WSU Versus Baylor Predictions and Pregame Discussions

[ShockingButTrue]

I just haven't seen enough from the Shocks to think they can win in Waco.

Now, if it was a neutral site in March (or even Saturday) I'd feel pretty confident. I hope they prove me wrong against a good defense.

[FadedCrown]

https://www.ourdailybears.com/2017/1...and-prediction

Shamet will be a unique problem. The Big 12 is filled with awesome point guards. None are like Shamet. He’s a 6-foot-5 guy who moves so effortlessly. He was the best player in an NCAA Tournament game that featured Kentucky’s De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk. With an unbelievably quick release, he made 44% of his 160 3-point attempts last season. And he’s a monster getting to the rim and shoots nearly 71% at the hoop

He has us 68-60.

[wichshock65]

https://www.ourdailybears.com/2017/1...and-prediction

Shamet will be a unique problem. The Big 12 is filled with awesome point guards. None are like Shamet. He’s a 6-foot-5 guy who moves so effortlessly. He was the best player in an NCAA Tournament game that featured Kentucky’s De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk. With an unbelievably quick release, he made 44% of his 160 3-point attempts last season. And he’s a monster getting to the rim and shoots nearly 71% at the hoop:

Guess they don't know about his ankle.

He has us 68-60.

Considering this is the first paragraph of from the article, I'm guessing he does know about the ankle issue.

"Both teams are dealing with injuries. Baylor is down to just seven scholarship players after Terry Maston broke his right hand. Wichita State is for sure without Markis McDuffie, the Shockers second best player. Landry Shamet has a sprained ankle, but I expect he’ll play. Zach Brown has a bruised knee and his status for Saturday is up in the air."

[FadedCrown]

Considering this is the first paragraph of from the article, I'm guessing he does know about the ankle issue.

"Both teams are dealing with injuries. Baylor is down to just seven scholarship players after Terry Maston broke his right hand. Wichita State is for sure without Markis McDuffie, the Shockers second best player. Landry Shamet has a sprained ankle, but I expect he’ll play. Zach Brown has a bruised knee and his status for Saturday is up in the air."

You know I might have skipped that paragraph, sorry.

[im4wsu]

KenPom has WSU 69-68 at 52% chance of winning and 65 possessions.

RealTime has Baylor 77-68

Sagarin Rating is WSU by 0.34 and Predictor shows WSU by 0.52.

[atlwsu]

Massey has Baylor by 2

[LoneStar48]

Notre Dame, this game at Baylor, and at Cincinnati are games I figured the Shockers would have a hard time with, and I thought all would be losses. I was super surprised at most of the ND game, so I feel like the team effort for 32 minutes from Hawaii might carry over to the Baylor game. If so, it ought to be smooth sailing in Waco. And by that I mean a strong start with the brains and balls to close out a big game against a quality opponent. If they have a let down from playing so well Tuesday, I look for Baylor to win.

[forevershockerfan]

Here are some stats I just found of interest as we head to Waco Saturday. We are looking good on team assists (tied for 12th in Nation) with 118 versus 57 for our foes but our turnovers are 79 for us and 70 for our opponents thus far. Taking care of the rock must improve moving forward with some tough competition coming our way. Conner has 20 assists and only 4 turnovers, SHJ has 18 assists and only 4 turnovers to lead us.

Our rebounding is looking good with 284-175 surpass over competition led by R. Kelly with 54 and Willis with 42. Our RBPG at 47.3 ranks us 2nd in the Nation only behind UNLV.

Our FT is good at .785. However, we have only shot 121 and our foes 119. Check this out. LS is a whopping 15-16 which is .938. I'm impressed with the focus and concentration shown on each and every throw by LS in this routine. CF is 2-2, so we need him to draw more fouls for sure because he can also make his fair share.

Here is a team stat that must and will improve. The Shocks as a team have 28 steals versus 41. CF lead us with 7 steals.. Looking back to the FVV, Baker, and Cotton days, those 3 would steal our opponents blind and did so without excessive fouling. While our team D. will continue to fine-tune moving forward, there is more to our stingy defense than just stealing the rock, but look for this stat to improve and it needs to.

These stats were compiled from both Go Shocker and ESPN sites. Since Baylor may be depending on mostly 7 players, I'm hoping our very impressive bench will wear them down as we find ways to win this game we really need versus a solid top 25 team. Working the ball into the eye of their Zone and their other various Defensive schemes could draw enough fouls to execute the ole "cut-em thin we are bound to win" theology. Next, a swarming school of Shocker pariah defense for as close to 40 minutes as possible would be great to see and have a great Shocker ROI. Even then, look for a tough game that will prolly be somewhat close from start to finish. In the meanwhile, we hope for good reports on our injuries to get our players on the court for such big games as this.

[atlwsu]

With only 7 in the rotation, which position has the weakest depth.

[im4wsu]

With only 7 in the rotation, which position has the weakest depth.

Matson is injured

Jo Acuil	179	F
T.J. Maston	153	F
Nuni Omot	151	F
Tristan Clark	116	F
Mark Vital	111	F
Jonathan Davis	8	F
Manu Lecomte	198	G
King McClure	158	G
Jake Lindsey	126	G

[Aargh]

Matson is injured

Jo Acuil	179	F
T.J. Maston	153	F
Nuni Omot	151	F
Tristan Clark	116	F
Mark Vital	111	F
Jonathan Davis	8	F
Manu Lecomte	198	G
King McClure	158	G
Jake Lindsey	126	G

Is that the minutes they've played this year?

At first I thought the question may have been "where are they the thinnest" and that might have been their weights, but that did't make any sense when I got to Davis.

[Dan]

Here are some stats I just found of interest as we head to Waco Saturday. We are looking good on team assists (tied for 12th in Nation) with 118 versus 57 for our foes but our turnovers are 79 for us and 70 for our opponents thus far. Taking care of the rock must improve moving forward with some tough competition coming our way. Conner has 20 assists and only 4 turnovers, SHJ has 18 assists and only 4 turnovers to lead us.

Turnovers must be controlled. Through 6 games, the 3 guys with the highest turnover ratio are DW (.0866 turnovers per min), Zach Brown (0.0744) and Reaves (.0714). Everyone else is under .07 with Conner way under the average at .027, most guys are in the .065 range. DW has the feet shuffle issue, Brown has the tendency to throw lazy passes and Reaves gets his pocket picked when he dribbles in traffic. Get these things under control and we would be much better.

[WuShock Reaper]

"Baylor vs. Wichita State: College basketball game preview, TV schedule" - FanSided

by Tristan Freeman
Posted: 12/01/17, 4:30pm cst

https://bustingbrackets.com/2017/12/...w-tv-schedule/

"In a battle of top 25 programs, No. 8 Wichita State faces off against No. 16 Baylor. Who gets another big win for their resume for March Madness?

TV schedule: Saturday, Dec. 2:00 p.m. ET. ESPNU - Arena: Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas

Gregg Marshall and the Wichita State Shockers (5-1) suffered their first loss of the season after surrendering a lead in the final minutes to Notre Dame in the Maui Invitational championship game. Wichita led the entire game, using the collective offense and defense that’s made them a preseason top 10 team.Unfortunately, no one player stepped up to quell the Irish’s comeback, which may just be the only concern about this team.

They had a chance to rebound earlier this week against an overmatched Savannah State. The final score was 112-66, with Samajae Haynes-Jones coming off the bench for a career-high 31 points. Rashard Kelly and Darnal Willis Jr. each posted a double-double in the blowout.

While the Shockers are coming off a win, the same can’t be said for Baylor (5-1), who lost earlier this week to another top 25 team in Xavier, 76-63. Star point guard Manu Lecomte struggled in this one, going 4/13 for 11 points. It was the third straight game where Bears failed to crack 70 points, a potential issue down the road that’s been exasperated by the injury to Terry Maston. After breaking his hand, the second leading rebounder and third-leading scorer of the team Maston will be out indefinitely, very likely into conference play. That puts even more pressure on both Lecomte and center Jo Lual Aquil, to score even more points, something that opposing defenses know as well.

The matchup to watch will be at the point position between Lecomte and Landry Shamet of Wichita State, who both are contenders for their respective conference player of the year races. Shamet is bigger and more physical, so how the Belgium Baylor Bear operates will be key to his team’s offense.

This is the last “difficult” game for Baylor in the non-conference schedule, so they’ll have time to recover while Maston is out. As for this game, there are not enough weapons for Baylor to win against a talented and experienced Wichita State team. After losing to Notre Dame, the Shockers can’t afford to let another opportunity of a top tier out of conference win slip away from their grasp. Expect the Shockers to pull off the road win.

Prediction: Wichita State 74 – Baylor 65

[WuShock Reaper]

"No. 8 Wichita State Travels to No. 16 Baylor for a Ranked Showdown" - The Best College Sports Network

Posted by C. Austin Cox on Friday, 01 December 2017 in American Athletic Conference Blog

http://www.bcsnn.com/blog/253-no-8-wichita-state-travels-to-no-16-baylor-for-a-ranked-showdown.html

"No. 8 Wichita State (5-1) will travel to Waco in the heart of Texas to take on No. 16 Baylor (5-1) for a top-25 clash at the Ferrell Center between AAC and Big 12 basketball powers with the action tipping off at 1p central time and the game airing nationally on ESPNU.

This game will mark the beginning of a home-and-home series between the two programs as Baylor will make a return trip to Wichita State in 2018.

The series is tied at 2-2 overall. Gregg Marshall is 0-1 against Baylor. The Bears defeated the Shockers 64-55 in the first round of the 2007 Paradise Jam in Marshall's second game (and first loss) as WSU head coach.

The teams last met on the mainland in December, 1960. This is WSU's first-ever visit to Waco. Marshall is 4-3 overall against the Big 12 as Shocker head coach. This is the first of three games against Big 12 teams in 2017-18. The Shockers play at Oklahoma State (Saturday, Dec. 9) and host Oklahoma (Saturday, Dec. 16).

Baylor ranked fourth nationally in rebound margin last year. WSU was second. This year's Shockers have outrebounded all six opponents this year (five of them by double-digits) and lead the nation in margin at +18.2. In Tuesday's win over Savannah State, the Shockers outrebounded the Tigers, 67-31. The +36 margin was the second-highest in school history -- one shy of the school record set in 1962. WSU's 67 total boards was the most this year in a game involving two Division I teams and marked the program's highest single-game total in nearly 55 years. WSU's Rashard Kelly averages 4.17 offensive rebounds per game -- tied for seventh nationally.

The Shockers try for their first true road win over a top-25 opponent since Feb. 11, 2012 when they upset No. 12 Creighton in Omaha, 89-68. They've had only two other opportunities since then. A victory Saturday would be the program's first non-conference road win over a top-25 foe since the 2006-07 season under Mark Turgeon when they took down No. 20 LSU and No. 15 Syracuse on consecutive Saturdays. WSU is 12-16 against AP Top-25 teams under Marshall. That includes a 9-9 record since the start of the 2011-12 season when they began their run of NCAA Tournaments.

Baylor will have its hands full as the Shockers have gone 66-14 (.825) in regular season non-conference games since 2011-2012. But the Bears can hold their own too. Baylor's last non-conference home loss was Dec. 4, 2012, a 74-70 loss to Northwestern. Following the game against the Bears, the Shockers will return home to face South Dakota State (7-2). The Jackrabbits own wins over Ole Miss (99-97 OT) and Iowa (80-72). Their only losses have come against Kansas (98-64) and Wyoming (77-65). Mike Daum ranked third nationally in scoring last year at over 25 points per game. WSU defeated SDSU last December, 89-67, at Charles Koch Arena.

As for Baylor, the Bears will remain at home in Waco after this one to play host to the visiting Sam Houston State Bearkats on December 4th in a contest that will air regionally on FOX Sports Southwest."

[WuShock Reaper]

"Weekend Preview: ..." - NBC Sports

By Rob Dauster
Posted: Dec 1, 2017, 8:00 AM EST

http://collegebasketball.nbcsports.com/2017/12/01/weekend-preview-the-crosstown-shootout-and-creighton-gonzaga-highlight-a-great-weekend-of-hoops/

"SATURDAY’S SHOWDOWNS - (NOTE: Lines are not posted for Saturday or Sunday games as of publication. Spreads referenced are via Kenpom.com)

No. 8 WICHITA STATE at No. 16 BAYLOR, Sat. 2:00 p.m.
This is the most fascinating matchup of the day to me. On the one hand, I think Wichita State is terrific. They’re well-coached, they have talent and they can beat you inside or outside. On the other hand, at some point they are going to have to actually beat someone at this level for us to continue talking about them as a Final Four and national title contender. Baylor can play. Their zone can mess with teams and Manu Lecomte has proven time and again that he is one of the best clutch shooters in the sport. It won’t be all that pretty or high-scoring, but for x’s-and-o’s nerds, it will be appointment viewing. The x-factor is how Baylor will be able to play without Terry Maston, who broke his hand against Xavier.

PREDICTION: KenPom has Baylor getting points at home, and while I’m on record saying some fairly ridiculous things about the Shockers, I want to see them beat someone real before I invest my hard earned money betting on them. That said, with no Maston, I think the Shockers make it too hard for the Bears to score. Wichita State (-1)."

[WuShock Reaper]

"Weekend Preview: Wichita State-Baylor Is Highlight as Season Hits Natural Rhythm" - Sports Illustrated

By MICHAEL BELLER
December 01, 2017

https://www.si.com/college-basketball/2017/12/01/college-basketball-weekend-preview-wichita-state-baylor

"The dawning of December means the early portion of the season is behind us. Thanksgiving tournaments and the Big Ten-ACC Challenge are in the rearview mirror, pushing the season into its more natural rhythm. Three non-conference games featuring top 25 teams all take place between Friday night and 2 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday afternoon, so there won’t be any time to catch your breath this first weekend of December...NO. 8

WICHITA STATE AT NO. 16 BAYLOR - Saturday, 2 p.m., ESPNU
The game of the weekend. Baylor followed up its championship in the Hall of Fame Classic, which included wins over Wisconsin and Creighton, with a tough loss at Xavier. Wichita State came up one point short last week on a neutral floor against Notre Dame, its toughest game of the season thus far. The difference in this one could come on the glass, where the Shockers have been excellent on both ends of the floor to start the season. In the end, the bet here is it’ll also be too much Landry Shamet for the Bears.

Wichita State 73, Baylor 65..."