Wichita State Shockers: 25-7, 14-4 in the American Athletic Conference
Head coach: Gregg Marshall (11th season)
Players to watch: Landry Shamet (15.0 PPG, 5.1 APG, 45.9 3PT%); Rashard Kelly (5.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG); Shaquille Morris (14.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG)
Season recap: Wichita State began the season ranked No. 7 in the preseason AP poll, and rose as high as No. 3 in the nation early in the season before dropping all the way to No. 22 in the polls by Week 14. The Shockers picked up a few high-profile wins this season, including a win at then-No. 16 Baylor and at home against then-No. 5 Cincinnati, and won seven of eight contests to close conference play.
However, an upset in its conference tournament to No. 21 Houston means Wichita State will enter the NCAA tournament with an at-large bid. The Shockers are one of the most prolific rebounding teams in the nation, led by seniors Rashard Kelly and Shaquille Morris.
Sophomore guard Landry Shamet leads an offense that averages 83.0 points per game, good for a top-20 spot in the nation. The Shockers also shoot 38.5 percent from beyond the arc as a team and rank third in the nation with 18.5 assists per game. Shamet is flanked in the backcourt by senior Conner Frankamp, but Wichita State’s greatest strength lies in its strong frontcourt play.
How they make a run: The Shockers ride their strong forward play and hot shooting from Shamet to make a deep run in the tournament, making a return trip to the Final Four for the first time since 2013.
How they falter: Kelly, Morris and the rest of the frontcourt can’t maintain their success on the boards, the offense falters and fails to share the ball, and Wichita State makes an early exit to conclude a disappointing postseason.
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