Bob Lutz: Zach Brown, Markis McDuffie feel it as Shockers trounce Utah (+video)

Maybe sophomore Zach Brown borrowed some confidence from freshman Markis McDuffie, who seems to have more of it than any one person could use.

The 6-foot-7 Brown, who started the season in a 4-for-17 shooting funk that caused him to struggle to dribble, pass, shoot and defend, is a different player now. Better, more self-assured, dynamic.

McDuffie, meanwhile, was the savior of the Shockers’ trip to Orlando a couple of weeks ago, during which WSU endured three losses in four days. But they did discover what the 6-8 McDuffie can do when he scored 37 points in those games. It has never occurred to him to not believe in himself.

Brown and McDuffie manned the small forward position for Wichita State on Saturday at Intrust Bank Arena against Utah. Brown played 23 minutes; McDuffie 17. And they combined for 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting while making five of their six three-point attempts during WSU’s 67-50 win over the 25th-ranked Utes.

Defense once again carried the day as, for the second time in four days, the Shockers held an opponent that had been averaging in the low 80s (UNLV was the other) to 50.

But offense is nice, too, and Brown (14 points) and McDuffie (13) were WSU’s top scorers.

“Think about these guys, they didn’t play any other positions today,” Marshall said. “They’re the only two guys who played the three. They didn’t play the four and they didn’t play the two. They didn’t play the five and they didn’t play the one. I need to think about finding ways for them to play more positions.”

The Shockers were outrebounded and shot 11 fewer free throws than Utah, which stayed in a zone defense all day.

Even so, WSU pulled away after Utah, down 13 at the half, got to within 39-35 with 14:26 to play.

The shot of the day belonged to McDuffie and it exemplified his bucking-bronco enthusiasm and lack of fear.

He shot a three-pointer with 13:08 left, one he thinks he probably shouldn’t have taken. But had already made a couple, felt hot, so what the heck.

This one went in, too. And he was fouled. And he made the free throw for a four-point play that gave WSU a 45-35 lead.

McDuffie made another three less than three minutes later to put the Shockers up by 11, the start of an 8-0 run that put the game out of reach.

“I was always a kid who was ready to come in and do what I got to do,” McDuffie said. “I just have a lot of confidence in myself and I love the crowd, love the hype. Once the crowd gets to me I never stop.”

And what a crowd it was, a sellout gathering of 15,004. These Intrust Bank Arena games are a blast and the Shockers are now 6-0 there since moving a game a season downtown.

For Brown, the confidence comes with getting out on the break, invading passing lanes, handling the basketball.

“He’s becoming the player we thought he could be,” Marshall said of Brown, averaging nearly 12 points and shooting 60 percent in the Shockers past four games. “He was struggling and letting his offense dictate how he was playing. The jump shot wasn’t going in so Zach really wasn’t giving us much. He was sloppy with his ball-handling and his defense was just OK.”

Marshall wants Brown to fill some of the void left by the departure of Tekele Cotton. It’s a lot to ask, but it’s starting to happen.

Brown said the uptick in his game coincides with the return of point guard Fred VanVleet after missing time with a hamstring injury.

“My teammates have had my back during tough times,” Brown said. “I know I have to have confidence in myself and when I realized that and did that things really started to take off.”

The Shockers are still a work in progress. But at least there’s steady progress now with VanVleet back in control of the team and fellow senior Ron Baker doing all the things he does.

Baker had seven points Saturday. Just seven. But he also had five assists, four rebounds and four steals. And he played his tail off on defense. And he was out there for 34 minutes.

VanVleet scored 10. But the Shockers not named Fred and Ron produced 50 points, made 19 of 40 shots and were 8 of 19 from the three-point line.

Redshirt sophomore Conner Frankamp got into the fun — finally. After missing his first four shots to fall to 0 for 9 to begin his Shocker career, Frankamp made a couple of shots late, including a three-pointer that followed some dazzling ball-handling.

It was a good day for the Shockers to cap a good week, one that Marshall said revolved around redemption and rival.

“We’re starting to round into shape and be the team we thought we could be,” Marshall said. “These will be quality wins in the end and to get them by being so tough and gritty on the defensive end … I enjoy that a great deal.”

This story was originally published December 12, 2015 at 7:13 PM with the headline "Bob Lutz: Zach Brown, Markis McDuffie feel it as Shockers trounce Utah (+video)."