The culmination of Wichita State's most turbulent season is a return to the routine.
The Shockers are back in the NCAA Tournament and back by taking the hard route to an at-large bid. Wichita State plays Drake in the Thursday's First Four game between No. 11 seeds for the right to play No. 6 seed USC in the West Region.
"We were just very nervous about it," guard Alterique Gilbert said on a Zoom interview from Fort Worth. "Once they announced our name, we just exploded."
The Shockers (16-5) will make their eighth tournament appearance in the past nine seasons (when a tournament was held).