NFL Tickets
TV Schedule: Saturday, Dec. 5, 9 p.m. ET, ESPNU
Arena: Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis, MO
Line: Wichita State (-6)
Thanks to an injury to their star player Fred VanVleet and an injury to his immediate backup Landry Shamet, the Wichita State Shockers are on the downswing at the moment, with three straight losses to teams they probably should have beaten. The good news for the Shockers, however, is that all three of the teams they lost to, the Alabama Crimson Tide, Iowa Hawkeyes and USC Trojans, would likely be in the 2016 NCAA tournament if it started today and will all surely finish the season with a top 100 RPI. Wichita State may be down, but they are not out, as their schedule remains bereft of bad losses.
Next up for the Shockers is a trip to St. Louis to face off with the Saint Louis Billikens and an opportunity to get back on track.
Like Wichita State, the Billikens are in the midst of a December slump, losing their last two games by double digits. The talent is there for this team to take a step forward, but, outside of their four leading scorers, no one has yet to step forward and proven that they can be a contributor. There seem to be many problems in this rotation, and helping to beat Wichita State at home could be a great way for a young player to show that he deserves more minutes.
That being said, the Shockers should break out of their recent woes against a Saint Louis team that seems to have lost its offensive spark. Expect Wichita State to win easily and start to build on some much needed momentum.
Prediction: Wichita State 72, Saint Louis 62
Taylor Sturm is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TSturmRS, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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