The WSU men’s basketball team has proved that last year’s Sweet 16 finish was no fluke, having already beaten two ranked teams and another Final Four team from last year — all on their home courts. As a result, the undefeated Shockers are now ranked No. 10 in the Associated Press poll (two places ahead of KU). Hats off to coach Mark Turgeon for scheduling quality nonconference games and to the team for playing so well.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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41 Comments
Makes me wish I was back home for this.
I had so much fun at Buffalo Wild Wings with my friends watching the games.
Hats off to Turgeon for doing what should have been done years ago in scheduling? The way the RPI is rigged, a team in the same situation as WSU needs to schedule quality opponents, to play them on their own court, if necessary, without any expectation of a return game.
This will be taken unseemly, but it’s interesting that two of WSU’s more successful basketball coaches played at a certain university in Lawrence.
Good luck to the Shockers; to this point in the season, they deserve the plaudits being received (unlike my alma mater). Hope they can dispatch Wyoming Saturday.
Unlike football there is a mechanism in basketball for an “upstart” team like WSU to win the National Championship. Too bad there isn’t such a path for Boise State.
Yes, hmmm, Boise State is the “odd team out” in big-time college football. I wonder, however, having paid a bit of attention to what used to be called the Division 1-AA championships, whether Boise State would have any home games (on the blue carpet), given how these playoffs seem to work, e.g., highest “ranked” teams host, with the championship game only played at a “neutral” site. I feel that Boise State would be disadvantaged if such playoff system was in effect for the BCS schools, and likely would be out early.
BTW, while the idea of a “playoff” system for the BCS schools has interest, I believe that this will not come to pass, as the payoff from the big bowl games is so great, there is but one game, thus saving considerable expense over the long haul.
I feel cheated. Here I missed the 80s when the Shockers were good. I grew up in the 90s when the Shockers were terrible. And now that I’m grown up and left Wichita, they’re good again. What’s wrong with this? When I was growing up, I remember going to games and watching them get blown out game after game and my dad telling me of the days when Wichita State was good. I feel so ripped off.
The 80’s Shockers were full of local high school legends I saw growing up. Shockers beating KU with former Heights player Darnell Valentine the capper in the Sweet 16 back then.
Today’s getting better Shockers don’t have the same local feel but nice to see. Winning road games against all the teams they play is a great thing.
No matter WSU being better I keep hearing Turgeon and future KU job murmurs. No matter Self gets a contract extension. I hate the KU talk especially when the teams don’t play.
WSU right now is qualifying for an at-large ranking in March Madness. Lets hope the NCAA puts WSU in the same bracket with KU, if they don’t lose in the first round again.
This team needs to beat KU and move on in the March tournament.
Wichita State University needs to better their title eventually as Wichita Shockers University. Try to make that happen.
NCAA playoff for football will happen if the Big 10 and Pac 10 find another team in both leagues to have a Championship game. ACC did it. Look at the ACC Championship Georgia Tech vs. Wake Forest this season. It wasn’t Florida State vs Virgina Tech.
That’s what reaching for a conference championship can do for some colleges.
Playoff between 8 teams, all who qualified for the 4 BCS games. 5 BCS game can be for the Boise St. type teams. After the New Years day Bowls, 4 teams move to two games in two of the BCS stadiums. Winners of those games will play in a rotating championship facility among the BCS stadiums.
That game could be played weekend before the NFL Superbowl later days in Janurary, lengthing the college schedule two weeks.
They have a month off between last weekend to New Year’s Day bowls so time to prepare is there and the players have a rest to concentrate on school work like now.
Getting the Big 10 to have a Championship game. All the teams in the Big 10 that play Norte Dame now, have to stop. Intice Norte Dame football after the NBC TV contract is finished in 2010. I don’t know why NBC couldn’t continue to show Notre Dame if they were in the Big 10 Conference.
Besides football rest of Norte Dame’s sports are in the Big East right now. Big 10 is a better conference scholastically. It would be a better fit for Norte Dame in that conference.
Pac 10 needs to find some team and add them to create a balanced league to have a championship game.
Those Conference are choosing not to do it and finding a football championship gets tough. Michigan this year didn’t belong in the Championship game vs. Ohio State, playing them for a second time.
Just because they don’t have championship game process. Michigan last season had bad year so there wasn’t any legacy of winning like USC has been doing.
USC’s legacy would have put them in the Championship game if they would have beat UCLA. From the Pac 10 with no conference championship.
Pac 12. I don’t know what the Big 10’s name will be with one more team. They have 11 members right now, not an accurate name for the conference.
Wichita Shockers Football is returning in a new stadium by 2016.Shockers will have an independent schedule for a few years to find rivals and invite a variety of teams to town.
The NCAA should have the BCS fixed with a playoff by time Wichita Shockers football is reborn.
WSU could have a great season and achieve that 5th game of the BCS.
Even going undefeated because of scheduling possibly they can’t play in the Championship game. Like Boise St. today.
We need to have the sport so WSU can be improved to serve this community long term. More easily gaining increased student numbers.
Expanding scholarship programs, better housing and parking near the campus.
The stadium will do more events for this community than just football games. County “dirt” shows. Multiple flooring choices, from grass field to baskeball courts. Attracting bigger NCAA events to Wichita.
Great Lakes 12 …
Better hope your Arena is successful if you are going to try to get a mega-bucks stadium built.
However, I do have a location for you: west side of I-135 between 13th and 21st.
>Great Lakes 12, renaming the Big “11″, great idea!
The downtown arena “success”, it will be because of high school events like basketball, wrestling, volleyball tournaments. Involving the County and City schools.
If WSU wants to put a basketball tournament together play it there.
KU play there? They don’t belong in downtown KC at the Sprint Center when it opens.
Downtown arena will be useful. I don’t care about Thunder or some arena football team.
Better variety of concerts. I have no fear of parking issues some people have. More things to do around the downtown arena, than what happens around the Coliseum location.
Where the “mega-bucks” stadium will be isn’t public today. Location is important I know it.
Mrage, why do you say KU doesn’t belong in downtown KC when the Sprint Center opens? Given the short distance from Lawrence to KC, the large number of KU alums in the KC area who cannot get a ticket to AFH, and the larger crowd potential, it doesn’t make ecomomic sense to forego a game once a year in KC to play in Wichita.
Big time college athletics = $$.
“Michigan last season had bad year so there wasn’t any legacy of winning like USC has been doing.”
And question: Name the NCAA school with the most football victories all time.
And answer: Michigan.
That seems like a legacy of winning to me.
The other thing often unmentioned about Turgeon and WSU is they are doing it with class. No one is getting arrested, guys are graduating and the program is operating by the rules.
No Turgeon isn’t getting the McDonalds All Americans and the pre-NBA players…he is bring in guys who can and want to play quality college basketball.
Mark may very well be the best “coach” in America right now.
Will, there is much to be said for the job Turgeon is doing at WSU. You mentioned something which,to my feeble mind, is becoming more important, that is, while no McD’s AAs are being recruited, the WSU players stay around for 4 years. This gives WSU, and other teams similarly situated, the ability to have stability, and “Senior Leadership”, which allows them to succeed.
Yes, having a bunch of McD’s AAs is nice, makes the fans feel good, etc., but IMHO, the prospect of those youngsters going to the NBA after a year or two causes uncertainty on the team, and, as they do leave, a loss of continuity in a program, which offsets the talent. In college, basketball remains a team game; it is difficult to form a team when tha parts are everchanging.
What I like about Turgeon is that his program is now paying for it’s self, including his salary that so many complain about, and the athletic department is solvent, thanks to baseball and basketball.
That same athletic department pays for all inter-collegiate sports at WSU. Now, if they could just do something about that Wu Shock guy that keeps showing up at the games.
Hey, check out ESPN sometime and see that WSU gets frequent positive mention.
Good going, Mark!!!!
Vaughn,
>It doesn’t make economic sense to forego a game once a year in KC to play in Wichita.
In the short term, KU will play in the Sprint Center. They can deny all games in our downtown arena for now.
Only if we don’t build ours with 18,000 seats. The Sprint Center is larger but only 18,000 +. That facility has more museum space than ours downtown. But seating can be nearly the same.
KU is in this state and only because Wichita hasn’t had the correct facility is why they used Kemper being so close in that Kansas City area.
Won’t Missouri complain if KU is in downtown Kansas City often? They should.
We want KU playing in Wichita, that should be the goal. If the governor and Regents have to tell them.
Keep the economics in our borders!
We should have 18,000 seats in the downtown arena.
—-
WSClark,
Michigan didn’t have a good season last year and it matters. Beating Norte Dame wasn’t that great for them this season. They participate in the unbalanced Big 10 schedule by choice.
Not playing can hurt a team, while others risk their record in Championship games. Florida had a better season with a title than Michigan.
How does that work..Michigan vs. Ohio State again and they might have won? How does a month ago win by Ohio State and Michigan beating them on New Years day crown a champion? They would have to play one more time.
We’re better off with Florida vs Ohio State. USC would have played Ohio State if they had beaten UCLA.
Michigan was never in the Championship anyway, so their complaints and unbalanced schedule falls on BCS deaf ears.
“Won’t Missouri complain if KU is in downtown Kansas City often?” No, they will not.
“
We should have 18,000 seats in the downtown arena.
You should discuss that with your Arena proponents. Don’t lay that issue on those of us who question the wisdon of this thing. Matbe someone should come forward with private investment funds to expand it.
Mrage, Ohio State will beat the orange juice out of Florida. Michigan will beat the OJ out of USC.
So, then where we will be?
No contest.
When it come right done to it, the two best college football teams are Michigan and Ohio State, and they should play for the National Championship.
BTW – Michigan v. Florida? Michigan by 2.
Two touchdowns that is……
Ben,
Those who question wisdom of the downtown arena are the people to discuss expansion with. Many started out saying the arena was too small in comparison to neighoring states arena’s.
Then more arguments about parking, access and entrance issues. Its time to stop complaining about location of the downtown arena!
How much should private investment put in? $25 Million. $50 Million?
No one or corporation is going to put more in ever for any reason.
It won’t have the museum attraction space or alternate sports like the NBA or NHL, Sprint Center in KC will have.
We can have nearly same amount of seats because KU should play a game against DUKE in Wichita and not at the Sprint Center, downtown KC.
The NCAA is no longer in KC so KU doesn’t deserve more support to play in KC. The Sprint Center doesn’t deserve the Big 12 mens championship basketball tournament forever like they want it. The tournament rotates between facilities in Big 12 Conference states.
Our two states are in economic competition. KU willingly playing in KC isn’t right.
It’s only because Wichita hasn’t had the facility comparable to Kemper in the past. Our arena can be seating comparable to the Sprint Center.
HOK maybe conspiring building our arena smaller to not make direct competition with the Sprint Center since they are partners building that.
We shouldn’t accept 15,000 seats in the downtown arena and be “smaller” by choice. We are never going to have NBA or NHL but its our state responsibility to make KU play more games in state, when not in Lawrence.If hosting a basketball tournament, KU playing in Wichita more often, no matter when they play at Koch arena against WSU someday.
Tournaments WSU creates, KU is in the four or six team bracket. KSU basketball the same way. Not all three in the same tournament though. One or the other, KSU or KU in a four or six team tournament.
How far is it from KU to KC? How far from KU to Wichita? Both miles and time.
As for “Those who question wisdom of the downtown arena are the people to discuss expansion with” I reject that. It is not my job to make it 18,000 seats. It is the job of Ed Wolverton, Hanson, and the rest of the promoters.
If this thing fails and you decide it is because it is undersized are you going to blame me for the failure? I question its wisdom at 15,000 seats; I also question it at 18,000 seats. But I am paying for it.
I can’t pick between Ohio State and Florida. I’ll hope for Florida, as underdog with their one loss.
Michigan vs USC. I don’t care. Both of those conferences some years deny a single National Championship because way conferences are configured.
USC didn’t lose in a past season and LSU beat Oklahoma after they lost to Kansas State in the Big 12 conference game.
Split championships suck.
USC has to go undefeated, so do teams from the Big 10. Only one will go undefeated from the Big 10 but two teams can have same record with one loss. Mess of a conference with 11 teams.
It’s a choice by the Big 11 to not risk a championship game and should harm them when its for national championship consideration.
2 teams from the Big 10 can go undefeated; that would really make a mess.
“It’s a choice by the Big 11 to not risk a championship game and should harm them when its for national championship consideration.”
The Big Ten would have to divide into two divisions in order to have a Championship game format, and they are not likely to do that. The PAC 10 does not have a Championship format and no one is suggesting that they are any less for it.
It is much easier for the SEC, ACC and Big East to have a Championship format, since they are in a warm weather climate which lends it’s self better to Championship games. Could you image a title game in A2 in December?
The National Championship game should feature the two best teams in the country, regardless of prior meetings, conference domination or the whim of television.
BTW – Michigan would beat OSU in a rematch.
Ben,
How far people road trip to see a game in KC or Wichita doesn’t matter. If Duke is flying into KC or Wichita, which flight is higher. What about fans flying in to KC or Wichita. That has to be equal.
TV contract to view the game should be same no matter if its in KC or Wichita. When the ball goes up and seats are similar numbered between facilities, who knows where the game is being played. The TV audience has to be told.
So what Kansas City Missouri people needing a farther drive to witness KU.
Lawrence has to begin considering driving to Wichita more often. Wichitans have been driving there and to Kemper for a long time.
I don’t know why you question the reason to build our arena and none of us are spending too much individually. We needed to replace the Coliseum. Since we’re building it, has to be the right number of 18,000 seats.
Your right about two teams from the Big 11 could go undefeated. Only polling would be the difference.
Strictly using polling nationwide, teams that are undefeated and their schedule to differ about is tough.
WSClark,
If the Big 11 dropped the idea of Notre Dame completely, invite Iowa State to make a 12 team conference.
Big 12 would go after TCU as example. TCU should have been in the Big 12 instead of Baylor. Drop Baylor, add Colorado State.
Pac 10, I don’t know who for that conference. They need a championship game. Years where Oregon complained and USC goes undefeated creates a national split championship if other conferences have stronger teams by record and polls.
Cold weather, big deal. It was cold in KC for the Big 12 Conference game.
In reality, when Indianapolis builds their new retractable roof stadium for the Colts, tthat will be the facilty for a Great Lakes 12 (new name for Big 10) conference championship game. The roof should be open no matter the weather that day. But they will play on a grass field. Indianapolis has the stadium designed and ready to build.
They will build it faster if Colts win a Super Bowl. Play in the game at least. This season and next year is important for the Colts. The window of oppurtuntity can close on Peyton Manning just like Dan Marino.
Back to football: expand the conferences not to 12 but to 14 tems. A few might even go to 16. The idae is to have every team in the country in a conference. For example, perhaps add Tulsa and Colo State to the Big 12. ND, W Va and Pitt to the 11 for Great Lakes 14. Fresno, San Jose, San Diego, and Las Vegas to the pac 10. Boston College and Rutgers to the ACC (Big East pretty much obliterated. South Florida and Southern MS to SEC. Significant re-arrangement to WAC, Mid-America, Conf USA. 8 mega-conferences each with two divisions.
Each team plays everyone in its own division; a couple in the other division, and a few non-conference games. That gives devision champions. Dec 2 – eight conference championships. Winners move forward, losers eligible for unaffiliated Bowls.
Dec 16 – “super-regionals”. Not exactly ’seeded’ but top 4 vs bottom 4 using geography and tradition to help decide the match-ups. For example: an OU vs Arkansas game would be a lot of fun. Winners move forward; losers also eligible for unaffiliated Bowls.
Jan 1: semi-finals 1-4 and 2-3.
Mid-Jan: College Super Bowl.
Lots of “bloodshed”, lots of fun; lot of money.
First of all, football is played OUTSIDE. Indoor football is like MILD salsa, Yamaha Harley’s, Beatle cover songs and gas barbeque grills……
…. they might look the same, they might sound the same, they might even FEEL the same, but they ain’t the REAL thing.
Second, Notre Dame wanted to take over the Big Ten, in exchange for joining the conference. That wasn’t going to happen, not with the football heritage of Michigan and Ohio State. Nice try, Golden Domers – now go play Navy and Army to pad your record.
Third, Florida had a much weaker non-con schedule than Michigan or Ohio State. If I remember correctly, Florida beat Olathe North High School in double overtime in September.
Fourth, that Gator Chomp thing is really lame. Everyone knows that alligators will run away unless they are in direct danger or are threatened. Wolverines, on the other hand, are nasty little beasts that will take on anyone or anything whether provoked or not.
Fifth, Hail to the Victors is the best college fight song of all time. The Florida Gator song and the theme from Barney are one and the same. In fact, both the Gator Mascot and Barney come from the same family of professional mascot wimps.
Sixth, the coach of Michigan has a real football coach’s name – Lloyd. The Florida coach is named Urban. I would much rather have a coach named Lloyd, than some poseur named UR-BANE.
Seventh, Michigan just sounds better, as in MEECH – I – GANNNN!!! Unlike the other, FLOR – I – DUH!!!!
Eighth – Florida cost us the 2000 election and that alone should disqualify them from ANY bowl consideration.
Ninth – Florida can’t even decide who is going to play QB, platooning between Leak and some other guy with a funky name. Michigan has a “CHAD” at QB and a “HART” in the backfield. That alone makes them a better team.
Tenth and last, Michigan has much better uniforms, hands down. Classic. Timeless. Historic. The Florida uniforms look like they were borrowed from a women’s softball team.
End of story.
Ben,
That would be a wild configuration of conferences. NCAA wouldn’t allow it all that fast. But it shouldn’t stop conferences from trying to create championship games sooner than later.
The ACC showed how it can happen pretty fast. Big 11, one more team. The Big 12 can assist them.
Notre Dame loves being independent with that NBC contract. NBC loves to pay them. NBC is afraid some other network will do it, if they don’t. Harms Notre Dame dealing with the BCS. Its obstruction to benefit them. The Big 10 would make more money if they had a conference championshp. Illinois might get inspired like Wake Forest in the ACC this year.
Someday Shocker football has to be independent for awhile just to play variety of teams. What would happen to the MVC? What Super Conferece could MVC mid majors join, with what teams. Some won’t have football.
—WSClark,
Didn’t Lloyd say, he hopes play on the field determines championships in the future. His own conference and Michigan plays a part, they don’t settle things on the field.
He has to count on polls with an unbalanced conference, when they don’t go undefeated. Michigan last year was hammered by Nebraska in a bowl game. How did Michigan fans feel then? Nebraska is a shell of their past.
Your going to feel really bad when the Gator fans do the chomp after touchdowns and Leak is holding the trophy. I don’t know why Florida is using two quarterbacks. Tebow is the runner but doesn’t go far sometimes. Substitution between him and Leak is strange.
So weird Ohio State hasn’t witnessed that situation defensively. Who struggled to win and had to create exceptional plays. Florida did in more games than Ohio State. Gators don’t lack ability to score.
I did love it when Nebraska hammered Florida for the second national championship. That’s winning, doing it twice. Nebraska and Florida State won most games in the 90’s decade.
Ohio State University 42 – University of Florida 10.
University of Michigan 24 – University of Southern California 14.
Bet the house on it.
“Michigan last year was hammered by Nebraska in a bowl game.”
PS – Michigan didn’t get hammered, Nebraska won on a late touchdown, 32-28.
That’s something I never do, pre call scores. Good luck. Play lotto!
If you read last year Husker blogs, Michigan got hammmered, spoils go the victor!
Ohio State hammered Michigan. It’s not always number of points between the teams in the final score. For a long time Ohio State hammered Michigan to get a big lead, then held on.
Jeez, Mrage, I’ve been hammered before and I wouldn’t call two late touchdowns, the last with less than four and a half minutes to go – getting hammered.
It might be more like a couple of shots and a beer, but certainly not getting hammered.
As for OSU hammering Michigan – who do you think Ohio State would rather plan for the NC – Michigan or Florida?
Of the seventy players and ten coaches at OSU, I think the vote would be 80 – 0 to play Florida. Michigan scared the buckeye out of OSU at home. If the game had been in A2, we would be talking about Michigan over (somebody) for the NC.
Husker blogs don’t count, BTW, Husker fans think losing to OU by twenty counts as a victory.
I need to look it up when Michigan won the National Championship. Because I have a bad feeling, it was a few years ago where Michigan playing Washington State in the Rose Bowl. Brian Griese QB year? Desmond Howard Heisman?
Controversy because someone else laid claim to the National Championship. Split with Nebraska. They beat who, I don’t remember in a bowl. Virgina Tech? Tennessee?
It’s been a long time for both schools Red and Wolverines holding the National Championship trophy.
Teams that win titles have that extra spectacular play when all seems lost, that wins a game. Michigan hasn’t had that…for years. Doesn’t matter if they play in Ann Arbor or not.
I think its a Notre Dame fantasy. Michigan beats them early in a season, think their heading to a National Championship real fast. Notre Dame, no matter the publicity hiring a pro coach, hasn’t been a top 5 team end of the season in a number of years.
Big 10 could say, should say, no more games with Notre Dame until they fully join the conference. Take those teams that Notre Dame uses to spring themselves up the polls away, who would they play?
Not play Michigan, Michigan State, or Iowa. Any of the rest. Have Ohio State and Notre Dame played in recent years? All Big 11 teams, including Penn State should stop playing Notre Dame.
A threat to Notre Dame’s schedule might catch their attention. A great good can be achieved by Notre Dame being in a conference. Big 11 could invite anyone else real fast if they want to, balance the league.
Just to get this thread back on WSU in some way…future Wichita Shockers football team could play anywhere in D-1A take that over Million dollar check to play at Michigan. Notre Dame. Ohio State. Florida. Not all of them in one season but no fear scheduling that game.
Future WSU football will not lack in comparable facilities to train players. Football training won’t be done on the campus island. No football practice in Cessna Stadium.
WSU basketball should try to schedule Big 10 teams. Go to Michigan. Michigan State. Iowa. Ohio State is reborn with basketball talent. Illinois.
They should have no fear of home and away even up.
“take that over Million dollar check”
What check? Are you writing a check?
WSU basketball should try to schedule Big 10 teams. Go to Michigan. Michigan State. Iowa. Ohio State is reborn with basketball talent. Illinois.
Where were you last year? They played Illinois and Michigan St.
Some college football teams recieve over half a million to play in some games against normally highly ranked teams. KU got $650,000 playing against Florida State in NFL Giant’s stadium, years ago. Add profit in years ahead because costs go up, stadiums are getting larger, more expensive in some places per visitor and TV money increasing.
A brand new D1 team going across the country to play makes big dollars. Winning on the road is hard and not hoping to get blown out.
Not every place future WSU football might go will crack half a million to play, but why not chase those payouts much as possible.
Test the athletes, WSU down in Miami and Florida State.
What will we have to pay teams coming here? That check is our responsibilty. Having home games against well known teams will help fill the stadium.
WSU basketball got $80,000 to play at Syracuse. Doubtful they would make too much more anywhere else. Anybody know the highest amount paid to WSU for a road game?
Coach, I don’t where, busy. Was Michigan in that Hawaii tournament?I have no idea when WSU played Illinois, but that’s good. They should try for games in the Big 10 with other teams. More Big East. ACC too.
Go to North Carolina and play Roy.
Line up your investors mrage. Just don’t ask me to subsidize your pipe dream.
What your county and city govs ask of you hmmmm, that’s them.
County nor City will have to raise taxes because length of time their investing won’t break their budgets per year.
Investors want you to attend games and events as the payouts from you directly.
I pay both City and County taxes. So, you want my money for your socialist agenda whether I want it or not.
A thought about Shocker basketball. They have been winning without a star – a different leading scorer every night. They play as a team, a unit. Late in the game they are running up and down the court while their opponent is huffing and puffing.
Conditioning, teamwork, discipline. I am getting a real strange feeling of deja vu with this team – I am reminded of the greatest coach in history – John Wooden of UCLA.
I had the good fortune to be at UCLA for several national championships; while we had some standout players the real key was COACH. When he was introduced before tipoff the ceers were far louder than for any of the players.
Wooden was asked once which of his teams was his favorite. His response – the one BETWEEN the Alcindor and walton years. No big man. No stars. No standout. But – undefeated national champions.
I really hope the brackets next March match WSU against KU – and WSU smokes ‘em.