Kristian Ferrell
The Wichita State Shockers men's basketball team is the NCAA Division I college basketball program representing Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. The team has had a successful history, with 16 appearances in the NCAA tournament, reaching the Final Four twice, the Elite Eight four times, and the Sweet Sixteen six times. The Shockers previously competed in the Missouri Valley Conference for decades but moved to the American Athletic Conference in 2017.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of Basketball Team | Wichita State Shockers |
| University | Wichita State University |
| Location | Wichita, Kansas |
| Division | NCAA Division I |
| Conference | American Athletic Conference (since 2017) |
| Previous Conference | Missouri Valley Conference |
| Nickname | Shockers |
| Colours | Yellow and Black |
| Home Games Arena | Charles Koch Arena |
| Head Coach | Gregg Marshall |
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What You'll Learn
Wichita State Shockers' basketball conference history
The Wichita State Shockers men's basketball team is the NCAA Division I college basketball program representing Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. The team has a rich history in college basketball, with a long list of accomplishments and notable alumni.
The Shockers basketball team first gained notice outside of Wichita in 1927 when they finished the season with a impressive 13-1 record, coming in second place behind conference champions Pittsburg State University. The team joined the Missouri Valley Conference in 1945 and has since become a perennial contender in the NCAA Tournament, making 16 appearances and reaching notable milestones along the way.
The arrival of Coach Ralph Miller and standout player Cleo Littleton in 1951 marked the beginning of a successful era for Shocker basketball. Littleton, one of the first African American players in the Missouri Valley Conference, set numerous records during his freshman year, including averaging 18.2 points per game. He went on to become one of only five Wichita State players to have his number retired.
The 2013-14 season was historic for the Shockers, as they cracked the top 10 rankings and became the first Division I team to finish the regular season with a perfect 31-0 record. They also won the Missouri Valley Conference tournament that year, sweeping all three games by double-digit margins. This success led to the construction of a new field house for the men's basketball team, which opened in 1955.
In 2017, after decades of competing in the Missouri Valley Conference, Wichita State University made the move to the American Athletic Conference. The Shockers continue to field a competitive basketball team, with a strong showing in NCAA Division I and a dedicated fan base.
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The team's NCAA Division I status
The Wichita State Shockers men's basketball team is the NCAA Division I college basketball program representing Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. The team has had a successful history, making 16 appearances in the NCAA tournament, reaching the Final Four twice, the Elite Eight four times, and the Sweet Sixteen six times.
The Shockers joined the Missouri Valley Conference in 1945 and competed in this division for decades. During the 2013-14 season, the Shockers achieved a historic feat by becoming the first Division I team to finish the regular season with a perfect 31-0 record. They won the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, claiming their 9th conference regular-season title and becoming two-time defending MVC champions.
In 2017, Wichita State University made the move from the Missouri Valley Conference to the American Athletic Conference. This decision came after the university's athletic teams had already established a strong reputation in NCAA Division I sports, with the men's basketball team being a perennial NCAA tournament contender.
The Wichita State men's basketball team has continued to thrive in the national spotlight, with a notable seven-year run from 2011 to 2017. During this period, they accumulated five conference titles, three All-Americans, an undefeated regular season, an NIT championship, and six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. The team's home games are played at Charles Koch Arena, where they have drawn significant fan support, averaging over 10,000 attendees per game during their successful campaigns.
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The Shockers' 2013-14 season
The Wichita State Shockers men's basketball team is the NCAA Division I college basketball program representing Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. The 2013–14 season was arguably the best season in Wichita State's 108-year basketball history.
The 2013–14 Wichita State Shockers men's basketball team represented Wichita State University in the 2013–14 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They played their home games at Charles Koch Arena, which had a capacity of 10,506. They were in their 69th season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference. They were led by seventh-year head coach Gregg Marshall. The Shockers' 35–0 start was the best men's Division I start ever, beating the 1990–91 UNLV Runnin' Rebels who began the season 34–0. They spent most of the season in the top 10 of both major polls, rising as high as #2 in late February. They cracked the top 10 at #2 in the nation in both major polls, for the first time since December 2006. On February 25, with a win over Bradley, the Shockers became just the 11th Division I team to start the season 30–0.
After defeating Missouri State on March 1, 2014, Wichita State became the first men's Division I team ever to finish the regular season 31–0, the first team to finish 18–0 in conference play in the Missouri Valley Conference since the 1985–86 Bradley Braves, and the first to finish the regular season undefeated since Saint Joseph's in 2003–04. They continued their run by winning their first MVC tournament title since 1987 and were ranked second in both final major media polls, the highest final national ranking in school history. The Shockers completed a perfect, undefeated regular season and swept the conference post-season tournament en route to a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
The 2013–14 season proved to be historic and possibly the greatest season in Shocker history. The Wichita State Shockers made their second Final Four appearance in 2013, losing to Louisville 72–68. They advanced to the championship game of the Missouri Valley Tournament where they lost to Creighton. They received an at-large bid to the 2013 NCAA Tournament, receiving a 9 seed in the West Region, where they defeated 8 seed Pittsburgh and 1 seed Gonzaga to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. In the West Region semifinals, they defeated 13 seed La Salle and 2 seed Ohio State in the regional finals to be crowned West Region Champions and advance to the Final Four for the second time in school history and first time since 1965.
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Wichita State University's athletic teams
The Shockers compete in 16 intercollegiate athletic teams. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, tennis, and track & field (indoor and outdoor). Women's sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, softball, tennis, track & field (indoor and outdoor), and volleyball. The university also offers club sports such as crew, bowling, and shooting sports, as well as other intramural sports. The most recently added varsity sport is women's bowling, which was elevated to full varsity status in 2024–25.
The Shockers previously competed in the D-I Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) from 1945–46 to 2016–17; as an Independent from 1940–41 to 1944–45; in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (CIC) from 1923–24 to 1939–40; and in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1902–03 to 1922–23. As of the 2020s conference realignment, Wichita State is one of two full members of the American Conference (along with Temple) to have never been a full member of Conference USA, although it became a single-sport member of that conference for bowling in 2024.
The men's basketball team has seen some success, making 16 appearances in the NCAA tournament, reaching the Final Four twice, the Elite Eight four times, and the Sweet Sixteen six times. The team's home games are played at Charles Koch Arena, where it averaged 10,391 fans per game in 2012, ranking 38th nationally. The 2013–14 season was historic for the team, cracking the top 10 at #2 in the nation in both major polls, the highest ranking that late in the season in the school's history. The men's golf team has also been successful, winning 21 Missouri Valley Conference Championships.
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The university's founding and governance
The history of Wichita State University can be traced back to 1886 when Joseph Homer Parker founded a private women's Congregational preparatory school, supported by Wichita's Plymouth Congregational Church. The school was to be called the "Young Ladies College," "Wichita Ladies College," or "Congregational Female College." However, it never opened its doors as the Wichita growth boom collapsed in 1888. The building remained empty until a corporation bought the property and named the school Fairmount Institute, which opened in September 1892 to both men and women.
Fairmount College, as it was initially referred to, was the first iteration of Wichita State University. The college emphasised training its students in preaching or teaching. During its inaugural sports season in 1906, Fairmount's sports teams were known as the Wheatshockers.
In 1925, Fairmount College faced financial troubles, and its supporters tried to get the city of Wichita to buy it, but they failed. However, a second referendum passed in 1926, and the college became the Municipal University of Wichita (commonly known as "Wichita University" or "WU"). This was the first municipal university west of the Mississippi.
In the 1950s, university leaders explored adding the institution to the State of Kansas Regents System. This move faced opposition from the University of Kansas and Kansas State University, which were already part of the system. However, after successful lobbying, the Municipal University of Wichita officially entered the state system of higher education as Wichita State University on July 1, 1964.
Today, Wichita State University is a public research university in Wichita, Kansas, offering various undergraduate and graduate degree programs. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents and is classified as a "Doctoral University with high research activity." The university has a rich athletic history, with its basketball team, the Wichita State Shockers, competing in the American Athletic Conference (previously known as the American Conference) since the 2017-2018 season.
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Frequently asked questions
The Wichita State Shockers men's basketball team is part of the NCAA Division I. In 2017, Wichita State University moved from the Missouri Valley Conference to the American Athletic Conference.
The Wichita State Shockers' colours are yellow and black.
The Wichita State Shockers play their home games at Charles Koch Arena.
The Wichita State Shockers have made 16 appearances in the NCAA tournament, reaching the Final Four twice.
The 2013-14 season was historic for the Wichita State Shockers, as they became the first Division I team to finish the regular season with a 31-0 record.
