College basketball week 16: 5 important things to know
By Chris Stone
2. Wichita State kicks off its budding rivalry against Cincinnati with a win
When the Shockers announced they were joining the American Athletic Conference, college basketball hoop heads immediately turned their attention to the two regular season meetings with the Bearcats.
The first one didn’t disappoint.
Sunday evening’s contest — a 76-72 win for Wichita State on the road — felt like the latest in a long line of rivalry games, except it was the first meeting between the two schools since 1981. Players from both teams were chasing loose balls, a Cincinnati fan chucked a glow stick on the floor when an early call didn’t go the Bearcats’ way and later, the entire arena booed loudly after Shaquille Morris stayed down following an elbow from his teammate. The crowd didn’t seem to think he was hurt enough.
Wichita State’s win was the team’s first on the road against a top five opponent since 1964 and snapped the nation’s longest home winning streak at 39 games, but more importantly it thrust the Shockers back into the national conversation after a disappointing run so far.
Perhaps, then, it’s time to change the tone of conversation surrounding Gregg Marshall’s squad. For much of the season, the media and college basketball fans have focused on Wichita State’s lagging defense, a product of expectations established by Marshall’s prior rosters. But the 2017-18 Shockers aren’t the Shockers of old.
Instead, this team dominates games offensively with a free-flowing scheme and big men who can space the floor. Wichita State ranks in the top 10 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom, and on Sunday, they hung 1.15 points per possession on the nation’s second best defense in a road game.
Now, the Shockers control their own destiny in the American. If they win out, they’ll clinch a share of the regular season conference title. Another date with the Bearcats, though, still stands in the way.