Biggest test yet awaits Wichita State’s post players (+video)

The opportunity that presents itself for Wichita State’s post players isn’t unique — not for this season at least.

The setting is, though.

When Vanderbilt rolls out its two 7-footers against the Shockers’ frontcourt on Tuesday in the First Four, it will be the third time this season that WSU has faced NBA-level talent big men on the other team.

It will be the first time with the season on the line.

“They’ve got two 7-footers, basically pros,” WSU forward Shaq Morris said. “They have a dude who is very skilled inside, very athletic, supposedly an NBA prospect. They also have a guy who is 7-1 who plays the four and likes to step out and shoot the three a little. Our bigs have to step up. Evan (Wessel) will have to help out. It will take everybody.”

Vanderbilt has a projected NBA lottery pick in 7-foot junior center Damian Jones, who averages 14.2 points and 6.9 rebounds, and another skilled big man in 7-1 junior Luke Kornet, who averages 8.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.0 blocks. So Morris, Wessel, Anton Grady and Rashard Kelly will all have to pitch in. Maybe even 6-10 Rauno Nurger in a pinch.

“I think WSU has pretty solid big men, and I also think we match up pretty good,” Jones said. “We’ll just have to see what happens. Try to get deep post position, try to maintain that and stay low, have a low center of gravity.”

WSU’s success against elite big men came early in the season. Not that their production fell off, there just weren’t dominant posts in the Missouri Valley Conference to face aside from Evansville’s Egidijus Mockevicius, and the Shockers swept the Aces this season.

In back-to-back December wins against UNLV and Utah, WSU was able to keep both UNLV’s 7-foot center, Stephen Zimmerman and 7-1 Utah center Jakob Poeltl way below their season averages and turned them into non-factors by drawing them away from the basket on defense with pick-and-rolls at the top of the key and by muscling up against them and limiting their touches.

Zimmerman was held to 11 points and six rebounds in 31 minutes, and Poeltl had 11 points and nine rebounds in 31 minutes. Poeltl came in averaging 21.3 points and 9.9 rebounds. Zimmerman came in averaging 10.3 points and 9.1 rebounds.

“That’s just good coaching,” Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings said. “That’s just knowing how to coach and get guys out of position and taking advantage of it.”

And as WSU has had success against teams with a 7-footer, they “haven’t faced a team with 7-footers,” as WSU guard Ron Baker put it on Monday in Dayton. Emphasis on the plural.

“Two talented big men,” WSU forward Anton Grady said. “One projected to be a first-rounder. Our big guys have always been up to the challenge. We love the opportunity to get out there and show what we can do. We’re ready for it.”

This story was originally published March 14, 2016 at 9:14 PM with the headline "Biggest test yet awaits Wichita State’s post players (+video)."