FRIENDS (8-4) at WICHITA STATE (9-3)
Sunday, Dec. 29 | 5:00 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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SCHEELS Junior Shocker Kids Club Day: Make the most out of Sunday Funday by signing your child up for the SCHEELS Junior Shocker Kids Club so they can receive a free GA ticket to this game and shoot around on the court after the game. | PURCHASE MEMBERSHIP | RSVP
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 non-conference portion of its schedule vs. Friends on Saturday as part of a Shocker basketball doubleheader.
• Wichita State bounced back following a loss to Kansas City with a resounding in-state thumping of Kansas State on Dec. 21.
• The Shockers recorded their first Power 4 win over a non-conference opponent in Charles Koch Arena since Dec. 1, 2018 vs. Baylor.
• Xavier Bell scored a season and game-high 24 points in the win over K-State. He's averaging 18.0 ppg over his last four games, including back-to-back 20-point performances.
• Bell reached 1,000 career points on Dec. 17 vs. Kansas City. He's one of two 1,000-point scorers on the roster along with Justin Hill.
• Corey Washington (18p, 10r) and Quincy Ballard (10p, 10r) both recorded double-doubles vs. K-State.
• 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 15-12 all time on Dec. 29.
• Wichita State ranks 20th nationally in defensive rebounds per game (28.75).
• Quincy Ballard leads the American Athletic Conference in blocks per game (2.00) and ranks 25th nationally. His 22 total blocks also lead the league, while ranking 40th in the NCAA.
• At No.105 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 4th on the Wichita State career blocks list vs. K-State with 110. He's on pace to shatter the WSU career record for blocks per game at 2.00.
• 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 FRIENDS
• Friends is under the guidance of second-year head coach Phil McClintock.
• McClintock brings a stark familiarity of the KCAC to Friends, highlighted by an eight-year tenure as associate head coach at Ottawa University.
• At Ottawa, McClintock served as the recruiting coordinator and was responsible for film breakdown and scouting reports.
• 2019-20 was a breakout season, as McClintock brought in six of the team's top 10 players that produced a school-record 28 victories, a regular season KCAC championship and an NAIA Sweet 16 appearance (tournament ended early due to COVID-19).
• The Falcons have nearly matched last year's win total through 12 games in 2024-25. After winning just 9 games a year ago, the Falcons are 8-4 this season and 5-2 in KCAC play.
• KJ Spiller leads the Falcons in scoring (16.3 ppg) and rebounding (6.8 rpg).

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. FRIENDS
• Wichita State is 40-11 all time vs. Friends in a series that dates all the way back to 1906.
• Up until last season, the two programs hadn't met in a regular season game since 1943 - a contest the Shockers won, 74-22.
• The two teams haven't even met in an exhibition game since at least 1970 when exhibition games started being recorded.
• Friends won the first four meetings in the series, but was dominated by Wichita State over the next 40 years. Friends won a high-scoring affair, 26-14, in the first ever meeting on March 2, 1906.
• The Shockers have won seven in a row entering Sunday's matchup.
• In last year's meeting, Wichita State won 95-65 behind four Shockers in double figures. Colby Rogers scored a game-high 18 points.
• Xavier Bell was nearly perfect from the field, going 7-for-8 for 15 points and four assists.
• Dalen Ridgnal came in off the bench and tallied 16 points on 3-of-3 shooting from beyond the arc and 5-for-5 marksmanship at the stripe.
• Quincy Ballard grabbed 10 of the team's 54 rebounds as the Shockers won the rebound battle by 26.

CONNECT THE DOTS
• Just seven miles separate the two universities in the city of Wichita.
• Three student-athletes on the Friends roster are Wichita natives. Between the two rosters, there are a combined six student-athletes who call Wichita home.

ON THIS DATE: DEC. 29
• 1962 – The largest crowd in Roundhouse history – 11,357 – watched the 16th-ranked Shocker upset No. 2 Ohio State, 71-54. Wichita shot 58.3 percent and limited OSU to 44 percent. Sophomore All-American Dave Stallworth scored 22 points for the Shockers, who jumped to a 19-9 lead and were never threatened.
• 2013 - A 24-point, 10-rebound double-double from Cleanthony Early powered the Shockers to a 13-0 start. The Shockers took down Davidson in the Roundhouse in the non-conference finale, 81-70.

MILESTONE WATCH
• Quincy Ballard is 15 blocks away from 125 in his Wichita State career.
• Harlond Beverly is 28 points shy of 1,000 career points.
• Bijan Cortes is 44 assists away from 250 for his career.
• Justin Hill  is 37 assists shy of 500 for his career.
• AJ McGinnis is 110 points away from reaching 1,000 for his career.

KANSAS STATE LEFTOVERS
• Wichita State snapped a five-game losing streak vs. the Wildcats and improved to 12-23 all time vs. K-State.
• The Shockers are now 19-9 when playing on Dec. 21.
• Wichita State's 55 points in the second half were the most in any half this season.
• The 55 points were the most in any half since Dec. 22, 2021 vs. Prairie View A&M when the Shockers scored 57 in the 1st half.
• Wichita State moved to 2-2 this season when trailing at the half and 4-15 under Paul Mills.
• Wichita State shot a season-high 90.9 percent (20-for-22) at the free throw line. The Shockers were 26-for-46 at the line over their last two games.
• Xavier Bell had a game and season high in points for the second straight game, finishing with 24. It was his eighth game in double figures this season and 32nd of his career at Wichita State.
• It marked his sixth career 20-point game as a Shocker and second straight game with 20 or more.
• Corey Washington notched his second double-double of the season behind 18 points and 10 rebounds.
• Washington has eight games with 10-plus points this season.
• He's averaging 9.0 rebounds over his last five games.
• Justin Hill recorded his team-leading 10th game in double figures behind 13 points.
• Quincy Ballard recorded his second double-double of the season and fourth of his career with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
• Harlond Beverly grabbed a season-high 8 rebounds.

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 10-3 this season.
... Up their record to 7-1 at home this season.
... Move them to 41-11 all time vs. Friends.
... Be their 8th straight win over the Falcons.
... Make Paul Mills 25-22 as Wichita State head coach.
... Give Mills 131 career coaching victories.
... Run their record to 1,682-1,267 all time.

A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD...                                                                     
... Make them 9-4 this season.
... Drop them to 40-12 all time vs. Friends.
... Snap a seven-game win streak vs. the Falcons.
... Make Paul Mills 24-23 as Wichita State head coach.
... Lower Mills' career record to 130-107.
... Drop their record to 1,681-1,268 all time.

GAME 14: AT TEMPLE                                                              
• Wichita State is 6-8 all-time vs. Temple after the Owls swept the series last season.
• The Owls are 7-5 to begin the 2024-25 season with one non-conference game left on their schedule.
• Temple is led by second-year head coach Adam Fisher.