Checking on Wichita State’s non-conference basketball opponents
Darron Boatright’s dry-erase board is mostly blank. For most of the school year, it is filled with non-conference men’s basketball opponents and future tournaments.
Beside each opponent, Wichita State’s senior associate athletic director fills in a date, site, TV info and guarantee money, when applicable. Last week, he completed the 2014-15 schedule and erased those games.
Soon, he starts filling the board with 2015-16 dates (he’s looking for home games with the Shockers going to Tulsa, Saint Louis and Seton Hall).
Here’s the schedule:
Nov. 8 — Northwood (Fla.) (exhibition)
What to know: The NAIA school is coached by former Villanova and UNLV coach Rollie Massimino. He met WSU coach Gregg Marshall at the Final Four Coaches Club and talked about playing an exhibition. Northwood lost to Friends (and former Shocker, briefly, Joe Mitchell) last season in the NAIA Division II tournament.
Nov. 14 — New Mexico State
What to know: The Aggies, a former MVC member, will come to Koch Arena this season and next. They return WAC Player of the Year Daniel Mullings from a team that went to the NCAA Tournament.
Nov. 18 — vs. Memphis (Sioux Falls, S.D.)
What to know: WSU and the Tigers meet at 1 p.m. as part of ESPN’s Tip-Off Marathon. Both teams also get paid. Memphis took an exhibition trip to Canada this month and went 2-2. The addition of Vanderbilt transfer Kedren Johnson, expected to be eligible, helps the Tigers backcourt.
Nov. 23 — Newman
What to know: The Jets, an NCAA Division II school, went 9-17 last season.
Nov. 29 — Tulsa
What to know: Tulsa hired Frank Haith as coach after Danny Manning went to Wake Forest. Tulsa went 21-13 last season and won the Conference USA Tournament before losing to UCLA in the NCAAs. The Hurricane moves to the American Athletic Conference this season. Guard James Woodard participated in Kevin Durant’s Nike Skills Academy in June.
Dec. 3 — at Utah
What to know: According to John Pudner, this game matches college basketball’s top two players - Utah’s Delon Wright and Fred VanVleet. Utes coach Larry Krystkowiak and three Utes played four games in China with a Pac-12 team.
Dec. 6 — Saint Louis (Intrust Bank Arena)
What to know: The Billikens are rebuilding after a 27-7 season and the loss of five seniors. WSU and SLU added two more seasons to the series, starting in 2015-16.
Dec. 9 — Seton Hall
What to know: Freshman Isaiah Whitehead is a much-hyped recruit. The Pirates are adding seven new players, six of them freshmen, after going 17-17 last season. The Shockers travel to New Jersey next season. The December meeting will be the first since WSU’s 2006 NCAA Tournament win over Seton Hall.
Dec. 13 — at Detroit
What to know: This game concludes WSU’s Bracket Buster obligations (the Shockers are 9-0 in return games). Juwan Howard Jr. averaged 18.3 points for the Titans, who went 13-19 last season. Detroit went 4-0 in Canada earlier this month. It added forward Brandan Kearney, who played minor roles at Michigan State and Arizona State before transferring, in August and he is eligible immediately.
Dec. 16 — Alabama
What to know: The Tide went 13-19 last season and returns four starters, with leading scorer Trevor Releford the lone loss. Transfers Ricky Tarrant (Tulane) and Michael Kessens (Longwood) are eligible. Tarrant averaged 15.3 points in two seasons at Tulane. Transfer Christophe Varidel, eligible immediately as a graduate students, scored 42 points against Baylor in the Maui Invitational last season for Chaminde. He played three seasons at Florida Gulf Coast before going to Chaminade, where injuries cut his first attempt at a senior season short. Tide coach Anthony Grant will lead the list of coaches on the hot seat.
Dec. 22 — vs. Loyola Marymount (Diamond Head Classic at Honolulu)
What to know: LMU returns one starter from a team that went 13-19 - WCC All-Freshman guard Evan Payne. New coach Mike Dunlap coached the Charlotte Bobcats and worked as an assistant with the Denver Nuggets, Arizona and Oregon. He won NCAA Division II titles in 2000 and 2002 at Metro (Colo.) State, following current Shocker radio broadcaster Bob Hull by four seasons.
Dec. 23 — vs. Nebraska or Hawaii (Diamond Head Classic)
What to know: Former Northern Iowa shooter Ali Farokhmanesh is a manager with the Huskers. Nebraska returns five starters from an NCAA Tournament team that went 19-13. Sophomore point guard Tai Webster played well for New Zealand in a World Cup exhibition.
Hawaii went 20-11 and returns two starters, including All-Big West forward Isaac Fotu. Missouri transfer Negus Webster-Chan, a guard, played a minor role for the Tigers.
Dec. 25 — Diamond Head Classic
Nov. 8 — Northwood (Fla.) (exhibition)
Nov. 14 — New Mexico State
Nov. 18 — vs. Memphis (Sioux Falls, S.D.)
Nov. 23 — Newman
Nov. 29 — Tulsa
Dec. 3 — at Utah
Dec. 6 — Saint Louis (Intrust Bank Arena)
Dec. 9 — Seton Hall
Dec. 13 — at Detroit
Dec. 16 — Alabama
Dec. 22 — vs. Loyola Marymount (Diamond Head Classic at Honolulu)
Dec. 23 — vs. Nebraska or Hawaii (Diamond Head Classic)
Dec. 25 — Diamond Head Classic