Five things to know about how Wichita State basketball prevailed over the VCU Rams
Wichita State improved to 10-1 this season and pocketed another quality win Saturday with a 73-63 victory over VCU at Koch Arena.
Here are five things to know from the game (also a link to the news on Dexter Dennis’ leave of absence):
1. What a difference a year makes (again)
After VCU outscored the Shockers by 15 in the second half last year in Richmond for a 70-54 victory, WSU returned the favor this year in Wichita against almost the exact same team.
While the Shockers are still one of the youngest teams in the country with 10 of 13 scholarship players as either freshmen or sophomores, VCU is the 24th most-experienced team in the country, with its top six players either seniors or juniors.
“From an experience standpoint, we were stepping up a weight class or two,” WSU coach Gregg Marshall said. “You couldn’t tell it. Our guys were so focused and locked in.”
WSU won the rebounding battle, 42-37, and the turnover battle, 18-16. The Shockers knew both of those battles were crucial.
“The emphasis for us was to be the tougher team,” Burton said. “We didn’t want them to come into our building and out-tough us. We just went out there and tried to play tougher than them.”
A year after turning the ball over on 27 percent of its possessions, WSU lowered that to 21 percent Saturday. Seven of WSU’s 16 turnovers came in the final eight minutes when VCU started going all-out on its full-court pressure hunting steals.
“All of their guys are better, and they’ve added a few freshmen guards who can really handle the ball,” VCU coach Mike Rhoades said. “And they’re strong. They don’t look like freshman. That really helps them, and I think the guards have improved. They maybe weren’t as ready for our game last year that early, but they sure were ready for it (Saturday).”
“I remember last year limping to the plane after that debacle in Richmond against this very same team,” Marshall said. “I’m so proud of the guys who have been around and experienced that and now are experiencing this. I thought we played very, very well against a very good team, a well-coached team and a team that’s in the top 25 for a reason.”
WSU only trailed by one at halftime last year but collapsed in the second half. The Shockers led 18-6 before the first media timeout and never allowed their lead to dip below nine points in the final 25 minutes.
Just like it did in reversing fortunes against Oklahoma, WSU once again proved how far it has come in just a year.
“They took it to us from the start and we were playing behind the whole game,” Rhoades said. “I thought we played hard and had some opportunities to cut that lead and get back into it, but they made plays. They scrapped out a lot of rebounds and loose balls and that really hurt us today.”
2. Both coaches want the VCU-WSU series to continue
Saturday was the conclusion of a two-year series between the two programs. It marked the fifth time since 2012 the two sides have met. Three of those games were decided in the final minute.
For the same reason the two programs agreed to play the last two seasons, it makes sense to both sides to try to continue playing each other in the non-conference part of their schedules.
“If you lose, it’s not a bad loss, and if you win, it’s a quality win,” Marshall said. “It helps you get prepared for any type of style. We’ve been preparing for this game since June. The players didn’t know it, but we knew it.”
When asked about the Koch Arena environment, VCU coach Mike Rhoades said that’s why he scheduled the game.
“It was awesome, and that’s why we should continue this series and why we should keep playing,” Rhoades said. “It’s awesome at the Siegel Center, and it’s awesome here. This is what college basketball is all about. What a great experience for the players, the coaches, the fans. That’s how it should be. It’s a lot of fun. Now it’s not a lot of fun when you’re down 16, 15 points, but this is why you come to VCU to play in arenas like this and play in big games.”
Both sides clearly benefit from playing each other, but Rhoades also pointed out that non-conference scheduling often comes down to the right balance.
“We’ll certainly talk about it,” Rhoades said. “It comes down to making sure you balance the schedule correctly and you find the right dates. The series last year and this year occurred because it was the end of July and Gregg needed three and we needed three or four. We couldn’t get anyone to come play us at our place and I know (Wichita State) has the same problem. So we’ll see if we can both make it work. It’s great for both schools.”
3. Grant Sherfield shows freshman growth
A detail that Marshall has been working on with freshman Grant Sherfield was to sprint the floor in transition when he doesn’t receive the ball. Sherfield is so used to being delivered the ball as a point guard that he has sometimes forgot to sprint and fill his lane on the wing in transition.
“So I said, ‘Listen, get ahead and get a wide-open three or an open layup when you don’t push the break,’” Marshall said. “’When Noah (Fernandes) has it, run the wing. When (Jamarius Burton) or Erik (Stevenson) rebound it, you run the wing.’ We don’t outlet when a guy can rebound it and push because that saves us a step and gets the ball down quicker.”
Sherfield showed he has been listening midway through the second half when Jaime Echenique smothered a shot for a block and outlet to Fernandes. Instead of hanging back and waiting to be fed the ball, Sherfield filled his lane down the left sideline, received the pass ahead from Fernandes and attacked a back-pedaling defense for a layup and a foul.
The three-point play capped a 7-0 spurt and put the Shockers ahead 58-41 with 9:15 remaining.
“I thought the play when Noah sprayed it up the court to Grant was one of the best plays of the game,” Marshall said.
Sherfield scored nine of his team-high 14 points in the second half to help WSU close out the victory, much like he did against Oklahoma down the stretch last weekend.
“He can really handle the ball. He’s a good athlete. He’s a great free-throw shooter, so you want him out there against the pressure,” Marshall said of Sherfield. “He’s deceptive with his moves. He’s getting better at figuring out when he breaks the pressure, do I take it to the rim or do I find someone else? He made several beautiful decisions on the fly that broke the game open there late.”
4. Advantage: WSU’s three-headed monster at center
Last year in Richmond, the Shockers’ chances of winning began to spiral away when their two seniors, Markis McDuffie and Samajae Haynes-Jones, picked up two fouls midway through the first half.
This year in Wichita, the Shockers returned the favor. Echenique was aggressive early and strapped VCU’s starting center and leading scorer Marcus Santos-Silva with two fouls in the first three minutes. As a result, Santos-Silva played just 22 minutes and scored seven points — his second-lowest output of the season.
“We went right at him,” Marshall said. “It was a little bit of payback there. I was glad we were able to exploit that because he’s a tremendous player.”
Not only did WSU take Santos-Silva out of his game, but its three-man rotation at center won the battle.
While Santos-Silva and his backup, Corey Douglas, combined for 12 points and nine rebounds, WSU’s rotation of Echenique, Morris Udeze and Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler combined for 27 points and 17 rebounds.
WSU outrebounded VCU by five, 42-37, including 16 offensive rebounds.
“They had a bigger emphasis on crashing the offensive glass than we had trying to clean up the defensive glass,” VCU coach Rhoades said. “It was a huge difference, maybe the biggest difference.”
“We were the aggressors, especially early,” Marshall said. “If we missed, we got another chance. That’s how you have to play against VCU. They play so hard and they’re so trained to compete like you’re supposed to compete. That’s why I have such a respect for Mike and their program. That’s our brand, too. I’m not saying we out-competed them, but I am saying we did not take a back seat to them.”
5. Shockers take a step in mental toughness
Entering this crucial three-game stretch in December — at Oklahoma State, against Oklahoma at Intrust Bank Arena and VCU at Koch Arena — Marshall figured WSU would be in good shape with two wins.
“This basketball team, boy, we have been through quite a stretch,” Marshall said. “I knew for down the road, if we keep doing what we want to do, winning two of three would be very important, but winning all three is just icing on the cake.
“Santa came early and he had his sack full of toys and was able to pull it down the chimney and now we get to open them up in the morning. It’s a just wonderful Christmas.
“These guys, man, they’ve made me a very proud coach. And we’re just getting started.”
Now the Shockers head into Christmas with a 10-1 record, including wins over South Carolina, Oklahoma State, OU and VCU, and a likely top-25 ranking come Monday.
Since being bullied by West Virginia in the Shockers’ lone loss this season, WSU has responded by winning three straight rebounding battles against quality teams. Relying on defense and rebounding, the Shockers won Saturday’s game despite shooting 42 percent from the field and 58 percent from the foul line.
“Developing that mental toughness to figure out how to win a game like this,” Marshall said of his team’s biggest development from last year: “Last year against the pressure, we just melted. We shied away from the moment. If the ball was loose, we went after it half-heartedly.”
VCU coach Rhoades said it’s a familiar formula. Two seasons ago, VCU had to reload in Rhoades’ first season. He brought in nine newcomers and VCU went 18-15. Many of those same freshmen and sophomores who took their lumps two years ago have the Rams poised to make the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.
Rhoades said he sees similarities between VCU and WSU.
“You’ve got to go through some stuff to continue building your program and moving it forward,” Rhoades said. “It isn’t going to happen overnight. We sure wanted it to, but it doesn’t, it just doesn’t. Especially if you’re going to do it the right way.
“The No. 1 thing when I came here was I’m going to build this to last as a head coach. VCU has an unbelievable tradition, like Wichita State. But any decision you make is based on making it last, not just a quick fix. I know Coach Marshall is like that. He’s built something that’s going to last. You might have some bumps in the road, like last year for them or two years for us, but if you’re doing it the right way then it’s going to last. I think we’re both trying to do that.”
This story was originally published December 21, 2019 at 7:32 PM.
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