FLORIDA ATLANTIC (17-13, 9-8) at WICHITA STATE (20-10, 12-5)
Saturday, March 7, 2026 | 3:00 p.m. CDT
Wichita, Kan. | Charles Koch Arena
 
TV: ESPNU with Joe Malfa & Tim Welsh
Radio: KEYN 103.7 FM with Mike Kennedy, Dave Dahl and Bob Hull
 

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Senior Day - Join us as we recognize our three seniors: Karon Boyd, Kenyon Giles and Emmanuel Okorafor prior to tipoff.
 

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OPENING TIPS
• Wichita State closes out the regular season hosting Florida Atlantic on Senior Day.
• At 12-5, Wichita State is currently tied for second in the American standings with Tulsa.
• Wichita State has its first 20-win season since 2019-20. A win vs. Florida Atlantic would give the Shockers 13 conference victories - the most since 2017-18.
• Paul Mills now has 54 wins through his first three seasons at Wichita State, tied for 3rd most in school history with Ralph Miller.
• Wichita State is 6-6 all time when playing on March 7.
• Wichita State has played four overtime games this season, tied for the most in a single season. The Shockers are 3-1 in those games.
• Wichita State has played multiple double overtime games this season, the first time since 1962-63.
• Wichita State's win at Memphis was its first since 2018 and its first-ever season sweep of the Tigers.
• Wichita State is one of the top offensive rebounding teams in the country at 14.9 per game - good for 4th nationally. That mark would be the best in a single season in school history.
• Wichita State currently owns the longest streak in the nation with 24 straight games of 10+ offensive rebounds.
• Wichita State's 55 boards at UTSA were the most since 2017.
• Kenyon Giles has scored 10+ points in 27 of the 30 games this season, including 16 games of 20+ and 2 games of 30+.
• He has scored 20+ in 6 straight games, 5th longest in school history.
• Giles is only the fourth Shocker since 2000 to have multiple games of 30 or more points in a season, joining Jason Perez (1999-00), Joe Ragland (2011-12) and Markis McDuffie (2018-19).
• Giles' 16 20-point efforts are 4th most in a single season.
• Giles is currently averaging 19.5 PPG for the season, which would be the highest by a Shocker since Jason Perez in 2000.
• His 19.5 PPG ranks 2nd in the American. In league play, Giles ranks 2nd at 21.6 PPG with 12 20-point outings in 17 games. Giles' 12 games of 20+ in conference play are second most in school history only behind Xavier McDaniel's 15.
• Giles ranks 11th nationally in total 3-pointers made (102) and 10th in 3-pointers/game (3.40).
• His 102 made three-pointers are the most in a single season at Wichita State. He broke the record on March 1 at UTSA.
• Giles is one of only three players in the country with 100 made three-pointers, 40 assists and 40 steals.
• He poured in a career-high 33 points vs. North Texas, the most by a Shocker since Markis McDuffie (34) in 2019.
• 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 4th in the American in rebounding at 8.3 per game. His 3.55 offensive rebounds per game rank 3rd. In conference games, he's averaging 3.8 o-boards, second most.
• Karon Boyd (75) and Berg (103) account for 39.8% of Wichita State's offensive rebounds this season.
• Five different Shockers have recorded a double-double: Berg (8), Boyd (4), Williams (1),  Michael Gray Jr. (1) and Emmanuel Okorafor (1).

THE SERIES VS. FLORIDA ATLANTIC
• This is just the sixth meeting all-time between Wichita State and Florida Atlantic.
• The Owls dominated the first meeting this season in Boca Raton, leading by as many as 29 in the game, before winning 85-67. Since that game Wichita State is 10-2 over its last 12, while Florida Atlantic is 6-7 over its last 13 games.
• In the only meeting a year ago, Wichita State went into Boca Raton and came out with a 75-68 road win. Xavier Bell led the way with a game-high 24 points. Bijan Cortes had a breakout game with 16 points and 7 assists.
• Two years ago the two programs met on Super Bowl Sunday when Florida Atlantic came out with a 95-82 win in overtime. The Owls outscored the Shockers 21-8 in the extra session behind a 14-2 run in just over 3:00 minutes.
• A back and forth game saw nine ties and 11 lead changes. Neither team led by more than six until overtime when Florida Atlantic pulled away.
• Xavier Bell (25) and Colby Rogers (21) combined for 46 points. Vladislav Goldin (20) and Brandon Weatherspoon (19) led the Owls. FAU was nearly perfect at the free throw line, going 20-for-22.
• In the first meeting as members of the American, Florida Atlantic erased an 11-point halftime deficit to win, 86-77, in Boca Raton.
• Florida Atlantic outscored the Shockers, 55-35, in the second half and shot nearly 60% from the field.
• Colby Rogers and Quincy Ballard both scored a team-high 18 points.
• Alijah Martin spearheaded the Owl comeback with a game-high 22 points and 9 rebounds.
• Wichita State won the only other matchup in the 1998-99 season opener back on Nov. 18, 1998 in Henry Levitt Arena, 88-85.
• The Shockers held off the Owls behind a pair of 20-point performances from Maurice Evans and Jason Perez.
• Evans finished with 24 points on 8-of-20 shooting to go with six rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks.
• Perez also added 24 points along with eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.
• Wichita State had no answer for Florida Atlantic's Damon Arnette who recorded a monster double-double with 28 points and 12 rebounds.
• Defense was optional that night as both teams shot better than 50 percent from the field. A good portion of the game was spent at the free throw line. The two teams combined for 54 fouls and 63 free throw attempts. Wichita State was 20-for-31 at the line and FAU, 25-for-32.
• The game also featured 50 turnovers between the two teams.

SCOUTING FLORIDA ATLANTIC
• Led by second year head coach John Jakus, Florida Atlantic enters the matchup at 17-13 and 9-8 in league play - its third year in the American Conference.
• Jakus brings a championship pedigree built from his time at premier programs as an assistant and director of operations with Baylor and Gonzaga, where he was led by two of the nation's best head coaches in Scott Drew and Mark Few.
• Jakus' 12 seasons at the Division I level has resulted in nine NCAA Tournament appearances, a 2019-2020 campaign in which they were ranked No. 5 in the nation before the season's cancellation, an NIT championship in 2013 and a national title in 2021.
• On Drew's staff for a total of nine seasons, and the associate head coach at Baylor since 2022, Jakus has helped lead the Bears' national resurgence. Highlighted by the program's 2021 National Championship title, Baylor has compiled a 217-86 overall record, a 100-58 mark in Big 12 Conference play, six NCAA Tournament appearances and two Sweet 16 appearances with Jakus on staff.
• A coach with strong international ties, Jakus gained extensive experience as a professional coach in Europe prior to joining the Baylor staff in 2012. He was head coach and assistant general manager of ABA Strumica in Macedonia (2010-11) and also worked with Athletes in Action as volunteer head coach for both NCAA and professional basketball trips and as international basketball head coach and director from 2005 to 2014.
• Florida Atlantic entered its third season in the American Conference picked sixth in the preseason coaches poll, one spot behind Wichita State.
• The Owls are led by a pair of dynamic scorers in Devin Vanterpool and Kanaan Carlyle. Vanterpool leads the Owls in points (15.8), rebounds (6.3), steals (37) and three-pointers made (52), while ranking third on the team in assists (57).
• Carlyle puts up 14.2 points per game to go with 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists. He is converting 86.4 percent of his free throw attempts this season.
• Devin Williams provides an elite defensive presence inside with his 82 blocked shots. He ranks 2nd nationally in total blocks and blocks per game. As a team, FAU ranks 9th in the country in blocks per game.

CONNECT THE DOTS
• The Baylor connections run deep between the two coaching staffs at Wichita State and Florida Atlantic. Three members of the Owls' staff either played at Baylor or got their coaching start at Baylor.
• Wichita State head coach Paul Mills and Florida Atlantic head coach John Jakus are both branches of the Scott Drew coaching tree. Jakus spent two seasons as a graduate assistant on the staff at Baylor while Mills was an assistant coach (2012-14). Jakus is another in the long line of Drew assistants to join the head coaching ranks (Mills, Tang, McCasland).
• Second year assistant coach Aditya Malhotra also got his start as a graduate assistant for the Bears from 2013-15 when Mills and Jakus were on staff. He would spend four seasons in Waco with Mills.
• Also on staff for the Owls is second year assistant coach Isaiah Austin, a former Baylor standout from 2012-14 when both Mills and Jakus were in Waco.

DOWN BUT NEVER OUT
• In Wichita State's double overtime win at East Carolina, the Shockers had a 5.6% chance to win at the end of regulation according to KenPom. Wichita State trailed by 4 with 12 seconds to go until Kenyon Giles delivered a game-tying 4-point play.
• Wichita State also faced a similar situation in early December at Northern Iowa. The Shockers had just a 5.8% chance to win in overtime until closing the game on a 9-1 run.
• Wichita State's lowest win probability came on the road at South Florida before escaping with an OT win by one. The Shockers had just a 4.5% chance after the Bulls used a 23-3 run at the end of the first half and into the start of the second.

TRENDING UP
• With only one conference game remaining, Wichita State has already secured a conference record no worse than .500. At 12-5 in the American, Wichita State has its most conference wins since Wichita State won 14 in 2018.
• As it stands now, Wichita State is tied for 2nd in the standings with Tulsa, but the Shockers hold the edge in the tiebreaker, which if the season ended today, would give Wichita State a coveted top 2 seed in the conference championship. The top 2 seeds earn a triple bye all the way to the semifinals. Wichita State can finish no worse than 3rd in the league.
• Wichita State hasn't been a top 4 seed in the American Conference Championship since winning the regular season and earning the top seed in 2021.
• South Florida currently has at least a two-game lead on the other 12 teams and has already clinched at least a share of the regular season title, but teams 4-10 are separated by just two losses. UTSA has officially been eliminated from the conference tournament, while Rice and East Carolina sit in the other two slots that would not make it to Birmingham.

SKIP PROSSER MAN OF THE YEAR FINALIST
• Wichita State head men's basketball coach Paul Mills was named one of 25 finalists for the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award. The award is presented annually to the Division I coach who wins with integrity on and off the court. The Skip Prosser Man of the Year award honors those who not only achieve success on the basketball court but who display moral integrity on and off it as well.
• Mills has led the Shockers to their first 20-win season since 2020 and has improved his win total in each of his three seasons at Wichita State. His 54 wins are tied for third most in program history through a coach's first three seasons at Wichita State.

BOARD MEN
• In Wichita State's win at UTSA on March 1, the Shockers grabbed a season-high 55 rebounds. The 55 rebounds are the most in a game since Wichita State grabbed 67 vs. Savannah State on Nov. 28, 2017.
• Under Paul Mills, Wichita State has pulled down 50+ rebounds in a game six times.
• Twenty-one of those 55 rebounds came on the offensive end, marking the fourth time this season with 20+ offensive rebounds. This is the first season since 1999-00 the Shockers have had 4 games of 20 or more offensive rebounds.

20 WINS
• Wichita State recorded its 20th win of the season on the road at UTSA on March 1. It marks the first 20-win season since 2019-20 when the Shockers won 23 games. Since joining the American Conference in 2017-18, Wichita State has surpassed the 20-win mark four times including this season. This is 23rd time in program history with 20+ victories.
• Paul Mills is just the sixth Shocker coach to reach the 20-win mark by his third season on the bench, joining Ralph Miller (27 wins in Year 3), Gary Thompson (21 wins in Year 1), Gene Smithson (26 wins in Year 3), Eddie Fogler (22 wins in Year 1 and 20 wins in Year 2) and Gregg Marshall (25 in Year 3).

UTSA LEFTOVERS
• Wichita State moved to 5-1 all time vs. UTSA, running its win streak to 5 in a row - a season long.
• Wichita State has its first 20-win season in six years.
• Wichita State finishes the regular season with a 7-4 road record.
• The Shockers are 19-14 when playing on March 1.
• Under Mills, Wichita State is 45-11 when leading at the half and 44-5 when leading at the 5:00-minute mark.
• Wichita State has tied or outrebounded 26 of its 30 opponents this season.
• Wichita State grabbed a season-high 55 rebounds. It is the most in game since the Shockers pulled down 67 vs. Savannah State on Nov. 28, 2017.
• Wichita State has had 10 or more offensive rebounds in 24 consecutive games.
• Wichita State shot a season-high 88.2 percent at the free throw line.
• Kenyon Giles reached double figures for the 27th time this season and scored 20+ for the 16th time.
• He scored 21 of his 28 after halftime, marking the second time this season he's scored 20+ in a half.
• Giles has made at least one three-pointer in 29 of the 30 games and multiple 26 of the 30.
• Giles tied career highs in field goal attempts (27) and three-point attempts (15).
• TJ Williams recorded his 10th game with 10 or more points.
• Will Berg picked up his team-leading eighth double-double behind 10 points and 12 rebounds. He's produced a double-double in consecutive games.
• Dillon Battie was a career-best 9-of-11 at the free throw line.
• With his 13 points, he has topped 10+ eight times this season.

KG THE BUCKET
• Kenyon Giles has 16 20-point games this season with nine of those coming in the 14 conference games with 26 at UAB, 27 at Charlotte,  a career-high 33 vs. North Texas, 22 at USF, 27 vs. ECU, 23 vs. Charlotte, 24 vs. South Florida, 31 vs. Tulsa, 24 at ECU, 27 vs. Temple, 22 at Memphis and 28 at UTSA. 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 16 games of 20 points or more are 4th most in a single season in program history with Jason Perez one spot ahead at 17.
• He's only the fourth Shocker since 2000 to have multiple 30-point games in a season.
• 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.

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 (102), 10th in three-pointers per game (3.40), 10th in three-point attempts (268) and 71st in three-point percentage (38.1%).
• At the current pace, Giles is on track to break the single season school record for three-pointers made per game (3.40). His 8.93 three-point attempts per game would also be the most in a single season at Wichita State. He's already set the school record for made three-pointers at 102, and he did it in just his 30th game.
• 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).

CRASHIN THE OFFENSIVE GLASS
• KenPom ranks Wichita State 5th nationally in offensive rebound percentage at 38.6%. The Shockers average 14.9 offensive rebounds a game, which ranks 4th 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.
• Five Shockers have 30 or more offensive rebounds this season. The quintet of Will Berg, Karon Boyd, TJ Williams, Emmanuel Okorafor and Dillon Battie make up 72.3 percent of Wichita State's offensive rebounds.

ON THIS DATE: MARCH 7
• 1959 – Elbert Urban's field goal with 7 seconds left caps a comeback win at Tulsa. Wichita trailed by 12 at halftime but outscored the Hurricane 37-24 in the second half.
• 1985 – Xavier McDaniel sank two free throws with 2 seconds remaining in the first half. It was his 769th and 770th points of the season, breaking Dave Stallworth's 21-year old school record. "X-Man" finished the night with 34 points in a 92-65 win over Indiana State.
• 2014 – Led by 17 points from both Ron Baker and Cleanthony Early, Wichita State improved to 32-0 with an 80-58 MVC quarterfinal victory over Evansville at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

A SHOCKER WIN WOULD...                                                                     
... Make them 21-10 this season and finish 13-5 in American Conference play.
... Make their 13 conference wins the most since 2017-18.
... Be their sixth straight win - a season long.
... Even the series with Florida Atlantic at 3-3, and give the Shockers a split in the season series.
... Make Paul Mills 55-44 as Wichita State head coach.
... Give Mills 161 career coaching victories.
... Run their record to 1,712-1,289 all time.

A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD...                                                                     
... Drop them to 20-11 this season and finish 12-6 in American Conference play.
... Snap a five-game win streak.
... Move them to 2-4 all time vs. Florida Atlantic and give the Owls a regular season sweep in the series.
... Make Paul Mills 54-45 as Wichita State head coach.
... Lower Mills' career record to 160-129.
... Drop their record to 1,711-1,290 all time.

GAME 32: AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP                                                                   
• Wichita State is 8-7 all time in the American Conference Championship.
• Wichita State is seeking a triple bye all the way to the semifinals. The Shockers have never appeared in the title game.
• Wichita State has won at least one game at the American Championship every year, except in 2022 with a first round loss to Tulsa.