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Wichita State Basketball: What to make of Gregg Marshall’s Shockers

By Carmine Carcieri

Feb 9, 2017; Wichita, KS, USA; Wichita State Shockers head coach Gregg Marshall calls out instructions against the Missouri State Bears during the second half at Charles Koch Arena. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 9, 2017; Wichita, KS, USA; Wichita State Shockers head coach Gregg Marshall calls out instructions against the Missouri State Bears during the second half at Charles Koch Arena. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports /
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Wichita State basketball continues to cruise through conference play in the Missouri Valley.

After the 2015-16 season ended with a defeat in the Round of 32 against the Miami Hurricanes in Providence, the Wichita State Shockers said goodbye to two of the most impactful players in the program’s history. Fred VanVleet, the team’s fearless point guard, and Ron Baker, one of the roster’s elite perimeter defenders and most consistent shot makers, were gone.

Related Story: Shockers blow out Illinois State at home

But Gregg Marshall and company made the most of their departure. Instead of flipping into full rebuilding mode, the Shockers were awfully competitive in one of the best preseason tournaments in the nation (Battle 4 Atlantis), proving that their defense, depth, and culture could carry them to yet another NCAA Tournament.

The Shockers have an odd profile — they have just one top 50 win against Illinois State — but they have passed the eye test by ripping through the Missouri Valley Conference.

Sure, they lost at Illinois State, but they also beat the Redbirds by 41 at home and have won 11 straight games. With a 26-4 overall record and a 16-1 conference record, the Shockers should play in their sixth straight NCAA Tournament as long as they don’t suffer any bad losses between now and Selection Sunday.

Basically, that means that Wichita State cannot lose to anyone other than Illinois State, which is more than a realistic task given the fact that they are the favorite to earn the league’s auto bid.

In terms of the state of their roster, the Shockers have the goods to make a run if they do indeed reach the field of 68. They have versatile bigs (Shaq Morris, Darral Willis Jr., Rashard Kelly and Zach Brown), a plethora of guards, including Conner Frankamp and Landry Shamet, and a talented wing in Markis McDuffie.

Next: Where does Wichita State stand in the latest Bracketology?

There’s also a reason why Marshall is coveted by nearly every team that has a coaching opening. He has instilled a tradition of winning at Wichita State and they have carried that beyond VanVleet and Baker, who certainly won’t be walking through that door before the calendar flips to March.