Who won the Wichita State-Missouri State basketball scrimmage? Stats and details emerge
The Wichita State men’s basketball team is set for its public debut on Wednesday for its lone exhibition game, but the Shockers scored their first victory of the 2022-23 season over the weekend.
In a closed scrimmage Saturday at Koch Arena, Wichita State beat Missouri State 66-62 in a 40-minute scrimmage between the former Missouri Valley Conference rivals that was treated like a normal game.
After speaking with two sources who do not work for either program but observed the scrimmage, The Eagle has compiled a list of 10 things to know from a Shockers perspective about the not-so-secret scrimmage.
1. Wichita State’s starting lineup was senior guard Craig Porter, sophomore guard Xavier Bell, junior guard Jaykwon Walton, senior forward Gus Okafor and sophomore center Kenny Pohto.
2. WSU played a three-man rotation at center, splitting time evenly between Pohto and senior James Rojas, an Alabama transfer, with minutes from sophomore Quincy Ballard, a Florida State transfer, sprinkled in. The other four starters all played at least 25 minutes.
3. Siena transfer Colby Rogers, a junior guard, was the lone scholarship player who did not play in the scrimmage for the Shockers. Rogers, making his second transfer between Div. I schools, is still waiting for the NCAA to approve his waiver to play this season with WSU.
4. Missouri State dominated the first 15 minutes of the scrimmage, building a 15-point lead. WSU clawed back with a 10-0 run late in the first half to close to within 35-31 by halftime and held MSU to 31% shooting in the second half to pull out the win. While the Shockers led down the stretch, the Bears led for more than 27 minutes of the scrimmage.
5. Porter was “the best player on the floor,” according to a source not in the WSU program who observed the scrimmage. The senior point guard finished with 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting, 11 rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocks — all team-highs, besides the scoring. WSU was also a team-best plus-12 with Porter on the floor. The lone critique? The six turnovers Porter committed in an otherwise sterling performance.
6. WSU did not shoot well — 40% from the field and just 2 of 19 from beyond the arc — but still managed to score 1.03 points per possession because of 22 offensive rebounds. The Shockers dominated the rebounding battle (48-35 total and 51% of available offensive rebounds) and had a 21-14 advantage in second-chance points and 36-20 advantage in points in the paint. WSU’s starting frontcourt of Okafor (5) and Pohto (6) combined for 11 offensive rebounds, while guards like Porter (4), Walton (2) and freshman Jalen Ricks (2) all were effective crashing the offensive glass.
7. Okafor’s style translated well in his first performance with the Shockers after transferring from Southeastern Louisiana, where he averaged 14.6 points and 6.4 rebounds. The 6-foot-6 senior power forward’s non-stop motor enabled him to to score a team-high 15 points, including a three-pointer and four free throws, grab five offensive rebounds (six total) and chip in with an assist and a block.
8. Despite the hot start, Missouri State finished shooting 37.1% from the field and 29% (9 of 31) on three-pointers. Alston Mason, a Blue Valley Northwest graduate and OU transfer, led Missouri State with 16 points, while Arkansas transfer Chance Moore, a sophomore wing, had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Bears, who were coached by former Shockers assistant Dana Ford.
9. Walton didn’t shoot well (3 of 9 from the field) but showed flashes of what could make him effective for the Shockers. He used his quickness paired with his handles and height (6 foot 7) to apply pressure on the rim, which led to six fouls drawn and a game-high nine free-throw attempts. He finished with 11 points, four rebounds, three steals and two blocks and played the second-most minutes of any WSU player.
10. Bell, a Wichita native, scored six points and was lauded for his high-IQ play during WSU’s comeback. The bench unit (outside of the center rotation) made up of sophomore guard Jaron Pierre Jr. (five points), freshman guard Jalen Ricks (five points, five rebounds), sophomore guard Shammah Scott and freshman forward Isaac Abidde (four points) all played between nine and 15 minutes.
This story was originally published October 31, 2022 at 9:55 AM.
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