Wichita State Shockers were on the brink of calling it a season. Having lost in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference (AAC) tournament on March 14, 2025, the team parted ways, with many players heading home to kick off spring break. Just two days later, the mood dramatically shifted. On Sunday night, as fate would have it, Coach Paul Mills' daughter stumbled upon the stunning news on Instagram: the Shockers were included in the 32-team field of the National Invitational Tournament (NIT).
Now, Wichita State has at least one more game remaining as they prepare to face fourth-seeded Oklahoma State on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Mills reflected on this unexpected turn of events, saying, "I do think some guys feel like we left a lot on the table. It's just not often you get a chance to course-correct on something like this," as reported by the Wichita Eagle.
The Shockers finished eighth in the AAC with an overall record of 19-14, marking their first appearance in the NIT since 2019 and first postseason outing since then. This comeback is particularly meaningful since the team advanced to the NIT semifinals just two years earlier and claimed the NIT championship eight years before.
Mills remains optimistic about his team’s readiness, even as several players had already departed for home just days prior to their postseason debut. "We'll be ready," Mills stated confidently. Leading the charge for the Shockers is Xavier Bell, who averages 14.9 points per game. Wichita State has bested Oklahoma State three times during their last five matchups, all held at Oklahoma State's venue.
Supporting Bell is Corey Washington, contributing 13.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Recently, Bijan Cortes has turned heads by scoring 20 and 19 points, respectively, across the last two AAC tournament games, solidifying his noteworthy performance within the team.
On the other side of the court, Oklahoma State has its own aspirations this postseason. The Cowboys, who hold the 15-17 record, are also fighting to garner some success after recently finishing tied for 12th place in the Big 12 and losing their own first-round conference tournament matchup. Coach Steve Lutz communicated the value of their postseason slot, saying, "If we can play postseason and have the opportunity to continue to fight for a championship, these guys deserve it. They've put so much effort this season and have laid the groundwork for the future. So we need to reward them if at all possible."
Leading Oklahoma State’s scoring is Abou Ousmane, who averages 12.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, including impressive efforts where he scored over 24 points twice within the last five games. Ousmane, who is shooting at 43.2 percent from 3-point territory, has encountered some difficulties lately, having fouled out three times during the last eight contests. Alongside him, Bryce Thompson, with 12.2 points per game, and Marchelus Avery, contributing 11.4 points per game, also significantly impact the Cowboys' scoring.
This match marks Oklahoma State's first postseason appearance since their 2023 NIT quarterfinals run. Historically, Oklahoma State has reached the NIT 13 times, yet they have yet to make it to the title game, emphasizing the urgency of this latest opportunity.
Wichita State, invigorated by their surprise inclusion and battling to prove their worth, hopes to extend their season beyond Tuesday. Just as Mills noted, there’s great potential for these players to capitalize on this unexpected NIT bid. It remains to be seen whether this opportunity will translate to success as both squads step onto the court for their first challenge of the postseason.
With the stakes high, Wichita State hopes to shine against Oklahoma State, where both teams are motivated to leave everything on the court, making for what promises to be an electrifying matchup.
