WICHITA STATE (14-9, 6-4) at TULANE (13-9, 4-5)
Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026 | 1:00 p.m. CDT
New Orleans, La. | Devlin Fieldhouse
 
TV: ESPN+ with Jack Benjamin & Nobal Days
Radio: KEYN 103.7 FM with Mike Kennedy & Bob Hull
 

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OPENING TIPS
• Wichita State and Tulane square off on Super Bowl Sunday.
• Wichita State is 15-15 all time when playing on Feb. 8.
• Shocker teams are 4-2 all time when playing on Super Bowl Sunday. This marks the fourth straight year the Shockers will play on the big day.
• Two of Wichita State's six wins in American play have come when trailing by 13 or more. Four of the six are by double digits.
• Seven of Wichita State's nine losses have come by 6 points or fewer.
• Through 23 games Wichita State is one of the top offensive rebounding teams in the country at 14.7 per game - good for 5th nationally. That mark would be the best in a single season in school history.
• Kenyon Giles has scored 10+ points in 21 of the 23 games this season, including 10 20-point games. Giles matched or scored career high in three of the first four conference games.
• Giles' 10 20-point efforts are tied for 12th most in school history.
• Giles is currently averaging 18.3 PPG for the season, which would be the highest by a Shocker since Jason Perez in 2000.
• His 18.3 PPG ranks 3rd in the American. In league play, Giles ranks 4th at 20.4 PPG with six 20-point outings in 10 games.
• Giles ranks 7th nationally in total 3-pointers made (79) and 12th in 3-pointers/game (3.43). Xavier Bell led the Shockers in made 3-pointers last season with 35 for the whole year. Giles needed only 12 games to surpass that total this season.
• His 79 made three-pointers are already 6th most in a single season at Wichita State. He is just 20 shy of tying the program record of 99 set by Colby Rogers in 2024.
• Giles is one of only eight players in the country with 75 made 3-pointers on 40.0% shooting or better from beyond the arc.
• In American play, no player in the league is playing more minutes per game than Giles at 38.8.
• 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.
• Will Berg recorded career highs in rebounds (15) and blocks (4) at USF. He's the first Shocker to post 15 rebounds and 4 blocks in a game since Garrett Stutz on Feb. 4, 2012.
• Berg ranks 5th in the American in rebounding at 8.1 per game. His 3.5 offensive rebounds per game rank 3rd. In conference games, he's averaging a league best 3.9 offensive rebounds.
• Karon Boyd (55) and Berg (78) account for 39.2% of WSU's offensive rebounds this season.
• Four different Shockers have recorded a double-double through the first 21 games: Berg (5), Boyd (3), Gray Jr. (1) and TJ Williams (1).
• 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.

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. TULANE
• WSU leads 8-5 (5-2 in Wichita and 3-2 in New Orleans).
• The teams have met only once on a neutral court - three seasons ago in the 2023 American Championship.
• After winning on Tulane's home court just a couple weeks prior, Tulane ended Wichita State's season in the American quarterfinals, 82-76.
• The Shockers won each of the first six series meetings before suffering a pair of one-point losses in 2022.
• The teams split the 2022-23 regular season with each winning on the other's home court.
• Tulane has made large comeback bids in five of the last six meetings.
• Jan. 25 in Wichita, the Green Wave battled back from an 18-point first half deficit in an eventual 95-90 overtime win. They trailed by 13 at the break and was eight with as little as 2:41 to go.
• Feb. 26 in New Orleans, the Shockers led by 17 points late in the first half. Tulane closed the gap to three just before halftime and was within a point midway through the second half before WSU answered with a game sealing run.
• In 2021-22, the Wave rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit to win in Wichita. In New Orleans, they trailed by nine points with 3:38 to play but finished on a 10-0 run.

SCOUTING TULANE
• In his seventh year at Tulane, head coach Ron Hunter's squad entered the season picked to finish 3rd in the preseason coaches poll, but the Green Wave lost five in a row before taking down Memphis on the road this past weekend.
• The Green Wave are 13-9 overall and 4-5 in American Conference play, just two spots out of not making the conference tournament. Only the top 10 teams make it to Birmingham.
• During his sixth season at the helm of the program, Hunter guided the Green Wave to its first postseason berth since 2014 with a trip to the Inaugural College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas in 2025. The team also matched its best performance since joining the American Conference finishing with 12 wins against league competition and reaching the American Championship semifinals for the fourth time overall and the third time under Hunter.
• He recorded his 500th career win in the 2023 regular season finale.
• Hunter arrived at Tulane after spending eight seasons at the helm of Georgia State University's program where he compiled a record of 171-95. In 32 years on the bench, Hunter owns a career record of 547-412 and has been named conference coach of the year three times. His 374 wins at the Division I level prior to taking the helm in New Orleans made him the winningest coach ever hired to lead Green Wave basketball.
• The American Preseason Player of the Year, Rowan Brumbaugh, leads the Green Wave in nearly every statistical category: points (19.5), rebounds (4.9), assists (73), steals (41) and three-point percentage (37.3%). He's the only player in the American to lead his team in each of those categories.
• Curtis Williams Jr. adds 13.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals. Asher Woods is the third Green Wave averaging double figures at 12.5 points per game.

ON THIS DATE: SUPER BOWL SUNDAY
This is the fourth straight season that Wichita State has played on SBS. They're 4-2 all-time.
• Jan. 31, 1999 – Super Bowl XXXIII -- Wichita State suffered a 31-point loss at Missouri State, and 87 million viewers tuned in to watch the Broncos beat the Falcons.
• Feb. 3, 2002 – Super Bowl XXXV -- Wichita State outlasted Indiana State in overtime behind C.C. McFall's 24 points. New England QB Tom Brady made his big game debut against the St. Louis Rams.
• Feb. 7, 2021 – Super Bowl LV -- Tyson Etienne's three-point play put Wichita State in front with 42 seconds left in a 70-67 win over Temple. We're still not ready to talk about the Chiefs-Buccaneers game.
• Feb. 12, 2023 - Super Bowl LVII -- A double OT battle with SMU in the Roundhouse saw the Shockers hold off the Mustangs in a classic, 91-89. Kenny Pohto's 28 points led all scorers, while Craig Porter Jr. and Jaykwon Walton both topped the 20-point mark as well. The Kansas City Chiefs won a thriller over the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-35, marking the first of back-to-back Super Bowl titles for the Kingdom. The rematch takes place on Sunday as Kansas City looks to become the first franchise to win three straight Super Bowls.
• Feb. 11, 2024 - Super Bowl LVIII - For the second straight season the Roundhouse saw overtime basketball on Super Bowl Sunday. Wichita State gave No. 20 Florida Atlantic all they could handle, but ultimately fell short in OT, 95-82. The Owls scored 21 points in the extra session. Later that night the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers also went to OT in another all-timer, ending in a Chiefs repeat, 25-22.
• Feb. 9, 2025 - Super Bowl LIX - Wichita State was sent on the road on Super Bowl Sunday and came through with a 75-70 win at South Florida. Xavier Bell scored 26 points on 14-of-15 free throws. The Kansas City Chiefs' quest for a third straight Super Bowl came up short sadly, as the Philadelphia Eagles rolled to a comfortable 40-22 win.

CHARLOTTE LEFTOVERS
• Wichita State moved to 3-2 all time vs. Charlotte, including 2-0 in Wichita.
• Ten of Wichita State's 14 wins have come by double digits.
• The Shockers are 20-10 when playing on Feb. 4.
• Wichita State improved to 10-7 in February under Paul Mills.
• Wichita State is 12-1 this season when leading at the half.
• Wichita State has outrebounded 19 of its 23 opponents.
• Wichita State has had 10 or more offensive rebounds in 17 consecutive games.
• Under Mills, Wichita State is 40-5 when leading with 5:00 minutes left.
• Wichita State's nine steals were the third most they've had in a game this season.
• Wichita State was +9 in turnover margin, tied for the highest this season.
• Wichita State shot less than 60 percent at the free throw line for the fourth time this season.
• Kenyon Giles finished with a team-high 23 points, marking his 21st game in double figures this season and 10th game with 20 or more.
• Giles has made at least one three-pointer in 22 of the 23 games and multiple 21 of the 23.
• He has at least one steal in each of the last seven games.
• Giles' 21 field goal attempts were one shy of a career high.
• Karon Boyd recorded his 16th game in double figures with 18 points - 14 of those coming in the first half.
• Boyd tied a season high with 2 blocks.

KG THE BUCKET
• Kenyon Giles has 10 20-point games this season with six of those coming in the first 10 conference games with 26 at UAB, 27 at Charlotte,  a career-high 33 vs. North Texas, 22 at USF, 27 vs. ECU and 23 vs. Charlotte. 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.
• His 10 games of 20 points or more are tied for 12th most in a single season in program history. Colby Rogers, Tyson Etienne and Cleanthony Early also had 10. One more would move him into a tie for 10th with Aubrey Sherrod and Paul Guffrovich.
• Giles' 33 points are tied for the 6th most by a player in the American Conference this season, trailing only Memphis' Sincere Parker (40), ECU's Jordan Riley (37), USF's Wes Enis (36), Tulane's Rowan Brumbaugh (35) 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.
• 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.

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 1,104 career points with 264 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.

FROM BEHIND THE ARC AND BEYOND
• Kenyon Giles is spearheading the long range bombing. He ranks 7th in the NCAA in total 3-pointers made (79), 12th in three-pointers per game (3.43), 15th in three-point attempts (195) and 50th in three-point percentage (40.5%).
• At the current pace, Giles is on track to break the single season school record for three-pointers made per game (3.43). His 8.48 three-point attempts per game would also be the most in a single season at Wichita State. He's already entered the single season Top 10 list for total three-pointers and is only 20 shy of tying the school record.
• 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
• KenPom ranks Wichita State 8th nationally in offensive rebound percentage at 38.7%. The Shockers average 14.7 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 61.9 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 7 steals to reach 100 and 11 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 33 assists to reach 250 career assists.
• Michael Gray Jr. is 47 assists away from 150 for his career. He is 9 games shy of his 100th career game.
• Emmanuel Okorafor needs 15 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: FEBRUARY 8
• 1966 – Wichita State snaps No. 3 Loyola Chicago's 14-game win streak, 92-84, inside the Roundhouse. The Shockers rallied from a 10-point deficit in the first half behind Warren Armstrong's 25 points and 18 rebounds and Kelly Pete's 19 points and 10 boards.
• 2012 –  Joe Ragland knocked down five three-pointers and Garrett Stutz had a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds, as Wichita State thumped Northern Iowa, 82-57, in the Roundhouse. Wichita State led by just eight at halftime, but outscored the Panthers, 39-22 in the second half.
• 2014 – Wichita State improved to 25-0 behind an 82-73 road win at Northern Iowa. Tekele Cotton scored a game-high 18 points to lead five Shockers in double figures.

A SHOCKER WIN WOULD...                                                                     
... Make them 15-9 this season and 7-4 in American Conference play.
... Move them to 9-5 all time vs. Tulane.
... Make Paul Mills 49-43 as Wichita State head coach.
... Give Mills 155 career coaching victories.
... Run their record to 1,706-1,288 all time.

A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD...                                                                     
... Drop them to 14-10 this season and 6-5 in American Conference play.
... Move them to 8-6 all time vs. Tulane.
... Make Paul Mills 48-44 as Wichita State head coach.
... Lower Mills' career record to 154-128.
... Drop their record to 1,705-1,289 all time.

GAME 25: SOUTH FLORIDA                                                             
• Wichita State leads the series vs. the Bulls 12-3 all time, including a 5-1 record in Wichita.
• Wichita State escaped Tampa last month with an 86-85 win in OT against the Bulls.
• The two teams split the regular season series in 2025, and then Wichita State ended South Florida's season in the American Conference Championship.
• South Florida enters the matchup at 15-8 and 7-3 in American Conference play.
• Bryan Hodgson is in his first season as the head coach at South Florida after a successful two-year stint at Arkansas State.