2015-16 Media love thread

[ShockerFever]

Even KU?

Sure, you could call them contenders, but any realist knows the second round is the top of the mountain with that school.

[Ashockalypse]

Bilas has just revealed himself in the last year as a pri@$.

[AndShock]

http://kenpom.com/blog/index.php/weblog/entry/which_two_teams_last_lost_longest_ago_15_edition

Not really media love, but I didn't think this was worthy of its own topic. We now share a spot on the Top 10 list of "two teams that both lost longest ago." Wichita State and Oral Roberts last lost on the same day on February 28, 2009 which is good enough for #6 on the list. I would imagine it will be up to us to carry this streak.

[RoyalShock]

I call BS on the best case scenario from Bilas. Baker and Van Vleet don't come back for just another sweet 16. Granted nothing is guaranteed but this team is focused on a title.

"The Shockers return to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament . . .", also includes the Elite 8. Just sayin'.

[Steeleshocker]

"The Shockers return to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament . . .", also includes the Elite 8. Just sayin'.

The best case for #9 Villanova is a Final Four and the best case for #11 Gonzaga is winning the whole thing.

Just sayin'.

[ShoxRoxMySox]

This may have been posted already, but for those of you that haven't been able to get your hands on a copy of the SI with Fred's feature story, here's the WSU ranking tidbit by Luke Winn.

#7 Wichita State
Projections for top 6 scorers
Ron Baker 14.8(PPG) 4.4(RPG) 2.8 (APG)
Fred VanVleet 14.0 3.9 5.4
Anton Grady 9.6 6.6 1.7
Conner Frankamp 9.6 2.6 2.4
Zach Brown 7.3 3.6 0.8
Evan Wessel 5.5 4.2 0.8

X-Factor - "If 6'11" Senior Tom (Bush) Wamukota can play extended minutes at center, the Shockers can go bigger, with 6'8" transfer Anton Grady at power forward. If not, look for 6'" Evan Wessel to start at the four and Grady at the five."

"When Team USA took a mix of pros and collegians to last summer's Pan-Am Games in Toronto, the top-performing amateur -- and one of its best players, period -- was Shockers senior guard Ron Baker. While potential player-of-the-year candidates such as Maryland's Melo Trimble, Virginia's Malcolm Brogdon and Michigan State's Denzel Valentine were relegated to lesser backcourt roles, Baker earned the most minutes of any collegian (24.2 per game) with his efficient offense (50% shooting and just one turnover in five games) and aggressive defense (a team-high seven steals).

The 6'4", 210-pound Baker is a guard for all situations. At Wichita State, "Ron is the starting two, backup one and he can also play some three," says coach Gregg Marshall, "and he knows our system from all those positions like the back of his hand." Plus, when the shockers' offense goes into ball-screen mode late in the shot clock -- a scenario that should arise even more frequently this season with the clock shrinking to 30 seconds -- Baker is a formidable weapon. As a junior he ranked second nationally in jump-shot efficiency off of ball screens, averaging 1.48 points over 48 possessions. And point guard Fred VanVleet is pushing Baker to get more touches in the mid-post, where he can isolate against less complete guards -- which, at this point of Baker's career, describes nearly all of his opponents."

[RoyalShock]

The best case for #9 Villanova is a Final Four and the best case for #11 Gonzaga is winning the whole thing.

Just sayin'.

I'm sure the rankings in that article are not how Bilas would rank them, so his opinion on what #9 and #11 would do relative to WSU at #10 are not comparable. In fact, he didn't even have a vote in those rankings. If you asked him where he would rank Villanova, WSU and Gonzaga, what do you think he would say? I'm betting it wouldn't be 9, 10 and 11. Probably more like 7, 12 and 5, respectively, as that would line up better with his best-case scenarios.

[RussDaBus]

http://www.midmajormadness.com/2015/11/8/9694234/wichita-state-depth-may-be-the-difference

[ShockerPrez]

Guess WSU needs to do what they always do.

Piss in someone's Wheaties.

Same **** every year.

WSU is never given credit for post season success, and every power 5 or Big Yeast team is never discounted for consistently poor post season performance.

[_kai_]

Game recap for the exhibition plus some videos embedded

http://shockerhoops.net/index.php/2015/11/09/shockers-coast-in-exhibition-with-hpu/

[KraRam]

http://www.si.com/college-basketball/2015/11/09/projected-ncaa-tournament-field

SI's bracket projection. #1 KU, #2 WSU in the midwest.

[WuShock16]

http://www.si.com/college-basketball...urnament-field

SI's bracket projection. #1 KU, #2 WSU in the midwest.

SWEET! A complete chalk bracket!!! That's what I call going out on a limb.

[ShockerFever]

http://www.si.com/college-basketball...urnament-field

SI's bracket projection. #1 KU, #2 WSU in the midwest.

Man, the national media is really pushing for a rematch. Asking KU to get to the Elite 8 may be a bit much though.

[MTXE31]

Man, the national media is really pushing for a rematch. Asking KU to get to the Elite 8 may be a bit much though.

Asking KU to get past the round of 32 is a bit much.. asking them to get to the elite 8 would be like winning the lottery.. TWICE

[LandStander]

Asking KU to get past the round of 32 is a bit much.. asking them to get to the elite 8 would be like winning the lottery.. TWICE

KU is now the new creighton, I love it!