WSU takeaways: Players determined not to become Marshall’s worst defensive team

Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall summed it up with his opening remark at the post-game press conference following WSU’s 89-80 victory over Arkansas State at Koch Arena on Tuesday.

“For all the fans who were hoping we could play some close games this year, that one’s for you,” Marshall said.

Samajae Haynes-Jones scored 27 points to help WSU improve to 9-2. The Shockers wrap up the non-conference slate against Florida Gulf Coast on Friday. Here are three takeaways from WSU’s performance on Tuesday:

1. Best offense, worst defense?

After Arkansas State became the third straight team to score at least 50 points against WSU in a first half in Wichita, Zach Brown challenged his teammates in the locker room and asked if they wanted to be known as the best offensive team or the worst defensive team under Marshall.

“I think that’s a really good point,” Landry Shamet said. “That’s kind of where we’re headed and I don’t think any of those guys in there want to be like that. A lot of it was just us blowing schemes and doing things we shouldn’t do or don’t normally do. We’ll clean it up.”

Tuesday was statistically WSU’s worst defensive performance of the season, as Arkansas State finished scoring at 1.19 points per possession. It is the fifth time this season WSU has allowed an opponent to score more than 1 point per possession, which used to be a rarity under Marshall.

“It’s pretty concerning for a guy who likes to defend and rebound,” Marshall said. “I just hope everything comes back to the mean. I hope it’s not just we’re terrible defensively. I hope that’s not the case.”

Deven Simms scored 30 points for Arkansas State and became the seventh player in 11 games to score at least 25 points against WSU’s defense, another concern.

“The best player on the other team has got their numbers, got their averages,” WSU senior Rashard Kelly said. “We aren’t dictating or determining what they do on offense. We are on our heels letting them do what they want and then we react from that. At halftime, we had to take pride and really be men. We dug deep and I think we matured as a whole in the locker room.”

So does WSU possess what it takes to be a great defensive team?

“That will be determined,” Marshall said. “I’m not going to say yes or no. That will be determined. It will play itself out.”

2. A three-point problem

Opponents are taking three-pointers at a record-pace for the Marshall era against WSU this season.

More than 45 percent of opponents’ shots are three-pointers, which is the 17th-highest rate in the country. Arkansas State made 11 three-pointers on Tuesday and became the fifth team to make double-digit three-pointers against the Shockers this season.

“It’s just us sitting down and wanting to guard and taking it a little more personal and having more intensity, which we needed to do from the first minute,” Landry Shamet said. “They were hitting tough shots in the first half and we weren’t guarding them as well as we did in the second half.”

Marshall pointed out that WSU didn’t change anything it did schematically from the first to second half, despite what the shooting numbers might indicate. ASU shot 62 percent in the first half and made 10 of 16 three-pointers, while it shot 35 percent and made 1 of 11 three-pointers in the second half.

“It’s the law of averages,” Marshall said. “Our defense was horrible in the first half and then very good in the second half and we didn’t change a thing. What does that tell you? I know it doesn’t make for a great story for you to write, but that’s just the way it is.”

Shamet said WSU needs to bring the urgency it played with in the second half for an entire game.

“That intensity down the stretch needs to come earlier and we need to not wait,” Shamet said. “I’ve got confidence in myself and I’ve got confidence in the rest of our guys that we’ll do what we did in the second half for a whole game.”

3. Kelly still has the ups

The highlight play of WSU’s 15-2 run that ended up being the winning surge was a transition play with Shamet attacking the defense then shuffling a pass to Kelly at the free throw line.

Kelly took one dribble, planted with two feet, then rose above a defender and dunked to ignite the Koch Arena crowd.

“That’s what I like to do,” said Kelly, who finished with nine points, eight rebounds, and five assists. “I don’t like shooting jump shots. That’s what I try to do every day.”

But the play still took his teammates and coach by surprise.

“I didn’t think he was going to get there,” Marshall said.

“I know he’s athletic, but that was kind of different,” Shamet added. “I haven’t seen him do nothing like that. That was like Larry Nance, way above the rim. It was crazy. That play speaks for itself.”

This story was originally published December 19, 2017 at 11:18 PM with the headline "WSU takeaways: Players determined not to become Marshall’s worst defensive team."