seniors Darrin Williams and Carl Lemons, will lead the
Shocks.
Oklahoma State, Tulsa and Kansas State have been added to future Wichita State's men's basketball schedules, WSU Director of Athletics Jim Schaus and Head Basketball Coach Randy Smithson announced in August.
"Jim and I are committed to scheduling games with quality regional opponents," Smithson says. "I understand the importance of these regional opponents because I played in those games. All of the teams are great to get on the schedule because of the importance to our fans, community and players."
Wichita State, which had lost a date when North Texas pulled out of this season's game, plays Oklahoma State Dec. 1 in Stillwater, which begins a four-year home-and-home agreement.
"These are the type of games we need consistently on our schedule and that our fans want to see in Levitt Arena," Schaus says. "They add a critical balance necessary for schedule strength, home attendance and overall fan appeal."
Wichita State also signed a five-year, five-game contract with Tulsa beginning 2000-01, and Kansas State returns to the 2000-01 schedule for a four-year home-and-home series.
"Randy and I met when we lost the North Texas State game and were in complete congruence that we needed to add several home-home series with some high-profile regional opponents," Schaus explains. "Obviously, the close proximity between these schools makes this very special. We are fortunate at this late date to have Oklahoma State available for this season. I am also very excited that we were able to renew one of the oldest and most intense rivalries in college basketball in signing the Tulsa agreement. This is a great series for fans from both schools. Playing Kansas State home-and-home for the next four years is something very important to us, and clearly benefits both programs in a myriad of ways."
WSU has played Oklahoma State, Tulsa and Kansas State in the 1990s, with the last game against Tulsa in 1997-98, the last game against Kansas State in 1998-99, and the last game against Oklahoma State in 1991-92.
WSU's future schedules also include the 2000 Preseason NIT, the 2001 Puerto Rico Shootout and the 2002 Maui Classic. "In 2000-01, we have Oklahoma State, Washington and Kansas State on our home schedule, with the possibility of a home game in the Preseason NIT, and we also play at Tulsa," Smithson says. "This kind of scheduling also helps The Valley. With our league in the top eight in the country, we have a responsibility to continue to upgrade our schedule."
