Gregg Marshall sent a mostly reassuring message to Wichita State fans during his media availability Thursday at the Georgia Dome ahead of Saturday’s Final Four matchup against Louisville.
He said he is enjoying his time with the Shockers and that he could stay at the school until he retires.
“Maybe they are working on something like that right now, I don’t know,” he said.
But he added that if the right situation came along at the right time, he would listen.
He footnoted that by adding that he is cautious about making moves. He stayed at Winthrop for nine years, winning seven conference titles, and is in his sixth season at Wichita State, where he has a multi-year contract that he said pays him more than $1 million per year.
He has said many times that he is happy at Wichita and isn’t in to chasing better contracts.
“I don’t care if you pay me $5 million a year and I’m getting my brains beaten out, I’m not going to be very happy,” he said.
New attention: Wichita State doesn't receive the same media attention as the other three teams — Louisville, Michigan and Syracuse — that will appear in the Final Four.
Marshall described the media obligations as “grueling.”
“The media is times-100 what we are used to back home,” Marshall said.
Still, he said his team is loose and not satisfied with its accomplishments, despite being the first team from the Missouri Valley Conference to reach the Final Four since Larry Bird and Indiana State in 1979.
“We just know this is part of it,” he said. “If I have to make that trade to do constant media attention, national radio, TV to get to this point every year, I’ll make that trade.”
Defense: Louisville coach Rick Pitino described Wichita State's defense as "Marquette on steroids.
“I’ll say this without exaggeration, they’re the best team we will have faced this year at the defensive end.”
Marshall said he appreciates the compliment, but thinks Pitino was only trying to fire up his team.
The Shockers have limited opponents to 60.9 points per game this season, including 62.25 in the NCAA tournament. None of their four opponents in the NCAA tournament has shot better than 35.7 percent. Louisville has shot 45.6 percent this season.
“They’re not just winning, they’re pounding teams,” Pitino said. “You can’t do that unless you’re a great basketball team, and they are.”
New place: Marshall said he never understood the issues of shooting in a dome until his team practiced at the cavernous Georgia Dome, with its long walk from the locker rooms to the raised floor.
“It’s awe-inspiring,” he said.
Marshall said he didn’t think it would be a problem for his team, which has shot 44.1 percent this season.
“You deal with it and shoot a lot in practices and find your range,” he said.
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