Marshall vs Wichita State 3/16/18 - NCAA Tournament Picks & Predictions

By: Admin |

Last Updated: 08/21/2019 at 12:19 PM ET

Viejas Arena will play host to a first round NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament matchup between the Wichita State Shockers and Marshall Thundering Herd. The fourth-seeded Shockers finished tied for second place during the regular season of their first campaign in the American Athletic Conference. Wichita State won 25 games overall, ranking in the top ten nationally in assists and rebounds. Sophome G Landry Shamet leads the Shockers in scoring (15.0 ppg) and assists (5.1 apg).

On Saturday, Wichita State shot just 27 percent during the first half of a 77-74 loss versus Houston in the AAC Tournament Semifinals. Landry Shamet tallied a team high 19 points for the Shockers, who outrebounded the Cougars by a 39-31 margin.
The 13th seeded Marshall Thundering Herd are making their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1987. The Thundering Herd won 24 games during the regular season and finished in fourth place in the Conference USA standings. Marshall is coached by Dan D’Antoni, brother of Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni. The Thundering Herd are entertaining to watch, ranking 12th nationally in scoring (84.3 ppg) and 11th in assists (17.2 apg.) Junior G Jon Elmore leads the team in scoring (22.8 ppg) and assists (6.9 apg).

In the Conference USA Championship Game, Jon Elmore scored 20 of his 27 points in the second half to lead Marshall to a 67-66 victory versus Western Kentucky. The Thundering Herd knocked down 12-for-28 from long range on the day.

Marshall has been to the NCAA Tournament five times in school history and has never won. This will be the seventh consecutive trip to the Big Dance for Wichita State, who has compiled a 10-6 record over the last six trips and reached the Final Four in 2013. The Shockers scored a bunch of points over their last ten games and I expect this game to sail over the total. Final Score Prediction, Wichita State Shockers 96-80.

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