Wichita State men’s basketball ready for NCAA-caliber test in Tuesday’s season opener

Jacksonville State may not have the program prestige or come from a power conference like some nonconference opponents for the Wichita State men’s basketball team, but it could very well have something in common with them at the end of this season: playing in the NCAA Tournament.

With 96% of its scoring back from an 18-win team and a roster dotted by high-major transfers, Jacksonville State poses a formidable challenge for the Shockers to open the 2021-22 season when the teams meet for a 7 p.m. tipoff Tuesday night in Koch Arena.

Merely showing up and relying on their athleticism to take over will not be enough for the Shockers. In order to avoid another season-opening loss like the 13-point loss to Louisiana Tech at home three years ago, WSU will have to play well.

“We want to play a good nonconference schedule and Jacksonville State is always at the top of their league,” WSU coach Isaac Brown said. “They have an experienced coach and a lot of guys coming back. It wouldn’t surprise me if they won their conference championship. They’re that good. They’ve got a good basketball team, so we got to get up for the challenge.”

A season after finishing as one of the 20 worst defensive rebounding teams in Division I, WSU coaches and players have spent much of this offseason speaking about their renewed commitment to rebounding. The Shockers’ resolve will be tested immediately.

Jacksonville State was one of the best (No. 45 nationally) teams at grabbing its own misses last season and returns a massive front line headlined by Brandon Huffman, a 6-foot-10, 255-pound towering center who averaged 10.4 points and 6.5 rebounds last season and played his first three seasons at North Carolina. The Gamecocks also feature Georgia transfer Amanze Ngumezi, a 6-9, 245-pound stretch forward, and Kayne Henry, a superb 6-7 athlete who is tough to keep the offensive glass.

It’s quite the opening challenge for what will once again be an undersized WSU front line that will likely start 6-7 Joe Pleasant and 6-8 Morris Udeze.

“We’ve got to defend at a high level and rebound at a high level,” Brown said. “We can’t allow second shots. We weren’t one of the better rebounding teams in the country last year and that’s something we really worked on this summer. We talked about rebounding and rebounding and making sure we check guys out. That’s something going into the game if you don’t get a check out, you’re probably going to come out. So you’ve got to rebound.”

Udeze does have a track record of holding his own against much bigger centers, most recently in WSU’s NCAA Tournament loss to Drake where Udeze scored a career-high 22 points while also limiting Drake’s 6-10, 275-pound center Darnell Brodie to nine points.

It will take a similar effort to contain Huffman.

“(Udeze) did his work early on defense,” Brown said. “We’ve got to do a good job of making sure we get the double teams there early and making sure we’re digging early in the post and just making sure we’re in the right position. That’s what we talked with Morris about all summer was being in the right position and that will keep you out of foul trouble.”

Jacksonville State will likely start an all-senior lineup and has plenty of firepower on the perimeter, starting with 6-3 guard Darian Adams, who averaged 15.7 points and is a threat beyond the arc. The team also returns a veteran point guard in Jalen Finch, a high-risk, high-reward passer and reliable shooter who averaged 11.0 points and 4.8 assists last season. The team also adds an impact transfer in Jalen Gibbs, a 6-3 wing who scored 16.5 points per game at Mount St. Mary’s last season.

But if WSU comes even close to its potential, this is a game it has the firepower to win.

Brown said on Monday that the team has been practicing well since its lone exhibition game and he wants to see WSU play together on the offensive end in its season-opening performance on Tuesday.

“We’ve got to trust our teammates in this game,” Brown said. “Really share the ball and make sure we’re connected on the offensive end and on the defensive end. And we have to have low turnovers. We can’t turn the ball over. We don’t want to make it easy for them. We’ve got to go out and execute on offense and try to get easy baskets and defend, rebound and play with toughness.

“Any team can beat you on any given night if you’re not ready. So we’ve got to be ready to go.”

Jacksonville State at Wichita State basketball preview

When: 7:02 p.m. Tuesday

Where: Koch Arena (10,506), Wichita

Streaming: ESPN+ (Shane Dennis and Bob Hull)

Radio: 103.7 FM (Mike Kennedy and Dave Dahl)

Tickets: Call 316-978-3267 or visit goshockers.com/tickets

Series: WSU leads 1-0 (1-0 in Wichita)

Last meeting: WSU won 69-65 on Dec. 12, 2018

KenPom says: WSU 77, JSU 67

Starting lineups

Jacksonville State Gamecocks (0-0)

Coach: Ray Harper, sixth season, 98-65

* = Gibbs’ 2020-21 stats from Mount St. Mary’s

Wichita State Shockers (0-0)

Coach: Isaac Brown, second season, 16-6

* = Pleasant’s 2020-21 stats from Abilene Christian

This story was originally published November 8, 2021 at 2:46 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.