NCAA First Round Marshall vs. Wichita State: Preview and Prediction

East Region: No. 13 Marshall Thundering Herd (24-10) vs. No. 4 Wichita State Shockers (25-7)

Not too long ago the Wichita State Shockers were a constant Cinderella team. Not anymore, Wichita State has built itself into a constant Sweet Sixteen threat. This year the Cinderella slipper is more suited for the Shockers opponents the Marshall Thundering Herd. Can the Herd pull off the upset?

How can the Herd pull the upset?

The Thundering Herd attempted a staggering 963 3-pointers en route to the NCAA Tournament and caught fire at the C-USA Tournament. They connected on 43 percent of attempts in both the semifinal win over Southern Miss and the championship game defeat of Western Kentucky. If the Herd gets hot behind the three-point line they can beat anybody.

Marshall has trouble shooting from inside the arc, so hitting threes will lead to easier inside looks, which infinitely improves the chances for the Herd pulling the upset. The Shockers have terrible defense against the three, as well, which makes this a very dangerous game for the Shockers.

How can the Shockers win?

The Shockers are one of the best rebounding teams in the country, with Rashard Kelly, Darral Willis Jr., Shaq Morris, Landry Shamet and Markis McDuffie all contributing big-time inside on the boards. Make no mistake the Shockers are the better team, but their weakness is Marshall’s strength.

Prediction: Marshall has been on fire. Will that continue? I think it does and Jon Elmore will have a big game and Marshall will pull off a Shocker (no pun intended).

Marshall 83  Wichita State 81