Despite making the Sweet 16 last season and winning back-to-back Missouri Valley Conference titles, Northern Iowa will not be the favorite this season. That distinction belongs to Wichita State who only loses one key player from a year ago.
The Sports Bank’s “99 in 99” ranks the 72 power conference college basketball teams and top 27 mid-majors. Click here if you missed teams #47-#99.
By: David Kay
Wichita State Shockers (2nd, 12-6 in MVC, 25-10 overall)
Projected Depth Chart
C: Garrett Stutz (Jr)/Graham Blair (Sr)/Ehimen Orukpe (So)
PF: J.T. Durley (Sr)/Aaron Ellis (Sr)/Jerome Hamilton (Fr)
G/F: Graham Hatch (Sr)/Ben Smith (Jr)/Tyler Richardson (Fr)
G: Toure’ Murry (Jr)/Demetric Williams (So)
G: David Kyles (Jr)/Joe Ragland (Jr)
Gone: PG-Clevin Hannah, SG-Kenny Manigualt (transfer-USC-Aiken)
2010-2011 Outlook:
Like many teams in the Missouri Valley Conference last season, the Shockers were a well-balanced team as their top four scorers averaged between nine-twelve points a game while their five leading rebounders pulled down between four-five boards per contest. Expect more of the same this season.
Point guard Clevin Hannah is the only starter lost to graduation and will likely be replaced by either David Kyles or Demetric Williams. Toure’ Murray is the team’s top returning scorer and will be joined on the wing by Graham Hatch who is a solid outside shooter.
J.T. Durley brings his physicality to the frontcourt and will likely be joined by seven-footer Garrett Stutz who took over the starting job from Aaron Ellis late in the season. Ellis will provide some experience off the bench as will Gabe Blair giving the Shockers solid depth up-front. If seven-foot transfer Ehimen Orukpe can contribute right away, that will give head coach Gregg Marshall even more options.
Wichita State was great at home last season posting a 17-1 mark. If they can continue to impose their will in Wichita and improve upon their 5-7 road mark, there is no reason to believe that this team will not be tourney bound come March.
Player to Watch: Garrett Stutz, C
Stutz took over Ellis’ starting job for the final five games of the season. His presence on the floor gives the Shockers five players who can all step out and knock down jump shots since fellow post J.T. Durley is an effective three-pointer shooter. Though not a great shot blocker, his height allows him to alter shots in the paint. He has shown steady progress in his first two seasons and could play a big part in WSU’s success in 2010-11.
Key Non-Conference Games:
11/22 vs. UConn (Maui Invitational)
11/23 vs. Michigan State/Chaminade (Maui Invitational)
11/24 vs. Kentucky/Oklahoma/Washington/Virginia (Maui Invitational)
12/4 at San Diego State
12/18 vs. LSU
12/21 vs. Tulsa
2/18 vs. TBA (ESPN’s Bracket Busters)
Other 99 in 99’s:
#47 Washington State
#48 St. Louis
#49 Old Dominion
#50 Minnesota
#51 New Mexico
#52 UConn
#53 Northwestern
#54 UCLA
#55 Southern Mississippi
#56 St. Mary’s
#57 Texas A&M
#58 Louisville
#59 Arizona State
#60 Northern Iowa
#61 Creighton
#62 Clemson
#63 Cincinnati
#64 Texas Tech
#65 Miami, FL
#66 Charlotte
#67 UTEP
#68 Ole Miss
#69 George Mason
#70 Colorado
#71 Weber State
#72 Alabama
#73 Bradley
#74 Central Florida
#75 Wake Forest
#76 Georgia Tech
#77 USC
#78 Oklahoma State
#79 Cal
#80 Oklahoma
#81 Virginia
#82 South Carolina
#83 Indiana
#84 Stanford
#85 Oregon
#86 Penn State
#87 South Florida
#88 Arkansas
#89 Boston College
#90 LSU
#91 Providence
#92 Michigan
#93 Oregon State
#94. Nebraska
#95. Auburn
#96. DePaul
#97. Iowa State
#98. Rutgers
#99. Iowa
That’s one of the best cheerleader pics we’ve found yet
I’m ready for another season of WSU hoops!!! Go Shox! Go Toure Murry! He’s gotta lead now that C.Hannah is gone. He was amazing and had a 51 made FT streak last year ( 93 % on the year ) ( only missed 8 FT’s in the entire year ). T.Murry is amazing too. He’s been awesome since his freshman year ( now a junior ). Go KU, Go WSU and now Go Miami! Miami cause a HS student from my child’s school ( Sunrise Christian ) is going to Miami this year. His name is Raphael Akpejiori. He came to the USA from Nigeria in 2008-09 to play for the best HS team in North Carolina. He had a broken ankle or something and was out for the year. Then he came to KS to play at Sunrise and Miami, A&M, Colorado and more good teams were interested. He chose Miami.
Wahoo! 33 out of 35 votes picked WSU to win the Missouri Valley. We are goin to the NCAA Tournament along with my fav, KU! KU, WSU, and hopefully Miami too!!! We are preseason pick to win the Valley! I’m shocked that only 1 Shocker made the 1st team and didn’t win preseason player of the year. Only Toure’ Murry made Preseason All-MVC 1st Team. J.T. Durley barely missed and Hatch and Stutz weren’t even close when they should’ve been.
The starting lineup for your WICHITA STATE SHOCKERS!!!!!!!
At Point Guard: Preseason All-MVC 5th Team: David Kyles
At Shooting Guard: Preseason All-MVC 1st Team: Toure’ Murry
At Small Forward: Preseason All-MVC 3rd Team: Graham Hatch
At Power Forward: Preseason All-MVC 2nd Team: J.T. Durley
And at Center: Preseason All-MVC 3rd Team: Garrett Stutz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All Shockers starters are top 23 in all the MVC, even David Kyles.
I can’t tell… is Brian excited about the Shockers this season?
Only problem, no Clevin Hannah. That loss will kill us at the 3pt line and on free throws. He hit 40 ft’s in a row last year and went 90% from the FT line last year, he also hit just under half of our 3’s, but we still have Toure’ Murry and he was 80% from the FT line last year and did just better than Hannah on 3’s. 3’s: Murry:50% Hannah 45% Others 5%. I would be happy if Perry Ellis goes to KU or WSU. Perry Ellis is # 19 in the 2012 recruiting class, and he is deciding between Georgetown, Iowa, KU, K-State, UK, Louisville, Memphis, Miami (FL), UNC, OU, Stanford, A&M, UCLA, WF, and WSU. Perry plays at Wichita Heights down here in Wichita, KS. I haven’t seen him play with my own eyes but I’ve seen videos of him. I’ll try to watch and then I’ll tell you guys how good he is.
@davidkay Haha! You know it! I’m gonna watch a Shocker game or 2 this year and I’ll tell you guys the stats of each player and how good each of these players really are!
I’ll be chattin on here alot if we win the Maui Tournament. Look how is playing. UConn, # 3 Mich St, # 7 UK and OU. Tough, just tough. We should beat UConn, then lose to Mich St, but I’ll rooting Shox all the way, and then beat OU after OU losing to UK, then Mich St def. UK in Maui Finals. If WSU gets 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in the Maui Tournament, it would kinda be automatic for WSU in the NCAA Tournament. He are gonna win the MVC to add to the 3rd place finish in the Maui Tourney. I predict us to be a 5 seed an go to the Sweet 16 if not Elite 8.
We’ll be a 3 seed if we beat Mich St or UK, and a 2 seed if we beat both.
I think one of the game I’ll go to is the Bracketbusters game if it’s in Wichita. If not, then, I’ll just watch i
…I’ll just watch it on TV.
Wait a second, Kay has WSU at # 46, you think they will go to the tourney, Kay!!!!!!!
As a… 12 seed. Come on, higher than that. At least a 9 seed!!
KU: 1 seed, WSU: 8 or 9 seed, and Miami: 10 seed.
Anyone on here? Kay? Banks? Where are you guys? WSU!!!!!!!
Brian-
If you are ever in Madison, WI… I am buying you a beer and we are watching the Shox!!!
Haha! I don’t drink, I usually like Coke, Dr.Pepper, Mountain Dew and stuff like that. Shox should only lose 2 gms this yr, MSU and UK if playing UK, both in the Maui.
WSU has a farely easy schedule except for UConn, MSU, and UK.
How bout you make chats during WSU games so we can chat during some of the games.
How bout you make chats during WSU Maui Tourney games and during all road games and most home games cause I’m only going to one or two WSU games.
Yeah, make one during the following games: Chat: NOV 16 vs Texas Southern, NOV 22 vs UConn on ESPN2 ( Maui ), NOV 23 vs Mich St. or Chaminade on ESPN if MSU, ESPN2 if CHAM ( Maui ), NOV 24 vs OU/UK/VIR/WASH ESPN if OU or MSU, ESPN2 if WASH, ESPNU if VIR ( Maui ), NOV 29 vs UMKC, DEC 1 vs CHI ST., DEC 4 at SDST, DEC 10 vs NICHOLLS ST., DEC 13 vs ALABAMA A&M, DEC 18 at LSU, DEC 21. vs TULSA, DEC 29 vs EVANSVILLE, JAN 1 at BRADLEY on ESPNU, JAN 4 vs DRAKE, JAN 7 at ILL ST., JAN 9 vs Mizzou St. on ESPNU, JAN 12 at CRE, JAN 15 at DRAKE, JAN 19 vs UNI, JAN 22 vs IND ST., JAN 26 at SIU, I’m going to go to JAN 29 on ESPN2 vs Bradley at the Roundhouse in Wichita so no chat that game, FEB 1 at IND ST., FEB 5 vs ILL ST., FEB 8 vs SIU, FEB 12 at UNI on ESPN2, FEB 15 at EVANSVILLE, no chat on FEB 18 in the Bracketbuster game on ESPN or ESPN2 in Wichita cause I’m goin’ to that, no chat on FEB 23 vs CRE either cause I’m goin to that too, chat on FEB 26 at Mizzou St., then chats on all WSU MVC Tourney Games and all Postseason tourney games. If you can’t remember, then write it on a piece of paper and whenever there is a game on that day or the day before that day. Or you can give me your e-mail address and I can e-mail you for a reminder.
So do chats on all the WSU games except for JAN 29 Home Game vs Bradley, on FEB 18 cause the bracketbuster game for WSU since it’s on an ESPN station and in Wichita, and no chat on FEB 23 vs CREIGHTON SINCE CRE is our biggest rivals and the game is in Wichita.
Actually, Kay, I was wondering if you would enjoy to see Shocker tradition at Charles Koch Arena, maybe you could come watch a WSU game or maybe go to WSU road game, closest to you would be at DRAKE.
I actually do have a son who is pretty good at hoops, he is 11 and his name is Sam, he is a huge Shockers and Jayhawks fan just like me, when he is grown up, he could meet you sometime. You might think, 10+ years? Well, he will be 12 in April so he’s close to 12. I think I might let him chat once or twice with his name on there instead of mine.
He probably won’t like beer, though, but he does like A&W Root Beer and Dr. Pepper.
And if you’re thinking, but he’s not old enough to have beer, then your answer is, exactly. He wouldn’t like it since he’s not old enough to have it. Cant wait for college hoops to start, starts in 3 days in all of college hoops, a week for KU, and in 11 for your WICHITA STATE SHOCKERS!!! GO SHOX!
I kinda have a website and I kinda don’t. http://www.fanbase.com/member/sphays10 and http://sportsnation.espn.go.com/fans/bphays100
If you say I have “websites”, those are the ones, my ESPN membership page and my Fanbase membership page.
Please respond Kay.
And, Toure’ Murry is the player to watch, not Garrett Stutz.
Go Shox!!
Shox gonna win the Valley!
Wahoo! # 1: The Shockers 1st game of the year is tonight at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita ( only exhibition match for WSU tonight vs Newman, a Division II team in Wichita ), 2. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has done his 1st bracketology bracket and had WSU as a 7 seed, bad thing about it is that he has them in the 1 seed Duke, 2 seed Syracuse, and 3 seed Illinois bracket, and 3. He has KU as the Southwest 1 seed with 2 seed Nova, 3 seed UNC, 4 seed FLA, and more. Go WSU! A thank you to Lunardi for have KU as a 1 seed instead of a 2 and have WSU as a 7 instead of 8, 9, or 10 seed team. Kay: I think you should do your bracketology bracket on here tomorrow.
Another possible WSU starting lineup: PG: T.Murry SG: G.Hatch SF: J.T. Durley PF: 7’0″ Orukpe C: 7’0″ G.Stutz. Two 7′ players starting together is rare and I was listening to 1330 KNSS Radio ( Wichita, KS home for WSU Shockers ) on WSU pre-game show right now in exhibition game vs Newman and they said they think the two 7′ will start together, saying very rare if it has ever even happened.
Go Shox! Beat Newman! I’ll give Halftime and End of Game updates!
Newman-Wichita St. Exhibition Game Tip-off at 7:01 PM/Wichita Time.
Correction: 7:03 PM/Wichita Time.
Starting Lineup for WSU vs Newman tonight: PG: J.Ragland SG: T.Murry SF: G.Hatch PF: A.Ellis and C: G.Stutz.
Halftime: Wichita State Shockers 37 Newman Jets 27! Wichita State Halftime Stats: Starters: PG: J.Ragland: 3 pts SG: Murry: 8 pts and 4 reb SF: Hatch: 4 pts PF: Ellis: 4 pts and 5 reb and C: Stutz: 4 pts, 3 reb and ast. Best non-starters for tonight: J.T. Durley: 2 pts and reb, Kyles: 4 pts, Orukpe: 4 pts and 6 reb.
Good 1st games for Orukpe, having the most rebounds for any player in the game by the half and Ragland with a huge long 3, but his only points are from that long 3.
Final Score: 80-62 WSU! Player of the Game: G.Stutz ( WSU ): 12 pts and 7 reb. T.Murry ( WSU ) also had a great game with 10 pts and 5 reb.
Ragland had 8 pts, Hatch had 6, Ellis had 6 pts and 6 reb, Orukpe had 8 pts and 9 reb, J.T. Durley: 4 pts and 7 reb, correction: Stutz had 14 pts and 7 reb.
Great game for the Wichita State Shockers! They defeat a Newman team by 18 that lost by only 22 to # 3 K-State.
WSU vs Texas Southern on Nov 16! Less than 2 days away!
Gametime!! Go Shox! Beat Texas Southern!
Great Maui WSU! Loss to UConn was okay cause UConn won the Maui which makes us look much, much better.