GETTING INSIDE

Whether Wichita State’s depth in the frontcourt is a decisive advantage will become clear this weekend. The Shockers play Drake on Friday and Bradley on Sunday, both teams with little depth or experience at center or forward.

Drake should be particularly vulnerable. The Bulldogs start freshman Seth VanDeest at center and have little other height. The Bulldogs rank last in the MVC in rebound margin (minus-6.4) and blocked shots (1.6 a game). The Shockers should score inside and get plenty of offensive rebounds.

Facing Drake means dealing with guard Josh Young, one of the Valley’s top scorers. In last season’s game in Wichita, WSU held him to 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting. Drake shot 30.4 percent from the floor in a 63-47 loss. Young has more scoring help this season. Junior guard Ryan Wedel is a dangerous shooter who isn’t afraid to launch from well behind the 3-point line. Freshman forward Ben Simons averages 10 points a game.

The Shockers re-established Koch Arena as a difficult place for the opposition to win last season. WSU won nine of its final 10 home games, seven of those against MVC teams. The Shockers are 8-0 at home this season.

The Shockers need the comforts of home after Tuesday’s disappointing loss to Illinois State. Facing a good team on the road, they fell apart in the second half and didn’t make a run in the final 10 minutes. WSU lost the rebounding battle for the first time this season.

“We didn’t step up like we’re supposed to,” WSU guard Graham Hatch said. “They got tougher and we didn’t stand up to that.”

Illinois State 72, Wichita State 57:   WSU had no answer for Illinois State’s Osiris Eldridge, who scored 26 points. The Redbirds held WSU to nine second-half baskets and scored 13 points off eight WSU turnovers. The Shockers got no closer than eight points in the final 10 minutes.

NOTES, QUOTES

• Wichita State’s 11-1 start put it behind only the 1953-54 (16-1) and 1982-83 (13-1) teams for best one-loss starts in the program’s 65-season Division I history.

• Free-throw shooting is a significant asset for the Shockers, who twice this season made 21 straight and also own a streak of 16 straight. Wichita State’s season percentage was 77.3 going into conference play. The team record is 74 percent, set during the 2003-04 season.

January At A Glance:   Wichita State opens January with struggling Drake and reeling Bradley at home. Wichita State has a chance to start the conference schedule on a good note. It gets tougher after that.

Quote To Note:   “I asked them to get in the gym. I asked them to lift weights. I asked them to get some shots up and condition at least once, if not twice on the four-day break. Four days is probably one more day than I would like.”—Coach Gregg Marshall, on the team’s days off over the holiday.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Season Recap:   The Shockers had to win games while scoring in the 50s and 60s the past two seasons. Those days are over. Wichita State can outscore opponents when called for. It combined with Texas Tech to score 28 points in the final minute of the Shockers’ 85-83 win. One of the differences is bench play. Reserves Garrett Stutz, Gabe Blair and David Kyles are capable of double figures. Wichita State’s scoring doesn’t suffer when the starters take a break.

Player Rotation:   Usual Starters—PG Clevin Hannah, SG Toure Murry, SF Graham Hatch, PF Aaron Ellis and C J.T. Durley. Key Subs—C Garrett Stutz, F Gabe Blair, G David Kyles.

Game Review:  

Wichita State 80, TCU 68

Wichita State 85, Texas Tech 83

Wichita State 69, North Dakota State 57

Illinois State 72, Wichita State 57

Game Preview:  

vs. Drake, Friday, Jan. 1

Vs. Bradley, Sunday, Jan. 3

At Missouri State, Wednesday, Jan. 6

Vs. Creighton, Saturday, Jan. 9

On The Spot:   The Shockers need more efficient scoring from sophomore guard Toure Murry. He made his first shot against Illinois State. Then he missed his next seven and finished with a season-low three points. He is 5 for 23 from 3-point range in his past seven games. Murry worked hard on his shot in the offseason, and it paid off early in the schedule. In recent games, however, his outside shot has not been falling.

Roster Report:  

• Gabe Blair carried the Shockers’ bench with his effort against Illinois State. He made 6 of 8 shots and scored 12 points, his third double-figure game in the past four. Three other reserves combined to score nine points.

• Junior forward J.T. Durley made two 3-pointers in a game for the first time this season in the loss to Illinois State. Durley is proving to doubters he can make that shot. His 2-for-4 night raised his season total to 9 of 19 (47.4 percent) from 3-point range. He made 2 of 26 as a sophomore.

• Sophomore walk-on Mason Felter earned his academic eligibility for the second semester. Felter, a 6-foot-7 forward, gives WSU depth. He won’t play much, but could give the Shockers a few minutes in an emergency.

• Sophomore G David Kyles was making much better decisions with the ball going into conference play. His bad passes and bad shots were infrequent. In his last three games, Kyles had 13 assists and two turnovers. He had 34 assists and 11 turnovers through Christmas, quite an upgrade from his freshman totals of 16 assists and 23 turnovers.