Here’s how Wichita State basketball is preparing for rebounding battle against Houston
The key for the Wichita State men’s basketball team to win on Thursday in a first-place showdown against No. 6 Houston is a simple one.
In the mind of WSU interim coach Isaac Brown, the 6 p.m. game at Koch Arena (ESPN2) will come down to one thing for the Shockers.
“We’ve got to rebound,” Brown said. “All the other stuff will work itself out. We’re going to miss some shots and they’re going to miss some shots, but if we can win the battle of the boards then that’s going to give us a great chance. But it’s easier said than done.”
Especially when you consider the monumental task for the Shockers when it comes to defensive rebounding.
Houston ranks No. 1 in the country in offensive rebounds per game (13.8) and No. 1 in the country in offensive rebounding percentage (40.1%). Meanwhile, WSU ranks No. 333 in the country (out of 347 teams) in defensive rebounding percentage (66.7%).
That means it will take an extraordinary effort from WSU to accomplish Brown’s goal of winning the rebounding battle. In practice, the Shockers have begun their preparation for arguably the biggest game of the season. WSU (12-4, 8-2 AAC) can vault Houston (15-2, 11-2 AAC) for first place in the American Athletic Conference in winning percentage.
Brown has WSU playing four-minute scrimmages where offensive rebounds count as one point. That gives both sides an incentive to crash the glass and box out.
“And if your team loses, then you get on the line and run,” Brown said. “We’re seeing more guys go to the offensive glass and then guys are being forced to check out more often. Houston is going to put a lot of pressure on you, so we just try to simulate that in practice. We’ve got to compete on the glass.”
Scoring efficiently against Houston’s defense has been another issue for the Shockers in recent games. WSU found success for a good chunk of the game this season in Houston, even taking a 10-point lead over the Cougars early in the second half, but a seven-minute scoring drought sunk WSU in an eventual 70-63 loss on Jan. 6.
Houston has traditionally been a difficult matchup for WSU because the Cougars excel in ball-screen coverage and their aggressive double teams in the post prevent WSU from playing its preferred style of inside-out.
“We’re going to have to share the ball and take good shots,” Brown said. “They’re a tough team to run ball screens against because they’re the best (ball screen) team in the country. And they’re a tough team to throw the ball in the post to. So we’re going to have to rebound and get out in transition and get some easy baskets. We’re going to have to drive and kick and then we’re going to have to step up and make some open shots.
“We’re going to have to execute, but the No. 1 key is still going to be rebounding.”
This story was originally published February 16, 2021 at 12:59 PM.
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