Here’s why Wichita State fans can expect a unique broadcast for Sunday’s game at UConn
So how did Gregg Marshall celebrate Wichita State’s triumphant 76-67 victory over No. 21 Memphis on Thursday night? With some Friday-morning Pilates.
Nuggets like that can be expected from Shocker fans during a special CBS Sports Network broadcast at 11 a.m. Central time Sunday when No. 23 Wichita State (14-1, 2-0 American) rolls into Hartford to take on Connecticut (10-5, 1-2 AAC) at the off-campus XL Center.
For the past week, analysts Steve Lappas (with UConn) and Pete Gillen (with WSU) have been embedded with the teams. They’ve been in film studies, in practices, in shootarounds, in the locker room, and yes, even in Pilates class.
The telecast will have limited commercials, allowing more time for Lappas and Gillen to give viewers analysis and insight from the eyes of a coach. They will break down plays and provide viewers with a unique look at the game and the teams.
“I’ve known Gregg for a long time, so I’m thrilled,” Gillen, who last coached at Virginia from 1998-05, told The Eagle. “He’s done an unbelievable job at Wichita State, so it’s been good to be around him this week.”
Marshall is in the midst of one of his best coaching jobs to date.
WSU was picked to finish fourth in the American Athletic Conference with a roster comprised of mostly freshmen and sophomores who were expected to be too young to challenge for a conference title.
The Shockers have shattered that narrative following their win over preseason favorite Memphis. They extended their winning streak to eight games and moved to 14-1, the fifth-best start in program history.
Spending this past week watching how maniacal Marshall can be with details has given Gillen an inside look at just how the coach is putting Wichita State back into the national spotlight.
“He’s so intense, I’m a little surprised he actually does Pilates,” Gillen joked. “But he’s so focused on the task at hand. He’s a great teacher, which all of the great coaches are. He’s learned from some great coaches himself. He loves coaching and he loves teaching and he’s great with the players. They know he cares about them.
“In the film session (Friday), he showed them the good, the bad and the ugly. He’s positive with them, but he also gets on them. That’s what the great coaches do. He gives his players confidence, but he also corrects them.”
Marshall’s chief task for Sunday’s game against UConn will be to reset his players’ minds following such an emotional win on Thursday. It’s a short turnaround with limited time to prepare an extensive game plan for the Huskies.
UConn has once again been streaky with a win over Florida and also a loss to Saint Joseph’s at home. The Huskies were blown out in their conference-opening road swing at Cincinnati and South Florida, but rebounded Wednesday with a 67-61 home win over Tulane.
Marshall was already trying to set the tone in the moments after the Memphis victory.
“We’ll have to play better than we did tonight to win two games on the road against UConn and Temple (on Wednesday),” Marshall said. “It doesn’t get any easier.”
The Shockers have silently pieced together a seven-game road winning streak, the second-longest in the nation. But they’ve only tacked on one victory to that streak this season, albeit an impressive performance in an 80-61 victory at Oklahoma State on Dec. 8.
Still, proving themselves on the road is something that this group of players will have to do in their quest for a conference championship. They seemed to recognize that, even after their biggest win of the season on Thursday.
“This is a big win and it’s good for our resume and our ranking, but tomorrow is a new day of practice and another day of film,” WSU sophomore Erik Stevenson said. “On the road at UConn is a whole different thing. It’s kind of like playing here sometimes. (Memphis) is a big win and we’ll celebrate, but tomorrow it’s on to the next one.”
That has been the thing that has impressed Gillen the most in his time with the Shockers: how mature and how together this WSU team has become.
“They seem to me like a very tight-knit group,” Gillen said. “They care for each other. They pull for each other. They don’t have any superstars. They have some terrific players, some excellent players. But the thing that stands out to me is how much they respect each other, how much they respect Coach Marshall and how motivated they are to return Wichita State to that high bar they’re used to.”
No. 23 Wichita State (14-1, 2-0) at Connecticut (10-5, 1-2)
When: 11 a.m. Central time Sunday
Where: XL Center (15,564) in Hartford, Connecticut
TV: CBS Sports Network (Ch. 643 on AT&T, Ch. 260 on Cox, Ch. 221 on DirecTV, Ch. 158 on Dish)
Streaming: CBSSports.com (subscription required)
Radio: KEYN, 103.7 FM
Series: WSU leads 3-2 (Series tied 1-1 at UConn)
Projected starters
| No. | Connecticut | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Gr. | Pts. | Reb. | Ast. |
| 3 | Alterique Gilbert | G | 6-0 | 180 | Jr. | 9.3 | 2.7 | 4.9 |
| 1 | Christian Vital | G | 6-2 | 177 | Sr. | 13.5 | 6.9 | 2.7 |
| 12 | Tyler Polley | G | 6-8 | 200 | Jr. | 9.5 | 3.2 | 0.6 |
| 23 | Akok Akok | F | 6-9 | 193 | Fr. | 6.7 | 6.3 | 0.7 |
| 25 | Josh Carlton | C | 6-10 | 235 | Jr. | 9.7 | 6.5 | 0.5 |
Coach: Dan Hurley, second season, 26-22
| No. | Wichita State | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Gr. | Pts. | Reb. | Ast. |
| 2 | Jamarius Burton | G | 6-4 | 200 | So. | 10.9 | 3.8 | 3.9 |
| 1 | Tyson Etienne | G | 6-1 | 192 | Fr. | 10.5 | 1.9 | 1.5 |
| 10 | Erik Stevenson | G | 6-3 | 198 | So. | 13.9 | 5.4 | 2.6 |
| 5 | Trey Wade | F | 6-6 | 219 | Jr. | 8.6 | 6.7 | 1.5 |
| 21 | Jaime Echenique | C | 6-11 | 258 | Sr. | 9.5 | 4.9 | 0.5 |
Coach: Gregg Marshall, 13th season, 322-114
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