The No.11-seeded Wichita State Shockers (24-8) and No.11-seeded Vanderbilt Commodores (19-13) meet in the of the NCAA tournament at University of Dayton Arena. The game starts at 9:10 pm ET on Tuesday, Mar. 15 and can be seen on TRU.
The Shockers are expecting better results after their 57-52 loss to Northern Iowa in the 3 of the Missouri Valley tournament. Anton Grady finished with 14 points to lead the team. The Commodores, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the bitter 67-65 loss to Tennessee in the 2 of the Southeastern tournament. Luke Kornet accounted for six points, eight rebounds, and five blocks.
Points could be at a premium in this matchup between two of the nation’s best defenses. Wichita State ranks second in the nation in defensive efficiency (89.8), while Vanderbilt is 31st (97.9).
The Shockers come into this game 24-8 Straight Up (SU) and 18-11-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Shockers, sporting the 25th-best assist-to-turnover ratio in Division I (1.44), have proven themselves to be an extremely efficient offensive team.
Over on the other bench, the Commodores have 19-13 SU and 15-15 ATS records. Vanderbilt’s defense is one of the top in the nation, with opponents shooting only .386 from the field.
This game marks the first time Wichita State and Vanderbilt have played one another in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – Wich, ATS Winner – Wich
Notes
“Wichita State is 16-5-1 ATS in its last 22 games “.
“Wichita State is 19-3 SU in its last 22 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Wichita State’s last 11 games “.
The Wichita State Shockers rank 60th for their offensive rating of 111.4. The Vanderbilt Commodores have a defensive rating of 97.9 (ranked 31st).
The Vanderbilt Commodores average 69.2 possessions per game and 1.110 points per possession. The Wichita State Shockers earn fewer possessions with 65.7, but they score more points with 1.114.
The Wichita State Shockers average an effective field goal percentage of 49.7% this season. The Vanderbilt Commodores have a poor record of 2-4 when opponents have an eFG% of 49.7% or greater.
Wichita State attempts an average of 22.0 three pointers per game and Vanderbilt attempts 21.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Wichita State Shockers have a winning 13-8 record while the Vanderbilt Commodores have an 11-10 record.
The 25th-ranked team in the category, Wichita State has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.44 this season. Vanderbilt ranks 57th with an A/TO of 1.28.
Vanderbilt, the 64th-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 38.6 rebounds per game. Wichita State does worse, ranked 102nd with 37.5.
Vanderbilt makes an average of 4.3 steals per game. Wichita State has a solid 15-6 record when it allows at least 4 steals.
