For the first and only time during the non-conference schedule, Wichita State will play a true road game. The Shockers’ biggest test of the season so far will come against Oklahoma State on Saturday.

All of the metrics point to an Oklahoma State win, with KenPom giving the Cowboys a 72% chance at a win in Gallagher-Iba Arena and ESPN’s Basketball Power Index giving OSU a 74.2% shot.

Right now, WSU is on the outside looking in when it comes to the team’s postseason aspirations. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi currently projects the Shockers as one of the first four teams out of the NCAA tournament, but a victory in Stillwater very well could change that. 

A victory in Stillwater would be a statement. Here are three keys for the Shockers to pull off the upset on the road:

Win the rebounding battle

Rebounding was a struggle in WSU’s lone loss of the season. Against West Virginia in Cancun, WSU was bullied on the boards, deterring a late comeback in the championship against the Mountaineers. 

OSU isn’t the offensive rebounding team that WVU was, but the rebounding battle will still be crucial to a victory. Of players receiving significant minutes so far for OSU, five of them are 6-7 or taller. WSU was tested by Central Arkansas’s height on Thursday night, so it will be interesting to see how they handle the Cowboys’ size. 

One of the impact players for OSU on the boards is that of Yor Anei. Anei, a 6-10 center, has become one of the nation’s most elite shot blockers this season with a block percentage of 17.2% that ranks No. 2 in the country, according to KenPom. Anei has also been a factor on the glass, ranking in the top 280 in the country in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage. 

If WSU can limit Anei’s effectiveness in both the rebounding and shot-blocking, they may set themselves up for a road victory. Just like WSU, Oklahoma State is a very talented defensive team, so creating second-chance points could be a big factor. 

Dexter Dennis breaking out of his offensive slump

Dexter Dennis is struggling. In the past five games, Dennis is averaging 3.8 points and three rebounds while shooting 18.4% from the field. 

Even this season, he’s proven he’s capable of sustained offense. In the first three games this season, Dennis was averaging 14.3 points, seven rebounds, and shooting at a 46.% clip. 

WSU badly needs Dennis to get going. He was a player the Shockers were counting on replacing the scoring of Samajae Haynes-Jones and Markis McDuffie. Recently, Head Coach Gregg Marshall has seemed puzzled by Dennis’ performance in all aspects, and even moved the sophomore to the bench last game against UCA. 

Dennis showed some improvements off the bench for WSU, grabbing four rebounds and knocking down a three-pointer while finishing with a plus-17 rating. The Shockers will need Dennis’s production to pick up over the next couple of games as their schedule begins to ramp up. 

Continue 3-point success away from Koch Arena

One area WSU has shown a vast improvement in is three-point shooting. After a season in which the Shockers shot just 31% from downtown for a ranking of 320 nationally, WSU has started off the season at 33.7% from downtown. That puts them in the top 150 in the country.

The newcomers have been a large part of this success, most notably Tyson Etienne. Etienne is currently averaging 2.8 threes per game, making him one of the nation’s top-1- most efficient freshman from deep. The New Jersey native is also currently on pace to beat Landry Shamet’s WSU record for threes in a rookie season. 

Etienne has been leading the charge for WSU, but another freshman guard showed some confidence against UCA on Thursday night. After only making two three-pointers through seven games this season, freshman guard Grant Sherfield went three for five against the Bears. 

So far this season, the Cowboys have held their opponents to 25.4% shooting, which ranks them in the top 10 in the country. The Shockers will need all hands on deck in Stillwater to create open looks.

The game is set to tip-off at 1 p.m. in Stillwater.