[8] WICHITA STATE (18-13, 8-10) vs. [9] SOUTH FLORIDA (13-18, 6-12)
Thursday, March 13 | 11:30 a.m. CDT
Fort Worth, Texas | Dickies Arena
 
TV: ESPNU with Mike Corey & Perry Clark
Radio: KEYN 103.7 FM with Mike Kennedy, Dave Dahl & Bob Hull
 

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OPENING TIPS
• The Wichita State Shockers are in Fort Worth, Texas for the 2025 American Athletic Conference Championship at Dickies Arena.
• The 8th-seeded Shockers open second round action against No. 9 South Florida on Thursday (11:30 AM CT, ESPNU). The winner advances to face No. 1 Memphis in Friday's quarterfinals at 12:00 p.m. CT on ESPN2.
• This is Wichita State's seventh AAC Championship, having never made it past the semifinals. Wichita State has won at least one game in a conference tournament 14 of the last 15 years.
• Wichita State and South Florida split the regular season series with the road team winning each game.
• Wichita State had won six straight games on Senior Day, dating back to 2017-18, until Sunday's loss to Tulsa. It also marked Tulsa's first win in Wichita since 2001.
• The Shockers are outrebounding their last 10 opponents, 411-315, for an average of +9.6 per game.
• Xavier Bell was named First Team All-Conference and Corey Washington was named to the Second Team. They are first teammates to earn conference accolades since 2022 when Tyson Etienne (Third Team), Dexter Dennis (DPOY) and Ricky Council IV (6MOTY) took home hardware. Bell is the fourth Shocker to earn American First Team All-Conference honors.
• Bell has scored 10 or more in each of the last 9 games and 21 of the last 23 games. In conference play he averaged 16.1 points and shot 90.7% from the free throw line.
• Quincy Ballard's 9 double-doubles are second most in the American and the most by a Shocker since Garrett Stutz in 2011-12. Eight of those 9 have come in the last 20 games. Ballard's 75.9 effective FG Pct. leads the nation.
• Ronnie DeGray III returned to action on Jan. 14 after missing nearly two months with a fractured wrist.
• Wichita State has a quartet of 1,000-point scorers on the roster. Xavier Bell reached 1,000 career points on Dec. 17 vs. Kansas City and Harlond Beverly made it to 1,000 on Jan. 14 vs. Charlotte. Corey Washington scored his 1,000th career point on March 3 at North Texas. Justin Hill has more than 1,500 career points.
• Ballard ranks 2nd in the American in blocks per game (1.77) and 39th nationally. His 53 total blocks also rank 3rd in the AAC, while ranking 40th in the NCAA.
• Ballard moved into 3rd on the Wichita State career blocks list vs. Memphis with 141. He's on pace to break the WSU career record for blocks per game at 1.93.
• 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).
Head Coach Paul Mills has won 33 games over his first two seasons, tied for 3rd most in program history.

THE SERIES WITH SOUTH FLORIDA
• Wichita State has dominated the series with South Florida since joining the American Athletic Conference. The Shockers are 10-3 against the Bulls with wins in nine of the last 11 meetings.
• The Bulls won back-to-back games in the series for the first time in January 2024 and January 2025.
• South Florida snapped Wichita State's eight-game win streak in the series last season in Tampa.
• Wichita State was a 5-0 all-time vs. the Bulls in Charles Koch Arena until January when South Florida handed the Shockers their worst loss in the series, 91-72.
• In eight seasons since joining the American, Wichita State and South Florida have played a regular season home-and-home only three times, with this season being the fourth.
• Wichita State made the return trip to Tampa last month on Feb. 9.
• Four of the last five matchups have been decided by six points or less.
• In Wichita State's 10 wins the average margin of victory is 10.7. South Florida's three wins are by an average of 12.0.
• This will be the second time Wichita State and South Florida have met in the American Athletic Conference Championship. The Shockers eliminated the Bulls by a point in 2021.

SCOUTING SOUTH FLORIDA
• Ben Fletcher was named the interim head coach for the 2024-25 season following the tragic passing of Amir Abdur-Rahim.
• Fletcher, who served as assistant head coach during the 2023-24 season, was promoted to associate head coach in June 2024. He brings a wealth of coaching experience, mentorship, and a steadfast commitment to the men's basketball program both on and off the court. Known for his dedication to player development, Coach Fletcher was instrumental in guiding the Bulls to success last season.
• Prior to his time at USF, Fletcher spent four seasons as an assistant coach under Abdur-Rahim during their rebuild at Kennesaw State that saw the Owls go from one win in 2019-20 to a school record 26 wins in 2022-23 and the program's first Division I NCAA Tournament appearance.
• The Bulls were picked to finish third in the preseason coaches poll, but finished in ninth with a 6-12 record. South Florida enters the American Athletic Conference Championship, having lost its last four games of the regular season and eight of its last 10.
• After a solid freshman campaign, Jayden Reid earned a spot on the AAC Preseason Second Team. Reid finished the 2023-24 season on nine different record lists for South Florida Freshmen and was selected to the 2023-24 AAC All-Freshman Team.
• Reid currently ranks second on the Bulls in scoring (12.5 ppg), while leading in assists (108) and steals (55).
• Jamille Reynolds leads South Florida in scoring (12.8 ppg), rebounding (7.6 rpg) and blocked shots (43).
• Reynolds was named to the All-Conference Second Team on Tuesday when the regular season awards were announced.
• Kobe Knox is third on the team in scoring at 10.7 points per game. Knox missed the game vs. Wichita State in Tampa.
• CJ Brown was named to the American All-Freshman Team. In his freshman campaign, Brown has tallied 72 assists, 38 steals and 17 blocks. He is one of just three AAC freshmen to record at least 70 assists, 35 steals, and 15 blocks, joining Jalen Adams (UConn, 2016) and Dedric Lawson (Memphis, 2016).
• Brown is one of three DI true freshmen to achieve at least 60 assists, 30 steals and 15 blocks in the 2024-25 season, alongside Baylor's VJ Edgecombe and Duke's Cooper Flagg.
• USF has four players this season who have recorded at least 50 rebounds, 30 assists and 30 steals, tying for the most in Division I alongside Arkansas State, Cal Poly, Iowa State, St. John's, and UTEP.
• The Bulls rank 10th nationally in fast break points, while also relying on their bench. Their 28.00 bench points per game rank 35th nationally.

AMERICAN TOURNAMENT ODDS & ENDS
• The 13 American Athletic Conference schools slug it out this week for an automatic bid to next week's NCAA Men's Basketball Championship.
• Each of the top-four seeds receive a double bye. Seeds 5-11 receive a first round bye, while the bottom two teams duke it out on Wednesday in Denton.
• This is the 11th go-around for this event. SMU (2015 & 2017), Cincinnati (2018 & 2019) and Houston (2021, 2022) have combined to win six of the last nine titles.
• As the top seed, Memphis looks to win for the second time in three years.

FORT WORTH NOTING
• Wichita State's campus is 363 miles away (or a little over five hours by car) from Dickies Arena. Other area schools: North Texas (39 miles), Rice (271), UTSA (285), Tulsa (310) and Memphis (496).
• Wichita State has had a handful of Fort Worth natives over the years, including one of its all-time greats, Nate Bowman. The 6-10 center out of Kirkpatrick High School teamed with Dallas native Dave Stallworth to lead the Shockers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1964, Six years later, they joined forces again on the New York Knicks' 1970 NBA Championship squad.
• The Shockers are 4-5 all-time in Fort Worth with a 2008 loss to TCU and a 4-4 AAC tournament mark.

WICHITA STATE IN CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS
• Wichita State won 12 straight conference tournament openers (2009-21) and appeared in 11 straight semifinals (2010-21) before stumbling in the 2022 first round.
• From 1977 to 2017, Wichita State competed in 38 Missouri Valley Conference tournaments, going 35-34 with seven finals appearances and four titles (1985, 1987, 2014 and 2017). Notably, the first two came at the expense of Tulsa on its home floor.
• This is WSU's seventh go-around in the AAC tournament. The Shockers are 7-6 with three semifinal appearances.

LUCKY NUMBER 8?
• The Shockers are the No. 8 seed for the first time in the American Athletic Conference Championship. Its the second lowest seed since joining the American in 2018.
• This is the first year with 13 teams in the American.
• No. 8 seeds are 4-10 all-time in the American Athletic Conference Championship. Wichita State is 1-0 vs. No. 8 seeds.
• No 8-seed has ever made it past the second round of the American Athletic Conference Championship.
• The Shockers were 7-2 against teams on the top side of the bracket during the regular season (Memphis, Tulane, Florida Atlantic, South Florida, Rice and Charlotte).
• Wichita State has made 24 semifinal appearances across the MVC and ACC, but 23 of them have come as a top-4 seed. The 2019 Shockers are the lone exception.

OTHER TOURNEY TRENDS
• No. 1 seeds are 6-4 in semifinals games and 4-2 in the championship.
• Play-in teams are a respectable 6-18 in quarterfinal games. No. 1 seeds are 10-0, No. 2 seeds are 9-1 (the lone loss coming in 2016 when No. 10 Tulane upset No. 7 UCF and No. 2 Houston before bowing to Memphis). Two years ago Memphis became the first No. 3 seed to make it to Sunday. Prior to that, No. 3's were a combined 2-7.
• The quarterfinal matchups between Nos. 4-5 has been a toss-up (No. 4 seeds are 5-4). No. 5 Cincinnati reached the title game in 2021 and No. 5 UConn won the whole thing in 2016.
• UConn and UAB last season are the only No. 4 seeds to reach the title game. The Blazers are the only 4-seed to win the championship.
• No. 7 seeds are 4-5 in first-round matchups and 0-4 in the quarterfinal round.

TULSA LEFTOVERS
• Wichita State dropped to 78-66 all-time vs. Tulsa.
• Wichita State is 10-4 all-time on Mar. 9.
• Wichita State hadn't lost on Senior Day since 2018 and also hadn't lost at home vs. Tulsa since 2001.
• Tulsa swept the regular season series with Wichita State for the first time since 1996 when they were both members of the Missouri Valley Conference.
• Tulsa is the ninth opponent to shoot 50 percent or better from the field.
• Tulsa shot 61.3% from the field in the second half.
• Wichita State has gone back-to-back games shooting less than 40% from the field. They are 1-12 under Paul Mills when shooting less than 40%.
• The Shockers were +7 on the glass, moving them to 14-6 this season when they outrebound their opponent.
• Wichita State is 7-7 when losing the turnover battle.
• Wichita State and Tulsa were tied at halftime, marking the first time under Mills, the Shockers have entered the locker room tied.
• Wichita State recorded only one blocked shot, marking the fourth time this season with just a single block.
• Corey Washington scored a team-high 14 points to go with 8 rebounds. He has 24 games in double figures, second on the team.
• Xavier Bell registered his 25th game in double figures behind 10 points. He has scored 10 or more in each of the last nine games.
• Since Feb. 9 at South Florida, Bell is 58-for-62 (93.5%) from the free throw line.
• Quincy Ballard pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds, marking his 14th game with 10 or more rebounds this season.
• Harlond Beverly finished in double figures for the seventh time in the last eight games behind 11 points. He has 16 games of 10 or more points this season.

BELL, WASHINGTON NAMED ALL-CONFERENCE 
• Xavier Bell was named American First Team All-Conference, becoming the fourth Shocker to earn AAC First Team honors and first since Tyson Etienne in 2021. During conference play Bell averaged 16.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and converted 90.7% of his free throw attempts. He reached double figures in all but two games.
• Corey Washington picked up Second Team All-Conference honors in his first season at Wichita State. He was second on the team in both scoring (13.8 ppg) and rebounding (8.1 rpg) to go with 21 steals and 11 blocks. Six of his eight double-doubles this season came in conference play.
• Bell and Washington are the first pair of Shocker teammates to earn conference honors since 2022 when Tyson Etienne was named to the Third Team, Dexter Dennis was the Defensive Player of the Year and Ricky Council IV took home Sixth Man of the Year.

A SHOCKER WIN WOULD...                                                                     
... Make them 19-13 this season.
... Move them to the quarterfinals of the AAC Tournament for the second straight season.
... Improve their record to 8-6 all time at the AAC Championship.
... Give them at least one win in the conference tournament in 15 of the last 16 years.
... Move them to 11-3 all time vs. South Florida.
... Make Paul Mills 34-32 as Wichita State head coach.
... Give Mills 140 career coaching victories.
... Run their record to 1,691-1,277 all time.

A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD...                                                                     
... End their season at 18-14.
... Drop them to 7-7 all time at the AAC Championship.
... Be just the second time in the last 16 years without a win at a conference tournament.
... Drop them to 10-4 all time vs. South Florida.
... Make Paul Mills 33-33 as Wichita State head coach.
... Lower Mills' career record to 139-117.
... Drop their record to 1,690-1,278 all time.

GAME 33: AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP                                                                  
• Wichita State is 7-6 all-time at the American Athletic Conference Championship.
• Top seed Memphis awaits in the quarterfinals.
• Wichita State has won at least one game at the AAC Championship every year, except in 2022 with a first round loss to Tulsa.