Wichita State Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Shockers

By Brian Rauf | Oct 2, 2018

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KY - FEBRUARY 18: Gregg Marshall the head coach of the Witchita State Shockers gives instructions to his team during the 76-72 win over the Cincinnati Bearcats at BB&T Arena on February 18, 2018 in Highland Heights, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

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WICHITA, KS – JANUARY 07: Markis McDuffie #32 of the Wichita State Shockers defends Justin Brown #13 of the South Florida Bulls during the first half on January 7, 2018 at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /

Projected starters

Samajae Haynes-Jones
Haynes-Jones will compete for the starting point guard spot with JUCO All-American Ricky Torres, but the senior figures to have the inside track on the award. He fell out of the rotation late in the year but, on a team with this much turnover, his leadership on the court will be key.

Ricky Torres
Wichita State is excited about Torres, who averaged 17.2 points and 8.1 assists per game at Missouri State-West Plains last year. Those numbers were good enough to earn him JUCO All-American honors. His playmaking abilities will make him a major factor in the rotation – the only question is how many minutes he’ll get. How he plays alongside Haynes-Jones will be something to watch early on.

Rod Brown
Speaking of defensive upside, many in program expect Brown to be their best defender after he redshirted a year ago. He’s long and lanky at 6-7 and 205 pounds, and that length really plays to his advantage on that end of the court.

Markis McDuffie
Marshall usually likes to play a traditional two-big lineup, but given this team’s lack of experience in the frontcourt, I expect him to utilize their versatility on the wing – and that means playing 6-8 Markis McDuffie as a small-ball four. McDuffie will be tasked with carrying the load offensively as the Shockers hope he can return to his 2016-17 form when he led them in scoring.

Asbjorn Midtgaard
Midtgaard was used very minimally as a freshman, playing 49 total minutes in nine appearances. That’s not much, but it’s more experience than any other big man fighting for minutes has. Plus, the seven-footer has the size to anchor the Shockers on the glass and serve as their rim protector.