Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall asks what Shockers must do to 'make people respect' program

Following a tough loss to the Kentucky Wildcats in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament, Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall took to the podium. It’s no secret that Wichita State was criminally under-seeded by the selection committee, and a second-round matchup with the 2 seed Wildcats was the result of such an injustice.

By every advanced metric, Wichita State should have been much higher than a 10 seed, but that placement was just another notch in the belt of disrespect to the Shockers.

When asked about how this game would let people know what the Shockers’ program is all about, Marshall responded with this:

“How many years do we have to do this to make people respect our program? I don't know. That's up to you guys.”

With talk of a potential move to the AAC, it’s possible to think that it might be a necessary move for a program that’s hungry for respect. Marshall is aware of the Missouri Valley’s reputation, and fears that it could be a lost cause to try and change its perception.

It matters what we think. And we can't change people's perception of our program. We can't change people's preparation of the Missouri Valley Conference or the talent level. It's more important that we know what we're about, and we sleep really well at night knowing what we have and what we continue to prove and what we continue to do as a program.

The Shockers have clearly established themselves as one of the premier programs in the country, but the recognition and respect is yet to follow. For that, Marshall believes that finishing the job will be one of the only ways to finally get the respect they deserve.

And if we get a break or two, and another shot goes down, maybe we're advancing, maybe we win the whole thing. I mean, that's possible. So that will be our goal next year.