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ECU (15-13, 6-10 AAC) at WICHITA STATE (14-12, 5-9 AAC)
WSU -10
SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 2022 | 2:00 PM CT
WICHITA, KANSAS| CHARLES KOCH ARENA
TV: ESPNU with Mike Corey & Mark Adams
RADIO: KEYN 103.7 FM https://www.radio.com/keyn/listen
SERIES: Wichita State leads 5-0 (2-0 in Wichita)
LAST MEETING: January 1, 2020 in Wichita (WSU, 75-69)
GAME NOTES:
- Wichita State wraps up its regular season schedule on Saturday when it plays host to the East Carolina Pirates in an American Athletic Conference matchup.
- The winner grabs the No. 7 seed in next week's American Athletic Conference Championship and a first-round date with the No. 10 seed -- either Tulsa or South Florida (Thursday, 2 p.m. CT).
- The loser drops to the No. 9 line for a Noon matchup with No. 8 Cincinnati.
- Tulsa currently holds the 10-spot, but USF can steal it with a win plus a Tulsa loss on Sunday.
- This is the first WSU-ECU meeting in just over 26 months (or 794 days). The last was Jan. 1, 2020 in Wichita.
- The teams did not play in Greenville that year due to the league's unbalanced schedule. COVID-19 canceled both of last season's games, plus another this season. The Shockers were scheduled to open conference play Dec. 29 in Greenville, but the game was called off less than six hours before tipoff due to health and safety protocol within the ECU program.
- The Shockers lead the series 5-0 (2-0 in Wichita).
- WSU is going for its 750th win in what will be its 980th varsity men's basketball game inside the Roundhouse (1955-pr.). Shocker teams have a .765 winning percentage in parts of 66 seasons. All-time attendance topped the 8.5 million mark earlier this season.
- WSU notched its first AAC road victory in six tries on Wednesday, 72-62 at Tulsa. Tyson Etienne scored 18 points for the Shockers, who shot a season-best 49.1% and won the rebounding battle, 43-19.
- ECU is also coming off a win over Tulsa and has the benefit of seven-days' rest. The Pirates (6-10 AAC) have won four of their last six after a 2-8 start.
- WSU has played the league's toughest schedule, per NCAA NET (No. 70 as of Thursday).
- Five of WSU's 12 non-conference opponents went on to win their league's regular season title: Arizona (PAC-12), North Texas (CUSA West), Jacksonville State (A-SUN West), Norfolk State (MEAC) and Alcorn State (SWAC).
- KenPom ranks WSU 43rd in its defensive efficiency.
- Etienne (15.0 ppg) has 195 career threes and looks to reel in Jason Perez (5th, 196), Terrell Benton (4th, 197) and Sean Ogirri (3rd, 200) on WSU's all-time list.
- Fourth-year guard Dexter Dennis is 24 points shy of 1,000 and would be just the eighth guard in school history with the combo of 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.
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