Maui Invitational’s quality wins still mean much to Wichita State

Moving to the American Athletic Conference helps Wichita State’s strength of schedule. Playing those 11 schools is not a surefire path to desirable NCAA Tournament seeding.

The non-conference schedule still matters immensely to coach Gregg Marshall, which is why Tuesday’s announcement of the Maui Invitational brackets worked out perfectly for the Shockers.

Wichita State will play California on Nov. 20 in the Lahaina Civic Center. The Shockers avoid NCAA Division II Chaminade — often matched against the tournament favorite — and its empty power ranking. They open against a team with a new coach rebuilding a roster with one returning starter.

“Wichita State is the favorite,” ESPN’s Jay Bilas said in a news release. “They have just about all of their players returning. I think Wichita State has the chance to reach the Final Four again. That’s how good they are.”

The path to quality opponents is there for the Shockers, who will face either Marquette or VCU in the second game. Notre Dame and Michigan, also considered among the best in the field, are on the opposite side of the bracket.

“The last time we were in it (in 2010), we didn’t make the NCAA Tournament, because we ended up playing Chaminade,” Marshall said. “You need to play quality teams … as much as you can on a neutral floor.”

All games are televised on an ESPN network. WSU’s first game is scheduled for 4 p.m. on ESPN2. Wins by the Shockers keep them on ESPN or ESPN2 in favorable time slots.

“It’s a wonderful setting on that great weekend,” Marshall said. “It’s good for your program and we’re excited to be back.”

Cal went 21-13 and played in the NIT last season under former Missouri State coach Cuonzo Martin, who is now at Missouri. Assistant coach Wyking Jones took over for Martin. Jones must replace forward Ivan Rabb, taken in the second round of the NBA Draft, leading scorer Jabari Bird and point guard Charlie Moore, who transferred to Kansas.

The Bears return center Kingsley Okoroh and guard Don Coleman, who scored 26 points in an NIT loss to Cal State Bakersfield. Senior forward Marcus Lee, a transfer from Kentucky, was on the 2014 Wildcats team that defeated WSU in the NCAA Tournament. He did not play in that game.

Wichita State will make its second appearance in the tournament. In 2010, the Shockers lost to Connecticut and defeated Chaminade and Virgina.

Wichita State and Notre Dame are the summer favorites in the field. The Shockers are ranked No. 4 in the CBSSports.com summer top 25 and No. 9 by Sports Illustrated. CBSSports.com ranks Notre Dame No. 13 and Sports Illustrated ranks it No. 12.

Marquette, Michigan and VCU joined the Shockers and Irish in the 2017 NCAA Tournament.

Michigan advanced to the Sweet 16 with wins over Oklahoma State and Louisville before falling to Oregon. Notre Dame defeated Princeton and lost to West Virginia.

Coaching trees collide in Maui. Will Wade departed VCU to take over at LSU and he hired Wichita State assistant Greg Heiar. Mike Rhoades, who spent five seasons as an assistant at VCU, took Wade’s place at VCU.

▪  Marshall said he expects Hutchinson Community College guard Samajae Haynes-Jones to enter school soon. Haynes-Jones has not participated in summer workouts because he is finishing his requirements for NCAA eligibility at Hutchinson.

“He should be here soon,” Marshall said.

At an earlier kickoff for fundraising for the Dave Stallworth statue, Marshall answered a question from the audience about new players. Center Asbjorn Midtgaard, from Denmark, is the only new scholarship player on campus for the 2017-18 season.

“He’s 6-foot-11, 265 pounds walking in the door,” Marshall said. “He’s very mature … physically and mentally. He’s going to be a big body and we’ll just have to teach him our system.”

Marshall mentioned a third newcomer whom he is not allowed to mention because that player is not on campus.

“We’ve got one more that we think is going to join this (2017) class, but he has not officially signed so I can’t talk about him,” Marshall said.

Marshall is presumably referring to forward Rodgerick Brown, from Cordova, Tenn., who is in the process of graduating early from high school with the intent to join the Shockers this fall. Brown gave Wichita State a non-binding commitment last month.

▪  The Shockers, as athletic director Darron Boatright previously said, will play in the Charleston Classic in Charleston, S.C. in November 2018. Marshall said there are no future tournaments scheduled.

Zach Bush honored — Former player Zach Bush was named to the 2016-17 National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court.

Bush, who spent five seasons at WSU as a walk-on, is one of 12 athletes from the Missouri Valley Conference on the list, which recognizes academic achievement. NCAA and NAIA schools are included.

Bush, from Goddard Eisenhower High, majored in sport management and earned the MVC Elite 18 Award for academics in 2017. He was a six-time member of the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll at WSU.

Athletes must carry at least a 3.2 grade-point average and be a junior or senior.

Simon joins coaching staff — J.R. Simon, who played the past four seasons, said he will return to the program as a graduate assistant.

Simon will return to Wichita when school starts to work on his degree in sport management and help with the basketball team. Simon, from Oklahoma City, joined the Shockers as a walk-on before earning a scholarship as a senior.

“The idea of coaching is definitely in my future,” he said. “It’s always been an interest of mine and I think this will be the best way to figure out if it’s a career path.”

This story was originally published July 18, 2017 at 9:59 AM with the headline "Maui Invitational’s quality wins still mean much to Wichita State."