Two weeks ago, the Wichita St. Shockers were looking like one of the most dangerous mid-major programs in the country. They featured a 19-2 record and were 8-1 against the wacky Missouri Valley Conference.
Wichita State plagued by offensive struggles during 3-game skid
The Shockers were once ranked as high as 15th in the polls. Now they’ve dropped three games in a row.
Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
Wichita State has since dropped three games in a row, including a 64-62 loss to Southern Illinois on Tuesday night. It was just the second conference win of the season for the Salukis.
The losing skid began with a 13-point home loss to Indiana State. The Sycamores are hardly a bad team and, at the time, many felt it was just an off night for the Shockers. Then came back-to-back losses to Northern Iowa and SIU, two programs unlikely to qualify for any kind of postseason tournament.
So what’s gone wrong for the team once ranked 15th in the AP Poll?
Before the three-game losing streak, Wichita State averaged 73 points per night. They’ve averaged just 56 since Jan. 29. That’s a direct result of hitting just 37 percent of their field goal attempts during the skid. And it’s not like this poor shooting stretch is coming against elite defensive teams.
The Shockers are a veteran-led group, and they’ve got plenty of depth. Head coach Gregg Marshall is yet to really change up much in his rotation.
This losing streak has not reached a point where panic should sink in. This is a team good enough to reach the NCAA Tournament and, with the right matchup, might even make a run. Right now, though, the Shockers just need to get back to basics, continue running their offense and lock in on the defensive end.
The Shockers will look to get back on track Saturday night as they host Missouri State.
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