Eric Prisbell

USA TODAY Sports

Wichita State has started the year 19-0

Wichita State%27s nonconference schedule ranks 66th

The Missouri Valley is rated as the country%27s 11-strongest league

WICHITA — As fifth-ranked Wichita State continues its unbeaten season, one question has begun to percolate: If the Shockers enter the NCAA tournament undefeated, would they earn a No. 1 seed?

Wichita State, one of three remaining unbeaten teams, has 12 regular-season games remaining in the Missouri Valley Conference, which is rated the nation's 11th-strongest league. If the Shockers (19-0) were to win out — including capturing the MVC tournament title — coach Gregg Marshall believes there should be no debate.

"We'd be 34-0, I don't care who you are playing," Marshall told USA TODAY Sports. "If you are playing a damn NAIA schedule, you should be a No. 1 seed."

Regardless of whether they earn a top seed, the No. 5 Shockers appear poised to make a run at a second consecutive Final Four. But what could make the No. 1 seed debate intriguing is the number of other teams that also will be vying for a top seed.

Top-ranked and unbeaten Arizona is well positioned to earn one. Unbeaten Syracuse has thus far established itself as the class of the ACC. The Big Ten regular-season champion will be thoroughly tested in arguably the nation's strongest league. And the Big 12 champion, especially if it is suddenly surging Kansas (No. 1 in the RPI), also is likely to earn strong consideration.

Kansas coach Bill Self said Wichita State absolutely should be a top seed if it finishes unbeaten — end of discussion.

"They easily could be," Self told USA TODAY Sports. "When you play in BCS leagues, the teams at the top of those leagues are still going to lose games. Everybody is going to beat up on each other. That's very possible that Wichita State could be a one seed."

In 2004, once-beaten Saint Joseph's earned a No. 1 seed out of the Atlantic 10. Last season, twice-beaten Gonzaga was a top seed from the West Coast Conference. The Bulldogs' non-conference schedule ranked 41st, but they did not beat any top-50 teams during the regular season.

Wichita State's nonconference schedule ranks 66th. The Shockers beat BYU (42th) on a neutral court and won at Saint Louis (29th). They beat two SEC teams — Tennessee (59th) at home and Alabama (94th) on the road.

The NCAA tournament selection committee traditionally rewards teams that play difficult nonconference schedules or at least try to play them. Marshall said he tried to avoid playing lightly regarded programs from smaller leagues.

Instead, he played teams that were expected to compete for their league titles, including Oral Roberts, Western Kentucky, Davidson and North Carolina Central. He started home-and-home series with Saint Louis and Alabama, which has been a disappointment this season.

Dominic Okon, the team's director of basketball operations who helps piece together the nonleague schedule, said Wichita State can typically pay some mid-major schools between $90,000 and $100,000 to play a game at Wichita.

But given Wichita State's success in recent years, it's challenging to find respectable teams willing to play at Wichita.

"We don't have anyone reaching out to us, let's put it that way," Okon said. "Our phone is not ringing."

On several occasions, Okon said, when he reached out to a school to gauge its interest in playing the Shockers, the response has been, "Yeah, right." Some schools, he said, will request a price so outrageous that Okon won't even present it to Marshall for consideration.

"For us to get these people to play us," Marshall said, "you have to be good enough or bad enough so that they know they can beat you or they know you are so good that even if they lose to you, it's not a bad loss. So it helps them. It behooves them to play you. I hope we have gotten to that point."

Marshall said he wanted Wichita State to play in the Tip-Off Showcase in Dallas on Nov. 8 but no quality opponent stepped forward.

In its remaining regular season games, the Shockers play no top-50 teams in the RPI and just three top-100 teams. Self does not think that should preclude the Shockers from earning a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

"Wichita State, with how they finished last year, knowing that they have a terrific team," Self said, "I don't think the fact, if they'd run the table, should act as a negative for them based on the league they are playing in. Everybody in the basketball world knows they are capable."