No one has to tell Pitt coach Jamie Dixon about the dangers of facing a team from the Missouri Valley Conference. The previous time Pitt played a team from this mid-major league, the Panthers were unceremoniously knocked out of the 2006 NCAA tournament in the second round.

Bradley, the fifth-place team from the Missouri Valley Conference in the regular season, defeated Pitt, 72-66, to advance to the Sweet 16. That was the same season Wichita State, Pitt's opponent tonight in the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic, advanced to the Sweet 16 by upsetting Seton Hall and Tennessee.

For years now, the Missouri Valley Conference has been playing giant-killer, and Wichita State aims to slay one of the best from the Big East at the Sprint Center in Kansas City tonight.

The Shockers have not been back to the NCAA tournament since 2006 and enter the game eager to prove themselves against a major-conference opponent.

"It's a great opportunity for us," said third-year coach Gregg Marshall, who owns a 30-37 record with the Shockers. "It's an exciting opportunity. I am personally excited to find out how our guys will handle this challenge and opportunity against a program that was one basket away from making the Final Four last year."

Wichita State won its first two games handily against Fairleigh Dickinson and Arkansas Monticello by 16 and 29 points, respectively. Picked fifth in the MVC in a preseason poll, the Shockers have the attention of Dixon and the Panthers.

"They are the most physical team we will play against maybe all year," he said. "They just beat up Farleigh Dickinson. I was impressed by their physicality."

Wichita State will play the game without its point guard and leading returning scorer from last season. Clevin Hannah, who averaged 11.2 points per game last season, was suspended by the NCAA for the first three games of the season because of an administrative error by the school.

"It's quite unfortunate what happened to him," Marshall said. "The NCAA is basically punishing the kid for the school's mistake. We don't like it, but we're dealing with it."

The suspension has forced Marshall to reshuffle his lineup. Toure' Murry, the shooting guard last season, started at the point in Wichita State's first two games. Further complicating matters, reserve point guard Demetric Williams sustained an ankle injury against Fairleigh Dickinson and did not play against Arkansas Monticello.

"We're a little undermanned with injuries and the suspension, but we're playing pretty well," Marshall said. "You have to have more than one point guard, and this is a great example why. It would be nice to get another win without him, but we just have to get by for one more game."

Pitt enters the game with injuries and suspensions of its own. Jermaine Dixon again will sit out with a foot injury that has been slow to heal, and Gilbert Brown won't be eligible to return until Dec. 20.

Dixon has been coaching a team loaded with freshmen and sophomores. Pitt has not won impressively in its first three games, but the Panthers have improved each game, which has pleased Dixon.

"I feel like we're improving every day out," Dixon said. "That's what's exciting about this group. There has been constant improvement. We have new guys getting the opportunity. These guys were recruited to be in this situation."

Marshall is coaching a young team, too. Hannah is the only senior and his top three scorers are two sophomores and a junior. Only three players on the team have experienced a victory against a major-conference school. Wichita State was 0-3 against Georgetown, Michigan State and Texas Tech last season. Two seasons ago, the Shockers lost to Baylor and beat LSU.

"I like my team, but Fairleigh Dickinson and Arkansas Monticello are not great litmus tests for playing a team like Pitt," Marshall said.

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