What has been working late in games for Wichita State basketball entering Cincinnati

Scoring down the stretch of close games has been a challenge this season for the Wichita State men’s basketball team.

But Isaac Brown and his coaching staff have recently found an action that has consistently been producing quality looks late in games for the Shockers.

The play usually begins with point guard Craig Porter high up on the court and the four other players near the baseline to give maximum space, then shooting ace Tyson Etienne will tear up the court and almost look like he’s going to run into Porter’s defender before peeling off at the last second and popping to the three-point line.

This is called a “ghost” screen because when Etienne sprints up the floor and closes in on Porter’s defender, it causes confusion with the defense.

Wichita State has run this play down the stretch throughout its recent 4-2 stretch during its last six games, producing wide-open three-pointers for Etienne to drill in both the UCF and South Florida games. If the Shockers are locked in another tight one in Wednesday’s 6 p.m. game against Cincinnati broadcast on ESPN2, expect to see Wichita State run this play again.

“They put you in a tough spot with that action,” USF coach Brian Gregory said after his team gave up baskets twice against the ghost screen late in the game. “Do you stay on the ball? If you do, then they drive the ball. If you switch it, it’s harder to guard when you’re the team on the road because communication is a big piece of it. And that’s why we didn’t cover it well. And as good as the play is, you’ve still got to make the shot and (Etienne) did and that’s why he’s a special player.”

Defenses switch every ball screen late in games, but the ghost screen causes confusion because it’s not really a screen at all and Etienne moves at full speed skipping the screen and darting out to the three-point line. As Gregory mentioned, perfect communication is required to pull off a switch on the play.

The play becomes even more dangerous because of the pressure Etienne applies to the opposition. He’s the No. 1 target for opponents on the scouting report and whenever he’s directly involved in an action like that, it puts even more pressure on the two defenders to communicate properly.

Even when USF properly communicated and pulled off the switch, it’s a difficult assignment for a defender to be running full speed toward the perimeter and then have Porter go in attack mode. That’s exactly what happened the play after USF didn’t communicate the switch and left Etienne wide open to drill a three to tie the USF game at 55-all with 5:50 remaining.

The next time down the floor, Etienne again darted up the floor to do the ghost screen and this time USF properly called out the switch. But Porter gained the advantage and made his way to the rim to score. The next time after that, Porter again took advantage of the switch and the slightly off-balanced defender by attacking the paint and then kicking to the corner for a wide-open Dexter Dennis corner three.

After giving up three quality looks in a row to that action, USF switched to a zone defense for the rest of the way.

“Porter can really drive the basketball and with Tyson sprinting out, you can’t help on that play,” Brown said. “The first time they helped and Tyson was wide open and able to get a three. The next time they didn’t help and Craig was able to go get a layup. That action was great.”

And the good news for WSU is that it can use several different combinations in the play. Sometimes Etienne will be the ball handler and Porter or Ricky Council will be the one executing the ghost screen.

It’s difficult to guard and the Shockers almost always produce a quality look, which is why Etienne wasn’t too keen on talking more about it after it worked so effectively down the stretch of the USF game.

“It’s a good play call and I’m going to leave it at that because we’re going to need to use it the rest of the season,” Etienne said after the USF win.

WSU at Cincinnati men’s basketball

Records: WSU 13-9, 4-6 AAC; UC 16-9, 6-6 AAC

When: 6 p.m. Thursday

Where: Fifth Third Arena (13,176), Cincinnati

TV: ESPN2

Radio: KEYN, 103.7-FM (Mike Kennedy & Bob Hull)

KenPom says: UC 66, WSU 63

Last meeting: 61-57 UC win at Koch Arena on Jan. 16, 2022

Projected starting lineups

Wichita State Shockers

Coach: Isaac Brown, second season, 29-15

Cincinnati Bearcats

Coach: Wes Miller, first season, 16-9

This story was originally published February 16, 2022 at 12:00 AM.

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.