Wichita State basketball focused on returning to its rebounding roots against USF

Defensive rebounding has been a staple of success for the Wichita State men’s basketball team, as the Shockers finished top-40 in the country in the category in all but one of Gregg Marshall’s 13 seasons with the program.

That advantage has not carried over to this season, as WSU ranks No. 287 in defensive rebounding through five games this season under interim coach Isaac Brown.

Brown knows WSU’s rebounding must improve if the team wants to come away with its second straight road victory in American Athletic Conference play when the Shockers (3-2, 1-0 AAC) take on South Florida (5-2, 1-0 AAC) at 6 p.m. Tuesday. The game in Tampa will be streamed on ESPN+.

USF features one of the top front lines in the conference with 6-foot-8 junior Alexis Yetna (11.6 points, 7.1 rebounds) and 7-foot junior Michael Durr (9.1 points, 6.4 rebounds). The Bulls rank 30th nationally in offensive rebounding this season.

“We’ve got to box out. We’ve got to gang rebound. We’ve got to have all five guys going to the glass every time the ball is shot,” Brown said. “It’s going to be a total team effort. They’re a great rebounding team and they’re athletic, so we’ve got to do a good job on the glass.”

WSU’s decline in defensive rebounding this season has directly correlated with fewer rebounds recovered by the team’s big men.

Last season, 7-footer Jaime Echenique was a dominant rebounder who grabbed 25% of defensive rebounds when he was on the floor. For reference, Asbjorn Midtgaard (19%), Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler (16%), Morris Udeze (17%) and Trey Wade (16%) all hovered at the same rate.

This season, the defensive rebounding rates for Poor Bear-Chandler (6%), Udeze (10%) and Wade (12%) have all plummeted. After Udeze’s career-high 18 points against Emporia State on Friday, Brown said he pulled Udeze aside and said he wants to see more than the three rebounds he grabbed.

“Three’s not enough,” Brown said. “Our guards are doing a good job of rebounding down, but I think it would be very helpful for our bigs to step up and get some rebounds.”

With the way that WSU preaches rebounding, centers aren’t always supposed to grab the most rebounds. The Shockers tell their power forward and center to seal their man with a box-out every shot attempt, which barricades the other team’s best rebounders and allows WSU’s guards to swoop in unencumbered and sky for rebounds.

That’s how guard Ron Baker was the leading rebounder on a team that finished fourth nationally in defensive rebounding in the 2015-16 season and how Markis McDuffie was the leading rebounder in the 2016-17 season on a team with superb big-men rebounders like Rashard Kelly, Shaquille Morris and Darral Willis.

WSU may have found its next great wing rebounder in 6-foot-6 freshman Ricky Council, who leads WSU with 6.3 rebounds per game in just 14.5 minutes off the bench. Council is grabbing 33.4% of available defensive rebounds, which would rank No. 9 in the country if he played enough minutes. For further reference, Garrett Stutz posted the best defensive rebounding rate (27.3%) for a season under Marshall.

“Ricky just has a knack for getting to the basket,” Brown said. “He’s athletic enough to go up in traffic and get tough rebounds.”

“I just go out there and use my athleticism, to be honest,” Council said. “I make sure my guy isn’t crashing first and if he does, then I box out, but if he’s not, then I just jump up and go get it honestly.”

WSU believes it has the personnel to be a great defensive rebounding team with plus-rebounders on the wings in Council, Dexter Dennis and Clarence Jackson. But in order to fulfill that potential, the Shockers will need better production from the center position and that must start Tuesday.

USF grabbed 15 offensive rebounds and dominated the rebounding battle in its 74-71 upset at Cincinnati last Wednesday to open AAC play. The Shockers are determined not to let the Bulls control the glass again.

“Our mentality is go down there and play the right way,” Brown said. “We want to defend. We want to rebound. We want to play with toughness and make sure we’re doing a good job of getting back on defense. Transition defense is always huge on the road. And we’re going to have to do a good job rebounding against a big, physical, athletic team.”

Wichita State at South Florida

Records: WSU 3-2, 1-0 AAC; USF 5-2, 1-0 AAC

When: 6 p.m. CT

Where: Yuengling Center, Tampa, Florida

Radio: KEYN, 103.7-FM

Streaming: ESPN+

Projected starters

Coach: Isaac Brown, first season, 3-2

Coach: Brian Gregory, fourth season, 53-55

This story was originally published December 21, 2020 at 12:01 PM.

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.