The No.7-seeded Wichita State Shockers square off against the No.2-seeded Kansas Jayhawks in the third round of the NCAA tournament at CenturyLink Center – Omaha, NE. The game starts at 5:15 pm ET on Sunday, Mar. 22.
The Jayhawks easily got past New Mexico State 75-56 in the second round. Wayne Selden Jr. was the team’s high scorer with 20 points on 7-for-9 shooting. The Shockers, meanwhile, are coming off an 81-76 win over Indiana in the second round. Tekele Cotton stood out for Wichita State, accumulating 12 points, four assists, and two steals.
The Shockers should minimize miscues in this matchup. They rank sixth in the nation at avoiding errors (TO% of 15.2%). Meanwhile, Kansas forces the 46th-fewest mistakes in the nation, with just 30.9% of opponents’ possessions ending in a turnover.
Kansas is favored by a slight two-point margin in its matchup against Wichita State. The teams combine to set the Over/Under (O/U) at 130 points. The Jayhawks enter the game with records of 27-8 Straight Up (SU) and 18-16 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 3-7 ATS over their last 10 games. Kansas has gotten to the free throw line often this season. They average 17 made free throws per game, which is third-best in Division I. The Jayhawks have a distinct advantage on the boards in this matchup. They are the 27th-ranked rebounding team in Division I, averaging 37.9 per game, while the Shockers rank 112th in the nation with 35.6 per game. Turning to the defensive side, opposing offenses have been stifled by the Jayhawks, allowing a field goal percentage of only .397. The Jayhawks are the 27th-best team in the country at blocking shots, averaging 5.1 blocks per game.
On the other side, the Shockers head into the game with records of 17-14-1 ATS and 29-4 SU. When it comes to making good decisions with the ball, not many are better than the Shockers. They have one of the top assist-to-turnover ratios in the country at 1.48. Wichita State’s defense is one of the top in the nation, with opponents shooting only .398 from the field.
Kansas and Wichita State will be facing off in their first head-to-head clash of the season. When they last met the Jayhawks were winners, taking the head-to-head record to an even 0-0 SU over their most recent meetings. Neither team was able to hold the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers over the course of their latest five contests.
Predictions: SU Winner – WSU, ATS Winner – WSU, O/U – Over
Notes
The Wichita State Shockers rank 18th for their offensive rating of 112.7. The Kansas Jayhawks have a defensive rating of 174.2 (ranked 98th).
Kansas has an average field goal percentage of 44.0%. Wichita State is a solid 6-3 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Kansas Jayhawks rank higher based on their field goal percentage (140th) than their effective field goal percentage (169th). The Wichita State Shockers rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (99th) than their field goal percentage (105th).
Wichita State ranks 84th in assists, recording 13.9 per game. Kansas performs worse at 112th with 13.3 assists per game.
Kansas, the 27th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 5.1 per game. Wichita State does worse, ranked 131st with 3.8.
Kansas ranks 92nd in offensive rebounding. Wichita State ranks 176th in defensive rebounding.
The Kansas Jayhawks make an average of 6.5 steals per game. When the Wichita State Shockers allow 6 or more steals, they are a winning 4-2.