At Wichita State, we live and breathe basketball.

We’ve seen it all from unexpected Final Four runs, to heartbreaking upsets, to watching nothing but net from the guy wearing No. 31 sporting the golden locks.

Basketball has become a tradition here, but would it all be the same if we transitioned to another conference?

 Let’s look at it from a Big 12 conference standpoint. Our Shockers have been dying to get their hands on those Jayhawks again. Kansas would obviously be the toughest matchup. Iowa State, Oklahoma, Baylor and West Virginia would also provide tough matchups.

Regarding the women’s team, Baylor and Oklahoma would be the toughest to compete with, and Texas, Oklahoma State and Iowa State could also give them a run for their money.

In the Missouri Valley, the men’s team has won the conference outright for the past two years and has finished top two for the past six years. The women’s team also has won the conference for the past two years and has finished top three for the past four years.

But MVC competition is nothing like Big 12 competition, with sbnation.com naming them as the toughest conference last year. Under Gregg, Marshall though, WSU could potentially build a dynasty in the MVC similar to what Kansas is doing in the Big 12. The WSU men’s and women’s basketball teams could both definitely survive in the Big 12 conference.

With the current year, I predict the men’s team could finish in the top three in conference play and runner-up in the conference tournament. With the women’s team, I predict they could finish top five and make the semifinal in the conference tournament. Both would be exciting seasons.

If they had the chance, would WSU really want to leave for another conference? Would we want to trade our status as a basketball powerhouse in the MVC for play in a stronger conference? Realistically (for now), our Shockers won’t be shooting hoops anywhere but the Missouri Valley. It’s been pretty fun bullying the other teams on the basketball court.