ESPN Events Invitational
MINNESOTA (5-1) vs. WICHITA STATE (5-0)
Thursday, Nov. 28 | 11:00 a.m. CT
Kissimmee, Fla. | State Farm Field House
 
TV: ESPN2 with Kevin Fitzgerald & Daymeon Fishback
Radio: KEYN 103.7 FM with Mike Kennedy & Bob Hull
 

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OPENING TIPS
• Wichita State opens the 2024 ESPN Events Invitational vs. Minnesota on Thanksgiving Day on ESPN2.
• This is Wichita State's third appearance in the ESPN Events Invitational, formerly the Advocare Invitational and Old Spice Classic. Wichita State is 1-5 in its two previous appearances in the ESPN Events Invitational.
• The Shockers are 21-21 in Multi-Team Events since 2007 and 82-71 all time.
• The Shockers are seeking their third MTE championship and first since 2013 when they won the CBE Classic.
• Wichita State is 7-3 all time on Nov. 28.
• Wichita State moved to 5-0 with an 88-63 win over Saint Louis last Friday in the NABC Hall of Fame Classic.
• Justin Hill leads the team in points (17.5 ppg) and assists (5.0 apg), and is second in rebounding (5.5 rpg) through the first four games of the season.
• The Houston native scored a career-high 31 in the season opener at Western Kentucky. His 31 points were the most ever in a Shocker debut.
• Harlond Beverly ranks 2nd in the AAC and 33rd nationally in steals per game (2.60).
• Wichita State ranks 9th nationally in free throws made per game (21.6), 15th in turnovers per game (9.2) and 22nd in free throw attempts per game (28.4).
• At No. 78 in the KenPom rankings, Wichita State ranks 3rd out of the 13 teams in the American.
• Senior forward Ronnie DeGray III will be sidelined for the next several weeks after suffering a fractured wrist vs. Monmouth on Nov. 18.
• Wichita State returns three starters and seven letterwinners from the 2023-24 roster, including three of its top five scorers.
• Fifty-one (51.0) percent of the scoring from last year's team is back for the Shockers, led by second leading scorer Harlond Beverly (11.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.2 APG).
• Quincy Ballard shattered the single season school record for field goal percentage and also had top five marks in blocks per game and total blocks in 2023-24.
• Ballard moved into a tie for 9th on the Wichita State career blocks list vs. UNI on Nov. 14. He's on pace to shatter the WSU career record for blocks per game at 1.96.
• Eight student-athletes on Wichita State's roster have NCAA Tournament experience: Quincy Ballard (Florida St.), Xavier Bell (Drexel), Harlond Beverly (Miami), Ronnie DeGray III (Missouri), Justin Hill (Longwood), AJ McGinnis (UNCG), Zane Meeks (San Francisco) and Corey Washington (St. Peter's).

WE > ME
• With the late arrival of Matej Bošnjak to the roster this summer, Wichita State had no scholarships remaining. Enter redshirt senior Harlond Beverly. Beverly volunteered to give his scholarship to Bošnjak and classify as a walk-on during his final season of collegiate basketball.
• In an interview with the Wichita Eagle, Beverly said: "I'm just grateful to be in this position where I can play Division I basketball while getting my Bachelor's and working toward my Master's degree. It's really just a blessing to be in college. I've been to two really good schools and that's really going to be helpful for my future, so I understand how helpful college can be. If I can help someone else get a full-ride scholarship, like one of my teammates, then I don't mind being the one to sacrifice when it's beneficial to our team."
• Head Coach Paul Mills said in that same interview: "In order to be a part of it, you have to make sacrifices and this is a pretty substantial one on his part. I would tell you that he not only volunteered to do it, he was eager to do it, to be honest with you."

WICHITA STATE IN MULTI-TEAM EVENTS
• The Shockers are in search of their first title at a Multi-Team Event since winning the 2012 Cancun Challenge and the 2013 CBE Classic in consecutive years. They've been runner-up four times since then: 2014 Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu), 2017 Maui Invitational, 2019 Cancun Challenge, 2022 Hall of Fame Classic.
• The 2012 Cancun title was Wichita State's first at a neutral site event since winning the 1963 All-College tournament in Oklahoma City.
• Shocker teams have won a total of 15 regular season tournaments in the modern era, with 10 of those coming on their home court.
• Wichita State was scheduled to take part in the 2020 Battle 4 Atlantis, but the event was canceled due to COVID-19. A replacement event took place in Sioux Falls, S.D. with many of the same teams, but the Shockers had to withdraw when two players tested positive during a pre-tournament COVID screening.
• Wichita State took third-place in the 2021 Roman Main Event in Las Vegas. Both games had memorable finishes. Against an Arizona team that would eventually go on to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, WSU rallied from 16 down in the second half before falling in overtime. The Shockers staged a similar second-half comeback against UNLV in the consolation game. Down a point, Tyson Etienne drew a foul near midcourt with 3.5 seconds remaining and sank two game-winning free throws.
• The Shockers are also coming off a third place finish at last year's Myrtle Beach Invitational. Wichita State fell to Liberty in the semifinals before bouncing back to defeat Saint Louis in the third place game.

ABOUT THE ESPN EVENTS INVITATIONAL
• Now in its 18th year, the Shockers are making their third appearance at the ESPN Events Invitaitonal. Wichita State went 0-3 in 2015 when it was the Advocare Invitational and 1-2 in the 2008 Old Spice Classic.
• The Inaugural ESPN Events Invitational took place in 2006 with Arkansas defeating West Virginia. Florida Atlantic won the 2023 title in dominant fashion over Virginia Tech, 84-50.
• This is the first year the event has featured only four teams.

SCOUTING MINNESOTA
• Ben Johnson is in his fourth year at the helm of Golden Gopher men's basketball.
• In Johnson's third year, the Gophers held a 19-15 overall record, Minnesota's first winning season the past fi ve years. The Golden Gophers finished as the No. 9 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, a five-seed improvement from the 2022-23 season. Minnesota improved from 2-17 in Big Ten play and 9-22 in 2022-23, to 9-11 in league action and 19-15 overall in 2023-24. That win improvement marked the best in the Big Ten and one of the best nationally among Power 6 teams.
• Minnesota returns two of its top three scorers in Dawson Garcia and Mike Mitchell. Garcia, a second and third-team 2024 All-Big Ten selection and 2025 Preseason All-Big Ten honoree, returns for his final year after averaging 17.6 points and is the top returning Big Ten scorer from a year ago. Of the returning Big Ten athletes, Garcia ranks first in scoring and only one of six returners who received All-Big Ten honors in the 2023-24 season.
• Mitchell Jr. is also a returning starter for the Gophers. He ranked third on the team in scoring when he averaged just over 10.2 ppg. He and Fox saw action in all 34 games in 2023-24, the only two Gophers to do so.
• The Golden Gophers added seven seniors (Tyler Cochran, Trey Edmonds, Femi Odukale, Lu'Cye Patterson, Brennan Rigsby and Caleb Williams.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. MINNESOTA
• Wichita State is 3-2 all time vs. the Golden Gophers in a series that dates back to 1962.
• Wichita State won each of the first two meetings in 1962 and 1963 but the Gophers have won two of the last three, including the most recent matchup in 1995.
• In the semifinals of the 1995 Big Island Invitational in Hilo, Hawaii, Minnesota held the Shockers to 2-of-16 from three-point range to defeat Wichita State, 64-55.

SCOUTING FLORIDA
• Todd Golden has the Gators trending up through his first two seasons at the helm, leading Florida back to the NCAA Tournament in 2024. UF posted 24 wins, its most since 2016-17, and advanced to the SEC Tournament championship game for the first time since 2014.
• The Gators tallied four top-25 wins in 2023-24, bringing the team's total to six under Golden through his first 66 games, the quickest pace by any Florida coach over the last 50 years. Florida had its highest-scoring team in program history with 85.7 points per game, ranking in the top 10 nationally in scoring offense, rebounds per game, offensive rebounds per game and offensive rebounding percentage.
• The Gators return leading scorer and All-SEC guard Walter Clayton Jr., who posted 17.6 points per game and knocked down 93 3-pointers.
• Fellow starter Will Richard also returns coming off a 11.4 scoring average with 70 3-point field goals last season.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. FLORIDA
• Should the Shockers and Gators meet, Florida holds a 2-0 series lead all time.
• Both matchups came in the early 90s with the Gators winning in Wichita and Gainesville.

SCOUTING WAKE FOREST
• A 30-year coaching veteran, Steve Forbes is a proven winner and builder of championship cultures with a 373-158 (.702) overall record in his four seasons at Wake Forest, five years at East Tennessee State and at three previous community college head coaching stints.
• Wake Forest is coming off its first back-to-back appearances in the Quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament since 2007 to end the 2023-24 season. The 2023-24 season also marked the 32nd time in program history that the Demon Deacons had advanced in the ACC Tournament.
• For the first time since the 2005-06 season, Wake Forest has been voted to finish in the top three in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings in addition to having a preseason All-ACC player selected.
• The Deacs received 800 points and one first place vote, predicted to finish behind league powerhouses Duke and North Carolina. In addition to being selected to the All-ACC First Team, Hunter Sallis also received three Player of the Year votes.
• Sallis finished the 2023-24 season earning All-ACC First Team honors after a breakout year in the league, being named the Associated Press ACC Newcomer of the Year.
• Senior Efton Reid III was named to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Top 20 Preseason Watch List.

CONNECT THE DOTS
• Wichita State fans will recognize the head coach on the sidelines for Wake Forest. A former Wichita State assistant coach under Gregg Marshall, Steve Forbes has the Demon Deacons on the rise, now in his fifth season at Wake. In his two seasons (2013-15) at Wichita State, all Forbes did was helped lead the Shockers to an undefeated 35-0 start in 2013-14 and a Sweet 16 appearance in 2014-15. Forbes left Wichita State to be the head coach at East Tennessee State where he led the Bucs for five seasons before moving to Wake Forest.

HILL'S HOT START
• Through the first two games senior guard Justin Hill  has scored 48 points, the most by a Shocker since Jason Perez scored 54 against McNeese State and Prairie View A&M in 1999. Hill is just the third Shocker to score 40 over the first two games since 2000, joining Markis McDuffie (40, 2018) and Tyson Etienne (40, 2020).

NON-CONFERENCE NOTABLES
• Wichita State could potentially face two first-time foes in the non-conference slate (East Tennessee State and Wake Forest).
• The Shockers will play three teams ranked in the Top 60 of KenPom's preseason rankings (vs. Florida - 28; vs. Wake Forest - 44; K-State - 49; Minnesota - 59).
• Wichita State has won 10 of its last 13 non-conference true road games, dating back to the 2019 NIT run. The Shockers have two true non-conference road games in 2024 (WKU and DePaul).

MILESTONE WATCH
• Quincy Ballard is 6 blocks away from 100 in his Wichita State career.
• Xavier Bell needs 55 points to reach 1,000 for his collegiate career.
• Harlond Beverly is 98 points shy of 1,000 career points.
• Justin Hill has 1,454 career points. He needs 46 points to reach 1,500. His 51 assists shy of 500 for his career.
• AJ McGinnis is 138 points away from reaching 1,000 for his career.

HEATING UP
• After scoring just six points in his Wichita State debut at Western Kentucky, Corey Washington has found his groove. The junior has scored 10 or more in each of the last four games, including a game-high 20 vs. Monmouth. Washington is averaging 16.5 points per game over the last four games.

SAINT LOUIS LEFTOVERS
• Wichita State improved to 25-41 all-time vs. Saint Louis.
• The Shockers are now 4-3 when playing on Nov. 22.
• Wichita State's 48 second half points tied a season high. The Shockers have eclipsed the 80-point mark in three of the first five games of the season.
• Wichita State outscored the Billikens by 22 after halftime, a season best.
• Wichita State committed a season-low 7 turnovers, while Saint Louis' 14 tied for the most by an opponent this season.
• Wichita State's 42 rebounds tied a season high.
• Justin Hill reached double figures for a fifth straight game, finishing with a game-high 17 points.
• Corey Washington scored 10 of his 13 points after halftime. He's scored 10 or more in each of the last four games.
• AJ McGinnis scored a season-high 12 points.
• Bijan Cortes also set a season high with 10 points.

OLD TIMERS
• With COVID still impacting eligibility, several schools around the country have multiple student-athletes on their rosters playing in their fifth, sixth and even seventh seasons. Wichita State is tied for second in the country with seven student-athletes in their fifth year or higher of collegiate basketball.

A SHOCKER WIN WOULD...                                                                     
... Make them 6-0 for the 12th time in program history.
... Up their record to 2-0 on a neutral court this year.
... Make Paul Mills 21-19 as Wichita State head coach.
... Give Mills 127 career coaching victories.
... Run their record to 1,678-1,264 all time.
... Improve their record to 4-2 all-time vs. Minnesota.

A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD...                                                                     
... Be their first loss of the season.
... Make them 1-1 on a neutral court this season.
... Make Paul Mills 20-20 as Wichita State head coach.
... Lower Mills' career record to 126-104.
... Drop their record to 1,677-1,265 all time.
... Be their second straight loss to the Gophers and make them 3-3 all-time vs. Minnesota.

GAME 7: vs. FLORIDA/WF (ESPN EVENTS INVITE)                                                                    
• Wichita State is 0-2 all time vs. Florida, but the two teams have never met on a nuetral court.
• Both meetings came in the early 90s with the Gators winning in Wichita and Gainesville.
• Florida is led by third-year head coach Todd Golden.
• Wichita State and Wake Forest have never met on the hardwood.
• A familiar face patrols the sidelines for the Demon Deacons. Former Wichita State assistant coach Steve Forbes is in his fifth season as the Wake Forest head coach.