Wichita State Basketball: 3 reasons the Shockers will be fine

3. Best core in the conference

Gregg Marshall is one of the best coaches in the country. Landry Shamet, Conner Frankamp, and Markis McDuffie are the AAC’s most recognizable players. Shaquille Morris is forgotten sometimes, but the senior is averaging 12.1 points and 1.8 blocks per game this season.

On any given night, the Shockers could beat any other team in the AAC, including SMU, Houston, and Cincinnati, who they have yet to face.

It’s easy to forget that Wichita State just took residence in the AAC. The jump provides a boost in credibility and prestige for the Shockers. But it also provides a host of new problems.

There’s something to be said about familiarity. There’s always a handful of players and at least one coach who has faced each team in a conference the year before. So there’s some sense of tendencies, talent, environment – Wichita State has none of that this season.

Each game they play becomes a referendum on whether or not they should’ve changed conferences. That conversation can’t happen this year because the Shockers don’t have a strong sense of what to expect on a game-to-game basis. That would throw any program off.

Besides, it’s not like SMU and Houston are laughing stocks. They’re both vying for an NCAA Tournament berth, just like Wichita State.

Next: Analyzing Zion Williamson to Duke

Take a deep breath, Shockers – Wichita State is in a lull. Nobody will remember it when they’re playing in the middle of March.