Wichita State has been a completely different team since defensive stalwart Ronnie DeGray III returned from injury in mid-January. The Shockers started AAC play 1-7 and allowed 75.9 points a game. Opponents made 47.3% of their shots and 42.1% from behind the arc. During a current five-game winning streak, opponents average 67.8 points on 40.5% shooting overall and 29% from deep. The Shockers are outrebounding their last five opponents, 222-154, for an average of +13.6 per game. Quincy Ballard's 8 double-doubles are third most in the American. He leads the AAC in blocks per game.

Wichita State is 8-1 when senior Ronnie DeGray III plays 20 or more minutes. This Shockers team is better than its overall record, as DeGray missed nearly two months with a fractured wrist. Now he's starting and making a huge impact, especially on the glass. Tulane is having an impressive season, and is tough defensively, but the Green Wave has struggled against the top-tier teams in the conference. I have Wichita State in that category, so I laid the points.