERE TO WATCH:
The game will air on ESPN+ with Shane Dennis (PxP) and Bob Hull (Analyst) on the call.
ESPN+ subscribers can stream live and on demand via the ESPN App.  Subscriptions for the ESPN+ app are $9.99 monthly or $99.99 annually and can be packaged with Hulu and Disney+ streaming services. Visit plus.espn.com for more information.
 
SHOCKER RADIO:
Listen live on KEYN 103.7 FM and online at GoShockers.com/Listen. Division I college basketball's longest-tenured duo, Mike Kennedy (pbp) and Dave Dahl (analyst) are in their 42nd season together on radio. Kennedy is in his 43rd season as Voice of the Shockers. Pregame coverage begins one hour before tipoff.
 
 
OPENING TIPS:
  • Wichita State tangles with the Texans of Tarleton State, 3 p.m. CT Saturday inside Charles Koch Arena.
  • The Shockers (3-2) were runner-up at this week's Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, defeating Grand Canyon (55-43) in the semifinal before falling to San Francisco (67-63) in Tuesday's title game.
  • Junior wing Jaykwon Walton made the all-tournament team after averaging 15.5 points on 13-of-20 shooting and 7.5 rebounds. He had personal-bests 21 points and 10 boards in the finale.
  • Senior point guard Craig Porter Jr. enters the weekend as the only player in the nation ranked among the top-100 in rebounds (8.2, 96th), blocks (1.60, 84th) and steals (2.20, 76th). Per KenPom, Porter also ranks 103rd in assist rate (30.3 assists-per-100-possessions).
  • Porter and Walton share the team scoring lead at 14.4 points-per-game. The tandem has combined to score 46.5% of the WSU points this year on 39.2% of the shots. That scoring percentage would be the highest by a Shocker duo since the 1999-00 season when Jason Perez and Terrell Benton accounted for 47.9%.
  • Porter and Walton are 14-of-36 from three (.388). The rest of the squad has made just 13 three-pointers on 70 attempts (.186). Porter and Walton have also accounted for 18 of WSU's 28 steals and 24 of its 39 assists.
  • Walton has reached double-figures in four straight games and topped 20 points twice in that span.
  • WSU is holding opponents to 56.8 points (24th nationally) on 35.5% shooting (16th), including 25.9% from deep (33rd). WSU foes average just 10.0 free throw attempts-per-game (11th-fewest nationally). The Shockers' 13.0 fouls-per-game is tied for 13th.
  • 11 of the 13 players who have seen action are newcomers and the group is still developing chemistry on offense. WSU is near the bottom of the pile in points (62.0, 331st out of 352 teams), assist-to-turnover ratio (0.68, 330th) and three-point percentage (.255, 342nd).
  • This is the second meeting between the schools. WSU won the first on Nov. 16 of last year at the Roundhouse. Playing without leading scorer Tyson Etienne, the Shockers made 9-of-21 threes and forced 20 turnovers in a 65-51 win.
    Former UTEP, Texas A&M, Kentucky and Texas Tech head coach Billy Gillispie is in his third season as head coach at Tarleton, which is also in the third of a four-year reclassification process from Division II to Division I.
 
WSU Duos // Highest Percentage of Total Team Points:
1984-85 – 60.0 (McDaniel & Sherrod)
1998-99 – 54.35 (Evans & Perez)
1963-64 – 51.35 (Stallworth & Bowman)
1983-84 – 48.45 (McDaniel & Sherrod)
1952-53 – 48.10 (Littleton & McNerney)
1977-78 – 48.00 (Johnson & Brent)
1999-00 – 47.90 (Perez & Benton)
1954-55 – 47.47 (Littleton & Hodgson)
1955-56 – 46.69 (Stevens & Hodgson)
1945-46 – 46.61 (Beal & Oliver)
2022-23 – 46.50 (Porter & Walton)
1962-63 – 46.32 (Stallworth & Kelly)
 
 
ON THIS DATE: NOV. 26
1994 – Jamie Arnold grabbed 21 rebounds in a 78-67, season-opening win over SMU at Levitt Arena.
2013 – Ron Baker went 11-for-11 at the foul line and the Shockers defeated BYU, 75-62, to win the CBE Classic championship at Kansas City's Sprint Center. Baker (MVP) and Fred VanVleet represented WSU on the all-tournament team.
 
 
SCOUTING TARLETON:
  • Former UTEP, Texas A&M, Kentucky and Texas Tech head coach Billy Gillispie is in his third season at Tarleton, which is also in the third of a four-year reclassification process from NCAA Division II to Division I.
  • While the men's basketball team is still not eligible for NIT or NCAA tournament play, the Texans do have something extra to look forward to this March. Over the summer, the WAC approved participation for transitioning members Tarleton and Utah Tech in all conference championship events.
  • Tarleton was picked 10th out of 13 teams in the WAC preseason coaches poll and 11th in the media version after losing the top-2 scorers from last year's eighth-place squad (14-17, 9-9).
  • The Texans took Arizona State to the wire in Tempe (62-59) despite playing without leading scorer, Freddy Hicks, a second team preseason All-WAC selection, who made his season debut at last weekend's Paradise Jam and topped 20 points in all three games against Belmont (W, 89-81), Boston College (W, 70-54) and Drake (L, 64-71).
  • The 6-6 forward is averaging 25.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals. Per KenPom, Hicks leads the nation in fouls drawn (11.9-per-40-minutes) and ranks fourth in free-throw rate.
  • 6-6 JUCO transfer Jakorie Smith (10.2 ppg, 1.8 spg) is the team's second-leading scorer.
  • Tarleton doesn't have a player taller than 6-foot-7 but uses quickness to its advantage. Five players are averaging at least one steal-per-game, and KenPom rates the Texans 12th nationally in steal percentage (14.7 steals-per-100-possessions) and 23rd in non-steal turnover percentage (13.0).
  • The Texans have scored just over 30% of their points at the foul line – the nation's highest percentage. By contrast, just six teams owe a smaller percentage of their scoring to three-point field goals (just 17.0%).
 
 
LAST YEAR vs. TARLETON:
Last Meeting | Nov. 16, 2021 | Wichita | WSU, 65-51
  • The only other meeting between the schools came last November.
  • Playing without leading scorer Tyson Etienne (illness), the Shockers made 9-of-21 threes and 18-of-23 free throws and gradually pulled away.
  • Tarleton led 20-17 with 5:15 remaining in the first half before a 12-0 Shocker run turned the tide.
  • Tarleton had 14 first-half turnovers -- five of them on shot clock violations.
  • Ahead 29-22 at halftime, WSU shot 52% in the second half to pad its lead. Morris Udeze scored 11 of his team-high 15 points in that span.
  • WSU held Tarleton to 38.3% from the field (3-of-16 from deep) and forced 20 turnovers.
  • Montre Gipson led the Texans with 16 points while playing all 40 minutes.
 
 
MATCHUP MASHUP:
  • This is WSU's second encounter with a Western Athletic Conference opponent in less than a week. Monday in Kansas City, the Shockers took down preseason WAC favorite Grand Canyon, 55-43.
  • Rod Brown becomes the second former Shocker to make an appearance at Koch Arena in as many home games, joining Trevin Wade (Alcorn).
  • Brown spent two seasons in the program – redshirting in 2017-18 before helping the Shockers to 22-wins and an NIT semifinal appearance as a redshirt freshman in 2018-19. That year he played in 36 games and totaled 41 points, 48 rebounds and seven steals in 254 minutes.
  • Brown has since played for Pearl River Community College (2019-20), New Mexico (2020-21) and Jackson State (2021-22) before joining Tarleton State as a graduate transfer.
 

A SHOCKER WIN WOULD….
... Make them 4-2 with wins in three of their last four.
... Be their 250th win at Charles Koch Arena in the 20 seasons since its renovation (250-49, .836).
... Up their all-time series lead over Alcorn to 2-0.
 

UP NEXT:  MISSOURI
  • WSU welcomes the Missouri Tigers to Charles Koch Arena on Tuesday night (7 p.m. CT, ESPN+).
  • The Tigers are out to a 6-0 start under new head coach Dennis Gates but venture out on the road for the first time on Tuesday night.
  • This is the third in a four-year series. WSU returns one more time to Columbia, Mo. in 2023-23.
  • The Shockers won last November at Mizzou Arena (61-55) but trail the all-time series, 4-1.
  • Mizzou entered the weekend ranked among the top-10 nationally in scoring offense (91.3).
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