On Jan. 14, Wichita State?s men?s basketball team was headed nowhere.
The Shockers were 0-6 in the Missouri Valley Conference, had just come off a 68-55 pasting at Missouri State, and were two games behind Indiana State, who had already pointed itself on a path to bottom four status in the Missouri Valley Conference.
That was the Shockers? turn-on-a-dime moment ? a moment the Sycamores have yet to experience.
Since then, Wichita State has won four out of five games, including wins over Creighton, Illinois State and Drake. The Shockers (10-12) are now 4-7 in the Valley, with a puncher?s chance of escaping the Thursday play-in round of the MVC Tournament.
?The turning point was going to Missouri State and getting manhandled. They whipped us, it was men against boys,? said Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall during Tuesday?s MVC teleconference. ?We didn?t get any favors schedule-wise being a young team either. We played four of six on the road against some good teams.?
A player who?s helped Wichita State is guard Toure` Murry. He?s led Wichita State in scoring in all four of its wins and has averaged 14.8 points in the Shockers? last five games.
ISU, losers of six in a row, is still waiting for its turning point. The Sycamores (4-18, 2-9) have not lost by more than 12 points since a 69-50 loss at Drake on Jan. 7, but nor has ISU been able to muster a defensive stop or a bucket that could have turned one of its losses into a victory.
?We?re missing a timely defensive stop and rebound or a timely made shot or free throw. Everytime we need something good to happen, we just can?t make a play.
?We just haven?t been able to run a set, get a good shot, and make it. Somebody misses a free throw, we can?t get a rebound. We give up an easy layup on occasion. It?s little things, not one thing in particular over this last stretch,? McKenna said.
ISU seemingly has one advantage going into the game as Wichita State is 0-7 on the road. However, ISU has not handled Hulman Center prosperity well, losing six games it has led at home, three of the losses coming after ISU had a double-digit advantage.
Part of what?s troubled McKenna this season is the relative lack of demonstrative passion shown by the team.
Transfer Dwayne Lathan, who cannot play this season after transferring from Louisiana Tech as per NCAA rules, showed some in Tuesday?s practice, vocally inspiring the White scout team to continual defensive stops and forced turnovers against the Blue Team consisting primarily of ISU?s starters.
?Verbal enthusiasm and enthusiasm period lifts you to higher heights. We have a lot of quiet guys on this team that really don?t know how to come out of their shell,? McKenna said. ?I?ve always told players that if you open your mouth and you verbalize something and you have some conviction, you?re going to put pressure on yourself to do the right thing all the time. You look stupid if you don?t. We have to get more guys talking and more guys believing in the communication factor and the enthusiasm factor.?
? Around the MVC ? Southern Illinois point guard Bryan Mullins has been lost indefinitely due to a stress fracture in his right foot. Mullins began to feel the effects in mid-January and was sidelined for good on Monday. There is no timetable for his return, but SIU coach Chris Lowery did not rule out that he could play by March?s Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. ? Creighton guard P?Allen Stinnett is playing through a torn meniscus in his right knee. ?
The Shockers were 0-6 in the Missouri Valley Conference, had just come off a 68-55 pasting at Missouri State, and were two games behind Indiana State, who had already pointed itself on a path to bottom four status in the Missouri Valley Conference.
That was the Shockers? turn-on-a-dime moment ? a moment the Sycamores have yet to experience.
Since then, Wichita State has won four out of five games, including wins over Creighton, Illinois State and Drake. The Shockers (10-12) are now 4-7 in the Valley, with a puncher?s chance of escaping the Thursday play-in round of the MVC Tournament.
?The turning point was going to Missouri State and getting manhandled. They whipped us, it was men against boys,? said Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall during Tuesday?s MVC teleconference. ?We didn?t get any favors schedule-wise being a young team either. We played four of six on the road against some good teams.?
A player who?s helped Wichita State is guard Toure` Murry. He?s led Wichita State in scoring in all four of its wins and has averaged 14.8 points in the Shockers? last five games.
ISU, losers of six in a row, is still waiting for its turning point. The Sycamores (4-18, 2-9) have not lost by more than 12 points since a 69-50 loss at Drake on Jan. 7, but nor has ISU been able to muster a defensive stop or a bucket that could have turned one of its losses into a victory.
?We?re missing a timely defensive stop and rebound or a timely made shot or free throw. Everytime we need something good to happen, we just can?t make a play.
?We just haven?t been able to run a set, get a good shot, and make it. Somebody misses a free throw, we can?t get a rebound. We give up an easy layup on occasion. It?s little things, not one thing in particular over this last stretch,? McKenna said.
ISU seemingly has one advantage going into the game as Wichita State is 0-7 on the road. However, ISU has not handled Hulman Center prosperity well, losing six games it has led at home, three of the losses coming after ISU had a double-digit advantage.
Part of what?s troubled McKenna this season is the relative lack of demonstrative passion shown by the team.
Transfer Dwayne Lathan, who cannot play this season after transferring from Louisiana Tech as per NCAA rules, showed some in Tuesday?s practice, vocally inspiring the White scout team to continual defensive stops and forced turnovers against the Blue Team consisting primarily of ISU?s starters.
?Verbal enthusiasm and enthusiasm period lifts you to higher heights. We have a lot of quiet guys on this team that really don?t know how to come out of their shell,? McKenna said. ?I?ve always told players that if you open your mouth and you verbalize something and you have some conviction, you?re going to put pressure on yourself to do the right thing all the time. You look stupid if you don?t. We have to get more guys talking and more guys believing in the communication factor and the enthusiasm factor.?
? Around the MVC ? Southern Illinois point guard Bryan Mullins has been lost indefinitely due to a stress fracture in his right foot. Mullins began to feel the effects in mid-January and was sidelined for good on Monday. There is no timetable for his return, but SIU coach Chris Lowery did not rule out that he could play by March?s Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. ? Creighton guard P?Allen Stinnett is playing through a torn meniscus in his right knee. ?
