Wichita State: at #1 Houston (03/02/23)

[pinstripers]

1. Not having a backup point guard is a huge failure
2. Pohto is weak
3. Our handles are not good enough
4. How do the Vegas guys do it??
5. You can't build bodies like that, you recruit them
6. Porter being lazy on that third foul really cost us
7.

[shocktown]

Anybody who had $$ on the Shox at +17.5 owes Porter a little NIL love for his making those last two FT's with under 30 seconds left. I think that was the only time all night he went 2/2 from the line..

Probably right since he was 2/3.

[shocktown]

17-4 points off TO’s
15-7 2nd chance points

[shox7]

I know this season is about over, but I don’t understand why we play Flanagan over Scott against physical guards. Scott has more assists than turnovers and is way better defensively.

[Dan]

Just got back from the game. I knew we were toast when I didn’t see Walton warming up. Bell is a confusing player to me. He looks and moves like a player but he does some really dumb things. Flanagan way over his head, this game. proved he is not a legit AAC level player. I like Pierre, hope he stays. I’m begging Pohto to stay in Wichita this summer and work hard on his body and explosiveness. He needs to be in the weight room 24x7. We need to recruit 2 point guards badly.

[asiseeit]

Bell hit three shots tonight but negated that with TWO fouls on three point shots. As I posted earlier we agree on both JP and MF. Rojas had zero official shot attempts. Houston fouls ALOT and should be called for many more especially early in games. I see then getting to the F16 maybe F8 if the ref's don't clamp down on them. They ARE an elite defensive team and offensive rebounding team.

[ShockTalk]

1. Not having a backup point guard is a huge failure
2. Pohto is weak
3. Our handles are not good enough
4. How do the Vegas guys do it??
5. You can't build bodies like that, you recruit them
6. Porter being lazy on that third foul really cost us
7.

Did you mean Pohto was weak tonight or he's just weak?

Remember, he's sophomore that is having to start. Over the previous 15 games before this one, he had only 2 rebounds against both Temple and ECU, but he had 12 and 10 points and we won both games. In the other 13 games, he averaged 7.5 rpg. Remember, big men usually take longer to develop. I remember one of our centers who made it to the NCAAs his senior year being nicknamed Fifi. Stutz his sophomore year averaged 4.2 rpg. Pohto is at 5.6 and he too, shares the front line rebound with others (Rojas is over 6 rpg).

[pinstripers]

physically weak

[asiseeit]

physically weak

He is getting stronger every game. Sees the court and passes better than anyone else. Plays under control. Good screener. We need him to stay badly.

[pinstripers]

He is getting stronger every game. Sees the court and passes better than anyone else. Plays under control. Good screener. We need him to stay badly.

Oh I agree, but he's gotta get in the weight room

[ShockTalk]

physically weak

That makes more sense, but he is basically a 6'11" 235+, true sophomore forward who's playing as the starting center. I really don't think he's doing that bad or is that weak......he's young. I would guess that most just above average sophomore centers would maybe be weak and slower and at best a little stronger, but slower. His play (and strength) is far from our top 5-7 problems.

[Blackmag]

Walton, Pierre and Pohto we need back for sure. Abide I think could develop with more playing time. We need a couple true point guards and a big time rebounder.

[WuDrWu]

When Kenny was arriving in Wichita, I believe we were told he had the skill set to guard 1-5 (perhaps 2-5).

Whether by choice or necessity, he's now a paint roaming center. In this league, he has dominated at times and been dominated at other times. I think he's made remarkable progress for a sophomore.

Asking any team to go to #1 on senior night without your best athlete (when you're already one of the shortest teams in the country depth wise) is asking a lot to be competitive. I'm extremely proud of the effort these guys put forth tonight (and most of the last couple of months).

I've said all year we're a poor ball handling team. That cost us tonight, bigly.

If we just make free throws like Houston did tonight......it's possible that would have been a 1 possession game and never out of hand, which is mind boggling.

Don't kid yourself, Houston is a big hairy monster. Size, talent, athleticism, depth and elite coaching. They defend the hell out of you and have playmakers. They are the elite of the elite. That we hung with them says a lot more good about us than bad about them.

You actually can build bodies like that, but it certainly helps to recruit from a good starting point. Remember our all airport teams in the last decade.

When we learned to share the ball about 5-6 weeks ago, we became an entirely different team.


Xavier Bell will get better. He has physical ability. He will help us next season.


These guys deserve and have commanded support this Sunday and I trust we can show up and prove our support to them. They have played their collective asses off of late and deserve to go out on a high note. Staying away does nothing but hurt the program.


If we can win Sunday and then get Tulsa, Tulane and UCF, these guys WILL play for a title on selection Sunday. Mark my words.

[WuDrWu]

That makes more sense, but he is basically a 6'11" 235+, true sophomore forward who's playing as the starting center. I really don't think he's doing that bad or is that weak......he's young. I would guess that most just above average sophomore centers would maybe be weak and slower and at best a little stronger, but slower. His play (and strength) is far from our top 5-7 problems.

[ShockerFever]

Turnovers and free throws killed us. Houston is good, but beatable. They are definitely a couple steps better than us. Shooting 65% and losing by 17 tells you how over matched we were.

Don’t be so negative.