Part of the reason the Wichita State Shockers came into the season with legitimate Final Four hopes is because Fred VanVleet was looked upon as one of the best point guards in the nation. He's not going to make the trip to Orlando though, and that could make the opening game of the AdvoCare Invitational against the Alabama Crimson Tide a tricky one.
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HOW THE WICHITA STATE SHOCKERS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Anton Grady and Ron Baker now have a lot on their shoulders as the two top scorers of this team. They've answered the bell thus far this year, combining to average over 31 points per game in spite of the fact that neither has really been pressed to play deep in the second half of any game yet.
The real key though, is going to be figuring out who can replace VanVleet.
There are high hopes for Ty Taylor II as the point guard of the future at Wichita State, but we've only seen him play a grand total of 37 collegiate minutes. Now, he's going to get thrust into a situation where he has to play against a USC defense which has a history of being stingy against point guards.
It's a tough matchup for sure, and the ball is going to have to stay in the hands of Baker and Grady a bit more than Greg Marshall probably would want.
HOW THE USC TROJANS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
There's certainly a lot of experience here on this USC side. Andy Enfield, a man who is only a few years removed from becoming the coach du jour with his run in the NCAA Tournament with Florida Gulf Coast, has finally built a team which could legitimately contend for a spot in the NCAA Tournament this year.
Jordan McLaughlin, who really came on strong at the end of last year, has taken over as the team's top scorer at 20.3 points per game, and he's also doing a great job with the ball in his hands. Defense is still an issue for the Men of Troy in the backcourt, but McLaughlin is the exception to the rule with eight steals already in just three games.
USC is going to have to really buckle down defensively and get ready for a war with Wichita State.
Winning this game is going to mean making crucial stops and not getting too careless with the basketball. Thus far, the team is only turning it over 11.3 times per game, something which Southern Cal has to contain in this one to have a shot at pulling the upset.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
The VanVleet injury is a really big deal for the Shockers. The Missouri Valley has really risen up once again this year and could be one of the sneaky conferences in America, but Wichita State might not get out of Orlando without a blemish, and this might very well be the spot for it.
Enfield really hasn't had that signature win yet in his career at USC, and though it's tough to classify any win in November as "season-defining," it would be a win which could go a long way towards getting this college basketball team into the dance come March.
USC 69, Wichita State 64
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