SIU's men's basketball team has dropped two straight and is in search of a go-to player. Wichita State has a number of them this season, and hopes to stay a game back of Illinois State in the Missouri Valley Conference race Tuesday night when the two meet at Koch Arena.
The Salukis (11-10, 4-4 MVC) fell into a three-way tie for fourth place in the league after Saturday night's 58-57 loss to Northern Iowa. SIU led the Panthers by 12 points with just over eight minutes to go, but finished the game with one field goal.
The Salukis lost in overtime at Drake after leading by five points with less than 19 seconds to go in regulation earlier in the week, and wonder if they'll be able to get into that kind of situation against the Shockers (17-4, 7-1).
SIU has struggled against big, long defenders, a la Louisville, Minnesota and UNLV, and can't match Wichita State's depth. The Shockers start the league's player of the week this week, 6-8, 265-pound center Shaquille Morris, and brought 2016 MVC freshman of the year Markis McDuffie off the bench in the win over Indiana State.
"I've never seen a stat sheet that has 16 guys on a stat sheet, and including conference play. Their depth is going to bother everybody, not just us, so, certainly, that's a challenge for us," SIU coach Barry Hinson said. "It's not a depth issue as long as we stay out of foul trouble."
Wichita State has started nine different players, and 11 have played 17 or more of its 21 this season.
SIU has two potential all-conference picks at forward in Sean O'Brien and Thik Bol, but got next to nothing from backup posts Jonathan Wiley, Rudy Stradnieks and Austin Weiher against Northern Iowa. O'Brien is the Valley's second-leading rebounder (eight per game) and SIU's third-leading scorer at 11.3 points per game. Bol, one of the nation's top shotblockers, is also the league's third-leading rebounder at 7.4 per game. Bol averages 8.9 points per game and has scored 10 or more in Valley play only three times thus far.
Wiley missed his only shot and grabbed three rebounds in eight minutes off the bench Saturday. Stradnieks hit a 3-pointer but had no rebounds in 12 minutes, and Weiher didn't play for the fourth time this season.
The Salukis' easiest points during Valley play have come in transition, where guards Mike Rodriguez, Armon Fletcher and Sean Lloyd could make an impact. Led by Fletcher's game-high 16 points, the three combined for 31 of SIU's 57 points Saturday.
"They're a very athletic team that seem to be turning people over quite a bit and rebounding well," Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall said. "Barry will have a few tricks up his sleeve, so, we'll have to be ready to play at home and combat that athleticism and rebounding excellence."
The Shockers are 11-0 at home this season for a number of reasons. Three players average double figures, forwards McDuffie (12.3 points per game), Darral Willis, Jr. (11.7) and guard Landry Shamet (10.5). Six different Shockers have made 20 or more 3s this season for the top-scoring team in the Valley, including two freshmen guards. Shamet's 38 triples lead Wichita State, and 6-5 Austin Reaves' 54.3 percent shooting (25 of 46) leads the Valley.
The Salukis (11-10, 4-4 MVC) fell into a three-way tie for fourth place in the league after Saturday night's 58-57 loss to Northern Iowa. SIU led the Panthers by 12 points with just over eight minutes to go, but finished the game with one field goal.
The Salukis lost in overtime at Drake after leading by five points with less than 19 seconds to go in regulation earlier in the week, and wonder if they'll be able to get into that kind of situation against the Shockers (17-4, 7-1).
SIU has struggled against big, long defenders, a la Louisville, Minnesota and UNLV, and can't match Wichita State's depth. The Shockers start the league's player of the week this week, 6-8, 265-pound center Shaquille Morris, and brought 2016 MVC freshman of the year Markis McDuffie off the bench in the win over Indiana State.
"I've never seen a stat sheet that has 16 guys on a stat sheet, and including conference play. Their depth is going to bother everybody, not just us, so, certainly, that's a challenge for us," SIU coach Barry Hinson said. "It's not a depth issue as long as we stay out of foul trouble."
Wichita State has started nine different players, and 11 have played 17 or more of its 21 this season.
SIU has two potential all-conference picks at forward in Sean O'Brien and Thik Bol, but got next to nothing from backup posts Jonathan Wiley, Rudy Stradnieks and Austin Weiher against Northern Iowa. O'Brien is the Valley's second-leading rebounder (eight per game) and SIU's third-leading scorer at 11.3 points per game. Bol, one of the nation's top shotblockers, is also the league's third-leading rebounder at 7.4 per game. Bol averages 8.9 points per game and has scored 10 or more in Valley play only three times thus far.
Wiley missed his only shot and grabbed three rebounds in eight minutes off the bench Saturday. Stradnieks hit a 3-pointer but had no rebounds in 12 minutes, and Weiher didn't play for the fourth time this season.
The Salukis' easiest points during Valley play have come in transition, where guards Mike Rodriguez, Armon Fletcher and Sean Lloyd could make an impact. Led by Fletcher's game-high 16 points, the three combined for 31 of SIU's 57 points Saturday.
"They're a very athletic team that seem to be turning people over quite a bit and rebounding well," Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall said. "Barry will have a few tricks up his sleeve, so, we'll have to be ready to play at home and combat that athleticism and rebounding excellence."
The Shockers are 11-0 at home this season for a number of reasons. Three players average double figures, forwards McDuffie (12.3 points per game), Darral Willis, Jr. (11.7) and guard Landry Shamet (10.5). Six different Shockers have made 20 or more 3s this season for the top-scoring team in the Valley, including two freshmen guards. Shamet's 38 triples lead Wichita State, and 6-5 Austin Reaves' 54.3 percent shooting (25 of 46) leads the Valley.
