2014 NCAA tournament preview: Wichita State

Wichita State Shockers

Record: 34-0

Head coach: Greg Marshall (7th season)

Season summary: After reaching the Final Four one year ago, the Shockers exceeded expectations this season, earning the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region with a perfect 34-0 record, defeating five NCAA tournament teams in the process. Even though the offense is led by Cleanthony Early and Ron Baker, both of whom are averaging more than 13 points per game, Wichita State is winning games on the defensive end by holding opponents to 59.6 points per contest. Even though questions remain as to whether the Shockers played a strong enough schedule, they do hold wins against St. Louis and Tennessee. Mountain Valley Conference Player of the Year Fred VanVleet is the team’s do-it-all player, scoring 12.1 points per game, dishing out 5.3 assists and grabbing 3.9 boards per game. Although Wichita State has plenty of tournament experience, there is added pressure with a perfect record on the line.

How they make a run: Witchita State continues to play lockdown defense against its opponents, leading to a healthy offense that propels the team to the Final Four.

How they falter: The Shockers should have little trouble getting past the Round of 64, but they could crumble under their
own perfection against power-conference foes like Kentucky and Louisville.

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