Kansas Plays Wichita State for Right to Play in the Sweet 16
The NCAA Tournament continues on Sunday with eight more games, which will round out the Sweet 16. In one game, the Wichita State Shockers will play the Kansas Jayhawks for the first time since 1993.
The two schools fans work together and some even live together, they are so intertwined. On Sunday, they will be basketball rivals again, going back to a time when KU the local powerhouse regularly schedule it smaller mid-major neighbor.
In 1993, Kansas defeated Wichita State 103-54. In the only meeting between the two teams prior to today not played on one of their home gyms was in 1981 when Wichita State defeated Kansas 66-65 in the semifinal of the Midwest Region in New Orleans.
The key to this game will be the play in the backcourt. Wichita State’s backcourt is strong. The team has no player in the starting lineup taller than 6-foot-7. The guards are very tough and include Fred VanVleet who scored 27 against Indiana in the first game for Wichita State on Friday. Ron Baker has become the second rock in the Shockers backcourt. He did not shoot well against Indiana but did score 9 second half points to help the Shockers second half rally.
Tekele Cotton helped the starters in the backcourt and Wichita State was able to outplay the more talented backcourt of Indiana.
Kansas’ backcourt is even better. Frank Mason scored 17 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in the Jayhawks win over New Mexico State in the first game. Add in the athletic duo of Kelly Oubre and Wayne Selden Jr. and you have a backcourt that will drive the Shockers crazy.
On Friday, the Jayhawks hit 9 of their 13 shots from 3-point territory.
Wichita State will have to defend well across the entire perimeter. Offensively, the backcourt will have to drive and look to find teammates in the paint to score. The Shockers outscored the Hoosiers by 20 points in the paint in their game on Friday.
Perry Ellis the All Big 12 junior forward for Kansas looks to be playing without any discomfort in his knee for the first time since hurting it March 3. His coach Bill Self said Ellis was very tentative in his 23 minutes of play scoring only 9 points, but both numbers should go up in today’s matchup.
His size of 6-foot-8 creates matchups problems for the smaller Shockers who will also have to defend the likes of 6-foot-10 Landen Lucas, 6-foot-8 Jamari Traylor and the athletic players on the perimeter for Kansas.
Ellis however is the most complete Kansas player offensively. He was the only Big 12 player to rank sixth of better in scoring as well as rebounding in the league. Ellis must return to his form prior to his injury if Kansas wants to play deep into this tournament.
Prediction: Kansas 77-69
