2016-17 Media Love Thread

[Ricardo del Rio]

ESPN Insider (Pay) has a feature article on Giant Killers.

The Shockers are the fourth highest rated Giant Killer.

Here is an excerpt. The post is within the ShockerNet and ESPN requirements and rules.

Wichita State Shockers (Giant Killer rating: 42.1)In the era of Fred VanVleet, the captain of the all-time All-GK team, the Shockers amassed a record unmatched among Cinderellas, knocking off four Goliaths in four years (including one where they went 35-1 and played as a Giant) as their adaptable and smart array of underdog tactics inspired paeans from our statistical model. And amazingly enough, after the departures of VanVleet, Ron Baker and Evan "Nuclear" Wessel, who combined for 40 percent of the team's points and half its steals last season, the Shockers are up to their usual tricks. You want to see a team build possessions without sacrificing any part of its game? Wichita State is the only team in the country to rank in the top 50 in both turnover percentage and rebounding on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court.
Gregg Marshall has given the most minutes on the team to Landry Shamet, a freshman guard who avoids turnovers, and Markis McDuffie, a sophomore forward who can do a little bit of everything -- grab offensive rebounds as well as turnovers and shoot 3s. And in Daishon Smith, who is forcing steals on a whopping 4.7 percent of opponent possessions, he has found another ball thief. Put it all together, and Wichita State has the fourth-highest GK rating of any team that Joe Lunardi currently projects to land in the bottom half of brackets. If you like underdogs with staying power, this new edition of the Shockers is a squad worth getting to know. And to root for in the Missouri Valley, so the selection committee, which has routinely and severely underseeded Wichita State over the years, can't ignore them.

[ShockingButTrue]

"Nuclear" Wessel. They get it!!!

[WSUwatcher]

The thinking so far is they (the AAC) mean everything but football. I suppose they could literally mean BB only but that doesn't make much sense.

Navy is only a member of the AAC for football. Its other sports are in the Patriot League. As a result, the AAC is essentially an 11 team league in everything but football. Adding WSU in everything but football would make it 12 in all sports and set up fairly well balanced geographic divisions if they want to go that route.

[shockmonster]

ESPN Insider (Pay) has a feature article on Giant Killers.

The Shockers are the fourth highest rated Giant Killer.

Here is an excerpt. The post is within the ShockerNet and ESPN requirements and rules.

Wichita State Shockers (Giant Killer rating: 42.1)In the era of Fred VanVleet, the captain of the all-time All-GK team, the Shockers amassed a record unmatched among Cinderellas, knocking off four Goliaths in four years (including one where they went 35-1 and played as a Giant) as their adaptable and smart array of underdog tactics inspired paeans from our statistical model. And amazingly enough, after the departures of VanVleet, Ron Baker and Evan "Nuclear" Wessel, who combined for 40 percent of the team's points and half its steals last season, the Shockers are up to their usual tricks. You want to see a team build possessions without sacrificing any part of its game? Wichita State is the only team in the country to rank in the top 50 in both turnover percentage and rebounding on both ethe offensive and defensive ends of the court.
Gregg Marshall has given the most minutes on the team to Landry Shamet, a freshman guard who avoids turnovers, and Markis McDuffie, a sophomore forward who can do a little bit of everything -- grab offensive rebounds as well as turnovers and shoot 3s. And in Daishon Smith, who is forcing steals on a whopping 4.7 percent of opponent possessions, he has found another ball thief. Put it all together, and Wichita State has the fourth-highest GK rating of any team that Joe Lunardi currently projects to land in the bottom half of brackets. If you like underdogs with staying power, this new edition of the Shockers is a squad worth getting to know. And to root for in the Missouri Valley, so the selection committee, which has routinely and severely underseeded Wichita State over the years, can't ignore them.

The final sentence couldn't be truer and it isn't a Shocker fan saying it. Jerry Palm is an idiot.

[shocks02]

Some interesting marketing tactics are being deployed on Dan Muller's twitter page https://twitter.com/DanMuller?ref_sr...Ctwgr%5Eauthor

[shox526]

Some interesting marketing tactics are being deployed on Dan Muller's twitter page https://twitter.com/DanMuller?ref_sr...Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Was hoping to see he got hacked again.

[RussDaBus]

http://www.si.com/college-basketball/2017/01/10/wichita-state-shockers-gregg-marshall-missouri-valley?xid=socialflow_twitter_si

[jocoshock]

http://www.si.com/college-basketball...low_twitter_si

Yep...

[DUShock]

http://www.si.com/college-basketball...low_twitter_si

Fair enough

[wusphlash]

http://www.collegeinsider.com/mens-mid-major-top-25.php

Gregg get credit as one of the voters.

[WuShock Reaper]

"Expert predictions: SI writers make midseason picks for Final Four & more" - Sports Illustrated

http://www.si.com/college-basketball/2017/01/17/expert-predictions-final-four-national-champion-player-coach-year

Mid-major to watch

Davis: Wichita State. The Shockers held up well in the nonconference season, they have terrific depth, they still play angry on defense, and they should only face one worthy Missouri Valley Conference opponent, Illinois State. The Shockers lost to the Redbirds on the road on Saturday, but I believe they’ll run the table from here and be back in the top 25 by season’s end.

Johnson: Wichita State. The Shockers will be a threat to knock off a power-conference team or three in the NCAAs, but their path to earning a bid is precarious. Wichita State dropped key nonconference games to Louisville, Michigan State and Oklahoma State, as well as a conference tilt at Illinois State; its best win so far came against an Oklahoma team that’s 1–4 in Big 12 play so far. But irrespective of whether the Shockers need to win the Missouri Valley Conference tournament to make the field of 68, they would be a tough matchup even without star guards Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet. Wichita State boasts a talented sophomore forward in Markis McDuffie, and former three-star guard Landry Shamet has showed well as a freshman after redshirting last season.

[WstateU]

"Expert predictions: SI writers make midseason picks for Final Four & more" - Sports Illustrated

http://www.si.com/college-basketball/2017/01/17/expert-predictions-final-four-national-champion-player-coach-year

Mid-major to watch

Davis: Wichita State. The Shockers held up well in the nonconference season, they have terrific depth, they still play angry on defense, and they should only face one worthy Missouri Valley Conference opponent, Illinois State. The Shockers lost to the Redbirds on the road on Saturday, but I believe they’ll run the table from here and be back in the top 25 by season’s end.

Johnson: Wichita State. The Shockers will be a threat to knock off a power-conference team or three in the NCAAs, but their path to earning a bid is precarious. Wichita State dropped key nonconference games to Louisville, Michigan State and Oklahoma State, as well as a conference tilt at Illinois State; its best win so far came against an Oklahoma team that’s 1–4 in Big 12 play so far. But irrespective of whether the Shockers need to win the Missouri Valley Conference tournament to make the field of 68, they would be a tough matchup even without star guards Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet. Wichita State boasts a talented sophomore forward in Markis McDuffie, and former three-star guard Landry Shamet has showed well as a freshman after redshirting last season.

I hate any Mid-major reference - Landry was a four-star IIRC.

[LandStander]

I hate any Mid-major reference - Landry was a four-star IIRC.

And no mention of Connor, a top 50 recruit

[WSUwatcher]

"Expert predictions: SI writers make midseason picks for Final Four & more" - Sports Illustrated

http://www.si.com/college-basketball/2017/01/17/expert-predictions-final-four-national-champion-player-coach-year

Mid-major to watch

Davis: Wichita State. The Shockers held up well in the nonconference season, they have terrific depth, they still play angry on defense, and they should only face one worthy Missouri Valley Conference opponent, Illinois State. The Shockers lost to the Redbirds on the road on Saturday, but I believe they’ll run the table from here and be back in the top 25 by season’s end.

Johnson: Wichita State. The Shockers will be a threat to knock off a power-conference team or three in the NCAAs, but their path to earning a bid is precarious. Wichita State dropped key nonconference games to Louisville, Michigan State and Oklahoma State, as well as a conference tilt at Illinois State; its best win so far came against an Oklahoma team that’s 1–4 in Big 12 play so far. But irrespective of whether the Shockers need to win the Missouri Valley Conference tournament to make the field of 68, they would be a tough matchup even without star guards Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet. Wichita State boasts a talented sophomore forward in Markis McDuffie, and former three-star guard Landry Shamet has showed well as a freshman after redshirting last season.

Agree with WstateU about the annoying and tiresome mid-major references; the Shocks have long since earned their way past that. I also hold out hope for a run to the Valley regular-season championship, but it won't be easy; who else is going to beat Illinois State? Maybe Lusking's team on the road, considering that the Jailbirds barely beat them even at home? Or maybe the collar gets a little tight when they finish the season at Cedar Falls? And of course the Shocks have some work to do themselves, both in the rematch and against the rest of the league.

It might actually be best for WSU to have another of those 17-1 vs. 16-2 finishes in league play (with WSU the 17-1, of course) to give both teams some extra credibility and attention; or even a tie at 17-1, which would be hard for people to overlook. But that's asking a lot. As someone else said somewhere, the Shocks need to get their MTXE on.

[Aargh]

And no mention of Connor, a top 50 recruit

Conner is struggling enough without the pressure of being a top-50 recruit being hyped in the national media. CF may have been overrated coming out of HS. I think the difficulty of living up to his HS hype has seriously diminished his college game.

Once Conner can accept in his own mind that he can be a killer D1 role player, instead of needing to be "the guy" I think his shots will start falling with better frequency.