Wichita State knows what kind of matchup it’ll get against North Texas.
Under first-year head coach Daniyal Robinson, defense remains a cornerstone for the Mean Green, who allow just 64.1 points per game — topping the American Conference and ranking 13th nationally.
The Shockers (9-7, 1-2 American) will get a first-hand look at how disruptive North Texas (10-6, 1-2) can be Sunday, when it visits Koch Arena for a 2 p.m. tipoff. The game will air on ESPNU.
“They’re an elite defensive team,” WSU coach Paul Mills said Friday during his media availability. “You can get in their film for about 30 minutes, and you realize just how impactful they are on the ball. That’s how they try to beat you.”
Mills didn’t hide from the kind of contest the Shockers are in for either, calling the game a “rock fight” even days before the teams clash.
“You just realize where they’re at defensively,” he said. “You realize how hard of a task this actually is.”
Aside from how well North Texas can hold teams off the scoreboard, it possesses a player who ranks top 10 in the league in multiple offensive categories. Je’Shawn Stevenson, the Mean Green’s 6-foot-2 guard, averages 16.9 points (sixth), shoots at a 39% rate (10th), and drains an average of 2.4 threes (seventh) per game.
Containing him will be key, or WSU may surrender another career-night from the opposition’s star.
On the other hand, the Shockers need to establish small habits first on offense. Taking care of the ball, finding efficient shots and clamoring for offensive rebounds could become turning points.
“We need to do certain things,” Mills said. “Then winning is a byproduct of doing those certain things. I don’t get caught up in, ‘We have to win.’ That’s obviously the goal, but we need to do better at habits.”
WSU has shown it can take care of the ball, turning it over the third-fewest times in the league, and snagging the sixth-most offensive rebounds per game in the country.
But while the Shockers are in the 95th-percentile at getting shots at the rim, according to CBB Analytics, their efficiency drops way below the national average when it comes time to put the ball in the net. The team falls into the fourth percentile with a 52.7 field-goal percentage at the rim (shots under 4.5 feet from the basket).
That problem was most recently exposed against Rice, when WSU converted 5 of its 17 layups and shot a measly 31% on 2-point attempts. Mills said, much like the DePaul game when the Shockers shot 13-for-28 at the foul line, that it just comes down to how they practice.
In the five games since its woes against the Blue Demons, WSU has shot 72% from the charity stripe.
“There’s a commitment to being able to convert opportunities around the rim,” Mills said. “But the truth is, it just comes down to work.”
If WSU can pair rim protection with rim production, it should be able to weather the “rock fight” the Shockers are in for. If not, they may be in for another grueling 40 minutes on their home court.
Game info
What: North Texas (10-6, 1-2) vs. Wichita State (9-7, 1-2)
When: Sunday, Jan. 11 at 2 p.m. CT
Where: Charles Koch Arena (10,506), Wichita, Kan.
How to watch: ESPNU, Pete Sousa (pbp) & Mark Adams (analyst)
How to listen: KEYN (103.7 FM), Mike Kennedy (pbp) & Dave Dahl (analyst)
Probable starters
WSU
- Kenyon Giles, guard (17.8 ppg, 1.6 apg, 2.3 rpg)
- Mike Gray Jr., guard (9.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.9 apg)
- Karon Boyd, forward (10.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.3 apg)
- TJ Williams, forward (8.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.7 apg)
- Emmanuel Okorafor, center (6.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 0.6 apg)
UNT
- Je’Shawn Stevenson, guard (16.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.9 apg)
- David Terrell Jr., guard (11.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 4.9 apg)
- Cole Franklin, guard (4.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.1 apg)
- Dylan Arnett, forward (8.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.4 apg)
- Reece Robinson, forward (6.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 0.8 apg)
*Probable starters information comes from the teams’ notes provided before the game
American Conference standings
- Temple: 3-0 (11-5)
- Tulane: 2-0 (11-4)
- Memphis: 2-0 (7-7)
- Florida Atlantic: 2-1 (10-6)
- Charlotte: 2-1 (8-8)
- Tulsa: 1-1 (13-2)
- South Florida: 1-1 (9-6)
- North Texas: 1-2 (10-6)
- UAB: 1-2 (10-6)
- Wichita State: 1-2 (9-7)
- Rice: 1-2 (7-9)
- East Carolina: 0-2 (5-10)
- UTSA: 0-3 (4-11)
