ALCORN STATE (0-9) at WICHITA STATE (6-1)
Wednesday, Dec. 4 | 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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Shocker Neighborhood Night: We partner with the Wichita State University Office of Engagement to invite the surrounding community to be highlighted for their best happenings while supporting the Shockers!
Student Giveaway (for Finals Week!): The first 300 students will receive a BodyArmor® Flash I.V. 
 

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OPENING TIPS
• Wichita State returns home to open the month of December vs. Alcorn State on Wednesday.
• Wichita State is 6-1 for the second straight season and looking to improve to 7-1 for the 4th time since 2017.
• Wichita State saw its six-game win streak come to a screeching halt in the ESPN Events Invitational championship game vs. No. 18 Florida, 88-51.
• The 37-point loss tied for the fifth worst in school history during the modern era.
• Wichita State has dropped its last nine games vs. ranked opponents and five straight in MTE championship games.
• Harlond Beverly was named to the ESPN Events Invitational All-Tournament Team.
• Wichita State finished the month of November 6-1. The Shockers are 13-2 under Paul Mills in November.
• Wichita State is 13-10 all time on Dec. 4.
• Alcorn State has played all nine of its games on the road and won't play its first home game until Jan. 4 to open SWAC play vs. Jackson State.
• Wichita State ranks 29th nationally in turnovers per game (9.7), 31st in defensive rebounds per game (28.86) and 32nd in free throws made per game (18.6).
• Wichita State checked in at No. 93 in the first NCAA NET rankings on Dec. 2.
• At No. 90 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."

SCOUTING ALCORN STATE
• Landon Bussie is in his fifth year at the helm of the Alcorn State men's basketball program.
• In year two, the first-time head coach took a 6-13 team in his first season to a 17-17 (14-4 in league play) team that garnered the 2021-2022 SWAC Regular-Season Title, the first championship for the program in 20 years. The team then became the No. 1 seed in the SWAC Tournament and appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).
• In year three, Bussie and the Braves repeated as the 2022-2023 SWAC Regular-Season Champions and earned the No. 1 seed in the SWAC Tournament and appeared in the NIT against North Texas. Bussie was named 2022-2023 Co-Coach of the Year.
• The Braves have faced the nation's 23rd toughest non-conference schedule to date with all nine of their games coming on the road.
• Alcorn State has already played games against Utah, Utah State, Tulane, TCU, Washington and Maryland.
• Alcorn State nearly pulled out a road win at South Alabama last week before falling in overtime, 74-65.
• Keionte Cornelius is the lone Brave averaging double figures at 10.1 points per game. Cornelius lives behind the three-point line where 60 of his 79 total field goal attempts have come. He's shooting 38.3 percent from long range.
• Michael Pajeaud has dished out a team-high 27 assists, while also leading the team with six blocked shots.
• Djahi Binet averages a team-best 5.9 rebounds per game. Binet has more offensive rebounds than defensive this season (27 offensive, 26 defensive).
• Alcorn State is averaging just 55.0 points per game on 33.1 percent shooting, while its opponents average 81.6 points on 46.1 percent shooting from the field.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. ALCORN STATE
• Wichita State is 2-1 all time vs. Alcorn State in a series that began in 2009.
• Wichita State won each of the first two meetings in 2009 and 2021, but the Braves suprised the nation in 2022, upsetting the Shockers on their home floor, 66-57.
• Former Shocker Trevin Wade made his return to Charles Koch Arena and led the Braves with 14 points.
• Wichita State finished the game 4-of-24 from three-point range and outscored Wichita State in the second half, 38-26.
• The year before, Wichita State won 82-63 behind Morris Udeze's 15 points.
• The 2009 meeting saw Wichita State force 28 turnovers in an 87-52 blowout.

ON THIS DATE: DEC. 4
• 1951 – In his home debut, Ralph Miller earned the first career victory – 93-59 over Baylor.
• 1961 – Lanny Van Eman was a perfect 11-for-11 from the field in the Shockers' 78-54 stomping of Nebraska.
• 1982 – Zarko Durisic's career-high 30 points helped WSU edge North Texas, 78-72, in the McDonald's Classic title game.
• 1990 – WSU's best win under Mike Cohen was also arguably his worst night. Cohen injured his knee at the end of the first half and coached the rest of the Shockers' 74-71 overtime win over 12th-ranked Alabama on crutches. Melvin Cheathum hit a three-pointer with 2.7 seconds remaining to force OT, but the Shockers regrouped. Paul Guffrovich hit a go-ahead jumper with 38 seconds left and Phil Mendelson added two free throws for the final margin. John Cooper (22 points) and Claudius Johnson (21 points, 12 rebounds) led the scoring.

WORKING OVERTIME
• Wichita State's 68-66 overtime win vs. Minnesota in the opener of the ESPN Events Invitational on Thanksgiving made the Shockers 1-0 in OT this season and 64-79 all time.
• Wichita State is 4-5 all time in overtime games on a neutral court, snapping a three-game losing streak. Wichita State's last overtime game on a neutral court came against Arizona in the 2021 Roman Main Event. Arizona won that game, 82-78.
• Over the last three seasons Wichita State is just 2-4 in overtime games.
• The Shockers are 1-2 in overtime under head coach Paul Mills.

MILESTONE WATCH
• Quincy Ballard is 2 blocks away from 100 in his Wichita State career.
• Xavier Bell needs 34 points to reach 1,000 for his collegiate career.
• Harlond Beverly is 79 points shy of 1,000 career points.
• Justin Hill has 1,469 career points. He needs 31 points to reach 1,500. He's 47 assists shy of 500 for his career.
• AJ McGinnis is 138 points away from reaching 1,000 for his career.

FLORIDA LEFTOVERS
• Wichita State fell to 0-3 all time vs. Florida.
• Wichita State's drought in MTE championship games continued, dropping its fifth straight title game.
• The Shockers are now 15-7 when playing on Nov. 29.
• Wichita State suffered its first 30-point loss since 2020 at Houston.
• Wichita State set season lows in points (51), field goals made (17), field goal percentage (29.7%), rebounds (30), first half points (18) and field goals made in a half (6).
• Wichita State lost the turnover battle for the first time this season.
• Wichita State was minus-26 in rebounding, a season worst. Florida's 56 rebounds were the most by an opponent since before 1999.
• Matej Bosnjak scored a team-high 11 points, marking his second game in double figures this season.
• Justin Hill was held to a season-low four points, snapping his streak of games in double figures at six.

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 7-1 for the second straight season.
... Up their record to 4-0 at home this season.
... Move them to 3-1 all time vs. Alcorn State.
... Make Paul Mills 22-20 as Wichita State head coach.
... Give Mills 128 career coaching victories.
... Make WSU 4-11 under Mills following a loss.
... Make them 269-61 all time in Charles Koch Arena.
... Run their record to 1,679-1,265 all time.

A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD...                                                                     
... Make them 6-2 this season.
... Drop them to 2-2 all-time vs. Alcorn State.
... Make Paul Mills 21-21 as Wichita State head coach.
... Lower Mills' career record to 127-105.
... Make them 3-12 under Mills following a loss.
... Move their record in Charles Koch Arena to 268-62.
... Drop their record to 1,678-1,266 all time.

GAME 9: EAST TENNESSEE STATE                                                      
• This will be the first-ever meeting between Wichita State and East Tennessee State.
• ETSU is 6-2 which includes a road win at fellow AAC school, Charlotte.
• ETSU is led by second-year head coach Brooks Savage.