Wichita State’s conference schedule includes home CBS broadcast
Wichita State’s conference schedule includes five Saturday home games. Here are four games you need to circle.
Wichita State guard Samajae Haynes-Jones grimaces after being hit in the face by South Florida forward Malik Martin during the first half in Koch Arena.
The American Athletic Conference announced conference schedule for men’s basketball Wednesday.
Wichita State’s home game versus Cincinnati will be broadcast on CBS. The game, on Jan. 19, is the first of a home-and-away series.
Cincinnati split the series with the Shockers, after winning at Koch Arena last season. The game was the first-ever CBS network telecast from Charles Koch Arena, and was the highest-rated regular season broadcast in AAC history. This year the Shockers will appear on CBS for the fourth time since joining the AAC a season ago.
Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin points to Wichita State guard Austin Reaves during the first half at Koch Arena.
Cincinnati won the AAC’s regular-season title. The conference was decided between the two teams at Koch Arena, in the AAC’s final game of the season.
With 12 schools in the AAC, teams will face seven teams in a home-and-away series and the four remaining schools only once. WSU will face Houston and South Florida on the road, and host Central Florida and Temple.
WSU will visit new locations this season including South Florida and Tulane, who were not part of WSU’s seven home-and-away games last season. Cincinnati and Houston each will play in newly renovated stadiums.
WSU’s schedule this year includes six Saturday home games. A year ago, they played just two.
WSU’s top four home conference games
Temple head coach Fran Dumphy huddles with his players during the American Conference Tournament quarter-finals.
Temple
3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 6
Televised on ESPNEWS
Cincinnati emerged as the leading rivalry with the Shockers last season, but Temple trailed closely behind in three testy games with the Owls last year. This game is important because it is the conference home-opener, and also the last season for Temple Head Coach Fran Dunphy, who announced he will retire at the end of the season.
Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall shakes hands with UCF center Tacko Fall after the Shockers victory over UCF. Fall is the tallest player in NCAA basketball but is out for the season with a shoulder injury.
Central Florida
9 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 16
Televised on CBS Sports Network
Circle this game based solely on the fact that UCF 7-foot-6 center Tacko Fall, the tallest player in competitive basketball, will possibly play at Koch Arena. Fall was out with a shoulder injury when WSU hosted the Knights last season. The Knights went 9-9 in the conference last season, but all-conference guard B.J. Taylor missed the first half of the season with a foot injury and Tacko Fall played just 16 games. Guard Aubrey Dawkins missed the entire season. The trio rarely appeared on the floor together. Despite all of that, WSU needed overtime to take down the Knights at UCF.
Wichita State guard Samajae Haynes-Jones guards a UCF player Wednesday night in Koch Arena.
Cincinnati
1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19
Televised on CBS
CBS will broadcast again the game that was the AAC’s highest-rated regular season broadcast of all time. Cincinnati and WSU were powerhouse programs last year. The regular-season conference title came down to a single point.
Wichita State Shockers center Asbjørn Midtgaard leaves the tunnel during the exhibition opener against Henderson State in Koch Arena.
Memphis
7 p.m Saturday, Feb. 23
Televised on ESPN2
Gregg Marshall had his best recruiting class of his career last year. That was before Penny Hardaway was hired as the head coach at Memphis, and four-star recruit Alex Lomax, who then had verbally committed to the Shockers, decommitted to join Hardaway in Memphis. Hardaway brings with him one of the strongest recruiting classes the Tigers have had since John Calipari coached at the program. Lomax’s presence alone should make Memphis a budding rivalry for the Shockers this season.
Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall calls a play during the American Conference Tournament quarter-finals against Temple.
Evan Pflugradt is the former sports editor of The Sunflower. Pflugradt past served as the publication's Editor in Chief, Opinion Editor and a reporter....
