NCAA Tournament 2017, Dayton vs Wichita State: Highlights, score and recap

Highlights and recap of Friday’s NCAA Tournament clash between Wichita State and Dayton

Wichita State is a top 10 team by KenPom’s adjusted margin, and top 15 in every other computer rating. They pulled the dark horse trick last year when they blew out two higher seeded teams en route to a Sweet 16 appearance.

The Shockers are well-balanced (top 20 adjusting ratings on offense and defense), deep (4th highest percentage of bench minutes in the country), and experienced. They hit their 3s and prevent their opponents from doing well from deep. Same on the boards, and in generating steals. In short, everything about their profile screams “dangerous in March” except for their strength of schedule.

RELATED: Updated 2017 NCAA Tournament Bracket

Archie Miller’s Dayton squad coasted into the NCAA tournament despite losing in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament. They’re quite good on both ends, sporting a top-50 offense and defense in the country. And they’re led by a trio of seniors in Charles Cooke, Kendall Pollard, and Scoochie Smith. Pollard and Smith were freshman when Dayton made its last Sweet 16 run, while Cooke transferred in from JMU after that year. Scoochie and Cooke help lead the charge for a 3-point attack that ranks among the most dangerous in the country, while Pollard helps anchor their rim protection on the other end.

This game was a real rock fight between a pair of locked in defensive squads that looked more than a little tentative on the other end. The final score was 64-58, and both teams shot under 40 percent from the field.  Scoochie Smith was the only player on either side with a hint of assertiveness – he sank 6 of his 10 shots in the first half to lead his Flyers. But while he remained assertive in the second, his shots just didn’t fall as much – Smith finished 9-18, with 25 points and 4 assists.

Three Stars

Defense was the star of this game, and something you have to love to have enjoyed watching it. It was less spectacular blocks than impeccable positioning and strategy. Dayton’s doubles in the post and rotations outside were on point all night, and Wichita State’s athleticism let them come away with five blocks and countless contests near the rim. It wasn’t exactly pretty to watch, but it was hard not to admire the effort and execution both teams put in.

Zach Brown was about the only player on Wichita State that could hit threes. The 6-foot-6 junior buried all three of his attempts, matching the output from deep from the rest of the team. In the end, it was all Wichita State needed – they were that good on defense. But without his shots, they probably wouldn’t have managed the win.

Scoochie Smith is certainly one of the stars of the game. He was absolutely great in the first half, and was the only catalyst for a Dayton offense stalled by a swarming Wichita State defense. But, as mentioned, he struggled a bit in the second half, hitting just three of his eight attempts. He finished the night with an excellent statline, but his team finished with the loss. I’m sure he’d love one in for the other.

Highlights

https://twitter.com/marchmadness/status/842880225880948736

https://twitter.com/marchmadness/status/842896956678537216

Next Game

The Shockers will almost certainly face Kentucky in the 2nd round, in a bizarro redux of their 2014 matchup. A game between two top-10 KenPom teams in the second round would be the story no matter what; with the history attached, it’s an even bigger event. It’ll be an excellent game you absolutely need to tune in for.