WICHITA STATE (10-8, 2-3) at SOUTH FLORIDA (11-6, 3-1)
Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026 | 1:00 p.m. CDT
Tampa, Fla. | Yuengling Center
 
TV: ESPNU with John Schriffen & Chris Spatola
Radio: KEYN 103.7 FM with Mike Kennedy & Bob Hull
 

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OPENING TIPS
• Wichita State wraps up a Florida swing trip at South Florida on Sunday at 1 p.m. CDT on ESPNU.
• Wichita State is 17-15 all time when playing on Jan. 18. This is the second straight season playing on the date.
• Seven of Wichita State's eight losses have come by 6 points or fewer.
• Through 18 games Wichita State is one of the top offensive rebounding teams in the country at 14.9 per game - good for 7th nationally. That mark would be the best in a single season in school history.
• Kenyon Giles has scored 10+ points in 16 of the 18 games this season, including seven 20-point games. Giles has matched or scored career high in three of the five conference games. He poured in a career-high 33 points vs. North Texas, the most by a Shocker since Markis McDuffie (34) in 2019.
• In his 33-point explosion vs. North Texas, Giles was 13-for-17 from the field and a perfect 4-of-4 from beyond the arc. His 13 made field goals were the most by a Shocker since Cleanthony Early on Jan. 9, 2013.
• Giles averaged 24.8 PPG over the first four conference games until he was held to a season-low 2 points at Florida Atlantic. For the first time this season he was held without a single made three-pointer, snapping his 17-game streak - 8th longest in program history.
• Giles is still shooting 46.6% (27-for-58) from 3-point range over his last 7 games.
• Giles ranks 11th nationally in total three-pointers made (60) and 19th in three-pointers made per game (3.33). Xavier Bell led the Shockers in made three-pointers last season with 35 for the whole year. Giles needed only 12 games to surpass that total this season.
• Giles is one of only eight players in the country with 60 made three-pointers on 40.0 percent shooting or better from beyond the arc.
• Michael Gray Jr. recorded his first career double-double vs. Rice, tying a career-high with 25 points and grabbing a career-high 10 boards.
• Karon Boyd has scored 20+ in two of the last five games, including a 21-point, 12-rebound double-double at Charlotte.
• Boyd (49) and Will Berg (57) account for 39.4% of WSU's offensive rebounds this season.
• Four different Shockers have recorded a double-double through the first 16 games: Berg (4), Boyd (3), Gray Jr. (1) and TJ Williams (1).
• In WSU's conference opening road win at UAB, the Shockers trailed by as many as 16, before completing the comeback. It was the largest comeback win since 2023 at Tulsa (16) and tied for the 8th largest comeback in program history.
• Wichita State is 4-5 in conference openers since joining the American Conference and had dropped its last four league lid-lifters until defeating UAB on New Years Eve. Wichita State won its conference opener for the first time since 2020.

THE SHOCKS, IN SHORT
• Wichita State returns just 0.9 percent of its scoring from a season ago. The Shockers lost their top nine scorers from 2024-25 and 12 total letterwinners. Wichita State  lost seven players to graduation (Xavier Bell, Harlond Beverly, Matej Bosnjak, Bijan Cortes, Ronnie DeGray III, Justin Hill, AJ McGinnis, Zane Meeks) and four to the transfer portal (Quincy Ballard: Mississippi State, Corey Washington: SMU, Yanis Bamba: Maine, Zion Pipkin: South Plains JC).
• Wichita State brings back only two returners that logged minutes in 2024-25: Joy Ighovodja (87 minutes) and walk-on Henry Thengvall (8 minutes). TJ Williams is the only other returner, but he did not see any action after redshirting.

THE SERIES VS. SOUTH FLORIDA
• Wichita State has dominated the series with South Florida since joining the American Athletic Conference. The Shockers are 11-3 against the Bulls with wins in 10 of the last 12 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 in Tampa in 2024.
• Wichita State was 5-0 all-time vs. the Bulls in Charles Koch Arena until January of 2025 when South Florida handed the Shockers their worst loss in the series, 91-72.
• In nine 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 fifth.
• South Florida makes the return trip to Charles Koch Arena on Feb. 11.
• Six of the last eight matchups have been decided by six points or less.
• In Wichita State's 11 wins the average margin of victory is 11.1. South Florida's three wins are by an average of 12.0.

SCOUTING SOUTH FLORIDA
• Bryan Hodgson is in his first season as the head coach at South Florida after a successful two-year stint at Arkansas State.
• He guided the Red Wolves to two of the most successful seasons in program history, with back-to-back 20-win seasons. During the 2023-24 campaign, after inheriting a team that lost 20 games, he led Arkansas State's turnaround, which included its first postseason appearance since 1999. The Red Wolves also set program records for scoring (2,019) and field goals made (1,021). He was also named a finalist for the Joe B. Hall Award, given to the nation's top firstyear head coach.
• In 2024-25, the Red Wolves finished with a 25-11 record, the best in program history. The season featured a top-20 victory, saw the Red Wolves secure the Sun Belt Conference regular season title, and marked their first National Invitation Tournament appearance in more than 30 years. Their offense was ranked one of the top 50 scoring offenses in the nation and led the conference at the end of the regular season, while their defense ranked second.
• Before Arkansas State, he served as an assistant under Nate Oats at Alabama from 2019 to 2023 and played a key role in landing top-15 recruiting classes each season.
• From 2015 to 2019, Hodgson played a pivotal role in the University at Buffalo's rise as a mid-major powerhouse, where he also served under Oats. He assisted in three NCAA Tournament runs, three Mid-American Conference tournament championships, two regular-season conference titles, and the program's highest-ever national ranking (no. 14).
• The Bulls were picked to finish second by the league's coaches in the American Preseason Poll.
• South Florida is averaging 90.5 points a game, good for No. 13 in the NCAA.
• The Bulls have scored at least 100 points in five different games this season. That is the most by any American Conference team in a single campaign all time.
• South Florida is also an elite offensive rebounding team, ranking 3rd nationally with 15.4 per game. Their 42.9 total rebounds per game rank 8th nationally.
• The Bulls are one of the nation's best at getting to the free throw line, ranking 1st in the NCAA in both free throw attempts and 2nd in free throws made.
• They lead the American in nine different team statistical categories.
• All five South Florida starters are in double figures for the season, led by Izaiyah Nelson. Nelson is a double-double machine at 16.2 points and 10.0 rebounds to go with 26 blocks and 28 steals for the season. He's scoring at extremely efficient clip, converting 63.3 percent of his field goal attempts.
• Nelson ranks 3rd nationally in double-doubles (12), 11th in offensive rebounds per game (3.88), 20th in total rebounds (170) and 18th in field goal percentage (63.3%).
• Wes Enis scores 14.7 points per game and is a threat from three-point range with 53 made three-pointers.
• Joseph Pinion is the league's second-best sharpshooter, right behind Kenyon Giles. His 56 made three-pointers are 2nd in the American, while converting 38.4 percent of those tries.
• Josh Omojafo adds 13.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.
• Point guard CJ Brown is the key to the engine. His 87 assists lead the American to go with 12.1 points. Outside shooting is not one of his strengths, as he is just 9-for-44 from beyond the arc this season.

KG THE BUCKET
• Kenyon Giles has seven 20-point games this season with three of those coming in the first five conference games with 26 at UAB, 27 at Charlotte and a career-high 33 vs. North Texas. His 33-point outburst vs. the Mean Green marked the most points by a Shocker since Markis McDuffie scored 34 on March 15, 2019 vs. Temple. Giles scored his 33 points on an ultra-efficient 13-of-17 from the field, a perfect 4-of-4 beyond the arc and 3-of-3 at the free throw line. His 13 made field goals were the most since Cleanthony Early made 13 on Jan. 9, 2013 when he dropped a career-high 39 on SIU. Giles was also the first Shocker since Landry Shamet on Nov. 20, 2017 to go 4-of-4 or better from three-point range.
• Giles' 33 points are tied for the 3rd most by a player in the American Conference this season, trailing only USF's Wes Enis (36) and Tulsa's David Green (34).
• He started his hot streak when he scored a then career-high tying 26 at UAB in the American Conference opener. Twenty-four of those 26 came from beyond the arc when he knocked down a career-high 8 three-pointers. His 8 three-pointers tied for the second most in a single game in school history, one shy of the school record held by Jason Perez's 9. The last Shocker to make 8 three-pointers in a game was Joe Ragland 14 years ago on Dec. 4, 2011.
• Three days later he poured in a new career-high 27 at Charlotte behind six more three-pointers.
• Giles has scored 319 total points this season - 176 of those have come after halftime. The 5-10 guard scores 55.2 percent of his points in the second half.
• He had three 20-point games in November, becoming the first Shocker since McDuffie in 2018 to have three 20-point performances in the month of November.

GRAY AREA
• Michael Gray Jr. recorded his first career double-double on Jan. 7 vs. Rice. He matched a career high with 25 points and grabbed a career-best 10 rebounds. He is the first Shocker to have a 25-10 game since Markis McDuffie on March 15, 2019 vs. Temple.
• Gray is averaging 12.8 points per game over his last four games. The four games prior he was averaging just 6.5 per game.

KB 1K
• Karon Boyd eclipsed the 1,000 career point mark on Jan. 3, 2026 at Charlotte. He entered the game 12 points shy and finished the game with 21 - his second 20-point game of the season.
• Boyd now has 1,033 career points with 193 of those coming this season at Wichita State. He joins teammate Kenyon Giles as the two members of the 1,000 point club on this year's team.

VALENCIA SIDELINED FOR SEASON
• Wichita State's depth took a hit right after Christmas when junior forward Jaret Valencia went down with a season ending achilles injury during practice. Prior to the Christmas break, Valencia had been playing his best basketball of the season.

A GOOD COMEBACK AND NOT SO GOOD COMEBACK
• In Wichita State's conference opening win at UAB on Dec. 31, the Shockers trailed by as many as 16 in the game before completing the comeback for a 5-point win. It marked the largest come-from-behind win since Jan. 14, 2023 at home vs. Tulsa when the Shockers also came back from 16 down.
• The 16-point deficit tied for the 8th largest in a comeback win in program history.
• Three days later Wichita State found itself on the wrong side of a giant comeback. The Shockers led by as many as 18 in the second half on Jan. 3 at Charlotte, before the Niners mounted a come-from-behind win in double overtime.
• Wichita State's 18-point lead tied for the 4th largest in a loss in program history. It was the 3rd largest second half lead in a loss in program history.

FROM BEHIND THE ARC AND BEYOND
• Kenyon Giles is spearheading the long range bombing. He ranks 11th in the NCAA in total 3-pointers made (60), 19th in three-pointers per game (3.33), 28th in three-point attempts (142) and 34th in three-point percentage (42.3%).
• At the current pace, Giles is on track to break the single season school record for three-pointers made per game (3.33). His 7.89 three-point attempts per game would also be the second most in a single season at Wichita State.
• Giles was one of only five players in the country this season to make at least 20 three-pointers through the first five games of the season.
• He is the first Shocker in program history to knock down 20 three-pointers in the first five games of a season.
• To put that into perspective, Giles needed only 12 games to pass the Shockers' three-point leader from a season ago (Xavier Bell - 35).

FASTEST TO 60
• Kenyon Giles became the fastest Shocker to reach 60 made three-pointers in a single season in program history on Jan. 11 vs. North Texas. Giles needed only 17 games to make his 60th three-pointer of the season, three fewer games than former Shocker, Tyson Etienne.

CRASHIN THE OFFENSIVE GLASS
• Wichita State ranks 7th nationally in offensive rebound percentage at 39.9%. The Shockers average 14.9 offensive rebounds a game, which ranks 5th in the country. At the current rate, that average would easily break the single season program record. The school record was set back in 1995-96 at 13.8 offensive rebounds per game.
• Four Shockers have 30 or more offensive rebounds this season. The quartet of Will Berg, Karon Boyd, TJ Williams and Emmanuel Okorafor make up 63.6 percent of Wichita State's offensive rebounds.

MILESTONE WATCH
• Karon Boyd scored his 1,000th career point on Jan. 3 at Charlotte and played his 100th career game on Nov. 26 vs. Saint Mary's. He needs 8 steals to reach 100 and 34 rebounds to reach 750.
• Kenyon Giles surpassed 1,500 career points on Jan. 7 vs. Rice. He played his 100th career game on Nov. 8 vs. Prairie View A&M. He needs 44 assists to reach 250 career assists.
• Michael Gray Jr. is 8 assists away from 100 for his career. He is 14 games shy of his 100th career game.
• Emmanuel Okorafor needs 41 rebounds to reach 250 for his career.
• Jaret Valencia is 94 points shy of 600 and 7 blocks away from 100 career blocked shots.

ON THIS DATE: JANUARY 18
• 1962 – In one of the great individual stat lines in Shocker history, Gene Wiley tallied 22 points, 23 rebounds and 10 blocks in a game at Tulsa.
• 1969 – WSU Fieldhouse formally became Levitt Arena, in honor of the late civic leader Henry Levitt. The Shockers celebrated by crushing visiting Loyola Chicago, 98-74. Ron Washington became the 12th member of the school's 1,000-point club, pouring in a career-high 37.
• 1999 – WSU's Troy Mack and Jason Perez put up career numbers in a 94-88 double-overtime win over NCAA Sweet 16-bound Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State). Mack put up 23 points and 22 rebounds – still the only 20-20 game by a Shocker since the days of Xavier McDaniel – and Perez matched his career-high with 34 points.
• 2003 – Jamar Howard and Rob Kampman combined for 37 points on 14-of-17 shooting to help the Shockers snap an 11-game losing streak at Redbird Arena, 69-66.

A SHOCKER WIN WOULD...                                                                     
... Make them 11-8 this season and 3-3 in American Conference play.
... Improve their record to 3-3 on the road this season.
... Move them to 12-3 all time vs. South Florida and be their third straight win over the Bulls.
... Make Paul Mills 45-42 as Wichita State head coach.
... Give Mills 151 career coaching victories.
... Run their record to 1,702-1,287 all time.

A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD...                                                                     
... Drop them to 10-9 this season and 2-4 in American Conference play.
... Make them 2-4 on the road this season.
... Move them to 11-4 all time vs. South Florida and snap a two-game win streak over the Bulls.
... Make Paul Mills 44-43 as Wichita State head coach.
... Lower Mills' career record to 150-127.
... Drop their record to 1,701-1,288 all time.

GAME 20: EAST CAROLINA                                                               
• Wichita State leads the series vs. the Pirates 7-4 all time, but East Carolina has won each of the last three meetings.
• East Carolina has won in Charles Koch Arena in each of its last three visits.
• The two teams only met once in 2025 with the Pirates claiming a 75-72 win on a three-pointer as time expired.
• East Carolina enters the matchup at 5-12 and 0-4 in American Conference play.
• Michael Schwartz is in his fourth season as the head coach at East Carolina, owning a career record of 55-60.