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Saturday, Dec. 16 | 6:00 p.m.
Wichita, Kan. | Charles Koch Arena
TV: ESPN+ with Shane Dennis & Bob Hull
Radio: KEYN 103.7 FM with Mike Kennedy & Dave Dahl
WHITE OUT
Halftime Act: Red Panda
OPENING TIPS
• Wichita State closes out its home portion of the non-conference schedule on Saturday vs. an old Missouri Valley Conference rival, Southern Illinois.
• Wichita State is 9-7 all time when playing on Dec. 16.
• Wichita State has won nine straight in the series with Southern Illinois, but the Salukis lead the all-time series, 48-47.
• SIU is 6-3 this season after a pair of impressive wins over Saint Louis (101-62) and Oklahoma State (70-68).
• Wichita State will have its hands full with the nation's second leading scorer in Xavier Johnson (25.0 ppg). Johnson has shooting splits of 48/42/91 through nine games.
• Wichita State is coming off a second straight loss, falling 79-69 to South Dakota State.
• Wichita State shot a season-worst 31.4 percent from the field in the loss to South Dakota State at INTRUST Bank Arena.
• Wichita State dropped to 8-5 all-time at INTRUST Bank Arena following its third straight loss in the building.
• Wichita State ranks 3rd in rebounds per game, 4th nationally in defensive rebounds per game, 19th in rebound margin and 26th in field goal defense.
• Wichita State is the only team in the country that has three players averaging 7.0 or more rebounds per game (Kenny Pohto - 7.9; Dalen Ridgnal - 7.8; Quincy Ballard - 7.2).
• Quincy Ballard ranks 10th nationally in blocks (25). He had a career-high 7 vs. Norfolk State.
• Paul Mills is only the seventh coach in school history to start 7-3 or better in his first 10 games. Wilmer Elfrink won nine of his first 10 for the best start in WSU history.
• Wichita State celebrated the 20th anniversary of Charles Koch Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 29.
• Wichita State is guaranteed to have a winning non-conference record for the 26th consecutive season.
• Wichita State returns only 20.3 percent of its scoring from a season ago, having lost its top four scorers. Pohto is the only returner to average more than 4.0 points per game. Craig Porter Jr., James Rojas, Gus Okafor and Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandlerexhausted their eligibility, and four others exited via the transfer portal.
• The 2022-23 Shockers ranked 230th in adjusted tempo, but that will most certainly change under Mills' leadership. His Oral Roberts squad was 40th in tempo last season.
• Wichita State ranked near the very bottom in the NCAA when it came to 3-point shooting a season ago. Converting on just 30.9 percent of its attempts from beyond the arc, that ranked 324th nationally. Mills' Oral Roberts squad on the other hand attempted nearly 400 more and shot 36.5 percent, which ranked 56th in the country.
SCOUTING SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
• Led by fifth year head coach Bryan Mullins, Southern Illinois enters the matchup at 6-3.
• Mullins is one of 50 head coaches in Division I who is coaching at his alma mater.
• Mullins and assistant coach Brendan Mullins are brothers. They are one of three sets of brothers coaching together in Division I basketball joining UT Martin's Ryan and Reed Ridder as well as Pitt's Jeff and Jason Capel.
• Mullins was a point guard for the Salukis during back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2006 and 2007.
• The Salukis went 23-10 a season ago and 14-6 in the Missouri Valley Conference, but were picked to finish ninth in this season's Preseason MVC Poll.
• Xavier Johnson was named to the Preseason MVC Third Team.
• After scoring just 7.0 points per game in 2022-23, Johnson has started the season on fire. He ranks first nationally in scoring at 25.0 points per game.
• Johnson already has four 30-point games in nine games this season, including a career-high 38 vs. James Madison on Nov. 21. He poured in 32 against Oklahoma State, leading the Salukis to a big Power 5 win.
• Johnson is an elite free throw shooter, converting 91.4 percent of his freebies, while his 74 made free throws rank third in the NCAA.
• Southern Illinois also boasts one of the nation's top three-point shooters so far this season. Trent Brown is connecting on 53.7 percent of his tries from beyond the arc, good for third nationally.
• Brown is primarily a three-point specialist, as 41 of his 47 field goal attempts have come behind the three-point line this season.
• Clarence Rupertpulls down a team-best 6.9 rebounds to go with 9.9 points.
• As a team, SIU ranks eighth nationally in three-point percentage (40.5 percent) and 35th in three-point percentage defense (28.6 percent).
• SIU has had problems rebounding, ranking 306th nationally with 33.0 rebounds per game.
A SHOCKER WIN WOULD...
... Make them 8-3 this season.
... Be their 10th straight win vs. SIU.
... Make them 10-7 all time on Dec. 16.
... Give Paul Mills 114 career coaching victories.
... Run their record to 1,665-1,248 all time.
... Make them 48-48 vs. Southern Illinois all time.
Wichita, Kan. | Charles Koch Arena
TV: ESPN+ with Shane Dennis & Bob Hull
Radio: KEYN 103.7 FM with Mike Kennedy & Dave Dahl
WHITE OUT
Halftime Act: Red Panda
OPENING TIPS
• Wichita State closes out its home portion of the non-conference schedule on Saturday vs. an old Missouri Valley Conference rival, Southern Illinois.
• Wichita State is 9-7 all time when playing on Dec. 16.
• Wichita State has won nine straight in the series with Southern Illinois, but the Salukis lead the all-time series, 48-47.
• SIU is 6-3 this season after a pair of impressive wins over Saint Louis (101-62) and Oklahoma State (70-68).
• Wichita State will have its hands full with the nation's second leading scorer in Xavier Johnson (25.0 ppg). Johnson has shooting splits of 48/42/91 through nine games.
• Wichita State is coming off a second straight loss, falling 79-69 to South Dakota State.
• Wichita State shot a season-worst 31.4 percent from the field in the loss to South Dakota State at INTRUST Bank Arena.
• Wichita State dropped to 8-5 all-time at INTRUST Bank Arena following its third straight loss in the building.
• Wichita State ranks 3rd in rebounds per game, 4th nationally in defensive rebounds per game, 19th in rebound margin and 26th in field goal defense.
• Wichita State is the only team in the country that has three players averaging 7.0 or more rebounds per game (Kenny Pohto - 7.9; Dalen Ridgnal - 7.8; Quincy Ballard - 7.2).
• Quincy Ballard ranks 10th nationally in blocks (25). He had a career-high 7 vs. Norfolk State.
• Paul Mills is only the seventh coach in school history to start 7-3 or better in his first 10 games. Wilmer Elfrink won nine of his first 10 for the best start in WSU history.
• Wichita State celebrated the 20th anniversary of Charles Koch Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 29.
• Wichita State is guaranteed to have a winning non-conference record for the 26th consecutive season.
• Wichita State returns only 20.3 percent of its scoring from a season ago, having lost its top four scorers. Pohto is the only returner to average more than 4.0 points per game. Craig Porter Jr., James Rojas, Gus Okafor and Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandlerexhausted their eligibility, and four others exited via the transfer portal.
• The 2022-23 Shockers ranked 230th in adjusted tempo, but that will most certainly change under Mills' leadership. His Oral Roberts squad was 40th in tempo last season.
• Wichita State ranked near the very bottom in the NCAA when it came to 3-point shooting a season ago. Converting on just 30.9 percent of its attempts from beyond the arc, that ranked 324th nationally. Mills' Oral Roberts squad on the other hand attempted nearly 400 more and shot 36.5 percent, which ranked 56th in the country.
SCOUTING SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
• Led by fifth year head coach Bryan Mullins, Southern Illinois enters the matchup at 6-3.
• Mullins is one of 50 head coaches in Division I who is coaching at his alma mater.
• Mullins and assistant coach Brendan Mullins are brothers. They are one of three sets of brothers coaching together in Division I basketball joining UT Martin's Ryan and Reed Ridder as well as Pitt's Jeff and Jason Capel.
• Mullins was a point guard for the Salukis during back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2006 and 2007.
• The Salukis went 23-10 a season ago and 14-6 in the Missouri Valley Conference, but were picked to finish ninth in this season's Preseason MVC Poll.
• Xavier Johnson was named to the Preseason MVC Third Team.
• After scoring just 7.0 points per game in 2022-23, Johnson has started the season on fire. He ranks first nationally in scoring at 25.0 points per game.
• Johnson already has four 30-point games in nine games this season, including a career-high 38 vs. James Madison on Nov. 21. He poured in 32 against Oklahoma State, leading the Salukis to a big Power 5 win.
• Johnson is an elite free throw shooter, converting 91.4 percent of his freebies, while his 74 made free throws rank third in the NCAA.
• Southern Illinois also boasts one of the nation's top three-point shooters so far this season. Trent Brown is connecting on 53.7 percent of his tries from beyond the arc, good for third nationally.
• Brown is primarily a three-point specialist, as 41 of his 47 field goal attempts have come behind the three-point line this season.
• Clarence Rupertpulls down a team-best 6.9 rebounds to go with 9.9 points.
• As a team, SIU ranks eighth nationally in three-point percentage (40.5 percent) and 35th in three-point percentage defense (28.6 percent).
• SIU has had problems rebounding, ranking 306th nationally with 33.0 rebounds per game.
A SHOCKER WIN WOULD...
... Make them 8-3 this season.
... Be their 10th straight win vs. SIU.
... Make them 10-7 all time on Dec. 16.
... Give Paul Mills 114 career coaching victories.
... Run their record to 1,665-1,248 all time.
... Make them 48-48 vs. Southern Illinois all time.
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