Wichita State Shockers
Missouri Valley (34-0, 18-0)
How about that for an encore to a run to the Final Four? Wichita State was going to be good in 2013-2014, but they absolutely dominated the Missouri Valley Conference and ended the regular season at 34-0. In the conference tournament, the Shockers kept cruising along and are heading into the NCAA Tournament with a perfect record, the first to do so since UNLV in 1990-1991.
Big Wins: 11/26 vs BYU (75-62), 12/1 at Saint Louis (70-65), 12/14 Tennessee (70-61)
Bad Losses: None
Coach: Gregg Marshall (7 seasons at Wichita State)
Why They Can Surprise:
There really is a ton of talent for Coach Gregg Marshall to work with. And Coach Marshall always gets the most out of his team. Nobody in the MVC had much luck guarding Cleanthony Early. The 6-8 forward is very comfortable on the perimeter and a matchup nightmare. He leads the Shockers with 15.8 points and 5.9 rebounds. Ron Baker joins Early as the main shooting threats for WSU. Baker is just a sophomore, yet has been extremely consistent from beyond the arc. Fred VanVleet made a name for himself during last year’s NCAA Tournament run and has not slowed down during his sophomore season. Tekele Cotton is yet another double-digit scorer who plays solid defense.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The big question everyone will face when filling out their bracket is whether or not this group is talented enough to live up to their seeding. They are certainly talented enough to get back to the Final Four, yet the schedule keeps creeping back into the picture. Wins over BYU, Saint Louis, Tennessee and Alabama are nice, but can this group beat three or four quality teams in a row?
Probable Starters:
Fred VanVleet, Sophomore, Guard, 12.1 ppg, 5.3 apg
Ron Baker, Sophomore, Guard, 13.1 ppg, 3.1 apg
Tekele Cotton, Junior, Guard, 10.8 ppg, 2.4 apg
Cleanthony Early, Senior, Forward, 15.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg
Chadrack Lufile, Senior, Forward, 5.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Darius Carter, Junior, Forward, 8.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg
Kadeem Coleby, Senior, Center, 2.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg
Evan Wessel, Sophomore, Guard, 1.2 ppg
Nick Wiggins, Senior, Guard, 5.1 ppg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 75.5 (64th in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 59.6 (12, 1)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.9 (85, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 39.2 (14, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.9 (112, 5)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 34.8 (147, 6)
Free-Throw Percentage: 73.0 (61, 1)
Rebound Margin: 7.8 (7, 1)
Assists Per Game: 13.5 (108, 3)
Turnovers Per Game: 10.4 (26, 1)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2013 NCAA Second Round win over Pittsburgh
2013 NCAA Third Round win over Gonzaga
2013 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over LaSalle
2013 NCAA Regional Final win over Ohio State
2013 NCAA National Semifinal loss to Louisville
2012 NCAA Second Round loss to Virginia Commonwealth
2011 NIT First Round win over Nebraska
2011 NIT Second Round win over Virginia Tech
2011 NIT Quarterfinal win over College of Charleston
2011 NIT Semifinal win over Washington State
2011 NIT Final win over Alabama
2010 NIT First Round loss to Nevada
2009 CBI First Round win over Buffalo
2009 CBI Second Round loss to Stanford
2006 NCAA Round of 64 win over Seton Hall
2006 NCAA Round of 32 win over Tennessee
2006 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to George Mason
2005 NIT Opening Round win over Houston
2005 NIT First Round win over Western Kentucky
2005 NIT Second Round loss to Vanderbilt
*all team stats through 3/9
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
