First Round

By Paul Suellentrop

The Wichita Eagle

For the past week, Wichita State players said the right things about playing in the National Invitation Tournament. On Wednesday night, they did all the right things.

The Shockers hammered Nebraska 76-49 at Koch Arena, leading by 20 or more points the entire second half. WSU made its first two three-pointers to start a red-hot shooting night that totaled 11 threes and buried the Huskers.

�When we�re shooting like that, it spreads,� WSU guard Graham Hatch said.

Fourth-seeded WSU (25-8) will play at Virginia Tech (22-11) at 10 a.m. Sunday in the NIT�s second round. The Hokies, top-seeded in their part of the bracket, defeated Bethune-Cookman 79-54 on Wednesday.

After Wednesday, there isn�t any doubt the Shockers want to keep playing, even after a disappointing season stretch that ruined NCAA Tournament dreams. WSU beat down the Huskers from the tip, playing with more aggressiveness and purpose. It didn�t take the Shockers long to figure out the NIT is a lot of fun when the ball goes in the basket.

�That�s about as well as we�ve played in a while,� WSU coach Gregg Marshall said. �The guys really did a great job passing the ball. We got some very good looks.�

Nebraska (19-13) never recovered from WSU jetting to a 10-0 lead. The Huskers trailed the entire game and didn�t muster any kind of rally after falling behind by 15 points with 10 minutes to play in the first half. Perhaps stunned by WSU�s burst, the Huskers didn�t show much composure or fight early in the game.

WSU�s Gabe Blair blocked two shots, discouraging Nebraska�s big men, and the Huskers clanked three after three.

�You get out-scored 27 points at the three-point line, you�re not going to win many ballgames,� Huskers coach Doc Sadler said. �Wichita State, obviously, was a very, very, very good basketball team tonight. We didn�t give them any pressure at all from the get-go.�

Those first few minutes erased any doubt about WSU�s motivation and offensive execution. Senior J.T. Durley passed out of a double-team to Toure Murry, who found Joe Ragland for a three-pointer. Durley then passed to Hatch, freed by a Blair screen, for another three.

After a Nebraska turnover, Murry made a short jumper for an 8-0 lead. After an offensive rebound by Ragland, Hatch was fouled and made two free throws for a 10-0 lead with 16:05 remaining in the half.

�Their team played like it was one-and-done deal,� Sadler said. �My team didn�t.�

The Shockers also played like a team freed from the shackles of Missouri Valley Conference defense. Durley shredded Nebraska�s double-teams, finding open teammates for shots or to start a chain of passes that led to scores. WSU made 11 of 26 threes, tying its season high. It made 24 of 52 shots (46.2 percent), its best since making 57.7 percent at Northern Iowa on Feb. 12.

�We�ve been working on our offense a lot,� Durley said. �In the last few games, our offense hasn�t been great, not a lot of movement.�

The Huskers quit doubling late in the game, too late to make a difference.

�Their inside game has been their strength,� Sadler said. �We didn�t just show up here without having a clue what they were going to do. Everyone said that you need to make sure their inside people are the people that you defend.�

The Huskers cut the lead to 10-7. Then WSU�s Demetric Williams made a three to start a 14-2 run. Nebraska didn�t get closer than 12 the rest of the game.

�It just seemed like every time we made a shot or made a play, they made one,� Nebraska forward Brandon Ubel said. �They had an answer for everything we did.�

Second Round

By Paul Suellentrop

The Wichita Eagle

BLACKSBURG, Va.- Wichita State recruited Joe Ragland for a moment like that one. He can, in the lingo of coaches, get to the rim.

Fast. Really fast.

Ragland's dash ended with a floater in the lane with 2.6 seconds to play to give WSU a two-point lead. After a turnover and a free throw, the fourth-seeded Shockers celebrated Sunday's 79-76 overtime win against top-seeded Virginia Tech at Cassell Coliseum.

"I can use my speed to help me," Ragland said. "The middle was so wide open, and I was like 'I've got to go.' I just pushed the ball, and I made a play."

Ragland's coast-to-coast basket takes a lofty spot in Shocker lore for pushing them ahead in a tournament that traditionally frustrates. WSU (26-8) advances to the NIT quarterfinals for the first time in 12 trips and is one win from playing in Madison Square Garden. And it's a home game � Wednesday against sixth-seeded College of Charleston at Koch Arena.

"One last home game � for real this time," WSU senior Gabe Blair said. "It's going to be nice in front of the fans that got us to 26 (wins)."

Ragland started his charge after a Virginia Tech layup tied it 76-all with nine seconds to play. Toure Murry passed the ball in quickly. Ragland, after getting a look at the defense, wanted to attack before the Hokies (22-12) could organize.

Smart move. Really smart.

"I knew we had to get the ball out quick, because I thought they were going to press," Murry said. "Joe just took it, took it the full length. Big-time play."

Ragland's decisiveness caught the Hokies in retreat.

"I saw that they were kind of excited and scattered," he said. "I got the ball and made a play while they were not really paying attention."

Ragland's path to the basket wasn't without obstacles. Virginia Tech's Erick Green, whose steal led to the tying layup by Terrell Bell, tried to slow Ragland. Ragland used a behind-the-back dribble to elude him near the three-point line. Once Ragland slipped Green, he took off close to the foul line, sailing over the ACC logo in the lane and rolled in the winner.

"I should have stayed in the front of the ball," Green said. "I didn't want to foul, but hand's-down I should have stayed in front of the ball."

Virginia Tech had to go the length of the court. Guard Malcolm Delaney, who scored 30 points, took the inbound pass near the foul line and turned to dribble up court. With Murry on him, he stepped out of bounds with 1.3 seconds to play while throwing up a desperate shot. The Hokies wanted a foul. WSU got the ball and the win.

"He stuck his leg out and I went out of bounds," Delaney said. "It could have been contact, and it could not have been.... The refs did a good job. I thought I had a clear lane until he stuck his leg out."

Murry didn't feel contact.

"I didn't touch him," he said. "I saw him break loose, and I got in front of him to try to make him turn the ball over and he stepped out of bounds."

After the turnover, Murry made a free throw with 0.9 seconds to play. He missed the second and grabbed the rebound to send the Shockers home happy.

Ragland thought he won the game in regulation. His bank shot in the final seconds rolled off the rim with the score tied 69-all.

"Every shot I take, I swear I think it's going in," he said. "I thought the first one would roll in for me. I guess everything happens for a reason."

WSU's depth took over with an extra five minutes to play. Virginia Tech played without forward Jeff Allen, who fouled out with 6:12 to go. Center Victor Davila, playing with an injured right shoulder, sat out the overtime.

The Shockers didn't have center J.T. Durley, who fouled out 34 seconds into overtime. That gave backup center Garrett Stutz, guarded by 6-foot-7 reserve Manny Atkins, ownership of the lane. He scored WSU's first seven points in overtime, providing a 76-74 lead.

"That was the key to the game, them bringing him in," Delaney said. "That's a tough matchup for any wing guy. We tried to double, but he was too far in the paint for us to get there and help Manny."

The Shockers made 10 of 20 three-pointers with Durley, Murry, Ragland and Graham Hatch each making two. Durley's three with 47 seconds to play tied it 69-all in regulation.

Murry led WSU with 15 points, 11 in the second half, and he grabbed seven rebounds. Hatch added 14 points.

Quarterfinals

By Paul Suellentrop

The Wichita Eagle

One day after a miserable loss in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, Wichita State players met and decided they wanted to keep playing.

They vowed to take the National Invitation Tournament seriously.

They can hold their next team meeting in New York, where it will be time to take winning a championship seriously. The Shockers defeated the College of Charleston 82-75 on Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the NIT. The next stop is Madison Square Garden for the semifinals on Tuesday against Washington State, a 69-66 overtime winner over Northwestern late Wednesday night.

�They set it as a goal to get to New York,� WSU coach Gregg Marshall said. �Now we�ve got to establish a different goal.�

WSU (27-8) ties a school record with its 27th win and becomes the first MVC school to make the semifinals of the NIT since Bradley won it in 1982. The Shockers, in 11 previous NIT appearances, didn�t advance past the quarterfinals.

When Wednesday�s game ended, after WSU held off a Cougars rally, the speakers blared Frank Sinatra�s �New York, New York� and the sell-out crowd roared. WSU�s David Kyles and J.T. Durley danced at half court and shared a flying chest bump. The celebration kept going long after the game, with fans waiting for autographs and players making plans to see the big city.

�It�s a great feeling to play in Madison Square Garden,� Durley said. �That�s what all the great players in the NBA talk about � to play in Madison Square Garden.�

WSU continued its resurgence in the NIT with another display of offensive execution and unselfish basketball. The Shockers shot 54.7 percent from the floor and handed out 20 assists on 29 baskets. They led for the game�s final 25 minutes, stretching the edge to as many as 21 points in the second half.

�New York will love having Wichita State,� said Charleston coach Bobby Cremins, a New Yorker coaching in his sixth NIT. �I�m impressed with the balance of Wichita State, and I think they�re going to have a great shot.�

Cremins certainly saw the best of WSU. The Shockers closed the first half with an 18-6 run to break a tie game. Durley and Blair worked over the smaller Cougars in the lane. Both scored eight points in the first half to help WSU lead 37-25. Blair finished with 16 and eight rebounds. Durley added 14 points.

�They weren�t deep, so we were trying to take it at them and get in them in foul trouble,� Durley said.

WSU�s defense held the Cougars to nine baskets in the first half. Charleston (26-11) averages almost 23 three-point shots a game. In the first half, it made 1 of 3.

�We dug a hole in the first half,� Cremins said. �We got a little excited, got away from our game.�

Charleston�s game is giving ball to guard Andrew Goudelock, a senior who averages 23.5 points. WSU junior Toure Murry used his quickness and long arms to limit Goudelock in the first half. Murry chased him through screens and tried to ignore his pump fakes and keep a hand in his face. When Goudelock got by him, Murry was quick enough to recover and deflect the ball on several occasions. His persistence forced Goudelock into eight turnovers, and he needed 27 shots to score 31 points.

�My goal was to be go where he went,� Murry said. �Just stay on him.�

With Goudelock limited to eight first-half points, the Cougars floundered.

�Drew had some really good looks and missed,� Cremins said. �Then I started to worry. He was not himself.�

In the second half, WSU�s bench sparked a 20-10 run that gave WSU a 61-40 lead with 11:51 to play. The Cougars never wavered from their three-point attack. When WSU slowed its pace, the Cougars rallied. They made eight of nine shots to cut the lead to 69-62. Goudelock made 7 of 14 threes in the second half to score 23 points.

�You don�t see performances like that very often,� Marshall said. �That�s a special, special talent.�

Graham Hatch�s three-point play restored WSU�s momentum, giving it a 71-62 lead with 2:59 to play. The Shockers made nine of 10 free throws in the final 1:38, never allowing the Cougars to get closer than six points.

Semifinals

By Paul Suellentrop

The Wichita Eagle

NEW YORK- It is a familiar routine these past two weeks. No matter the city or opponent, Wichita State basketball coach Gregg Marshall comes to the interview room, takes a drink, and tells the audience this is the best his team played in a long time.

He needs a new line. The Shockers are playing this well every game. Wichita State embarrassed Washington State 75-44 on Tuesday night in the semifinals of the National Invitation Tournament at Madison Square Garden (video).

�They seem to be getting better, which is what you want your teams to do,� Marshall said. �You bloom where you�re planted, and we are planted in this tournament. It�s a great tournament, and here we are in New York with a chance to play for a championship.�

Wichita State (28-8) plays Alabama (25-11) in Thursday�s 6 p.m. championship game. It is the first title game in a national tournament for the Shockers, who lost in the semifinals of the 1965 NCAA Final Four.

�We�ve got one more, and we�ve got to get ready for that one,� Wichita State guard Joe Ragland said. �One more would be even better.�

The Shockers set a school record for wins in a season in a surprisingly easy fashion. Washington State (22-13) finished 9-9 in the Pacific-10 Conference and beat NCAA Tournament teams Washington (twice) and Southern Cal. The Cougars showed none of that stuff against the Shockers. Washington State shot 29.4 percent and missed all 10 of its three-pointers. It showed no interest in banging with the Shockers in the lane. Wichita State out-rebounded Washington State 52-25 and outscored it 48-18 in the lane.

�That didn�t feel too good,� Cougars coach Ken Bone said. �They are just bigger and stronger.�

Wichita State never trailed, never struggled and never eased up. It led 7-0 after the Cougars missed their first six shots.

The Shockers then turned the rest of the first half over to junior center Garrett Stutz. He scored 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting in 13 minutes. He finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

�He was just a beast tonight,� Marshall said.

Stutz scored his first points with a three-pointer, giving Wichita State a 10-2 lead. After that, he made the lane his home. His layup made it 12-4. He tipped in a miss by Ben Smith for a 14-4 lead. He tipped in another miss to make it 20-8. His dunk made it 29-16. When the Cougars defended him, he passed to Graham Hatch for an open three-pointer and a 34-19 lead.

�As a team, we were flowing together,� Stutz said. �Really good ball movement � our guards were moving it really well.�

Washington State failed to recover. Foul trouble limited leading scorer Klay Thompson to eight minutes in the first half. He finished with six points on 1-of-10 shooting, 16 below his conference-leading average.

�It was terrible, picking up three fouls in the first half,� Thompson said. �That�s really stupid play on my part, and it�s tough ending the season that way.�

With Thompson limited by fouls and Toure Murry�s defense, the Cougars collapsed.

�We just depend on him probably too much because he�s such a great player,� Bone said. �He got his third (foul), actually, on a charge in the first half when he was trying to be aggressive. And I just think it took a lot out of him, and when it takes a lot out of him, it takes a lot out of us.�

Wichita State took its 17-point halftime lead and dominated the first 10 minutes of the second half to turn the game into a laugher. The Shockers ran and dunked. They made threes. They led by as many as 35 in the second half and got the game to their walk-ons with three minutes remaining.

�We just played with a lot of intensity defensively,� Ragland said. �After awhile it seemed like we were out there getting the players that really don�t play a lot to score.�

NIT Championship Game

CBSSports.com
March 31, 2011

Wichita had been to the NIT 11 times, but had never won it.