Wichita State’s spot atop the Missouri Valley Conference basketball standings is secure. Its national respect is so deep it remains ranked after a loss at Illinois State.
A lot of that good will was earned with rebounding, which the 25th-ranked Shockers view as an essential part of defense and an essential measure of toughness. They take a slip in those areas seriously.
On Wednesday, Southern Illinois out-rebounded them 48-31 and became the first team in seven seasons to win that battle by 10 or more. WSU dominated every other statistic to win 76-55. It got worse on Saturday, when Illinois State out-rebounded them 46-35 and won 58-53.