Wichita State finalizes opponents, dates for 2020-21 non-conference basketball schedule
With less than three weeks to go before the start of the regular season, Wichita State has finalized its men’s basketball non-conference schedule for the 2020-21 season.
Wichita State’s three games at the Crossover Classic in Sioux Falls, S.D. and matchups against Missouri, Oklahoma State and Mississippi highlight the slate, which has been limited to seven games due to requirements by the NCAA during the coronavirus pandemic.
While it’s been known for some time that WSU will open the season on Wednesday, Nov. 25 in the tournament at Sioux Falls, South Dakota, WSU’s first opponent of the season is now in doubt after Dayton pulled out of the tournament on Friday due to concerns of the spike in COVID-19 cases in the state. WSU athletic director Darron Boatright told local media this week that the Shockers still plan to play three games in the tournament from Nov. 25-27.
But the feasibility of WSU playing in the tournament is in question after the Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced Wednesday that all travelers coming to Kansas from South Dakota will face a mandatory 14-day quarantine.
As it stands now, if WSU plays the three games in the South Dakota tournament, then the two-week quarantine would not allow WSU to play its first two games at Koch Arena against Oral Roberts (Wednesday, Dec. 2) and Missouri (Sunday, Dec. 6). The team would not be able to practice during that time, which means a third game — against Oklahoma State and No. 1 recruit Cade Cunningham at INTRUST Bank Arena on Saturday, Dec. 12 — would likely be affected since that would be the first day after the 14-day quarantine.
A spokesperson for the KDHE told the Eagle on Friday that the state quarantine list is updated every two weeks with the next update expected on or around Nov. 18, a week before WSU is set to travel to South Dakota. It is possible for South Dakota to be removed from the list on the next update, although that would require a significant drop in COVID-19 cases in the state.
If South Dakota remains on the travel quarantine list on the Nov. 18 update, WSU would likely be forced to bow out of the tournament and scramble to find another multi-team event that satisfies the COVID-19 testing standards set forth by the American Athletic Conference less than a week before the start of the regular season. Duke, Ohio State, Utah and Dayton have all pulled out of the event due to concerns.
As for the rest of its nonconference slate, WSU will play its first game at Koch Arena on Dec. 2 against Oral Roberts. WSU is planning to allow fans attend Shocker home games this season, but the university is still working with the KDHE to make a final determination on what capacity will be allowed in the 10,506-seat Koch Arena this season.
If the schedule remains the same, it could be the most demanding schedule the Shockers have faced in years thanks to the AAC’s switch to a double round-robin, 20-game conference schedule this season.
There is only one “buy” game on WSU’s schedule this season — against Oral Roberts — and the nonconference slate is highlighted by three high-major opponents — Missouri (SEC), Oklahoma State (Big 12) and a Jan. 2 date at Ole Miss (SEC).
The AAC is expected to release its conference schedule “in the near future” and WSU confirmed it will release start times and television information along with it.
This story was originally published November 6, 2020 at 11:03 AM.
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