Wichita State basketball ready for biggest challenge yet with Arizona game in Vegas

The biggest — in every sense of the word — test of the season awaits the Wichita State men’s basketball team upon its arrival in Las Vegas.

After fending off three straight feisty mid-major teams at Koch Arena, the Shockers will have a significant step up in competition when they take on a college basketball blue blood, Arizona, in the semifinals of the Roman Main Event at 9 p.m. Central time Friday at T-Mobile Arena. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.

In their first year under coach Tommy Lloyd, the former Gonzaga assistant, the Wildcats (3-0) have looked like a well-oiled machine. Granted, the competition level has been low, but Arizona is averaging 94 points per game with a 45-point average margin of victory.

Not only is Arizona figuratively the biggest challenge yet for WSU, but it is also literally the biggest challenge. The Wildcats are the tallest team in the country, per KenPom, headlined by a frontcourt of 6-foot-11 Azuolas Tubelis and 7-foot-1 Christian Koloko that take full advantage of their size — the duo is averaging 30 combined points and make Arizona the toughest defense to score against inside (No. 1 in effective field goal defense and No. 1 in two-point shooting defense).

It’s true Arizona hasn’t faced a defense as stingy as WSU, but it’s also true the Shockers have yet to see anything that remotely resembles the talent, length, size and execution of the Wildcats. It will be a monumental challenge for WSU’s starting front line of Joe Pleasant and Morris Udeze, who will give up a combined nine inches.

“We’re always up for the challenge,” Udeze said. “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”

“(WSU) is a tough, blue-collar program,” Lloyd said. “Their players have chips on their shoulders. They’ll fight you. It’s going to be a physical battle. I think we’re built for that. We know it’s going to get tested.”

Arizona is unique in that it wants to speed the game up, rather than slow it down to capitalize on its size advantage. Tubelis and Koloko run well for their size and Arizona has looked more like the Showtime Lakers this season — averaging 23.3 assists for the No. 1 assist rate (74%) in the country and playing at the fourth-fastest tempo on offense — than what you would expect from a team that has so much frontcourt scoring.

The Wildcats entered the season with some uncertainty due to the roster turnover and a first-year coach, but Lloyd has his team looking like a legitimate top-25 team in the country already.

“We are going to try to play the way we’ve been establishing and we know it’s going to get tested,” Lloyd said. “Maybe some better athletes, maybe some better athletes, a higher level of talent.”

That means WSU should have its first crack at landing a Quadrant 1 win on Friday with Arizona almost assuredly finishing in the top-50 of the NET rankings, the requirement for neutral-court meetings.

“We’re excited about the challenge,” WSU coach Isaac Brown said. “These tournaments are big time. They can definitely help you get into the NCAA Tournament with some quality wins. Arizona is a good basketball team. They have some of the best players in the country. We’re excited about the opportunity and to play a great university like Arizona that’s going to have a big lineup.”

WSU is optimistic that it will have star guard Tyson Etienne, the preseason American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, for Friday’s game. Etienne played sick in last Saturday’s win over South Alabama, then missed Tuesday’s game against Tarleton State.

Driving to score at the rim will be a perilous adventure for WSU against Arizona, as Koloko (4.0 blocks) is one of the best shot-blockers in the country. Even if he gets in foul trouble, Arizona has 7-foot sophomore Oumar Ballo (10.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.3 blocks) to come in and still be a mismatch. The Shockers have struggled with decision-making around the rim, as they rank in the bottom-50 in the country in having more than 16% of their shots blocked.

That means in order to take down Arizona, the Shockers will likely need to make an above-average percentage of their jump shots. The good news is that WSU built some positive momentum during Tuesday’s win over Tarleton State, nailing a season-high nine three-pointers on a season-best 42.9% accuracy.

“It’s only going to get better,” WSU sophomore Monzy Jackson said. “Vegas, we coming, that’s all I can say.”

Etienne’s return gives WSU its most dangerous threat around the perimeter, as the Shockers will have to move the ball well to maneuver around a pair of long and lanky 6-7 wings Arizona also starts.

In Brown’s mind, the keys to a win don’t change: WSU will just have to do them better to beat a better opponent. The Shockers will also play either Michigan or UNLV in the tournament’s second game on Sunday night.

“We’ve got to play well in order to win these big-time games,” Brown said. “You’ve got to defend, rebound and play with toughness.”

Wichita State vs. Arizona basketball preview

When: 9 p.m. Central Friday

Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas (18,000)

Streaming: ESPNU (John Schriffen and Robbie Hummel)

Radio: 103.7 FM (Mike Kennedy and Dave Dahl)

Series: WSU leads 2-1

Last meeting: WSU won 65-55 in NCAA Tournament first round on March 17, 2016

KenPom says: Arizona 72, WSU 67

Projected starting lineups

Arizona Wildcats (3-0)

Coach: Tommy Lloyd, first season, 3-0

Wichita State Shockers (2-0)

Coach: Isaac Brown, second season, 19-6

This story was originally published November 18, 2021 at 2:16 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.