The 24-hour college basketball marathon continues tonight when the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers take on the Wichita State Shockers. The game is scheduled for a 1 a.m. (EST) start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPN2. The odds for the game have Wichita State favored by double digits to win.
This marathon that ESPN2 puts on each year for the 24 hours of college basketball really is something to watch. In this game we'll see Western Kentucky taking on Wichita State in a pair of schools with really sweet nicknames.
Western Kentucky will be making their season debut tonight in this contest, hitting the road. The Hilltoppers went 20-16 last season and finished with a .500 record of 10-10 in the Sun Belt. They are expected to once again be a top of the conference team. In each of the last two seasons Western Kentucky couldn't win the regular season title, but they were able to pick up tournament titles. In fact, during Ray Harper's first two season at the helm of the Hilltoppers, they haven't lost a game in Sun Belt Tournament action.
The Hilltoppers bring back four starters from last year's squad. TJ Price was the leading scorer last year and is expected to probably be the leading scorer again this season. He poured in 15 points per game last season on average. George Fant also hit double digit scoring last year and comes back as the team's best forward.
Wichita State is ranked 16th in the country. The Shockers blew out Emporia State in their last game and are one of the mid-majors everyone likes to talk about when it comes to college basketball. They won the Missouri Valley Conference last year and picked up 30 wins. Gregg Marshall has an experienced group that is led by forward Cleanthony Early, who tossed in 14 points per game on average last season.
In this one, rebounding will be critical. Wichita State made it to the final four last season before ultimately losing to Louisville. They've always been one of those schools that had some name recognition because of their nickname, but Marshall is building a success story there. And the biggest benefit for Wichita State tonight is that they've already played a game this season.
Free Pick: Wichita State 83, Western Kentucky 61 (Wichita State laying the points)
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