Wichita State Basketball: 2019-20 takeaways from impressive win over Memphis

The Shockers’ Balance is Their Best Weapon

One of the main things I look for in an NCAA contender is well-roundedness. For most of the year, good teams can win by being dominant in a couple of facets of the game and just beating other teams’ strengths with their own. However, once we hit March, you need to be good enough everywhere that you can take advantage of any opponent’s weaknesses. Wichita State appears to be a team that fits the bill.

Wichita State’s balance was on full display against Memphis. The Tigers were forcing a ton of turnovers, scoring extremely efficiently, and shutting down opposing offenses. None of those things remained true on Thursday night. The Shockers were +8 in the turnover battle, shut down Memphis’ offense for most of the game, and Scored the 3rd most points Memphis has allowed this season. They were able to knock down 3’s and find success inside. They hurt Memphis on the offensive glass for long stretches of the game. They even got themselves to the free throw line 35 times. There wasn’t a single facet of this game where the Shockers didn’t at least have some success.

Beyond that, they had 10 players appear in Thursday’s game. Eight of them played more than 10 minutes and each one of those eight players had at least six points and three rebounds. Not only is the team as a whole extremely well-rounded, but each player has the capability of making a contribution in any game. That balance is what will make them dangerous late in this season.