 | Mark Schremmer is a major contributor to KPREPS.com, a website dedicated to covering Kansas high school football. A Pittsburg native and Pittsburg State University graduate, he is assistant news editor at The Topeka Capital-Journal and has covered sports in Kansas since 2000. |
Sports
2013-04-29 16:00:56
Wichita State
The Wichita State Shockers’ success in this year’s NCAA Tournament surprised a lot of people.
Not me.
OK, I’m not saying I predicted the Shockers to reach the Final Four, but mid-major schools like WSU are proving their worth in basketball year after year.
Whether it’s Butler, VCU, Gonzaga or Wichita State, mid-major schools are quite capable in today’s world of college basketball.
The Missouri Valley Conference, in particular, has shown it belongs.
And while this was the first time for a Missouri Valley school to reach the Final Four since Larry Bird led the Indiana State Sycamores in 1979, six MVC schools have reached the Sweet 16 since 2000.
This past year, the Missouri Valley received two bids, while the Big 12 advanced six teams to the NCAA Tournament. Even though the Big 12 had three times the opportunities the Missouri Valley did, the two conferences ended up with the same amount of teams in the Sweet 16.
The Kansas Jayhawks were the Big 12’s last representative and were eliminated in the Sweet 16 by Michigan. Wichita State, meanwhile, represented the MVC for two more rounds before falling to eventual champion Louisville in the Final Four.
Since 2010, the Missouri Valley has brought six teams to the NCAA Tournament and advanced two to the Sweet 16. During that same time, the Big 12 has brought 24 teams to the tourney and advanced six to the round of 16.
The Missouri Valley owns a 15-19 record in the NCAA Tournament over the past decade. The 2004 season is the only time in the past 10 years that the MVC had two teams in the tournament and didn’t win at least one game.
Of course, Kansas and other major schools are still getting the top high school prospects. But while it is becoming more and more common for those top players to leave school for the NBA after one year, schools like Wichita State and Butler have the opportunity to mold a group of players for four years.
The senior with above average talent is quite capable of beating the freshman with extreme talent. Experience does count for something.
There is no doubt the gap between major conferences like the Big 12 and mid-major conferences like the Missouri Valley has lessened.
Overall, the big conferences are stronger, but the days of a middle of the pack team from a major conference easily beating a top school from a small conference are over.
Wichita State was the final Kansas team standing. And we should no longer be “shocked” by that.
