Patrick Diamond, Reporter
@diamond_courant
The battle of the valley. The #10 and #11 teams in the nation will be squaring off in a game played for the regular season title of the Missouri Valley Conference. These two teams, Northern Iowa and Wichita State, are under-appreciated because of the relatively weak conference that they play in. It should be an exciting and down to the wire matchup in Wichita this Saturday in this week’s, game of the week.
Let’s start with the home team, the Wichita State Shockers. Coming of a 34-0 regular season and disappointing 2nd round exit in the tournament, Wichita is looking to build on last season, and what’s better than claiming the regular season conference title against another impressive team. The Shockers are 0-2 against ranked opponents this year, one of the teams being Northern Iowa in a 16 point loss. This game may be different, as the Shockers will be on their home court, in front of their own fans.
Wichita State is coming off a great season, but Northern Iowa has had a sudden resurgence this year. Northern Iowa has only played one ranked opponent this year, and it was a win over Wichita State. They have had an outstanding season at 27-2 and one of their losses was in 2OT to an impressive team in VCU. They’re 16-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference, and they’re not only a threat in the conference tournament, but for a deep run in march.
Players to Watch:
Senior Ron Baker will be looking to end his career at Wichita State with a bang. He’s leads the team with 15.2 points per game and 4.5 rebounds. Look for him to have a huge game in his final regular season game at home.
Seth Tuttle has been nothing short of amazing this year for Northern Iowa as he leads the team in points per game, (15.6) rebounds (6.6) and assists (3.2). Look for him to put up 15 or more in this game.
Prediction:
Wichita State 73-72 OT. Wichita State is playing with home court advantage in this one and their average of 6 more rebounds than Northern Iowa will make a difference in deciding an OT thriller.
