What makes the atmosphere surrounding college basketball special is that a raucous crowd can help sway the momentum of a game.
With inclement weather threatening much of the eastern half of the United States this weekend, including Kansas, Wichita State men’s basketball coach Paul Mills said he’s willing to do donuts in his 4×4 truck as early as 5:45 a.m. Saturday in the Koch Arena parking lot to clear the snow and ensure a healthy crowd fills the Roundhouse for the Shockers’ 3 p.m. tipoff against Memphis.
“There is a momentum that happens, especially with young people,” Mills said Friday of the crowd’s impact. “They can get up in the moment, and it works both ways. It works as a vice a lot of times for the opposition, and it works as an energizer for the home team.”
While the Tigers’ (9-9, 4-2 American) record isn’t as eye-popping on paper at this point of the season as in years past, they’re still a team the Shockers (12-8, 4-3) can’t afford to overlook. Penny Hardaway’s squad was picked to win the American Conference for a reason, and Mills said WSU has had to rely on what they’ve seen on film in preparation for the game.
“(Stats) can say a team is poor in a particular area, but they’re not,” Mills said. “You rely on your eyes. But I will tell you that the data has to confirm your eyes, and not vice versa.”
In the lone film session since the Shockers’ game Wednesday against East Carolina, how Memphis plays defense, extends possessions on offense and is able to adapt in-game have stood out. Mills said the Tigers’ ability to “smell blood in the water” has been “impressive.”
“They can begin to pick on somebody if they think there’s a little bit of tentativeness and a lack of aggression,” he said.
The fact that Memphis is top-25 nationally in steals per game (9.3 average), is a top-35 offensive rebounding team (13.39), and came back from a 13-point deficit to beat Rice on Jan. 3 confirms what the tape has shown.
And if it becomes a close game, winning those margins could very well decide the outcome.
“Their (Memphis) ability to cause turnovers, thus (allowing) easy opportunities for them in transition, is kind of a separator,” Mills said. “If you remember anything about the UAB game in that first half, we were a disaster at being able to handle some of their pressure. I think we’ve grown quite a bit. We understand formations that are involved and need to do a really good job of being able to handle their pressure.”
WSU’s success begins with its foundation: controlling the glass, attacking the rim, spacing and ball movement. Mills thought the Shockers did well in those areas when they faced ECU.
“I thought there were some really good ball movements (and) moments,” he said. “That needs to be recreated tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon.”
Should WSU play within itself against the Tigers and should a rowdy crowd rock the Roundhouse despite the conditions outside, the Shockers could see themselves within reach of the conference’s best record by the end of it.
“If the snow happens to land, I hope they’re (fans) able to come in and enjoy what’s going to be a really good basketball game, because it is the crowd that makes college basketball special.”
Game info
What: Memphis (9-9, 4-2) vs. Wichita State (12-8, 4-3)
When: Saturday, Jan. 24 at 3 p.m. CT
Where: Charles Koch Arena (10,506), Wichita, Kan.
How to watch: ESPN2, Mark Neely (pbp) & Perry Clark (analyst)
How to listen: KEYN (103.7 FM), Mike Kennedy (pbp) & Dave Dahl (analyst)
Probable starters
WSU
- Karon Boyd, forward (11.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.2 apg)
- Kenyon Giles, guard (18.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.5 apg)
- Dillon Battie, forward (4.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 0.3 apg)
- Mike Gray Jr., guard (9.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.9 apg)
- Emmanuel Okorafor, center (6.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 0.5 apg)
Memphis
- Dug McDaniel, guard (13.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 4.9 apg)
- Quante Berry, guard (5.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.1 apg)
- Curtis Givens III, guard (9.1 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.9 apg)
- Hasan Abdul Hakim, guard (6.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.0 apg)
- Aaron Bradshaw, forward (8.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 0.5 apg)
*Probable starters information comes from the most recent lineup in the teams’ notes provided before the game
American Conference standings
- Florida Atlantic: 6-1 (14-6)
- Tulsa: 4-2 (16-3)
- South Florida: 4-2 (12-7)
- Temple: 4-2 (12-7)
- Charlotte: 4-2 (10-9)
- Memphis: 4-2 (9-9)
- Wichita State: 4-3 (12-8)
- North Texas: 3-3 (12-7)
- Tulane: 3-3 (12-7)
- UAB: 3-4 (12-8)
- Rice: 2-4 (8-11)
- East Carolina: 0-6 (5-14)
- UTSA: 0-7 (4-15)
