KenPom releases predictions and rankings for upcoming men’s basketball season

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Joseph Barringhaus

Wichita State guard Erik Stevenson takes a shot during the second half of the game against Lipscomb on April 2, 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The popular sports analytics website KenPom released their yearly predictions and preseason rankings for NCAA men’s basketball teams Sunday.

Wichita State, which finished last season at No. 66, is the No. 62 team heading into the 2019 season. The analytics predict that the team will finish the season with a 19-11 overall record. The website is also predicting the Shockers to be the No. 89 offense in the NCAA and the No. 37 defense.

In the American Athletic Conference, WSU is picked to finish fourth behind Cincinnati, Houston, and Memphis. The Tigers, who racked up the best recruiting class in the country per ESPN, were picked to finish third in the AAC. The Shockers are projected to finish 10-8 in conference play.

As for scheduling, KenPom predicts WSU to go on a three-game losing streak early in the year against Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Virginia Commonwealth. It’s the only predicted losing streak until the end of the season where the website predicts the Shockers to lose two straight against Southern Methodist and Memphis. 

The projections also state that WSU will start the season on a seven-game winning streak.

Charles Koch Arena, was given a home court advantage score of 3.4, which is ranked No. 108 in Division-I. Koch Arena is the 77th largest arena in the country.

The Shockers tip off the regular season on Nov. 5 against Nebraska-Omaha, a game they are given an 89% chance to win, according to KenPom.