Wichita State heads to the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in good shape for an NCAA bid.
The second-seeded Shockers are No. 35 in Monday’s NCAA power ranking (RPI), a spot that usually produces at-large teams. No. 44 Northern Iowa and No. 46 Missouri State, which won the MVC and owns a 16-match win streak, are also in the picture.
The MVC Tournament begins Thursday with quarterfinal matches in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Shockers earned a bye into a semifinal at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The tournament winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
All three teams could get a chance to add another top-50 victory to their NCAA resume on Friday, depending on who wins in the quarterfinals.