Wichita State Basketball: 3 thoughts on non-conference schedule

Wichita State Basketball: 3 thoughts on 2018-19 non-conference schedule

ST. LOUIS, MO - MARCH 5: Head coach Gregg Marshall of the Wichita State Shockers directs his players against the Illinois State Redbirds during the Missouri Valley Conference Basketball Tournament Championship game at the Scottrade Center on March 5, 2017 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /

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SAN DIEGO, CA – MARCH 16: The Wichita State Shockers looks on late in the second half against the Marshall Thundering Herd during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena on March 16, 2018 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

The early season tournament

Wichita State will grind it out in one of the early season’s more prestigious tournaments, the Charleston Classic.

They begin the tournament on November 15 against Davidson, who was seeded lower in the NCAA Tournament last year but faced the same fate: a first-round exit.

Based on the result of that game, Wichita State will either play Appalachian State or Purdue. The Mountaineers hung around .500 all of last season and didn’t make a postseason appearance. But the Boilermakers made the Sweet Sixteen last year and boast one of the best players in the nation in Carsen Edwards.

They lost a lot of key pieces in the offseason, but Purdue should still be a Top 25 team.

There’s a number of teams Wichita State can meet at the end of the line. Ball State and Northeastern both don’t seem to be terribly likely options. Alabama and Virginia Tech, on the other hand, are.

Both of those teams made the NCAA Tournament last year (and played each other) and should be in for more solid play this year.

The Shockers will obviously hope to get out of Charleston with a 3-0 record in the tournament. Based on the contenders, a 2-1 record seems much more probable.