Wichita State Basketball: 3 reasons the Shockers will make the Final Four

ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 06: Wichita State Shockers fans cheer on the team in the second half against the Louisville Cardinals during the 2013 NCAA Men's Final Four Semifinal at the Georgia Dome on April 6, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

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This could be the year the Wichita State Shockers take it a step further and win the national title – but first, the Final Four.

The high performance of the Wichita State Shockers is no longer…well, a shock. We’ve come to expect the Midwest school to compete at the upper echelon of the sport, time and again.

Their bump in caliber led to a bump in conference pedigree this season; no longer did the Shockers compete in the Missouri Valley. Instead, they elevated themselves into the American, where they immediately competed for a conference title.

While Cincinnati ultimately proved to be the class of the AAC (and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament), the Shockers didn’t lag far behind. In fact, they’ve positioned themselves for a deep run in the Big Dance this month.

It won’t be easy. There are 67 other teams who think they’re capable of winning it all this spring (or at least putting a scare into their superior opponent). Besides, Wichita State is just a No. 4 seed in the big dance – in other words, the committee thinks there are at least 12 teams better than them.

But that counts for only so much at this time of the year. Instead, mental fortitude, experience, and talent are the valued assets right now; Wichita State possesses each in droves.

The Shockers also have a relatively decent coach and a pretty excitable fan base, in case you didn’t know.

Here are three reasons Wichita State will march to the Final Four.