A look at the Wichita State-KU matchups

Time to study

Roughly 24 to 36 hours is plenty of time for fans and the media to build hype for a game. It’s not a lot of time for a basketball team to practice and study a scouting report in preparation for a new opponent.

Such are the challenges of the one-day turnaround in the NCAA Tournament. Kansas coach Bill Self figures his team knows this situation because of the several Saturday-Monday swings its faces in the Big 12. Both Kansas and Wichita State played early Friday, giving them a few extra hours to rest and prepare.

“It’s not easy, because the most important thing, over preparation and getting through their stuff and working on your stuff, is fresh minds and fresh legs,” Self said. “I like the fact that we played early, so we basically had two days to prep for this from a mental standpoint, as opposed to one.”

WSU assistant coach Steve Forbes started working on Kansas after the selection show. If Forbes used former Jayhawk Conner Frankamp, who transferred to Wichita State last fall, as a resource, coach Gregg Marshall said he wasn’t aware.

“Maybe he can remember some stuff; maybe he can’t,” Marshall said. “I don’t know. It’s been awhile since he’s worn their uniform. It’s a good question. I just don’t know the answer to it.”

You’re both welcome

Wichita State freshman Zach Brown sat in the locker room after Friday’s win over Indiana, surrounded by lights, cameras and reporters. The media crush in an NCAA locker room can’t be duplicated and in this case it welcomed a Shocker reserve to the big stage.

“A little overwhelming,” Brown said. “I was a little nervous. I’ve got to keep myself grounded and make sure I say things humble, congratulate my team and the other team and make sure I sound pretty intelligent, as well.”

Brown, a 6-foot-7 forward, does just fine in those areas and his play is rapidly improving. He scored 11 points, grabbed eight rebounds and made two steals in Friday’s 81-76 win over 10th-seeded Indiana. On Sunday, the Shockers face another team with several perimeter scorers and Brown’s height and length could be crucial in defending players such as Kelly Oubre and Wayne Selden.

Brown, like all of the WSU newcomers, endured ups and down this season. He broke through with three good games in Hawaii, but his role slipped during Missouri Valley Conference play. A concussion sidelined him for four games in early February.

On Friday, he played like he did in late December. He can make three-pointers and his desire to play defense is an asset. When Brown doesn’t play, it is usually because his motor isn’t revving high enough for coaches. His intensity wasn’t a problem against the Hoosiers.

“It feels great knowing that I worked hard,” Brown said. “(Coaches) got on me enough and also believed in me enough that I could go out there and do what I needed to do to help the team win.”

Brown foreshadowed his contribution after Thursday’s practice.

“He walks up to me in the middle of the floor and he says ‘Thanks Coach, this is really cool,’” Marshall said. “I should have been thanking him for picking us, because he had other choices, as well.”

Players on point

Wichita State guard Fred VanVleet again seized the March spotlight by scoring 27 points against Indiana. Self noticed him four years ago at a summer tournament in Indiana. By that time, he had committed to Wichita State.

“I went to my staff and I said, ‘Who is this guy? He’s better than anybody we’re recruiting,’” Self said. “We were just a little bit late.”

VanVleet, after a brief feeling-out period, controlled the pace and play of Friday’s game. He will do it again on Sunday, if the Jayhawks allow.

“A lot of people think they can play point guard,” Self said. “That’s a wishful thought. He’s a true point and he knows how to run a team. He plays at different speeds and he shoots the ball, so you have to guard him, which sets up different things.”

Kansas guard Frank Mason led the Jayhawks in scoring in three of the past six games and led them with 17 points in Friday’s win over New Mexico State.

“He really attacks downhill, like we’ve talked about Fred VanVleet attacking downhill,” Marshall said. “He can get you going right. He can get you going left. He can shoot the three. He’s a bulldog out there and a very, very talented player.”

Worth noting

Wichita State is in the round of 32 for the third straight season and will try to advance to the Sweet 16 for the second time in three seasons. The Shockers are 14-12 in the tournament and are making a record fourth straight trip. They previously made consecutive appearances in 1964-65 and 1987-88. … Kansas leads the series 12-2 and has won five straight meetings with the Shockers. Self is 2-1 against WSU, none while at KU. He last coached against WSU in a 61-60 Oral Roberts win at WSU in 1996, Scott Thompson’s last game as Shocker coach. … Kansas has lost two of its past three NCAA meetings with Missouri Valley Conference schools, falling in 2006 to Bradley and 2010 to Northern Iowa and defeating Southern Illinois in 2007.

Paul Suellentrop

This story was originally published March 21, 2015 at 7:12 PM with the headline "A look at the Wichita State-KU matchups."