Stiffest Test for Wichita State

(St. Louis, MO) – If there is a gauntlet to run through for Missouri Valley Conference favorite Wichita State, this is that trek. They played (and defeated) old nemesis Northern Iowa on the road on Sunday and then play the league’s two best non-Kansas based teams (by record) this week.

Wednesday, the Shockers host Loyola (12-5, 2-2) and a short turn around finds them at Illinois State Saturday (12-4, 4-0) in a possible game for the early lead in the conference race.

The Shockers (14-3, 4-0) aren’t nervous, but this could be their stiffest test of the entire Valley season. Loyola is the second leading scoring team and Illinois State is the conference’s second best defensive team. Gregg Marshall’s team is first in both categories.

Three games in seven days, with two of them being on the road against quality opponents could play a factor in this week’s games, but as Loyola head coach Porter Moser says, the Shockers are an impressive and deep team.

 

 

What about the numbers behind the numbers? We went searching. RPI rankings, Ken Pomeroy’s ratings and Mid Major polls were consulted, and while not every metric pointed towards Wichita, we would be surprised if the Shockers don’t pass this test.

RPI       KenPom.com    CI Top 25

• Wichita State                               92                 23                     2
• Illinois State                                 46                 51                    12
• Loyola                                        157                108                   30

 

Does anyone match up well with the Shockers?

Northern Iowa head coach Ben Jacobson says the Shocker depth is a daunting challenge.

 

 

Illinois State’s rotation isn’t near as deep as Wichita State’s, but the long, athletic and talented Redbirds may be the team that best approximates the Shocker abilities. Defending 6’7 MiKyle McIntosh and 6’8 Deontae Hawkins (14.8 ppg) is a nightmare for most teams. McIntosh (14.7 ppg) scored 52 points in last week’s two Redbird games.

Southern Illinois head coach Barry Hinson says McIntosh at times, is unstoppable.

 

 

Loyola may not present the same size and athleticism challenge, but Milton Doyle (reigning MVC Player of the Week) and Donte Ingram are having, perhaps their best seasons, and newcomers Clayton Custer and Aundre Jackson have given the Ramblers a depth of talent that Gentile Arena hasn’t seen in quite some time.

If there is a distinctly challenging week for the Shockers this season, it is this one. Stay tuned, the Valley race will be shaped significantly by these two games.

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