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 The Shockers are 11-0 in Missouri Valley contests and 10 of the wins
have been by double digits. Wichita State rolled to a 76-55 win over
Southern Illinois on Wednesday and the victory was the 1,500th in
program history. Senior guard Fred VanVleet has been performing well
for Wichita State and he had 12 points while matching his career
best of 11 assists in the win over the Salukis. The Redbirds have
won four of their last five contests and are a strong 9-3 at home.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, ESPN2
ABOUT WICHITA STATE (17-5, 11-0 Missouri Valley): Senior guard Ron
Baker averages a team-leading 14.2 points and he is seeing
similarities between this season's squad and last season's 30-5
team. "I would say at this time in the year, we're probably a little
bit better," Baker said after Wednesday's victory. "I think our
younger guys are way ahead of that younger group (from) last year.
As a unit, I'd say we're better, which excites me because we
progressed quite a bit from now until March of last year, so
hopefully we'll do that again this year." One of those improving
players is sophomore forward Shaquille Morris, who is 20-of-30
shooting while reaching double digits in four of the past five games
to raise his season average to 6.8.
ABOUT ILLINOIS STATE (13-11, 7-4): The Redbirds have averaged 77.8
points over their last four games but that's not the area that
concerns Illinois State coach Dan Muller. "We've been playing very
well offensively," Muller told reporters. "Our issues have been
defensive intensity, focus, want to, desire and little bit ball
care. ... We just have not played hard enough defensively." Senior
guard DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell averages a team-leading 14.8 points and
Illinois State has three other double-digit scorers in sophomore
forwards MiKyle McIntosh (11.4) and Deontae Hawkins (10.4), and
junior guard Paris Lee (10.2).
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TIP-INS
1. Illinois State defeated Wichita State 65-62 in the Missouri
Valley tournament semifinals last March to halt a seven-game losing
streak in the series.
2. The Shockers have allowed 55 or fewer points in four of the past
five games.
3. The Redbirds shot a season-high 58.3 percent from the field in
Wednesday's 78-70 win over Loyola Chicago.
PREDICTION: Wichita State 81, Illinois State 66
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