Wichita State (16-0, 3-0 MVC): C Chadrack Lufile came off the bench to score eight points and grab five rebounds in Wednesday’s 66-47 win over Illinois State. The Shockers held Illinois State to 32.7-percent shooting after holding Northern Iowa to 33.9. They lead the MVC in shooting defense at 40 percent.
VanVleet has 23 assists and no turnovers in his past four games. He last committed a turnover in the second half against North Carolina Central on Dec. 22.
WSU coach Gregg Marshall is 155-70 at WSU, tied with Gene Smithson (155-81 from 1978-86) for second on WSU’s career wins list. Ralph Miller went 220-133 from 1951-64. Marshall is closing in on his personal win streak. His 2006-07 Winthrop team won 19 games in a row. The Shockers are 3-2 at JQH Arena, joining Northern Iowa (4-1) as the only MVC teams with a winning record.
Missouri State (12-3, 2-1): WSU is the highest-ranked opponent to play at Missouri State. The Bears have won nine straight at home. Senior F Keith Pickens, an excellent defender, is out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his shin, according to the Springfield News-Leader. Pickens played in nine games and averaged 5.9 points. Williams returned to the starting lineup in Wednesday’s 68-65 win at Bradley to play 35 minutes with six assists and one turnover. His 3.29 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks second in the Valley. Wichitan Gavin Thurman has not played in four of the past five games. He is averaging 5.1 points.
RPI as of Friday: WSU 11, MSU 78
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