Wichita State Basketball: Shockers dominate Houston in AAC home opener

In their AAC home opener, Wichita State basketball routed Houston with a balanced attack and showed that they belong in the national top-10.

The final score says Wichita State beat the Houston Cougars 81-63. This score, though, is not indicative of how thoroughly the Shockers dominated this game. Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall deployed his reserve players for much of the second half due to their lead. Wichita State’s bench mob filled in nicely and contributed 26 points. Houston made a late run to narrow the score after the Shockers took their foot off the gas.

As is usually the case with Wichita State, sophomore guard Landry Shamet was the catalyst. Shamet engineered Wichita State’s offense to perfection and scored with ruthless efficiency. His 18 points came on just eight shot attempts. Shamet was great, but he was not alone.

His backcourt partner, Conner Frankamp, pitched in with 15 points on similarly efficient shooting (6-for-7 from the field). Big man Shaquille Morris showcased his versatility by netting 14 points and made both of his 3-point attempts.

Swingman Zach Brown only scored five points, but he led the team in rebounds (7) and assists (5). The Shockers were also buoyed by an encouraging performance from junior forward Markis McDuffie. Playing in just his third game back from injury, McDuffie tallied 11 points and appeared to be regaining his confidence.

Additionally, it felt like Wichita State was constantly capitalizing on Houston’s mistakes. The Shockers scored 23 points off of Cougars’ turnovers.

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The Shockers have great depth. Offensively, they can play inside-out and they have one of the best defenses in the country. Oh, and they have an incredible home-court atmosphere. Add it all up and Wichita State is one of the most dangerous teams in the country.