The Wichita State Wheatshockers are two years removed from a Final Four berth in one of the most unprecedented runs in College Basketball history. They are now one year removed from an undefeated regular season, only to come crashing down in the NCAA tournament to the Final Four runner-up, Kentucky.

After accomplishing so much, what else can Gregg Marshall pump out of this powerhouse mid-major? The hope is for a long run in the NCAA tournament, potentially all the way to the Championship. This team has the talent to do it.

Today, in the Tip-Off College Basketball Marathon, Wichita State took on another storied mid-major, the Memphis Tigers. However, Memphis has took quite a step back this year, losing some talented players to graduation and transfer. The Tigers were coming off of an embarrassing loss to Christian Brothers University in an exhibition game.

In this game, held at a neutral location in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Wichita State held a slim lead throughout the first half. Darius Carter started the Shockers' charge with 3 straight buckets to start the game. WSU's talented backcourt defended extremely well against Memphis, as the Tigers didn't have a guard score in the first half. Although the Shockers held the advantage the entire quarter, Memphis stayed in it with timely buckets from Nick King and Austin Nichols. The score was 29-22 at the half.

However, Wichita State was off to the races by the beginning of the 2nd half. An 11-0 run highlighted by Tekele Cotton dunks and Ron Baker three-pointers put the game out of hand for the flabbergasted Tigers, who couldn't score until an Avery Woodson jumper 4 minutes after the run started (Woodson was the lone bright spot for Memphis' guard, having 10 points on the night). After Ron Baker got to the line and converted two costless throws with 4 minute left, the score was 69-46, a pure blowout.

Although Memphis went on a small run near the end of the game, they never could fully figure out the Wheatshockers' defense, falling 71-56.

Gregg Marshall is one of the best coaches in the nation, and he showed how prepared his team is today in their new journey. One area of concern is shot selection, as players like Evan Wessel and Fred VanVleet were mostly off-target today. For the most part, however, WSU looks like a well-oiled machine that could easily rise in the AP poll after this week.

Memphis, on the other hand, is a hot mess. They have some great talent, such as Shaq Goodwin and Nick King, but if they can't cut down on the turnovers, this will be a long season for Josh Pastner's team. He has some gluing to do in order to make them relevant. 

Wichita State now has a matchup against Division II Newman on Sunday, while Memphis tries to get back on track at home against the Prairie View Panthers.