Wichita State Basketball: What makes the Shockers a contender?

LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 22: The Wichita State Shockers bench and fans celebrate a point during the first half of the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irishat the Maui Invitational at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 22, 2017 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /

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WICHITA, KS – JANUARY 07: Shamet /

Terrific guard play leads the way

One of the biggest parts of every championship team is guard play. The incredible NCAA Tournament runs of Stephen Curry and Kemba Walker have been well-documented but those were not flash-in-the-pan instances. In fact, the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award has been given to a point guard in each of the last four seasons.

When it comes to crunch time, every championship-caliber team needs a guard that they can give the ball to that can create something out of nothing. This can come in the form of a deadly stepback (looking at you, Kemba) or by finding the open shooter at the right time. For Wichita State, Landry Shamet is that guy.

Now in his sophomore season, Shamet has emerged as the frontrunner to win the AAC Player of the Year and should be on watchlists to be an All-American. Even at a time when Jalen Brunson and Fletcher Magee are playing college basketball, it is Shamet who might be the most efficient guard in the nation.

For the season, Shamet is averaging 16.1 points per game while connecting on 58.0% of his shots within the arc, 52.7% of his 3-point shots, and 84.9% of his free throw attempts. These numbers are absolutely incredible across the board but it is his ability to score inside the 3-point arc that impresses me the most. For a guard to be so efficient finishing from mid-range and around the basket is absolutely remarkable.

In addition to his scoring ability, Shamet can also take control of the game from a playmaking standpoint. Shamet is dishing out 4.7 assists per game this season while limiting his turnovers to just 1.9 per contest.