Wichita State men’s basketball plays hosts to NCAA Division II Catawba College in an exhibition tune-up at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Charles Koch Arena.

The game will air statewide on Yurview Kansas, available to Cox subscribers on HD 2022 and to fans in all 50 states at YurView.com/Kansas. Shane Dennis and Bob Hull have the call.

Division I basketball’s second-longest running tandem, Mike Kennedy and Dave Dahl, kick off their 38th season together on radio (KEYN 103.7 FM and online at GoShockers.com/Listen).

Tickets are still available for Tuesday night, as well as for the November 6 opener against Louisiana Tech, at 316-978-FANS or goshockers.com/MBBTickets.

 

OPENING TIPS:

• Wichita State played a pair of November 1 exhibitions in 2001 and 2006, but this will be the program’s first taste of October basketball. Likewise, next week’s November 6 opener is the earliest start date in Shocker history – by three full days.
• This is the Shockers’ lone public exhibition this year. The team played a closed-door scrimmage with Oklahoma State on October 21.
• WSU opens its 113th men’s basketball season next November 6 against Louisiana Tech (7 p.m. CT/ YurView Kansas).
• The Shockers have won 24-consecutive preseason exhibitions, dating back to the 2001. They’re 13-0 in the Marshall Era.
• Marshall’s WSU teams are 18-0 against Division II programs (11-0 in exhibitions; 7-0 regular season).
• WSU is 20-0 all-time against D-II and NAIA exhibition opponents (all since 2002)… Last November, the Shockers downed a pair of D-II schools in exhibitions: Henderson State (90-53) and Newman (113-55).
• WSU has posted nine-straight 25-win seasons and played in each of the last seven NCAA tournaments.
• The Shockers (25-8, 14-4 AAC) tied for second-place in their inaugural season in The American and earned a No. 4 seed in last year’s NCAA Tournament but now face a significant rebuilding project after the loss of six seniors, two transfers, and one early entry to the NBA Draft (Landry Shamet; 26th overall by the 76’ers).
• For the first time since 2012, the Shockers open a season without receiving votes in either of the major national polls. WSU had been preseason nationally ranked in four of the five previous years.
• WSU was picked eighth in the 12-team American Athletic Conference preseason coaches poll.
• Roles were largely defined at this time a year ago. WSU returned over 91 percent of its scoring and rebounding (among the top-five in Division I). This year’s squad ranks among the bottom-five nationally in minutes returning (11.2 percent).
• Only three scholarship players are back from last year’s active roster: seniors Markis McDuffie and Samajae Haynes-Jones and sophomore Asbjørn Midtgaard.
• McDuffie is a preseason second team All-AAC pick. The former first team All-MVC selection is looking to bounce back after an injury-plagued junior season.
• Exhibition rules allow Gregg Marshall to play any of his seven true freshmen without sacrificing a potential redshirt year. As many as 10 total newcomers could see action Tuesday night (redshirt freshman Rod Brown would make 11). West Virginia transfer Teddy Allen is not eligible to participate.

 

SCOUTING CATAWBA:

• Catawba College (located in Salisbury, N.C.) plays in one of Division II’s strongest conferences, the South Atlantic. A year ago, it produced three NCAA Tournament teams, including national semifinalist, Queens.
• The Indians (11-15, 7-13 SAC) must replace Jerrin Morrison, who took 26 percent of the team’s shots as a senior last year and averaged 21.5 points per game (33rd nationally in Division II).
• Senior guard Jameel Taylor is a two-time all-conference selection and a 1,000-point scorer. He averaged a team-high 17.6 points as a junior (2016-17) but injured his ankle in the 2017-18 season opener.
• Rob Perron is just the third Catawba head coach since 1960. He succeeded Jim Baker (20 years) who took the torch from Sam Moir (34 years). Moir passed away last week at age 94.

 

A SHOCKER WIN WOULD…

… be their 25th-consecutive preseason exhibition win, dating back to 2001.

… improve their preseason exhibition record to 14-0 in the Marshall Era (2007-Pr.).

… up their mark to 19-0 against D-II programs under Marshall (12-0 exhibitions; 7-0 regular season).

… make WSU 21-0 all-time against D-II and NAIA exhibition foes (all since 2002).

 

A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD…

… snap a 24-game preseason exhibition winning streak and be their first setback since a 93-88 loss to Athletes First on November 1, 2001.

… make them 14-1 in preseason exhibitions under Gregg Marshall (2007-Pr.).

… be their first in 20 tries against D-II programs under Marshall (12-1 in exhibitions; 7-0 regular season).

 

THE GREGG MARSHALL SHOW:

• The Gregg Marshall Radio Show returns to the airwaves, Monday, November 5. Join host Mike Kennedy and Coach Marshall LIVE from 6-7 p.m. every Monday at AJ’s Sports Grill at The Alley, or listen to the show on KFH (98.7 FM / 1330 AM).  The show is rebroadcast in a television format Mondays at 9 p.m. on YurView Kansas (Cox 2022).

 

GOLDEN TICKET OPPORTUNITY:

• For the first time since before WSU’s 2013 Final Four run, season tickets are still available heading into November. Fans interested in purchasing seats should are encouraged to contact the Shocker Ticket Office, by phone at 316-978-FANS or in person (south entrance to Charles Koch Arena), during normal business hours, M- Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT.

 

UP NEXT: — LOUISIANA TECH (November 6):

• WSU opens the regular season next Tuesday, November. 6 against Louisiana Tech. The 7 p.m. CT tip will air statewide on YurView Kansas (Cox HD 2022) and stream in all 50 states at YurView.com/Kansas.
• The Shockers open at home for the 15th consecutive year. They’ve won their last 16 season openers and 24-of-25 since 1992.
• This is the first of three non-conference matchups for WSU against Conference USA schools.
• LA Tech (17-16, 7-11 C-USA) missed the postseason in 2017-18 but returns all five starters, including preseason all-conference point guard Daquan Bracey. The Bulldogs were picked sixth out of 14 teams in the CUSA preseason poll and rank No. 133 (out of 351 Division I schools) in KenPom’s preseason calculations.
• Fourth-year head coach Eric Konkol has led LA Tech to three-straight winning seasons.
• Shocker assistants Isaac Brown and Lou Gudino both worked stints at LA Tech. Brown spent four seasons (2011-14) under Michael White and helped the Bulldogs to the 2013 WAC title and 2014 C-USA crown. Gudino served two years under Keith Richard (2005-07) as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. In his first seasons, the Bulldogs won 20 games and earned an NIT bid.