NCAA Basketball: Wichita State impresses in win over Vanderbilt
Wichita State beats Vanderbilt and is now coming for Arizona in what should be a classic NCAA Basketball game.
It was supposed to be the best First Four match-up ever (the First Four started in 2011) but instead, Wichita State thrashed Vanderbilt, 70-50, in Dayton on Tuesday night to advance to the field of 64.
Gregg Marshall’s team looked like a potential Sweet 16 squad as they played an outstanding second half, finishing the game on a 20-2 run and stifling Vanderbilt with their half court defense.
The Commodores shot 30 percent from the field, 16 percent from downtown and turned the ball over 12 times. VanVleet and Baker are excellent defensively but even on the interior, Shaq Morris, Rashard Kelly, Anton Grady and Rauno Nurger put together a strong night against Damian Jones, who scored just five points on 2-of-6 shooting.
Wichita State will now advance to play the six seeded Arizona Wildcats in Providence on Thursday night. While the Wildcats have the toughness to match the Shockers, this is Sean Miller’s worst nightmare, especially after watching Tuesday’s showdown.
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Fred VanVleet does it all
VanVleet is not a guy that’s going to drop 30 on you on a nightly basis and he’s not going to overpower you with his athleticism. But what he will do is take over the game with his toughness and ability to manage tempo.
VanVleet scored 14 points on 7-of-14 shooting and most importantly he dished out seven assists and had just a single turnover against Vanderbilt’s three quarter court pressure. Add in three rebounds and two steals and it’s fairly obvious why Shocker Nation loves this senior.
He’s smart, aggressive, brings a calming presence to their offense and always seems like he’s in command.
One of the main reasons why the Shockers were even on the bubble to begin with was because VanVleet missed numerous non-conference games when the team suffered losses to USC, Alabama and Iowa. The lead guard also wasn’t fully healthy in their first loss of the season to Tulsa – he shot 3-of-10.
VanVleet was elbowed in the eye against Vanderbilt, had blood gushing down his face and he still decided to tough it out.
That’s a true leader.
Three pointers were the difference
In the first frame, Wichita State didn’t nail a single shot from beyond the arc. That changed in the second when the Shockers knocked down seven trey’s on their way to 37 percent shooting from downtown.
VanVleet, Ron Baker and Connor Frankamp had the hot hands but the reason this was so critical to the team’s ability to pull out a victory was because of Vanderbilt’s defense in the paint.
Jones, Josh Henderson and Luke Kornet all measure in at 7’0″ and all three have the skills to alter and/or block shots at the rim. Wichita State has plenty of options at the forward and center positions, but none are as talented or as experienced as Jones and Kornet (especially when it comes to playing on a big stage).
The Shockers had issues finishing around the bucket and Marshall adjusted after halftime as they found ways to successfully attack Vandy’s zone.
Vanderbilt never lived up to expectations this year
The Commodores entered the season ranked in the AP Poll and were considered to be the second best team in the SEC behind Kentucky due to their plethora of shooters. Instead, they failed to live up to the expectations, finishing fifth in a weak SEC and nearly missing the Big Dance altogether.
While they shot 39 percent from downtown this season, their talented NBA prospects were inconsistent all year long.
Jones, their best big man, averaged 14.2 points per game, grabbed 6.9 rebounds per game and shot 60 percent from the floor, but he disappeared for large portions of games and he hasn’t used his physical tools to the best of his ability.
Wade Baldwin IV has all the athleticism in the world. He just makes too many boneheaded mistakes and tries to do too much.
Kornet battled injuries and Riley LaChance, who had a marvelous freshman season, averaged just 6.8 points per game and was missing down the stretch of the season.
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Jones didn’t score until the second half against the Shockers, Kornet shot 3-of-10 and Baldwin had four turnovers. LaChance scored 10 and hit a big three to cut the Commodores deficit down to two but the rest of his teammates continued to prove why they were in the First Four in the first place.