Five ways Wichita State basketball can end nonconference play with win over Ole Miss

The Wichita State men’s basketball team wraps up its nonconference slate with an inaugural AAC-SEC Challenge game against Mississippi at 3 p.m. Saturday in Koch Arena. The game between No. 24 WSU (12-1) and Ole Miss (9-3) will be broadcast on ESPNU.

Here are five ways the Shockers can notch a win over the Rebels on Saturday:

1. Make Ole Miss leading scorer Breein Tyree earn points

Tyree is a 6-foot-2 guard who was a top scorer in the SEC last season and flirted with turning professional this past summer. Tyree is scoring 17.1 points per game in his senior year, but his shooting percentages are down across the board.

His long-range accuracy has dipped from 38% to 32%. According to Synergy logs, Tyree’s field goal percentage around the rim has plummeted as well, dropping from 59% to 52%.

WSU has the luxury of depth, so it will likely rotate defenders on Tyree. It’s likely that Jamarius Burton (6-4, 200) will start on Tyree, which will force him to try to score over size. The Shockers could also use Tyson Etienne, Grant Sherfield and Erik Stevenson on Tyree.

Another benefit for WSU will be its wealth of shot-blockers, as Jaime Echenique, Asbjorn Midtgaard and Mo Udeze have all proven to be capable rim protectors who could force Tyree into difficult shots.

The play here seems to be to force Tyree into contested shots at the rim and try to turn him into a jump shooter. But like all great scorers, Tyree is also capable of catching fire like he did three weeks ago when he made 8 of 11 three-pointers and burned Middle Tennessee State for 34 points.

Containing Tyree will be a priority for a WSU team that has allowed just two opponents to score more than 1 point per possession this season.

2. Bombs away from deep for WSU’s sharpshooters

Ole Miss has a top-50 three-point percentage defense, as opponents are making fewer than 30% of their three-pointers against the Rebels. But a closer look at the Synergy logs show that opponents are making just 23% of their unguarded catch-and-shoot looks, which means Ole Miss’ strength is more luck than anything.

That means Ole Miss’ defense is prone to giving up open looks, but opponents just haven’t made them pay. The Shockers seem capable of doing damage this season, especially if they can manufacture looks for Tyson Etienne, who is drilling 44.7% on threes on 5.8 attempts per game.

After shooting 31% from beyond the arc last season, WSU has improved its team average to 35% this season. A lot of that is thanks to Etienne’s blazing start, but WSU has also seen notable jumps from Jamarius Burton (48% on 1.9 attempts) and Erik Stevenson (34% on 5.6 attempts) this season.

WSU hasn’t reached double-digit three-pointers since making 11 at Oklahoma State. This matchup seems favorable for the Shockers to hit at least 10 for the fifth time this season.

3. WSU needs a bounce-back effort on the glass

The Shockers had been excellent in the rebounding department since being manhandled by West Virginia, who outrebounded them by 17. In the next five games, WSU outrebounded its opponents by an average of 9.8.

That dominance ended Wednesday when ECU won the rebounding battle, 36-33, although the percentages came out to be more of a draw. Still, WSU didn’t dominate the rebounding battle like it had. The Shockers need to return to that level on Saturday.

Ole Miss is average at best when it comes to chasing its own offensive rebounds, so a good effort here by WSU means the Shockers could dominate defensive rebounding. That leaves a strength-vs.-strength matchup on WSU’s end of the court. The Shockers are excellent at offensive rebounding and Ole Miss is excellent at defensive rebounding.

Ole Miss has a sizable frontcourt with Blake Hinson (6-7, 229), KJ Buffen (6-7, 225) and Khadim Sy (6-10, 240), but the Rebels don’t have anywhere near the bench depth of WSU, which can run posts in and out to keep a fresh body on the floor. If any of Ole Miss’ starters get into foul trouble, the Rebels could be in trouble.

4. Shockers will have the depth advantage

Ole Miss is dependent on its starting five, as four of the starters average at least 28 minutes per game — where only Erik Stevenson averages 28 minutes per game for WSU. The Rebels only bring three reserves off the bench, so WSU should have the depth advantage.

Gregg Marshall has gone as deep as 12 in his rotation this season, although WSU essentially played just seven players in its 75-69 win over East Carolina on Wednesday. Marshall said afterward that was due to the absence of Dexter Dennis and Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler not being at full strength.

Dennis returned to the sidelines in the second half of the ECU game and practiced for WSU on Friday. It’s not likely he’ll play his usual minutes, but Dennis should return on the court on Saturday. Poor Bear-Chandler should also be nearing full strength, which would give WSU another post back in its rotation.

WSU didn’t have its usual surge of scoring off the bench against East Carolina. The return of Dennis and Poor Bear-Chandler should help exploit that advantage over Ole Miss.

5. Cash in at the free throw line

In its last three games, WSU is shooting just 60.7% (54 for 89) from the free throw line. That’s a lot of free points the Shockers are leaving on the table.

So far, it hasn’t prevented them from beating the likes of VCU, Abilene Christian and East Carolina. But converting on those freebies may be more important than ever on Saturday against an Ole Miss team that is averaging nearly 18 fouls per game.

Ole Miss has a slightly below-average foul rate on defense, which means it is prone to putting opponents on the line. Opponents are shooting an average of 18 free throws per game, so converting at the foul line could be key for the Shockers on Saturday.

The two Shockers in slumps currently are Jamarius Burton and Trey Wade, who went a combined 7-for-16 at the foul line in Wednesday’s win over ECU. Burton is shooting just 53% on free throws for the season, while Wade’s slump has him down at 65%.

WSU is likely going to get to the foul line a lot against Ole Miss. If the Shockers can make somewhere around 75% from the foul line, then they will increase their chances of winning.

Mississippi (9-3) at No. 24 Wichita State (12-1)

When: 3 p.m. Saturday

Where: Koch Arena (10,506), Wichita

TV: ESPNU

Streaming: WatchESPN

Radio: KEYN, 103.7 FM

Series: Ole Miss leads 3-2 (Tied 1-1 in Wichita)

Projected starters

Coach: Kermit Davis, second season, 29-16

Coach: Gregg Marshall, 13th season, 320-114

Taylor Eldridge

The Wichita Eagle

316-268-6270

Wichita State athletics beat reporter. Bringing you closer to the Shockers you love and inside the sports you love to watch.