NCAA Basketball: Big Ten record bids, Baylor as #1, and more weekly takeaways

3) Wichita State looks capable of a deep March run

Wichita State put some validity behind their 14-1 record over the last month, picking up wins over Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, VCU, and, most recently, Memphis. Their victory over the Tigers this week clearly puts them in the driver’s seat in the American, but head coach Gregg Marshall told reporters he’s not getting ahead of himself.

"“All it does is make us 2-0 and them 1-1. There is a lot of basketball left to be played, 16 more games.”"

If we are going to get ahead of ourselves, though, there’s a lot to like about this group. When the Shockers were making long NCAA Tournament runs in the mid-2010s, they did so with stingy defense and a balanced offensive attack, albeit with a few stars leading the way.

This season, Wichita State has found that same identity with a talented and deep group. Their defense ranks in the top 20 nationally and have only allowed 70 or more points twice – once in their lone loss to West Virginia, and once against Oklahoma. They have eight players that average over eight points per game, including five that average nine points per game.

That group is led by Erik Stevenson, who is first on the team in points (19.3) and steals (1.9) per game but Jamarius Burton, Tyson Etienne, and Dexter Dennis are all capable of going off as well.

The only thing Wichita State seems to lack is experience as their rotation is almost entirely made up of freshmen and sophomores, but they do everything at a high level. If this group can maintain this level of play, expect them to win the American – and a few games in the NCAA Tournament