PG Malcolm Armstead (Transfer from Oregon)

[wufan]

I actually LIKE this signing. The guys stats as a junior were better than Raglands and he played in the Pac-10. For all of you that wanted a freshman PG...we have Cotton. For all of you that wanted a PF...what kind of message would that have sent to White? For all of you that wanted a center...what kind of message would that send to GS and EO? It's recruiting and there are 13 schollies for 9 players. 1/3 of the players are going to get shafted every year.

The only thing not to like is that he's a one year guy. To that I ask, what's the best thing about freshman? They become sophomores. This guys a senior and he wants to play in Wichita. I'll take it!

[wufan]

I'm not convinced that WSU is an NCAA-caliber team next year Replacing Durley, Ellis, and Blair with White and Hall doesn't seem like an upgrade.

I'm not buying the pre-season hype that WSU might be a top-25 team. I'm going to need to see proof that somebody at the wing can replace what Hatch brought to the game.

I'm not convinced that WSU is a contender for the Valley championship next year. Using the last scholarship to add a one-year PG for the year after next year doesn't address any of the apparent weaknesses in next year's team. I don't like the message this sends to Baker, Cotton, and DWill.

I'm afraid this is evidence of difficulty getting a HS PG in next year's recruiting class. If Marshall has an Achilles heel, it appears to be the ability to evaluate and recruit HS PG's.

I don't mean this comment to apply to Armstead, but this recruiting move ranks as an epic fail in my opinion. Either every HS PG Marshall has ever recruited is a bust, or this is an unneeded use of a scholarship.

I normally respect your posts, but I think you're missing something here.

Cotton is listed as a combo guard and Baker as a shooting guard. DWill may be the only High School PG that HCGM has recruited and he also has SG skills. Real small sample size for you are using to base your opinions on. TM and DK can also play the 1-3 positions, I though I think both are better at the 2 or 3. EW may also fit this mold.

So how is this recruitment sending a bad message to players that don't play that position? Okay a little bit on Baker's part, he's not a 6'8" post, but I don't see it on Cotton's and DWill's part. I don't see him jumping ahead of DWil,l if DWill continues to work hard and improve his game.

You earn PT under Marshall system, it isn't just given to you. Dwill now something to work for in 12-13.

Also, with TM, DK, and BS graduating, there will be room for DWill to play SG as a senior as well. Wessel, Edde, Cotton, and Baker will all be VERY inexperienced.

[Wuzee]

I'm good with this move. Provided he's not a head case, Armstead gets you another year of stability at the point (with Demetric) while you go hard after a freshman point for next year's recruiting class. (or redshirt Cotton and coach him up)

Armstead will be the best defensive point guard we've had here in years. He's had 154 steals in two Pac-10 seasons. That would place him second all-time in career steals at WSU in only two years of play.

He looks to be a streaky shooter, but he's taken over some games against big-time opponents.

[SubGod22]

I'm not convinced that WSU is an NCAA-caliber team next year Replacing Durley, Ellis, and Blair with White and Hall doesn't seem like an upgrade.

I'm not buying the pre-season hype that WSU might be a top-25 team. I'm going to need to see proof that somebody at the wing can replace what Hatch brought to the game.

I'm not convinced that WSU is a contender for the Valley championship next year. Using the last scholarship to add a one-year PG for the year after next year doesn't address any of the apparent weaknesses in next year's team. I don't like the message this sends to Baker, Cotton, and DWill.

I'm afraid this is evidence of difficulty getting a HS PG in next year's recruiting class. If Marshall has an Achilles heel, it appears to be the ability to evaluate and recruit HS PG's.

I don't mean this comment to apply to Armstead, but this recruiting move ranks as an epic fail in my opinion. Either every HS PG Marshall has ever recruited is a bust, or this is an unneeded use of a scholarship.

I normally respect your posts, but I think you're missing something here.

Cotton is listed as a combo guard and Baker as a shooting guard. DWill may be the only High School PG that HCGM has recruited and he also has SG skills. Real small sample size for you are using to base your opinions on. TM and DK can also play the 1-3 positions, I though I think both are better at the 2 or 3. EW may also fit this mold.

So how is this recruitment sending a bad message to players that don't play that position? Okay a little bit on Baker's part, he's not a 6'8" post, but I don't see it on Cotton's and DWill's part. I don't see him jumping ahead of DWil,l if DWill continues to work hard and improve his game.

You earn PT under Marshall system, it isn't just given to you. Dwill now something to work for in 12-13.

Also, with TM, DK, and BS graduating, there will be room for DWill to play SG as a senior as well. Wessel, Edde, Cotton, and Baker will all be VERY inexperienced.

I would guess that one of Ede or Wessel will see a decent amount of PT this year. I'm guessing Ede and that Wessel may RS.

[SubGod22]

I'm good with this move. Provided he's not a head case, Armstead gets you another year of stability at the point (with Demetric) while you go hard after a freshman point for next year's recruiting class. (or redshirt Cotton and coach him up)

Armstead will be the best defensive point guard we've had here in years. He's had 154 steals in two Pac-10 seasons. That would place him second all-time in career steals at WSU in only two years of play.

He looks to be a streaky shooter, but he's taken over some games against big-time opponents.

A FR PG for '12 is a must in my mind. Even if Cotton is able to run the point, we have to have another.

[pinstripers]

Have we ever gone into a season this thin in the frontcourt? DW is a combo guard and not a true point, btw.

[_kai_]

I wouldn't be surprised to see Coach recruit a JUCO point for the 13-14 season.

11-12 - Ragland
12-13 - Armstead
13-14 - JUCO or try and get Cotton or Wessel to run the true point.

[The Mad Hatter]

Have we ever gone into a season this thin in the frontcourt? DW is a combo guard and not a true point, btw.

The Sweet 16 team of 05-06 was at least as thin as this coming year's team in the post. There were only 4 post players on the roster (Miller, Wilson, Martin, and Bradley) and only 3 of them saw regular playing time.

[tropicalshox]

Sub won't like this, but the coaching staff keeps in contact with tons of juco players.

[SubGod22]

Sub won't like this, but the coaching staff keeps in contact with tons of juco players.

And they should. You never know when you'll need one to fill a need. Like Hall this year. Programs are built on recruiting FR, not JUCOs. That's my stance. JUCOs serve a purpose. I just don't want to see us rely too heavily on them.

[60Shock]

Re: Armstead

Ah, the breathtaking analysis of some of our perpetually panic-stricken posters...

If Armstead is indeed headed here, it seems clear this is insurance that WSU will have at least two experienced PGs in 2012-3. Baker and Cotton aren't clearcut pure PG prospects; Baker will be redshirting next year; and given the minutes available in the backcourt it's hard to imagine that Cotton will play next year either.

As for what this means for the roster, I'll trust the staff. Marshall and his guys know what they're doing. They're experienced, hardworking, and smart, which is why they're paid the big bucks, so if this is what they want more power to them, considering that it's their success and futures on the line.


Besides, there's no reason to assume that if Armstead does show up, it's the end of the roster moves. It wouldn't surprise me if there's also some big man scholarship maneuver in the works even now that would enable WSU to add another PF. You can bet that Marshall and Co. don't want to go into an otherwise promising year with a chink in their armor at PF if they can help it, especially after watching VCU reach the Final Four and probably thinking, "That could have been us." No, with next year's batch of seniors, they'll want to take the best shot they can.

So I won't be at all surprised to see another big show up and fit in somehow. In fact, here's a scenario right off the top of my head, although not all of the board may like it: what if the NIT run that he missed, the Brazil trip, and the prospect of playing time have combined to give Jerome Hamilton the wakeup call he's needed for so long and he and Marshall have agreed that Hamilton can return next year, but only if he walks on for the first semester (or whole season, even) and proves his overall commitment, at which point he can win back his scholarship (thus counting against 2012-3 instead of next season's class)?

I have no idea that will happen, no "inside" info or special insight or contacts; I'm just making it up as speculation. (And wondering how long it might take to gain a life of its own as a "rumor," which of course it isn't.) But what if it does take place, which is at least possible, if unlikely? Stranger things have happened, certainly, and it would tie up loose ends in some ongoing current mysteries. So who knows? (By the way, if by chance it does happen, you may refer to me hereafter as Swami. Even my overheated personal stalker might be impressed.)

The point is that, even assuming Armstead is indeed headed this way, we simply have no idea whether WSU is finished yet, regardless of whether all 13 scholarships currently seem to be accounted for. What we do know is that Marshall and his staff are miles -- light-years, even -- ahead of this learned board's members and our speculation when it comes to putting together a roster. Just as they should be, by the way. This kind of far-sighted move with Armstead should also reassure everyone that Marshall and his guys aren't just looking to hit the jackpot next year and get out of Dodge; instead they're already building for two years down the road.

Other than your juvenile platitude at the very beginning, you are certainly entitled to your comments which have some valid points.

Oftentimes individuals who poorly try to cast doubts on the opinions of others by attempting to be "cute" only make themseleves look foolish.

Just stick with your points, you'll do a lot better.

[WSUwatcher]

?

Aargh, how many HS PGs has Marshall recruited? What's the sample size on which you're basing your assertion that "every" one he's ever recruited as failed? How did he do at Winthrop with HS PGs?

And, in any case, as long as WSU is able to have someone good at the point every year, plus a competent backup, what does it matter where the players come from?

[Aargh]

Have we ever gone into a season this thin in the frontcourt? DW is a combo guard and not a true point, btw.

The Sweet 16 team of 05-06 was at least as thin as this coming year's team in the post. There were only 4 post players on the roster (Miller, Wilson, Martin, and Bradley) and only 3 of them saw regular playing time.

There are only 4 post players on next year's roster (Stutz, Hall, White, and Orukpe). Stutz is the only one with "actual" D1 experience. Stutz gets fouls called on him if his breath makes contact with an opponent. This year's team needed one more body up front. Badly.

Using 2 years of a scholarship to get one year of eligibility is a problem with both effective use of scholarships and creating continuity in the program. Juco players are a problem for continuity. A one-year player is like filling a flat tire with Fix-A-Flat to see if you can get a few more miles before you have to change the tire.

The argument that we need a real PG in here because all our '12-'13 guards are combo guards begs a question. Why are the no PG's? Why is there ALWAYS a need for a quick fix at PG?

The list of HS players we believed were brought in to play point includes Manigault, Williams, and Cotton. Williams looked like a legitimate PG by the end of his Fr year. Then a JuCo was brought in to play in front of him. Now we're bringing in a one-year PG for Williams' Sr year.

We already have 2 guys for '12-'13 who were recruited to play PG. One of them will have 3 years experience in '12-'13. That's the year to get a Fr PG. Now, a Fr PG for '12-'13 is off the table. We will already be three-deep at PG. That means we're going to have to have a JuCo in '13-'14.

I'm not a fan of JuCo players. We've been lucky with a couple. Not so lucky wuth others. Griskenas was a 1st team JuCo AA.

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

I actually LIKE this signing. The guys stats as a junior were better than Raglands and he played in the Pac-10.

Lets be real here....

The Pac 10 outside of Arizona last year was complete ass cheeks. Not saying the MVC was better but at this point its like saying a kid is going to be a superstar because he quit playing ball at the DRC and has moved over to Haysville.

[tropicalshox]

http://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/index.ssf/2011/04/oregon_basketball.html

I'm not too impressed judging by some of the comments posted underneath the story.

Armstead was more highly touted when at Chipola than Clevin. I always thought he was a baller and comments by fans he just took off from will not change my mind. I sure hope he is a baller, cause he is almost a sure thing to start for us in 2012-13.