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Would you be surprised by anything tomorrow?

by:Matt Wheatley03/22/14
Indiana State vs. Wichita State I can't recall a game--especially one with stakes as high as this--being as completely incomprehensible as tomorrow's matchup against Wichita State.  In my view, the reason for this is because, even at this point in the season, no one really knows what either of these teams are capable of.   Even if you fall in the Wichita State believer crowd, you can still acknowledge why some people are tentative when it comes to the Shocker's.  Let's be clear: 35-0 in Division I basketball is extremely impressive no matter which way you slice it.  Better teams lose to inferior teams all the time (see: Mercer against Duke).  Regardless of who you're playing, to not lose a single game during regular season play is more than just an impressive feat--it's shocking, especially in a sport where an outstanding performance by a single player can swing the tide of the game.  Still, it would be hard not to hold onto at least a shadow of a doubt in regards to just how good the Shocker's really are. Since beating Alabama by five points on December 17th (over three months ago), Wichita State hasn't played a single team that a casual fan of college basketball has likely heard of.  This isn't a critique of Wichita State's scheduling.  You can only beat who you play and when you are Wichita State, it's easier said than done when it comes to scheduling top-notch teams. This is simply why some doubts are understandable, if not merited.  Some people point to wins over Tennessee and Saint Louis as being WSU's Saving Grace.  Tennessee is a completely different team at this point in the season in comparison to where they were in mid-December when they were also losing to UTEP by nearly double digits.  In regards to Saint Louis, Wichita State's five-point win over the Billiken's looks mediocre to fans that watched SLU play this weekend. Kentucky's physical advantages in tomorrow's game are decisive.  Wichita State's experience, including a final four run last year, is possibly overwhelming. It's hard to argue with results. Many have tried and many have failed.  Kentucky's results have been a mixed-bag. Wichita State's, by contrast, haven't been mixed at all.  There bag has 35 wins and ZERO losses. In the end, trying to decide what you think will happen tomorrow probably comes down to how much stock you put in Wichita State's results this year.  I think Wichita State is really good. I don't think they are a lot better than Kentucky.  The spread, which is currently sitting at 2.5 points, and developed by people with one driving factor in mind--money, not fanhood--seem to agree with me.  I think Kentucky pulls off the "upset" tomorrow. But I certainly wouldn't be surprised by anything. Neither of these teams has provided us with a concrete measuring stick.

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2024-11-14