KANSAS CITY (6-7) at WICHITA STATE (8-2)
Tuesday, Dec. 17 | 6:30 p.m.
Wichita, Kan. | Charles Koch Arena
 
TV: ESPN+ with Shane Dennis & Bob Hull
Radio: KEYN 103.7 FM with Mike Kennedy & Dave Dahl
 

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Aviation Night: On a day that nationally commemorates the Wright Brothers' first successful flight, we recognize the impact Aviation has on our local community in Wichita.
Home for the Holidays Ticket Offer: All college students can receive two (2) free GA tickets when they present a valid student ID at the Shocker Ticket Office.
 

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OPENING TIPS
• Wichita State closes out the month of December and non-conference play with a three-game homestand, beginning with Kansas City on Tuesday night.
• A win would move the Shockers to 9-2 and would be the best start since 2019-20 when they started the season 10-1.
• Wichita State surrendered a 5-point halftime lead at DePaul on Saturday and was outscored by 24 in the second half, falling 91-72.
• It marked only the third time under Paul Mills a Wichita State team has allowed 90 or more points.
• Wichita State had won nine straight games when leading at the half entering the DePaul game. Wichita State had also won five in a row when shooting 50% or higher. The Shockers finished at a season-best 51.0%.
• Wichita State allowed season highs at DePaul in points (91), field goal percentage (51.6%), three-point percentage (51.5%) and three-pointers made (17).
• Wichita State finished the month of November 6-1. In his two seasons, the Shockers are 13-2 under Mills in November games.
• Wichita State is 14-11 all time on Dec. 17.
• Wichita State ranks 13th nationally in defensive rebounds per game (29.20).
• Quincy Ballard leads the American Athletic Conference in blocks per game (2.11) and ranks 21st nationally. His 19 total blocks also lead the league, while ranking 40th in the NCAA.
• At No. 98 in the KenPom rankings, Wichita State ranks 4th 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.
• 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 5th on the Wichita State career blocks list vs. ETSU with 107. He's on pace to shatter the WSU career record for blocks per game at 2.02.
• 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).

SCOUTING KANSAS CITY
• Marvin Menzies is in his third year at the helm of the Kansas City men's basketball program.
• Menzies came to Kansas City with 12 years of DI head coaching experience, including nine years at New Mexico State and three years at UNLV. He also served as interim head coach at Santa Monica College in 1994-95.
• He was named the 2023-24 Summit League Coach of the Year, leading Kansas City to a second-place league finish after the Roos were selected to finish eighth in the preseason poll.
• Menzies spent nine years at New Mexico State, compiling a 198-111 overall record and a 103-37 mark in WAC play.
• Won either a regular season or postseason WAC title in 7-of-9 years, including each of the last five. Qualified for the NCAA Tournament five times, including four-straight years from 2012-2015.
• Kansas City was picked to win the Summit League in the 2024-25 preseason poll.
• Following a 2023-24 First Team All-Summit League performance, Jamar Brown is expected to have another standout season for the Roos in 2024-25. The only First Team All-Leaguer returning to the Summit this year, Brown was named a Preseason First Team All-Summit League player by the coaches and media.
• Brown leads the Roos in scoring (15.5 ppg), rebounding (6.6 rpg) and steals (17) so far this season, but has missed three games. He's shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 42.0 percent on three-pointers.
• The 2023-24 Summit League Freshman of the Year, Jayson Petty, is third on the team in scoring at 12.6 points per game and rebounding at 4.8 boards per game.
• Anderson Kopp is the second Kansas City scorer averaging double figures at 12.7 points per game. He adds 3.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists a game.
• Davontae Hall has handed out a team-best 50 assists, but scores only 4.8 points per game on 28.0 percent shooting.
• As a team, Kansas City ranks 15th nationally with 9.7 steals per game. They also rank 31st in scoring defense and 38th in turnovers forced per game.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. KANSAS CITY
• Tuesday's matchup will be the 11th all-time meeting between Wichita State and Kansas City. The Shockers lead the series, 7-3, and have won each of the last three matchups.
• Wichita State is 5-1 vs. the Roos in Wichita after the most recent meeting in 2017. The Shockers put up 109 points in a dominant 109-57 win in the 2017-18 season opener.
• The 52-point win tied for the 5th largest in school history.
• Six Shockers finished in double figures, led by Darral Willis Jr.'s game-high 19 points and 10 rebounds. Landry Shamet added 17 on 4-of-5 shooting from three-point range.
• Wichita State shot 60.9 percent from the field and 56.5 percent (13-for-23) from beyond the arc. Kansas City shot better from three-point range (34.6 percent) than overall (27.7 percent).
• David Kyles powered Wichita State to back-to-back wins over Kansas City in 2009 and 2010. He scored a team-high 12 points in 2010 and 16 points in 2009.

ON THIS DATE: DEC. 17
• 1932 – The Shockers faced Kansas State for the first time ever on the hardwood and came away with a 29-27 victory. According to the 1933 Parnassus "the Wildcat cagers, who had the week before beaten Kansas University, were at a loss to find an effective defense against the swift rushing attack of the Wheatshockers." They went on to finish 14-2 and won the Central Intercollegiate Conference title. Two members of that team – Francis Johnson and Jack Ragland – as well as head coach Gene Johnson were part of the 1936 U.S. team that won the first-ever Olympic basketball gold medal.
• 1951 – Hall of Fame coach Ralph Miller notched his first career road win at New Mexico by a score of 84-58.
• 2013 - Cleanthony Early dropped 26 points on the Crimson Tide in a 72-67 road win at Alabama.

MILESTONE WATCH
• Quincy Ballard is 18 blocks away from 125 in his Wichita State career.
• Xavier Bell needs 1 point to reach 1,000 for his collegiate career.
• Harlond Beverly is 44 points shy of 1,000 career points.
• Justin Hill is 41 assists shy of 500 for his career.
• AJ McGinnis is 115 points away from reaching 1,000 for his career.

DEPAUL LEFTOVERS
• Wichita State dropped to 4-5 vs. DePaul.
• The Shockers are now 15-10 when playing on Dec. 14.
• Wichita State allowed season highs in points (91), field goal percentage (51.6%), three-point percentage (51.5%) and three-pointers made (17).
• DePaul's 24 assists were the most by an opponent. They are the third team in the last four games to have 20 or more assists vs. Wichita State (Florida - 20, ETSU - 20, DePaul - 24).
• Wichita State shot better than 50% for the third time this season. They are now 2-1 in those games.
• Wichita State finished with a season-high 16 turnovers.
• Wichita State's 28 total rebounds were a season low.
• Wichita State shot a season-worst 59.1% at the free throw line.
• Xavier Bell scored a team-high tying 14 points - his second highest scoring output of the season. It was his sixth game in double figures this season and 30th of his career at Wichita State.
• Harlond Beverly also finished with 14 points, marking his sixth game in double figures this season as well.
• Justin Hill recorded his team-leading eighth game in double figures behind 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting.
• Quincy Ballard posted his fourth game with 10 or more points, finishing with 12.
• Bijan Cortes dished out seven assists. He has 17 assists over his last two games.
• Corey Washington grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. He's averaging 9.3 rebounds over his last three games.

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 9-2 this season.
... Up their record to 6-0 at home this season.
... Move them to 8-3 all time vs. Kansas City.
... Be their fourth straight win over the Roos.
... Make Paul Mills 24-21 as Wichita State head coach.
... Give Mills 130 career coaching victories.
... Run their record to 1,681-1,266 all time.

A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD...                                                                     
... Make them 8-3 this season.
... Be their first home loss of the season, dropping them to 5-1.
... Drop them to 7-4 all time vs. Kansas City.
... Make Paul Mills 23-22 as Wichita State head coach.
... Lower Mills' career record to 129-106.
... Drop their record to 1,680-1,267 all time.

GAME 12: KANSAS STATE                                                          
• Kansas State has won five straight in the series and  is 23-11 all time vs. Wichita State.
• K-State will be playing on Wichita State's campus for the first time since 2002.
• Under head coach Jerome Tang, K-State is 6-3 to begin the 2024-25 season.
• Tang is in his third season leading the Wildcats' program.