2014–15 Wichita State Shockers men's basketball team
American college basketball season
The 2014–15 Wichita State Shockers men's basketball team represented Wichita State University in the 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season . They played their home games at Charles Koch Arena , which has a capacity of 10,506.[ 1] They were playing their 70th season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference , and were led by eighth-year head coach Gregg Marshall . They finished the season 30–5, 17–1 in MVC play to win the regular season Missouri Valley championship. They advanced to the semifinals of the Missouri Valley tournament where they lost to Illinois State. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they defeated Indiana in the second round and Kansas in the third round before losing in the Sweet Sixteen to Notre Dame.
Previous season
The 2013–14 season was arguably the greatest season in Wichita State's 108-year basketball history. After defeating Missouri State on March 1, 2014, Wichita State became the first Division I men's team ever to finish the regular season 31–0,[ 2] the first team to finish 18–0 in conference play in the Missouri Valley Conference since the 1985–86 Bradley Braves ,[ 2] as well as the first to finish the regular season undefeated since Saint Joseph's in 2003–04 .[ 2] The team's 35–0 start is the best Division I start ever, beating the 1990–91 UNLV Runnin' Rebels who began the season 34–0 and the best Missouri Valley Conference start ever, beating the 1978–79 Indiana State Sycamores , who went 33–0 to start the season.[ 2] They spent most of the season in the top 10 of both major polls, rising as high as #2 in late February. They continued their run by winning their first MVC tournament title since 1987, and were ranked second in both final major media polls—the highest final national ranking in school history.
They entered the 2014 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament undefeated at 34–0. The Shockers beat Cal Poly , 64–37 for their NCAA-record 35–game winning streak to start a season. Two days later, and playing their 5th and final straight game at St. Louis ' Scottrade Center , Fred VanVleet 's three-point attempt at the end-of-game buzzer against Kentucky bounced harmlessly off the rim, and so went their attempt to become the first men's team in 38 years to win the title undefeated. The Shockers finished with the third-most wins in Division I history, and the second-most for a school not in a power conference.
Departures
In addition to the departing players, assistant Chris Jans left the Shockers immediately after the season to take the head coaching vacancy at Bowling Green .[ 4]
Incoming transfers
*Player will redshirt during the season †Junior College transfer
Class of 2014 recruits
College recruiting information
Name
Hometown
High school / college
Height
Weight
Commit date
Zach Brown SF
Houston, TX
Sunrise Christian Academy
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
180 lb (82 kg)
May 3, 2013
Star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : N/A ESPN grade: 75
Rashard Kelly PF
Fredericksburg, VA
Hargrave Military Academy
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
Oct 3, 2013
Star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : N/A ESPN grade: 73
Rauno Nurger PF
Keila, Estonia
Sunrise Christian Academy
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
230 lb (100 kg)
Jun 3, 2014
Star ratings : Scout : N/A Rivals : N/A 247Sports : N/A ESPN grade: 70
Corey Henderson Jr. SG
Dallas, TX
Episcopal School of Dallas
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
165 lb (75 kg)
Oct 13, 2013
Star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : N/A ESPN grade: NR
Eric Hamilton PF
Suwanee, GA
Duluth High School
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
200 lb (91 kg)
Nov 20, 2013
Star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : N/A ESPN grade: NR
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout : Not Ranked Top 20 Rivals : Not Ranked Top 25 ESPN : Not Ranked Top 25
Note : In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.
Sources:
Roster
2014–15 Wichita State Shockers men's basketball team
Players
Coaches
Pos.
#
Name
Height
Weight
Year
Hometown
F
0
Rashard Kelly
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
235 lb (107 kg)
Fr
Fredericksburg, VA
F
1
Zach Brown
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
213 lb (97 kg)
Fr
Houston, TX
G
3
Evan Wessel
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
218 lb (99 kg)
RS Jr
Wichita, KS
G
4
Corey Henderson, Jr.
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
170 lb (77 kg)
Fr
Dallas, TX
F
5
Zach Bush
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
200 lb (91 kg)
RS Fr
Wichita, KS
G
10
Ri'an Holland
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
148 lb (67 kg)
RS Fr
Hope Mills, NC
F
12
Darius Carter
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
245 lb (111 kg)
Sr
Akron, OH
G
14
John Robert Simon
5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
171 lb (78 kg)
So
Oklahoma City, OK
C
20
Rauno Nurger
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
242 lb (110 kg)
Fr
Keila , Estonia
C
21
Tom Wamukota
6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
224 lb (102 kg)
Jr
Bungoma , Kenya
G
23
Fred VanVleet
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
195 lb (88 kg)
Jr
Rockford, IL
F
24
Shaquille Morris
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
261 lb (118 kg)
RS Fr
Edmond, OK
G
31
Ron Baker
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
RS Jr
Scott City, KS
G
32
Tekele Cotton
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
Sr
Marietta, GA
G
33
Conner Frankamp
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
165 lb (75 kg)
So
Wichita, KS
F
40
Tevin Glass
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
206 lb (93 kg)
Jr
Milton, GA
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
(W) Walk-on
Roster
Schedule
Date time, TV
Rank#
Opponent#
Result
Record
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Site (attendance) city, state
Exhibition
11/08/2014 *2:00 pm, Cox Kansas
No. 11
Northwood (FL)
W 112–55
22 – Baker
6 – Kelly
6 – VanVleet
Charles Koch Arena (10,506)Wichita, KS
Non-conference regular season
11/14/2014 *8:00 pm, Cox Kansas
No. 11
New Mexico State
W 71–54
1–0
17 – Cotton
5 – Tied
4 – VanVleet
Charles Koch Arena (10,506)Wichita, KS
11/18/2014 *1:00 pm, ESPN
No. 11
vs. Memphis ESPN College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon
W 71–56
2–0
21 – Baker
4 – Tied
6 – Baker
Sanford Pentagon (3,250)Sioux Falls, SD
11/23/2014 *2:00 pm, Cox Kansas
No. 11
Newman
W 105–57
3–0
18 – Baker
6 – Tied
4 – VanVleet
Charles Koch Arena (10,506)Wichita, KS
11/29/2014 *2:00 pm, Cox Kansas
No. 9
Tulsa Rivalry
W 75–55
4–0
21 – VanVleet
7 – Cotton
9 – VanVleet
Charles Koch Arena (10,506)Wichita, KS
12/03/2014 *10:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 8
at No. 25 Utah
L 68–69 OT
4–1
15 – Baker
9 – Wessel
4 – VanVleet
Jon M. Huntsman Center (14,319)Salt Lake City, UT
12/06/2014 *5:00 pm, Cox Kansas
No. 8
Saint Louis
W 81–52
5–1
18 – Baker
7 – Kelly
7 – Cotton
Intrust Bank Arena (15,004)Wichita, KS
12/09/2014 *6:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 11
Seton Hall
W 77–68
6–1
22 – Baker
12 – Carter
8 – VanVleet
Charles Koch Arena (10,506)Wichita, KS
12/13/2014 *11:00 am, ESPNU
No. 11
at Detroit
W 77–68
7–1
19 – Baker
11 – Carter
7 – VanVleet
Calihan Hall (4,110)Detroit, MI
12/16/2014 *8:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 11
Alabama
W 53–52
8–1
8 – Baker
5 – Carter
3 – Cotton
Charles Koch Arena (10,506)Wichita, KS
12/22/2014 *10:00 pm, ESPNU
No. 11
vs. Loyola Marymount Diamond Head Classic quarterfinals
W 80–53
9–1
12 – Tied
8 – Carter
7 – VanVleet
Stan Sheriff Center (8,448)Honolulu, HI
12/23/2014 *8:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 11
vs. Hawaii Diamond Head Classic semifinals
W 80–79 OT
10–1
17 – Baker
6 – Tied
5 – VanVleet
Stan Sheriff Center (7,140)Honolulu, HI
12/25/2014 *8:30 pm, ESPN2
No. 11
vs. George Washington Diamond Head Classic championship
L 54–60
10–2
11 – VanVleet
9 – Carter
5 – Tied
Stan Sheriff Center (5,125)Honolulu, HI
Missouri Valley Conference regular season
12/31/2014 5:05 pm, Cox Kansas
No. 16
at Drake
W 66–58
11–2 (1–0)
23 – Baker
7 – Carter
4 – Tied
Knapp Center (4,170)Des Moines, IA
01/04/2015 4:30 pm, ESPNU
No. 16
Illinois State
W 70–62
12–2 (2–0)
15 – Baker
6 – VanVleet
6 – VanVleet
Charles Koch Arena (10,506)Wichita, KS
01/07/2015 7:00 pm, Cox Kansas
No. 15
Bradley
W 63–43
13–2 (3–0)
19 – Carter
7 – Tied
9 – VanVleet
Charles Koch Arena (10,506)Wichita, KS
01/11/2015 4:00 pm, ESPNU
No. 15
at Loyola (IL)
W 67–53
14–2 (4–0)
16 – Cotton
8 – Carter
10 – VanVleet
Joseph J. Gentile Arena (4,058)Chicago , IL
01/14/2015 7:00 pm, Cox Kansas
No. 13
Southern Illinois
W 67–55
15–2 (5–0)
25 – Carter
4 – Tied
5 – Tied
Charles Koch Arena (10,506)Wichita, KS
01/17/2015 1:00 pm, FSKC
No. 13
at Evansville
W 61–41
16–2 (6–0)
18 – Tied
11 – Carter
4 – Cotton
Ford Center (7,015)Evansville, IN
01/21/2015 7:05 pm, Cox Kansas
No. 14
at Missouri State Rivalry
W 76–53
17–2 (7–0)
15 – Tied
6 – Cotton
7 – VanVleet
JQH Arena (8,674)Springfield, MO
01/25/2015 3:00 pm, ESPN3
No. 14
Drake
W 74–40
18–2 (8–0)
15 – Baker
4 – Tied
6 – VanVleet
Charles Koch Arena (10,506)Wichita, KS
01/28/2015 7:00 pm, Cox Kansas
No. 12
Loyola (IL)
W 58–47
19–2 (9–0)
27 – VanVleet
7 – Cotton
5 – Cotton
Charles Koch Arena (10,506)Wichita, KS
01/31/2015 3:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 12
at No. 18 Northern Iowa
L 54–70
19–3 (9–1)
18 – VanVleet
8 – Cotton
3 – Tied
McLeod Center (7,050)Cedar Falls, IA
02/04/2015 7:00 pm, Cox Kansas
No. 16
at Bradley
W 62–59
20–3 (10–1)
14 – Baker
7 – Cotton
5 – Baker
Peoria Civic Center (6,707)Peoria, IL
02/07/2015 7:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 16
Missouri State Rivalry
W 78–35
21–3 (11–1)
17 – Baker
10 – VanVleet
11 – VanVleet
Charles Koch Arena (10,506)Wichita, KS
02/11/2015 7:00 pm, Cox Kansas
No. 15
Indiana State
W 74-57
22–3 (12–1)
21 – VanVleet
7 – Carter
4 – VanVleet
Charles Koch Arena (10,506)Wichita, KS
02/14/2015 5:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 15
at Illinois State
W 68–62
23–3 (13–1)
19 – Baker
10 – Cotton
3 – VanVleet
Redbird Arena (9,345)Normal, IL
02/17/2015 7:05 pm, Cox Kansas
No. 13
at Southern Illinois
W 84–62
24–3 (14–1)
17 – Morris
7 – Tied
5 – Cotton
SIU Arena (5,358)Carbondale, IL
02/22/2015 3:00 pm, ESPNU
No. 13
Evansville
W 62–43
25–3 (15–1)
22 – VanVleet
15 – Baker
7 – Cotton
Charles Koch Arena (10,506)Wichita, KS
02/25/2015 6:05 pm, Cox Kansas
No. 11
at Indiana State
W 63–53
26–3 (16–1)
20 – Carter
11 – Carter
5 – VanVleet
Hulman Center (6,169)Terre Haute, IN
02/28/2015 1:00 pm, ESPN
No. 11
No. 10 Northern Iowa ESPN College GameDay
W 74–60
27–3 (17–1)
17 – Baker
8 – Cotton
7 – Tied
Charles Koch Arena (10,506)Wichita, KS
Missouri Valley tournament
03/06/2015 12:05 pm, MVC TV/ESPN3
(1) No. 8
vs. (9) Southern Illinois Quarterfinals
W 56–45
28–3
13 – VanVleet
5 – Wessel
4 – VanVleet
Scottrade Center (9,015)St. Louis, MO
03/07/2015 1:35 pm, MVC TV/ESPN3
(1) No. 8
vs. (4) Illinois State Semifinals
L 62–65
28–4
19 – VanVleet
7 – VanVleet
7 – Baker
Scottrade Center (13,898)St. Louis, MO
NCAA men's basketball tournament
03/20/2015 *1:45 pm, CBS
(7 MW) No. 14
vs. (10 MW) Indiana Second round
W 81–76
29–4
27 – VanVleet
8 – Brown
4 – VanVleet
CenturyLink Center (16,907)Omaha, NE
03/22/2015 *4:15 pm, CBS
(7 MW) No. 14
vs. (2 MW) No. 10 Kansas Third round
W 78–65
30–4
19 – Cotton
9 – Wessel
6 – VanVleet
CenturyLink Center (17,563)Omaha, NE
03/26/2015 *6:15 pm, CBS
(7 MW) No. 14
vs. (3 MW) No. 8 Notre Dame Sweet Sixteen
L 70–81
30–5
25 – VanVleet
8 – Carter
3 – Tied
Quicken Loans Arena (19,465)Cleveland, OH
*Non-conference game.
# Rankings from
AP Poll . (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
MW=Midwest region.
All times are in
Central Time .
Rankings
Ranking movementLegend: ██ Improvement in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking. RV=Others receiving votes.
Poll
Pre
Wk 2
Wk 3
Wk 4
Wk 5
Wk 6
Wk 7
Wk 8
Wk 9
Wk 10
Wk 11
Wk 12
Wk 13
Wk 14
Wk 15
Wk 16
Wk 17
Wk 18
Wk 19
Final
AP
11
11
9
8
11
11
11
16
15
13
14
12
16
15
13
11
8
12
14
n/a
Coaches
11
13
10
10
11
11
11
16
15
14
13
12
17
13
13
11
8
12
13
11
See also
References
Venues Rivalries Culture & lore People Seasons NCAA Final Four appearances in italics