Wichita State Basketball: A Quick Glance Behind and a Long Road Ahead
By Eric Hogan
Conference Schedule Starts Slowly but Ends with a Bang!
Suffice to say, Wichita State has a brutal conference schedule over the coming months. They have passed their first test in Connecticut, but there is a more difficult journey ahead. If the Shockers can get by Houston at home, they will still have a lot of work to do in January. Houston is 11-2 and certainly capable of coming out of Koch Arena with a huge upset.
With all due respect, USF, ECU & Tulsa should be no problem for the Shockers. These games should give them confidence going into their huge home clash with SMU and their second meeting with Houston. Temple and Memphis should give the Shockers everything they can handle during their road meetings. January will be tough, but manageable.
If the Shockers can get through February going 5-2, they will be in great shape to win the conference.
February might be the shortest month of the year, but I can assure you this will be the longest month the Shockers have seen in a very long time.
Every single game in February is going to be a monumental clash compared to the Shockers’ schedule in recent years. The Shockers are accustomed to winning most conference games by double figures, but that will not be the case this year.
February’s games will showcase the likes of Temple, Memphis, Cincinnati, and SMU all on the road. As a member of the Shocker Faithful, I will be ecstatic if the Shox can walk away from these four games with a 3-1 record. Tulane will visit Charles Koch Arena, as well as grudge matches against UConn & Temple.
Overall, if the Shockers can get through February going 5-2, they will be in great shape to win the conference, but I will settle for 4-3 if that means still having a shot at winning the regular season conference title. March begins with a road game against Central Florida, and then ends in a huge home clash with Cincinnati that could very well decide the conference.