Marshall’s Shockers a reflection of their coach despite NIT semifinal loss

Gregg Marshall took Wichita State team to 14-4 stretch run and NIT semifinal appearance. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

By Ray Floriani (@rfloriani)

NEW YORK — Gregg Marshall brought his Wichita State team to Madison Square Garden as a No. 6 seed in the National Invitation Tournament, no easy feat, but something he has been doing the better part of 21 years.

Marshall has been through scenarios such as this before, an underdog knocking off higher-profile opponents. You do not win 502 games in 21 years on the sidelines without getting more than your share of these. For years, his Shockers carried the label of lovable underdog, the bracket-buster fans loved to cheer for. The move from the Missouri Valley Conference to the American Athletic Conference changed the public’s perception. More often than not, Marshall’s Shockers now carry a target on their uniforms. On Tuesday, Wichita State experienced a role reversal, facing a Lipscomb team coming off a quarterfinal road win at NC State, educating fans about the validity of the Atlantic Sun Conference among mid-majors.

For Marshall, it’s all about adjustments. Earlier in the season, the Shockers ran a motion offense. Results were not up to par, so Mitchell scrapped the scheme in favor of a ball-screen offense. The results have been impressive, as Wichita State had won nine of ten dating back to the last day in February.

Teams make their runs. It’s an accepted, and expected, part of the game. The question to be answered is, can you withstand that run and be resilient? For the Shockers, it was not to be, as a 14-0 Lipscomb run gave the Bisons a 71-64 victory, behind 34 points from senior Garrison Matthews.

“It was a tough way to end,” Marshall said after spending appreciable time with his team. “Credit Lipscomb. They have five seniors in their top nine and they made plays.”

Always coaching and doing it the right way, Marshall said he would review film to see why there were breakdowns over the final 8-10 minutes of the game. The Wichita mentor also alluded to a few of his players showing late game frustration.

“That’s something we will not tolerate,” Marshall said. “No bad body language, no matter how poorly things may be going. We will not ever tolerate that in our program, and we addressed it postgame in the locker room.

Marshall has a deep appreciation for basketball history. Today’s players are often called out for lack of knowledge and/or appreciation of the game’s past. Marshall wants his players cognizant of the past and tradition almost as much as the opposition’s offensive tendencies. In 2011, his Shockers reached New York, eventually bringing the NIT trophy back to Wichita. When walking onto the hallowed Garden floor Marshall noticed the team picture of the 1969-70 New York Knicks. That group gave New York its first NBA title, as well as the epitome of fundamental, unselfish basketball. In that photo, Marshall noticed Nate Bowman and Dave Stallworth. Both were Wichita State products. Marshall made mention of this to the media, and rest assured, the Shockers were instructed about this item of basketball lore as they prepared for an Alabama team they defeated to capture the title. On Tuesday, though, the only history alluded to was the one written this season.

“We won 14 of the last 18,” Marshall said. “We were 10-8 in conference after beginning 1-6.” The start can be chalked up to learning. Seniors like Markis McDuffie and Samajae Haynes-Jones led the way. The younger players followed.

“As we went on, the freshmen started to believe,” Marshall observed. “Everyone continued to work. I can honestly say we got a lot out of that group in our locker room,” Marshall praised.

Is the Shockers’ 22-15 final record a disappointment? In not getting to the championship, yes, but not the season.

“I would not rate this season an A,” Marshall said. “It was not a failure either. Call it about a B-plus.”

Beyond the grade Wichita State earned, there were other intangibles one couldn’t measure.

“This team,” Marshall concluded, “just willed themselves to Madison Square Garden. They were tough, matured along the way and I thoroughly enjoyed the process.”