The Runnin' Utes left for Wichita on Thursday afternoon in preparation for their Saturday showdown with the Shockers of Wichita State. The Shockers will be looking for revenge, after the Utes pulled out a 69-68 overtime win at the Huntsman Center last year. Last season saw both teams ranked in the top-25 (Wichita State in the top 10) when they met. This season the hype is considerably less, as Wichita State is currently unranked with a 4-4 record. The Shockers are coming off an ugly, grind it out, 56-50 victory against UNLV on Wednesday night.
While Wichita State is off to a rocky 4-4 start, it is worth noting their best player and floor general, Fred Van Vleet has not been in the lineup for four of those games.