The RoundHouse | 2/22/2024 8:51:00 AM
By Paul Suellentrop
"First to the floor" is one of many unconventional plays recorded by Wichita State to measure effort and energy. The Shockers coaches and managers do not measure abrasions and soreness caused by floor burns, but that's a category coach
Paul Mills is also watching,
On Wednesday, the Shockers dominated those areas, ones that might be hard to quantify and help winning immensely. Wichita State pushed Tulsa out of its comfort zone with its physical defense in a 79-63 win at Koch Arena.
"I told the players before the game this is about thick skin and big hearts," coach
Paul Mills said. "The only way you get thicker skin is, you better get on that floor. Find a way to get two hands on a basketball."
One easy-to-understand stat tells that story: WSU held Tulsa to 23 baskets and forced 22 turnovers.
One play summed up that story: While Tulsa players looked at loose ball, WSU's
Xavier Bell dove. His hustle so rattled the Hurricane one of their players threw the ball off a teammate and out of bounds for another turnover.
"We were just dialed in," Bell said. "Especially on personnel. Knowing our defensive scheme. Make sure we go out and execute that."
Tulsa led 7-6 and not again. The Shockers (11-16, 3-11 American Athletic Conference) led 43-26 at halftime and compiled a total of 22 energy and effort points on plays such as offensive rebounds and grabbing 50-50 balls. The Shockers scored 17 points off 13 turnovers and outscored the smaller Hurricane 12-1 on second-chance points.
Mills said 30 is the goal for a game.
Hurricane guard P.J. Haggerty scored 24 points, but the Shockers trapped him, and he committed five turnovers. With the ball out of Haggerty's hands, the Tulsa offense slumped. The Hurricane (13-13, 4-10) missed 18 of 20 three-pointers.
Tulsa didn't get closer than 15 over the game's final 17 minutes and the Shockers led by as many as 25.
"Extra effort, getting deflections," guard
Colby Rogers said. "Using our length, our hands. We made it tough on them to make passes."
Whether it was
Ronnie DeGray III and
Harlond Beverly using their height to bother Haggerty or Bell engulfing a smaller Tulsa guard for a steal, the Shockers dictated the flow of the game with their defense.
"Freedom of movement is a big deal in college basketball," Mills said. "But it isn't as if contact isn't permissible. When you go back and watch the film there is just too much free flowing by other team's offenses. You have to be physical on some of these cuts and where people are trying to go. They don't get to go wherever they want."
The Shockers said they talked out their issues from disappointing road losses to ECU and Charlotte on Monday. They met as a team. Coaches talked with players. The attempted to reset a difficult season for the final weeks.
"It was an honest conversation I think we needed to have," Bell said. "Make sure we're all on the same page."
The Shockers played like a team on the same page on Wednesday by beating a bad team emphatically. If that page includes examples of thick skin and big hearts, they have a chance to pull something positive out of this season.
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
