By Paul Suellentrop
Wichita State starts its sixth season of conference basketball in the American at UCF (6 p.m. ESPN+) on Wednesday. The Shockers (7-5) are on the road and uncertain of the availability or effectiveness of starting point guard Craig Porter, who is hampered by a sprained left ankle.
The Shockers fit with most of the conference – inconsistent and looking for a hot shooting night and favorable bounces. No. 3 Houston (12-1) is the conference's heavy favorite and Memphis (10-3) is off to a good start with wins over Auburn and Mississippi. The rest of the conference is searching for the right combination and a win streak.