Wichita State Basketball: 3 thoughts on 2018-19 non-conference schedule
Major conference foes
Outside of the Charleston Classic, the Shockers face three teams that can be considered major conference opponents; two of those three contests will take place away from the friendly confines of Wichita.
The first comes on November 9, in the Veterans Classic. Wichita State will head to Annapolis – home of the Naval Academy – and face the Providence Friars.
Last year, Providence won the 2K Sports Classic and were a sleeper team in the NCAA Tournament before falling to Texas A&M in the first round.
On the first day of December, the Baylor Bears come to town. Baylor won the CBE Hall of Fame Classic last year and earned a top seed in the NIT, where they fell in the second round to Mississippi State. They lost some big players in the offseason, but Scott Drew always has his team competing.
Finally, there’s a “neutral” site game against Oklahoma at the home of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Sadly for the Sooners, Trae Young won’t be taking the court in a red and white uniform. Again, this is a major conference team that could be reeling from losses, but will always be competitive.
In a vacuum, this non-conference schedule doesn’t seem terribly intimidating. There are no obvious Top 25 opponents outside of Purdue, who the Shockers may avoid altogether.
But the schedule has to be seen in the context of Wichita State’s own woes. They aren’t bound to be the same Shockers of old this year, at least not at the beginning of the season. Their opponents may seem weak, but they will be as well.
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Their non-conference play will reveal a lot about Wichita State’s aspirations this season.