Moving to the American Athletic Conference helps Wichita State’s strength of schedule. Playing those 11 schools is not a surefire path to desirable NCAA Tournament seeding.
The non-conference schedule still matters immensely to coach Gregg Marshall, which is why Tuesday’s announcement of the Maui Invitational brackets worked out perfectly for the Shockers.
Wichita State will play California on Nov. 20 in the Lahaina Civic Center. The Shockers avoid NCAA Division II Chaminade — often matched against the tournament favorite — and its empty power ranking. They open against a team with a new coach rebuilding a roster with one returning starter.