Wichita State?s expectation for showdown in Cincinnati: ?Our manhood will be tested?
The showdown is finally here.
No. 19 Wichita State at No. 5 Cincinnati, the highly-anticipated first meeting since 1981 between the former rivals will tip-off Sunday at 3 p.m.
The challenge for the Shockers: End the nation?s longest home winning streak of 39 games against a team that owns the fifth-best defense college basketball has seen in the last 17 years, according to statistician Ken Pomeroy?s metrics. WSU hasn?t defeated a top 5 team since 1964.
?Our manhood will be tested,? WSU senior Zach Brown said. ?We?re going to find out what we?re really made of and we?re going to see what they?re made of. They?re a tough team and I like playing tough teams.?
The drama only intensified after Thursday?s results, as Cincinnati (23-3, 12-1 American) lost a halftime lead and had its 16-game winning streak snapped at Houston, while Wichita State (20-5, 10-3) rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit to defeat Temple.
Those results mean WSU still controls its destiny for an American Athletic Conference title, as it can win at least a share of it by winning its final five games. Cincinnatihas a two-game lead over WSU and Houston.
A win on Sunday for WSU means the second meeting ? March 4 at Koch Arena ? could decide if WSU wins a share of the title.
?This is the mecca,? WSU senior Shaquille Morris said. ?They?re at the top of our conference and that?s where we?re trying to get. We are definitely built for this, especially on the road.?
Sunday?s game is not short on storylines. The two teams lead the conference in 19 of 21 statistical categories.
Cincinnati is winning by an average of 22 points during its 39-game home winning streak, while WSU has won 46 games and 85 percent of its games on the road the last five seasons ? both marks best in the nation.
Cincinnati is the third-best team in the country at grabbing offensive rebounds, while WSU is the fifth-best team in the country at preventing offensive rebounds. WSU leads the American shooting 38.5 percent on three-pointers in conference play, while Cincinnati leads the American in three-point defense as opponents are shooting 25.9 percent.
Can a WSU offense that is scoring at 1.15 points per possession, the seventh-most efficient in the nation, produce against a Cincinnati defense that tops the nation allowing 0.81 points per possession?
?It?s going to come down to who hits first and how you respond after that,? Morris said. ?We?re going to have to go up there and play angry.?
The Bearcats are physical and unrelenting on defense and bring pressure in waves.
Gary Clark, a 6-foot-8 power forward who averages 12.8 points and 8.7 rebounds, is Cincinnati?s motor, while 6-6 guard Jacob Evans (13.6 points, 3.3 assists) is the team?s leading scorer and top NBA prospect. The Bearcats returned four starters from last season?s 30-win team. Jarron Cumberland is a 6-5 guard who averages 10.9 points and 6-9 Kyle Washington (11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds) adds even more size.
?They?ve got grown men who get in a stance and give you no easy shots for 40 minutes,? WSU coach Gregg Marshall said on his radio show earlier this week. ?You?ve really got to be able to execute beautifully just to get a shot and you have to try to score in transition if that?s possible. Their defense is just off the chain.?
While Cincinnati?s offense is improved, it remains flawed.
The Bearcats are not a particularly good shooting team. According to Synergy Sports Technology, they rank in the 34th percentile nationally on spot-up shots and are shooting 35 percent on those opportunities.
Cincinnati relies heavily on generating second chances through offensive rebounds and scoring in transition after its defense forces a turnover.
If WSU can limit turnovers and keep Cincinnati from rebounding its own misses, then it should have a chance to register WSU?s fourth win all-time over a top-5 team.
?We?re going to get after it because we know they play similar to us,? WSU senior Darral Willis said. ?It?s going to be a battle, but we have no quit in us. Everybody on this team wants to win.?
The showdown is finally here.
No. 19 Wichita State at No. 5 Cincinnati, the highly-anticipated first meeting since 1981 between the former rivals will tip-off Sunday at 3 p.m.
The challenge for the Shockers: End the nation?s longest home winning streak of 39 games against a team that owns the fifth-best defense college basketball has seen in the last 17 years, according to statistician Ken Pomeroy?s metrics. WSU hasn?t defeated a top 5 team since 1964.
?Our manhood will be tested,? WSU senior Zach Brown said. ?We?re going to find out what we?re really made of and we?re going to see what they?re made of. They?re a tough team and I like playing tough teams.?
The drama only intensified after Thursday?s results, as Cincinnati (23-3, 12-1 American) lost a halftime lead and had its 16-game winning streak snapped at Houston, while Wichita State (20-5, 10-3) rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit to defeat Temple.
Those results mean WSU still controls its destiny for an American Athletic Conference title, as it can win at least a share of it by winning its final five games. Cincinnatihas a two-game lead over WSU and Houston.
A win on Sunday for WSU means the second meeting ? March 4 at Koch Arena ? could decide if WSU wins a share of the title.
?This is the mecca,? WSU senior Shaquille Morris said. ?They?re at the top of our conference and that?s where we?re trying to get. We are definitely built for this, especially on the road.?
Sunday?s game is not short on storylines. The two teams lead the conference in 19 of 21 statistical categories.
Cincinnati is winning by an average of 22 points during its 39-game home winning streak, while WSU has won 46 games and 85 percent of its games on the road the last five seasons ? both marks best in the nation.
Cincinnati is the third-best team in the country at grabbing offensive rebounds, while WSU is the fifth-best team in the country at preventing offensive rebounds. WSU leads the American shooting 38.5 percent on three-pointers in conference play, while Cincinnati leads the American in three-point defense as opponents are shooting 25.9 percent.
Can a WSU offense that is scoring at 1.15 points per possession, the seventh-most efficient in the nation, produce against a Cincinnati defense that tops the nation allowing 0.81 points per possession?
?It?s going to come down to who hits first and how you respond after that,? Morris said. ?We?re going to have to go up there and play angry.?
The Bearcats are physical and unrelenting on defense and bring pressure in waves.
Gary Clark, a 6-foot-8 power forward who averages 12.8 points and 8.7 rebounds, is Cincinnati?s motor, while 6-6 guard Jacob Evans (13.6 points, 3.3 assists) is the team?s leading scorer and top NBA prospect. The Bearcats returned four starters from last season?s 30-win team. Jarron Cumberland is a 6-5 guard who averages 10.9 points and 6-9 Kyle Washington (11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds) adds even more size.
?They?ve got grown men who get in a stance and give you no easy shots for 40 minutes,? WSU coach Gregg Marshall said on his radio show earlier this week. ?You?ve really got to be able to execute beautifully just to get a shot and you have to try to score in transition if that?s possible. Their defense is just off the chain.?
While Cincinnati?s offense is improved, it remains flawed.
The Bearcats are not a particularly good shooting team. According to Synergy Sports Technology, they rank in the 34th percentile nationally on spot-up shots and are shooting 35 percent on those opportunities.
Cincinnati relies heavily on generating second chances through offensive rebounds and scoring in transition after its defense forces a turnover.
If WSU can limit turnovers and keep Cincinnati from rebounding its own misses, then it should have a chance to register WSU?s fourth win all-time over a top-5 team.
?We?re going to get after it because we know they play similar to us,? WSU senior Darral Willis said. ?It?s going to be a battle, but we have no quit in us. Everybody on this team wants to win.?
