Wichita State vs. SMU: College basketball game preview, prediction, TV schedule

The Wichita State Shockers will face one of their toughest AAC tests yet in the SMU Mustangs, who are off to a rough start in conference play.

TV Schedule: Wednesday, January 17 at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPNU

Arena: Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas.

When the Wichita State Shockers made the jump from the Missouri Valley Conference to the American Athletic Conference this season, they quickly became the league’s 2017-18 favorites.

So far, AAC play has been smooth sailing for the Shockers. They’ve won four of their five games by double-digits, most recently winning in Tulsa by three points. Two of those victories, however, have come against East Carolina and South Florida, who have combined for just one conference victory.

They’re still waiting for a proper challenge and their first game against the AAC’s other ranked team, Cincinnati, is not until February 18.

Making matters worse for the rest of the AAC, Wichita State is 6-0 since Markis McDuffie returned to the court. After a quiet first two games of the year, the junior forward has increasingly looked better on the court, finishing a rebound shy of his first double-double of the year against Tulsa.

While Wichita State is trending in the right direction with seven straight victories, SMU is sliding backward. After two wins to start conference play, the Mustangs now have losses against Tulane and Temple, sinking them to eighth in the AAC.

The NCAA Tournament seemed a likely destination at the start of the season. Now, the team has work to do to reach the Big Dance. As long as the team has Shake Milton, they have a chance. The junior guard is averaging 17.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. He can’t carry the Mustangs on his own, though.

SMU needs another scorer to step up. They have one of the best defenses in the country (61.1 points allowed), but a pedestrian offense (73.5 points scored). Unfortunately, Semi Ojeleye is not walking through that door.

Next: Where are SMU and Wichita State in our projected field?

The Mustangs lead the all-time series between the two teams, who haven’t played since 1996, 5-4. After Wednesday, expect a tied record.

Prediction: Wichita State 80, SMU 70