Q: The Panthers appear to improve with each game. What are the biggest strides made from Wofford to Eastern Kentucky?

A: Coach Jamie Dixon wanted his team to concentrate on the offense after the Wofford game because it was bogged down in that game. In the second game vs. Binghamton, the Panthers had 24 assists on 27 field goals. Rebounding was lacking after the first two games, so rebounding was the mission in the third game. And they vastly improved in that area the third game, outrebounding EKU by 22.

Q: Introduce Wichita readers to Panthers leading scorer Ashton Gibbs. What kind of a player is he?

A: Excellent shooter who led the Big East in three-point percentage as a freshman last year. Improved his athleticism over the off-season, so he is a little bit more of a threat as a penetrator this season. Still limited athletically, but he has improved in that area.

Q: How is the injury to guard Jermaine Dixon (Pitt’s lone returning starter) hampering this team?
A: Dixon will not play. He is out another 2-3 weeks with a slow-to-heal foot injury. The injury has forced coach Jamie Dixon to play a redshirt frosh at point guard — Travon Woodall, with Gibbs at shooting guard. Once Dixon is healthy, Gibbs is likely the point guard and Dixon the shooting guard with Woodall’s minutes slashed. Dixon is a good penetrator and one of the team’s best defenders, so he is missed.

Q: Older readers would consider Pitt a football school because of Dorsett and Marino. Younger readers probably know more about Pitt basketball. Is it a football school or a basketball school?

A: It’s the rare occasion in college sports today when it’s both. Pitt has made eight straight NCAA tournaments and Dixon seems to be here for the duration. Wannstedt has turned the program around and has it back in the top 10. Not many schools out there have two programs going as well as Pitt does right now. And both are recruiting very well, so it appears it will be that for a while.

Cal Bruton (left) and Cheese Johnson on their way to Denton, Texas for the 1976 NCAA Tournament. Wichita Eagle photo

• The Shockers practiced early Sunday morning before watching film and then leaving for Kansas City. Demetric Williams practiced for the third straight day after easing into the routine on Friday. He appears to move around fine on his (recovering) sprained left ankle. He will play against Pitt on Monday.
• You can read the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s coverage of the Panthers here. Pitt found out Friday that guard Jermaine Dixon, its lone returning starter, will miss several more weeks with a foot injury.
• The Iowa City Press-Citizen covers Iowa at HawkCentral.com. The Cedar Rapids Gazette also covers the Hawkeyes. Iowa won its first game of the season on Friday by beating Bowling Green. The 0-2 start, with both losses at home, put coach Todd Lickliter in a bad spot. Lickliter attributes losses to Texas-San Antonio and Duquesne to youth. The Hawkeyes start three sophomores, a junior and a freshman. Their top reserve is a freshman.
  “We’ve been together about 25 practices and it shows,” he said. “We’re very capable of shooting it well, but we haven’t shown it in games.”
• Texas is the heavy favorite in the CBE. The Austin American-Statesman covers the Longhorns here. I’m most interested to see freshman guard Avery Bradley, considered by some the top recruit in the nation. Texas is in such good shape, coach Rick Barnes can worry his star freshman playing too unselfishly. Bradley is averaging 7.0 points as a reserve. Barnes, and everybody else, expects more from the McDonald’s All-American. Barnes liked the fact Bradley respects the seniors. He is too talented to defer too often. Barnes told him it was time to “Do what you do.” “He’s trying to fit in too much,” Barnes said. “He needs to let it go.”

Two games down, and we’ve seen the good

“I want to see what we can do with our full team,” Marshall said. “I’m excited about the challenge. Tonight’s effort probably’ s not good enough to win against Pitt. But we’ve got five more days to improve. Just like Arkansas-Monticello played up, probably, for us, we’ll more than likely play up for Pitt.”

* WSU’s defense shows some periods of impressive intensity. Then are some breakdowns, many of which can be attributed to liberal substitutes. It took the Boll Weevils 5:30 to score a field goal in the first half. They scored two points in the first 5:45 of the second half. WSU’s defense slipped when the subs came in. The shot chart says UAM made six layups and three shots in the lane in the second half.

“I thought our defense was good at times,” Marshall said. “When they get to the rim a little too easy, or we don’t find our man in transition it’s a concern. But we were pretty good, especially at the beginning of both halves.”

* Aaron Ellis played good defense all game. He played a large role in taking UAM out of its offense. Gabe Blair showed scoring skills he did not in the first game.

* Garrett Stutz missed 8 of 10 shots, including two dunks. It’s pretty clear he is more comfortable facing the basket, which isn’t unexpected from a player who grew late. In the post, he isn’t quick enough with his moves to beat the defense many times. That will come with practice. Too bad he missed the dunk off the fastbreak pass from Kenny Manigault. I do give him points for running the floor, catching the pass on the move and almost scoring. A lot of big men can’t get that close. Marshall said several of his players missed easy shots, perhaps the product of them not taking the ball strong enough to the basket.

“Eventually, Garrett is going to finish that play,” Marshall said. “When he does, he’s going to bring the roof down.”

WSU 72, UAM 47 (3:49) - Bryce Mayes banks in a three for his first points as a Shocker.

WSU 65, UAM 38 (6:39) - Marshall is lighting his victory cigar. Derek Brown is in. Bryce Mayes is checking in. Durley and Murry lead WSU with 15 apiece. Shockers are shooting 45.3 percent from the field, 13 of 18 from the line. No turnovers in the second half.

WSU 55, UAM 30 (11:52) - WSU made 9 of its first 11 shots in the second half. Durley leads WSU with 15 points.

WSU 55, UAM 28 (13:29) - WSU’s offensive burst continues with subs Stutz and Manigault in the game.

WSU 43, UAM 26 (16:20 remaining) - Shockers start half with an 11-2 run. Kyles has six of those points.

WSU 32, UAM 24 (halftime) – Not what WSU was looking for. The Shockers started strong, leading 9-0 and 13-1. Then the offense flopped. Too many turnovers (eight for the half) and missed shots (13 of 33). UAM has 15 turnovers, which means WSU should have more than 32 points at the half. The big men must learn to play defense without fouling. Blair has three. Durley and Stutz have two.

WSU 25, UAM 19 (3:55 remaining) – Durley, Stutz and Blair with two fouls.

WSU 23, UAM 16 (6:27 remaining) - Shockers shooting 37.5 percent from the field. UAM is finding ways to score after enduring WSU’s initial burst of defense.

WSU 15, UAM 7 (11:49 remaining) – Boll Weevils stuck for seven fouls. Also seven turnovers. Manigault is getting a lot of time running the team.

WSU 8, UAM 0 (15:56 remaining) - Shockers playing tough defense, which keeps the crowd on its feet and involved. The Boll Weevils aren’t getting good shots, largely because the Shockers are all over them.

My player to watch tonight is Kenny Manigault. He will get a lot of minutes with Williams and Clevin Hannah out. His development is the silver lining for those issues. If he can run the team without turnovers, use his quicks and play defense, it’s a step forward.

Early prediction: Crowd will be dead tonight. More empty seats than normal as tip-off approaches. The Shockers shouldn’t expect the fans to provide much energy tonight. They need to do it.

Here’s a small bit of news: WSU won’t play a game at Intrust Bank Arena this season. WSU couldn’t find a date that worked, so that plan is tabled until next season. Plans to play a non-conference game at IBA remain in motion. No opponent or date yet.

Demetric Williams is in khaki shorts and a polo shirt. No need for him to test his sprained left ankle tonight, even if it’s possible. WSU needs him Monday and Tuesday, not tonight.

What’s a Boll Weevil?

• Indiana State bounced back from a loss to LSU to beat Milwaukee (Not the Bucks – Brandon Jennings is way too good). Other transfers received most of the preseason spotlight in the MVC. Indiana State’s Dwayne Lathan is off to a strong start.
• The Omaha World-Herald’s Tom Shatel provides 13 spicy hoops items this season, including WSU-Creighton.
• Ben Smith. Possible recruit. What are the Shockers looking for with their available scholarship? A point guard to replace Clevin Hannah seems likely. However, if Demetric Williams, Kenny Manigault and Toure Murry prove they can handle the point, WSU might be able to look at a wing player. Three Rivers Community College guard Marquise Carter visited and liked WSU. He won’t sign in the fall. WSU might not need a point guard by the spring. One thing is for sure, Shocker coaches can be picky about their 13th player.
• Iowa State at Drake described as “men vs. boys.“
• Pitt blew out Binghamton on its way to KC for a game against the Shockers. The Panthers play Eastern Kentucky on Thursday night.

Wichita Eagle photo

Like other people with phony-baloney jobs, we’re watching ESPN’s college basketball marathon today at The Eagle/Kansas.com. The question – what would Wichita State draw (actual, not paid) for a 1 p.m. game on a Tuesday afternoon against Arkansas-Little Rock?

My guess was 4,500. I’m probably at least 1,500-2,000 light, but that’s what I said. I will stick with it and take my lumps. MVC commissioner Doug Elgin said ESPN offered these time slots. Elgin didn’t find any takers.

Other guesses ranged from 7,500 to 9,000.

What is your guess?

• Roff (Okla.) infielder Dayne Parker – Parker played in the Area Code Games. He hit .505 with 13 home runs for Roff. He hit .480 with 11 home runs for the Oklahoma Travelers summer team.
• Choctaw (Okla.) infielder Josh Halbert – Halbert hit .435 with two homers for his summer team, the Oklahoma Outlaws.
• Pitcher Kris Gardner of Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano, Texas – Gardner (6-foot-5, 195 pounds) is a lefty who was named to the All-District team for the Class 5A private schools. He went 4-4 with a 2.40 ERA as a junior, striking out 53 (with nine walks) in 492/3 innings.

“I’ve seen a lot of pitchers like Kris that blossom once they get to college,” coach Mike Maack said. “I think that’s where Kris fits in.”

• Pitcher Cale Elam of Oktaha, Okla. – Elam helped Oktaha to the Class A fall championship in 2009. He compiled a 1.87 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 56 innings for the Oklahoma Travelers summer team.
• Pitcher Zach Beringer of Harrisburg, Mo. – Beringer went 5-1 with a 1.57 ERA for Harrisburg. He struck out 79 in 44.2 innings.

“He’s got that same ability,” Rawlings Prospects general manager Todd Whaley said. “He’s a big, strong kid that’s only going to get better. He’s got a chance, because of his strength and size, to go to Wichita and have an impact like Charlie Lowell.”

• Pitcher Albert Minnis of Lawrence – A lefty, Minnis went 7-0 with a 0.57 ERA for Lawrence, the 2008 Class 6A champions. He pitched in the Area Code Games.

“What made the final decision was the baseball program itself,” Minnis said. “I really fell in love with the coaches and it’s a great place to be.”

• Catcher Bob Arens of Northwest High – Arens hit .507 wtih 11 doubles and 32 RBI for the Grizzlies. He was an All-Class 6A pick at designated hitter.

“He’s pretty polished,” said summer coach Brandon Hall (now a volunteer assistant at WSU). “You don’t see many young kids that can receive and block the way he can.”

• I was out in front of ignoring Aaron Ellis when thinking about this team over the summer and fall. He is starting and I don’ t think he will give up that spot. He is exactly what WSU needs – a solid, unselfish rebounder and defender. He is also capable of scoring big on some nights. Gabe Blair has some rough edges to smooth off. If he is your backup power forward, that’s pretty solid.
• I can’t remember the last time WSU had four solid big men (all with at least one or two valuable skills) with experience on the roster. The Turgeon teams won with some under-sized forwards and power forwards who played some on the perimeter. WSU has inside depth many teams can’t match. Foul trouble didn’t matter much on Sunday.
• One of the best ways to get open shots is to reverse the ball from one side to the other and catch the defense moving. That works best when the reversal guy can hit a jumper. The past two seasons, WSU’s reversal guy sometimes wasn’t a threat. Now WSU has four perimeter players – Murry, Kyles, Hatch, Williams – who are shooters. That should also help with beating double teams in the post.
• WSU coach Gregg Marshall expressed concern with the defense, with reason. The Shockers gave up too much penetration early in the game. FDU made 13 of 23 shots in the second half. Blair fell for a pump-fake and gave up a dunk. At times, such as the first five minutes of the game, WSU’s defense became a disruptive, hustling force. Ellis at the front of the press will be a problem for other teams.
• Like the redshirt decisions. Tyler Richardson would rarely play on this team. Jerome Hamilton even less. Both will look back on this decision happily in a few years.
• My feel on Kenny Manigault is that he is going through normal freshman adjustments. When he gets comfortable, perhaps in mid-January, he will be a big help. He can cause problems defensively and his speed will be an asset on fastbreaks. Once he gets to the point where his athletic ability can work for him, he is a booster shot.

Around the MVC

• Bradley guard Dodie Dunson is out of the season with an injury. That’s a big blow to the Braves. They are deep in the backcourt. Not deep enough to skip past this injury without some pain. Injuries continue to be a big story in the MVC.
• Braves freshman guard Dyricus Simms-Edwards (henceforth known as DSE for time’s sake) will get Dunson’s minutes. He is off to a good start.
• Why did Illinois State play a game at Division I newbie Southern Illinois-Edwardsville? Jim Benson says there are good reasons.

WSU 73, FDU 55 (6:10) - Five Shockers in double figures.

WSU 64, FDU 41 (11:42) - Murry takes the scoring lead with a three for 16 points.

WSU 52, FDU 36 (15:42) - Durley out with three fouls. Stutz playing with three. WSU shooting 38.5 percent from three and 70 percent from the line.

WSU 43, FDU 26 halftime - Durley has 13 for WSU. Solid half for WSU. The offense slowed down a few times. Considering it’s the first game and Clevin Hannah is out, that’s not unexpected. The defense gave up too many layups, although FDU is shooting 37 percent from the field. Hannah would be a big help against the FDU zone. Three turnovers by WSU. That’s something Gregg Marshall was worried about.

WSU 29, FDU 10 (6:00) - Murry banks in a three. Then he finds Durley for a layup on the break. He has three assists.

WSU 22, FDU 8 (7:50) - WSU is 2 of 9 from three. Neither team can score. WSU can’t figure out the FDU zone. The Shocker man to man is not giving up many easy shots. Kenny Manigault played briefly, which removes him redshirting. Tyler Richardson is in uniform. Hasn’t played.

WSU 19, FDU 5 (11:44) - Durley with six points. FDU can’t play WSU man to man. Its zone is slowing down the Shockers. Knights are 2 of 11 from the field.

WSU 11, FDU 2 (16:03 remaining) - FDU is 1 of 5 from the field. Energetic start for the Shockers, who are 5 of 7 from the field.

WSU starters - Ellis, Williams, Hatch, Durley, Murry. Big shot of trust in freshman Demetric Williams. FDU – Grier, Scott, Baptiste, Svrdlik, Mofunanya.

One word about the styrofoam cups at Koch Arena. Yucch. What happened to the days of souvenir plastic cups? Young kids are being cheated out of the essential Shocker experience of walking out of a game with a stack of cups in their hands.

I’m down on MVC women’s basketball, because it has not been good for most of this decade. I’m talking one-bid, No. 14-seed bad. Last night slapped me in the face a bit. Let’s give the Valley women some credit for Illinois State’s win over UCLA and Indiana State’s win at Kansas State.

Things are not going as well for the men this opening weekend. Creighton lost at No. 22 Dayton. Bradley lost at BYU. No shame in that. Drake lost at home to IUPUI. Josh Young did not play due to injury.

Injuries and suspensions are already a problem for the Valley. Justin Carter, Clevin Hanah, Young, Chad Millard, Antoine Young, Dwayne Lathan – it seems a long list for Nov. 15.

Which brings me to Hannah and his three-game suspension. I understand that the NCAA takes on the impossible job of policing its 330-some Division I members, coaches and fans, many of whom work each day to find loopholes or ignore rules to gain an advantage. If coaches, players and fans didn’t create a need, the NCAA wouldn’t need so pages and pages of wacky rules and policies that sometimes seem unfair. We should always remember that the NCAA schools set the rules. Railing against the NCAA isn’t alway accurate. Schools are often judged by their peers.

There is a problem, however, when the NCAA can’t look at an individual case and give the benefit of the doubt to an athlete such as Hannah. Neither he (nor WSU) is trying to put one over on the NCAA. Fine WSU. Penalize WSU in some other way. It doesn’t seem right to sideline Hannah for three games for something not of his doing. My same thought applies to Ehimen Orukpe, who is exactly the kind of student you want IN your school. He’s a serious, bright student, in addition to being a 7-foot center. Instead of giving him a chance at WSU, the NCAA sent him on a two-year delay to junior college.

Disappointing.

• SIU easily beat Tennessee-Martin with Carlton Fay coming off the bench. He was suspended for exhibition games.
• Evansville newcomers Bryan Bouchie and Colt Ryan both scored 17 points in a win over Oakland City.

I love No. 5, mostly because George Brett wore it. With that as the background, here is a five-spot to start the season:

The MVC’s 5 most intriguing personalities

• Southern Illinois coach Chris Lowery. The Salukis slipped the past two seasons – an NIT spot and a losing season. The program has endured some drama with off-the-court issues and player departures. SIU appears to be talented enough to make a good run this season. If they don’t, Lowery will need to do a lot of explaining.
• Creighton junior P’Allen Stinnett. Talented. Creighton needs him to be more consistent and less temperamental. His play is especially important with Justin Carter out for a month with a knee injury. Opposing fans are waiting for a Stinnett meltdown when he comes to town. He’s got to get past that.
• Southern Illinois guard Tony Freeman. He has one season and many expect it to be a big one.  Coaches and media types put him onthe preseason All-MVC team before he played a game in the conference. If he is as good as advertised, SIU is in good shape.
• Indiana State guard Jake Kelly. Another transfer from Iowa who could shake things up in the MVC. Indiana State’s backcourt could be very good. Kelly may end up on the All-MVC team.
• Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall. He’s a big personality in a conference where many coaches are reserved (either by choice or nature) in public. Things get more interesting if WSU is a contender.

5 important non-conference games for the MVC

• Bradley at BYU (Friday) – BYU is the Mountain West favorite and 61-3 in the past four seasons at home. Not an easy task for Bradley. If the Valley wants more than one bid, winning here is a good place to start.
• Creighton at Dayton (Saturday) – Same story for the Jays.
• SIU at UNLV (Nov. 21) – The Salukis don’t get many shots at big wins with their non-conference schedule.
• Northern Iowa at Iowa State (Dec. 2) – The Panthers didn’t do enough last season to build a good non-conference resume. This game starts a tough stretch with home games against Iowa and Siena to follow.
• Wichita State at UMKC (Dec. 9) – Impossible to take the Shockers seriously if they lose to UMKC for a third straight season.

5 important January conference games

• UNI at Creighton (Dec. 29) – The co-champs open the season. UNI played great on the road in 2009. Can the Panthers do it again?
• UNI at SIU (Jan. 6 ) – Tough start for the Panthers.
• Creighton at Wichita State (Jan.9) – Oh boy. Where to start?
• SIU at Creighton (Jan. 13) – Jays play at WSU, SIU, WSU, at Illinois State in mid-January.
• Bradley at Illinois State (Jan. 30) – The MVC is more fun when this rivalry means something.

5 MVC players to watch

• Creighton C Kenny Lawson – He needs to do a lot of heavy lifting on his own. His production might be the MVC’s most telling stat.
• SIU F Carlton Fay – It’s time for him to be more of a consistent force as a junior. He failed to reach double figures in scoring in eight MVC games last season.
• WSU G Toure Murry – Better shot selection and better defense will make him one of the MVC’s best.
• UNI C Jordan Eglseder – Dominated at times. Disappeared at others. He is a senior.
• Bradley G Andrew Warren – An outside shooter is just what Bradley needed.

5 things I don’t like about the MVC

• We need some scoring. Two teams averaged 70-plus points in 2009. Same in 2008. Three did it in 2007. Two in 2006. I’m not asking for Paul Westhead. Could we get a few more teams that look good on offense?
• Coach of the Year is always the coach of the first-place team. Why?
• Cedar Falls, Iowa. Too cold. Too icy. Those roads scare me.
• Women’s basketball. It needs to get better. A lot better.
• Illinois State’s schedule. It needs to get better.

5 things I like about the MVC

• Tournament semifinals in St. Louis. That’s a good day of basketball. The atmosphere in 2006 hit a high point.
• Hoops Pub and Pizza in downtown Peoria.
• It didn’t go crazy during the expansion fever and dilute the product. An 18-team round-robin schedule is  perfect.
• Defense. Watch closely during non-conference games. Teams, and I mean good teams, aren’t ready for the MVC defenses.
• Seniors. Valley players stick around.