The No. 21-ranked Wichita State Shockers (16-5) look to extend their 11-game winning streak when they take on the Southern Illinois Salukis (18-5) at Charles Koch Arena. The game begins at 9:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 3 and will air on ES3.
The Shockers come into this game on a high note after defeating Evansville 78-65 on Sunday. Fred VanVleet led all scorers on the team with 32 points on 8-for-18 shooting. The Salukis, meanwhile, are coming off a 67-58 loss to Northern Iowa on Sunday. Sean O’Brien stood out for Southern Illinois, accounting for 14 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
Over the last five games, VanVleet and Ron Baker have been better than usual for the Shockers. During that stretch, VanVleet has averaged 18.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.8 steals, and 2.0 three-pointers. Not to be outdone, Baker has put up 13.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.4 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 1.2 three-pointers.
Based on each team’s statistical profile, ball protection could play an integral role in this matchup. Wichita State commits the 33rd-fewest miscues in the nation (TO% of 16.0%), while the pesky defense of Southern Illinois forces the 26th-most (opponents’ TO% of 22.0%).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Shockers won the first game 83-58. Ron Baker was a top performer in the victory with 18 points, five rebounds, one assist, three steals, and three three-pointers.
Wichita State is a big 14-point favorite at home and the Over/Under (O/U) for this matchup is currently not available. The Shockers have gone 16-5 Straight Up (SU) and 12-7 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 9-1 ATS. The Shockers, sporting the 39th-best assist-to-turnover ratio in Division I (1.35), have proven themselves to be an extremely efficient offensive team. Wichita State’s defenders rank 47th in Division I in steals with 7.6 per game.
In the other locker room, the Salukis have records of 12-9 ATS and 18-5 SU.
With the Shockers’ last win against Southern Illinois, their SU record is now 9-1 over Southern Illinois in their most recent games. The Salukis lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4. Wichita State held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers twice in the last five games, while Southern Illinois wasn’t able to do so in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Wich, ATS Winner – Wich
Notes
Wichita State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Wichita State’s last 7 games.
Wichita State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Wichita State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Southern Illinois.
Wichita State is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Southern Illinois.
Wichita State is a perfect 10-0 SU against its conference, while Southern Illinois stands at 7-3 SU in the conference.
The Wichita State Shockers have a defensive rating of 93.1 (ranked 14th), while the Southern Illinois Salukis have an offensive rating of 108.8 (ranked 103rd).
The Wichita State Shockers average a field goal percentage of 43.6% this season. The Southern Illinois Salukis have a superb 10-3 record in games where opponents have a FG% of 43.6% or greater.
The Wichita State Shockers rank lower for their field goal percentage (203rd) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (171st), but the Southern Illinois Salukis have a better FG% ranking (47th) than eFG% ranking (56th).
Wichita State ranks 39th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.35. Southern Illinois is ranked lower at 270th with an A/TO of .91.
The Wichita State Shockers make an average of 7.6 steals per game. When the Southern Illinois Salukis allow 7 or more steals, they are a formidable 6-2.
