What is "Acceptable" now?

[shocker3]

That group was already intact for 2007/2008. Dirks, Gillespie, Schafer and company. If we had new blood at the time, then we might have been able to continue. But starting after that group left (draft/graduation) We have not been at large worthy a single time. The two times since then we made the tournament was due to winning MVC Tourney. Thats it. And one of those doesn’t count.

Actually that is not entirely true. Gene left in 2005. Dirks played at Hutch CC in 2006. His first year at WSU wasn't until 2007. Dusty Coleman anther key 2007/2008 player was a freshman in 2007. Both Gillespie and Schafer were freshmen in 2006, so
I would assume that they were already signed by the time Gene went to 0U.

And remember that Gene/Brent did have a great recruiting class signed in 2008 but nearly all them went pro, leaving WSU scrambling with last minute replacements. After that, Gene/Brent changed their recruiting philosophy and it probably ended up being a fatal mistake.

At any rate, Butler being fired doesn't have anything to do with this.

[ShockTalk]

You are right, this has nothing to do with the discussion of Butler. For clarification, and feel free to correct me, the 2008 recruiting class should not have been the class to fill all the gaps for 2009 team. That would have been 2006 and 2007 as well. Around 8 key players were gone after 2007 and another approximately 10 after 2008. All but Dirks were at WSU or recruited for WSU prior to "OU". As you noted, Dirks was in the 2007 class as he was a Juco, however, a player that would be gone after 2008 and another big hole to fill. There were some very good players recruited for 2009 and beyond, just not enough depth of quality needed to reload.

[Play Angry]

IIRC Kozma, Norris and Jon Gilmore were 2007 draft signees who committed in 2006 and Logan Watkins was a 2008 draft signee who committed in 2007.

The only player after that which I remember being a potential high round pick at the time of his commitment was Albert Minnis, but he slipped all the way to the 33rd round (from projected as high as the ~8th round) that spring before deciding to attend school. There are probably a couple I'm missing though.

[ShockTalk]

2 locals, 1 from Gene's stomping grounds, and the other from Iowa who 2, if not 3, most knew would never wear a Shocker uniform. Gilmore and Kozma were 1st round picks, Norris a 4th round, and, ironically, Watkins is now wearing a "Wichita" uniform.