WICHITA -- The Wichita State Shockers welcome the Missouri Tigers to Charles Koch Arena on Sunday afternoon for the first meeting between the programs since 1951.
The game is set to tip at 1:05 p.m. Sunday from Charles Koch Arena. It is scheduled to be telecast on ESPN2 (Stream).
WHAT’S NEW
●The Wichita State Shockers welcome the Missouri Tigers to Charles Koch Arena on Sunday afternoon for the first meeting between the programs since 1951.
●The Shockers opened their season (finally) with an 85-80 win over visiting Oral Roberts on Wednesday. Sophomore guard Tyson Etienne scored 21 of his career-high 26 points after halftime to help WSU overcome a nine-point deficit near the 11:00-mark of the second half. UConn graduate transfer Alterique Gilbert added 18 in his Shocker debut. It was interim head coach Isaac Brown’s first career victory.
●The two teams have combined to play just three games yet already have a common opponent. Mizzou opened at home against ORU on Nov. 25, winning 91-64.
●The Tigers (2-0) are fresh off an upset of No. 21 Oregon, 83-75, Wednesday night on a neutral floor in Omaha, Neb.
●WSU will try for 2-0 for the fourth time in five seasons. Brown will look to become only the sixth coach in WSU’s modern era to begin his tenure with back-to-back victories.
●Notably, Gary Thompson owns the the best start ever by a new Shocker boss (4-0 in 1964-65). That streak pushed the Shockers to No. 1 in the national polls. Three months later they played in the Final Four. Eddie Fogler (who won the MVC tournament in 1986-87) is the only other Shocker coach to reach the postseason in his first year on the job.
●Gilbert was one of three newcomers who made their debut on Wednesday, however five other scholarship players are still awaiting their first action.
●WSU suited up just eight players against ORU. It was the first time since Feb. 25, 2015 that a Shocker box score has included fewer than nine names.
●WSU has won 16-straight and 58 of its last 59 non-conference games at the Roundhouse, dating back to 2011.
●Over the Shockers’ final 14 games last year, Morris Udeze went a combined 7-of-9 from the field. Contrast that with Wednesday’s opener, which saw Udeze take a career-high 10 shots. One of those was his first career three-point attempt. The junior finished with 10 points, six rebounds and three blocks while playing 27 minutes (another personal-best).
●It’s early. Like, SUPER early. But the Shockers entered the weekend ranked second nationally in fewest turnovers (7.0-per-game). Butler -- the defacto national leader -- committed just six in its only game this year.
●Likewise, as of Friday, Etienne ranked among the nation’s top-10 in scoring (26.0) and three-pointers-per-game (4.00). Udeze was tied for 11th in blocks-per-game (3.00).
●During the preseason, WSU coaches predicted that forward Clarence Jackson would become a fan favorite. It took just one game for the sophomore transfer from Polk College to fulfill that prophecy. In his Shocker debut against ORU, Jackson finished with nine points and a team-high eight boards in 18 minutes. Jackson’s first collegiate basket came midway through the first half when he stole a pass near midcourt and converted a tough transition layup in traffic. His biggest basket of the night -- a corner three -- broke a 78-all tie with just 2:50 to play.
●Wednesday night, Trey and Trevin Wade became the fourth brother duo to play for the Shockers and the first since twins Dwight and Dwayne Praylow (1985-89). Both Wades were on the floor when WSU made its second-half run against ORU. The brothers played a total of 6.5 minutes together, during which the Shockers outscored the Golden Eagles 15-10. The duo combined for four assists but, alas, none were of the Wade-to-Wade variety.
THE SERIES WITH MIZZOU
●The teams meet for the first time since 1951, tipping off a home-and-home series that will continue next season in Columbia, Mo.
●Mizzou leads 3-0 with all three games coming on their home floor between 1950 and 1951. For perspective, Shocker All-American and all-time scoring leader Cleo Littleton was still a senior at Wichita East High School when the programs last played, and Ralph Miller had yet to coach a game at the collegiate level.
●The Tigers have never played WSU in Wichita, but this won’t be their first appearance at the Roundhouse. Mizzou battled Utah here in the first round of the 1978 NCAA tournament, falling 86-79 in double-overtime.
“POWER” OUTAGE
●WSU has won four-straight against SEC foes in Wichita.
●Downtown INTRUST Bank Arena has helped WSU secure a number of high-profile matchups, but “Power 5” visits to the Roundhouse are rare.
●Visits from Mizzou and Oklahoma State will be just the seventh and eighth in the 17 seasons since Charles Koch Arena’s renovation. The Shockers are 5-2 with four-straight victories.
“Power 5” Schools at Charles Koch Arena (Dec. 2003 to Present)
3/19/2004 – Florida State (ACC) – L, 65-76 (2ot) – NIT 1st Round
12/19/2007 – LSU (SEC) – W, 67-47
3/23/2009 -- Stanford (Pac-10) -- L, 56-70 -- CBI Quarterfinals
12/19/2009 -- #16 Texas Tech (Big 12) -- W, 85-83
3/16/2011 -- Nebraska (Big 12) -- W, 76-49 -- NIT 1st Round
12/1/2018 -- Baylor (Big 12) -- W, 71-63
1/4/2020 -- Ole Miss (SEC) -- W, 74-54
12/6/2020 -- Missouri (SEC)
12/2/2020 -- Oklahoma St. (Big 12)
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
●Experienced teams have the upper-hand in 2020-21 and Missouri has it in spades. The Tigers return four starters and their top-seven scorers from a team that finished 15-16 (7-11 SEC) last season.
●Mizzou’s rotation will likely include one graduate transfer, four seniors and four juniors.
●The Tigers were picked 10th out of 14 teams in the SEC’s preseason media poll.
●6-3 senior Dru Smith (12.7 ppg in 2019-20) is a preseason second team All-SEC pick. A year ago, he led the team in scoring, assists, steals (64) and free throw makes (121).
●The Tigers ranked 11th nationally in free throw percentage last year (.780) but shot less than 30% from three-point range (326th in Division I).
●Mizzou upset No. 21 Oregon on Wednesday night in Omaha, Neb. behind 22 points from Xavier Pinson and 15 from Mark Smith.
●Mizzou downed Oral Roberts on Nov. 25, 91-64. Mark Smith (18) and Pinson (17) against led the scoring. Dru Smith added 16 points, six assists and four steals.
MATCHUP MASHUP
●Mizzou is coached by a familiar foe. Tiger coach Cuonzo Martin went head-to-head with the Shockers eight times while leading the Missouri State program (2008-11) and twice during his time at Tennessee (2011-14).
●WSU is 6-4 against Martin (2-1 at CKA, 1-0 at downtown INTRUST Bank Arena).
●Dru Smith is another MVC throwback. Smith played his first two years at Evansville and was a member of the Valley’s all-freshman team in 2016-17, alongside WSU’s Landry Shamet. In his only other appearance at the Roundhouse (Feb. 21, 2017), Smith scored 19 points on 5-of-7 three-point shooting, but the Shockers rolled to a 109-83 victory.
●Mizzou redshirt sophomore Parker Braun won a Kansas Class 6A state title as a senior at Blue Valley Northwest High. The 2018 state tournament was played at Charles Koch Arena.. Missouri is the only new opponent on WSU’s 2020-21 schedule. The Shockers played -- and defeated -- ORU, Oklahoma State and Ole Miss in 2019-20. Their other 20 games will be against conference foes.
A SHOCKER WIN WOULD...
... make them 2-0 for the fourth time in five years.
... extend their home winning streak to six games.
... be their 17th straight non-conference win at CKA (sixth-longest in arena history) and their 58th in 59 tries going back to 2011.
... be their fifth-straight against an SEC in Wichita and make them 6-2 with five straight wins against “Power 5” opponents at CKA since its 2003 renovation.
... give them a three-game winning streak overall.
... make them 1-3 all-time vs. Mizzou.
... make them 7-4 vs. Cuonzo Martin.
A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD...
... drop them to 1-1.
... snap a 16-game non-conference home win streak.
... mark only the second time since 2011 that they’ve lost to a non-conference foe at CKA.
... make them 0-4 all-time vs. Mizzou (0-1 in Wichita).
... make them 6-5 all-time vs. Cuonzo Martin.
... be less good than a win.
UP NEXT
Oklahoma State (3-0) comes to Wichita for a Dec. 12, 2 p.m. CT tip on ESPN+.
--goshockers.com--