Wichita State Shockers: Expectations and concerns for 2017-2018 season
By Eric Hogan
The Wheat Shockers of Wichita State University are poised to make a run at their first ever men’s basketball National Championship. Can the Wichita State Shockers get to the promised land?
The Wichita State Shockers are the white-hot trending team that everyone has been talking about over the last decade, but are the Shockers ready to make a run at a National Championship just yet?
I will attempt to break down what could be a season to remember for all Shocker fans and college basketball fans alike, but what will Gregg Marshall and his support staff need to do this year to prepare his team for the ride of their lives?
Well buckle up & hang on as we look at what I expect will be a bumpy ride for the team that has been the darling of the college basketball world over the last decade.
Number One – The Elephant in the Room: Preseason injuries
Landry Shamet, Markis McDuffie, & Austin Reaves have all undergone preseason and offseason injuries or surgeries that will affect playing time & season long production.
Shamet is a top-class point guard that could potentially become an All-American, and McDuffie has contributed a great deal to the Shockers’ success over the last two seasons. Both players averaged over 25 minutes a game and recorded double figure PPG in 2017, and hopefully should be available once conference play begins.
Look for these two rising stars to start the season slowly & peak towards the end of conference play, assuming they both heal up nicely & can avoid injuries during the 2017-2018 season.
Austin Reaves, on the other hand, has had shoulder problems since day one at Wichita State, but fans have high hopes after surgeries on both shoulders, which should have corrected issues causing the shoulder to separate from the joint.
If Reaves realizes his full potential during the season, watch for him to be a valuable asset on the court. Reaves can handle the ball, distribute, and has a beautiful shooting stroke from long range.