2018-2019 Shox Offseason Predictions and Discussions

[AZ Shocker]

The schools you mentioned own 5 of the last 10 national championship banners and collectively have 53 final 4 appearances. I agree it's a promising recruiting class but it's also rated the 60th best class according to 247. It's safe to assume they get the benefit of doubt going into a new season.

Valid point and I know...but really...to predict Wichita St. with Gregg Marshall and his history way down in the AAC with the likes of
10. USF
11. Tulane
12. ECU???????????

Seriously???

And then put Memphis with a FIRST YEAR DIVISION I COACH at 3rd?????

Okay Andy Katz...I like ya and all...but come on...

In other words...Andy Katz is gonna indoctrinate 1st year head coach Penny Hardaway 3rd in the AAC with some new talent but a completely UNPROVEN track record???

And then demote a proven coach to 9th????????????

Whatever.......

[choida]

You can write Andy's prediction in permanent marker on the good old bulletin board...

[kcshocker11]

Nice part is that we get to play the games. This is good locker material.

[SHOCKvalue]

Nice part is that we get to play the games. This is good locker material.

Its exactly the position that Marshall and his players/staff want to be in. No respect Underdog U, and they love it.

[Dan]

I can't blame him for how he ranked us, we have a lot to prove. The biggest issue is that he's betting against Gregg Marshall. Realistically we should be ahead of Tulsa and UConn, maybe even SMU, IMO, and we'll probably finish even higher than that.

[C0|dB|00ded]

I would pay good money to watch Marshall respond to this article in two words only... "Fake news!"


T


...:cool:

[Jhook89]

Valid point and I know...but really...to predict Wichita St. with Gregg Marshall and his history way down in the AAC with the likes of
10. USF
11. Tulane
12. ECU???????????

Seriously???

And then put Memphis with a FIRST YEAR DIVISION I COACH at 3rd?????

Okay Andy Katz...I like ya and all...but come on...

In other words...Andy Katz is gonna indoctrinate 1st year head coach Penny Hardaway 3rd in the AAC with some new talent but a completely UNPROVEN track record???

And then demote a proven coach to 9th????????????

Whatever.......

Memphis has a lot of experience coming back from a 21 win team that was probably the 4th best team in the AAC to end last year. Did they lose a single big piece? So yes, they will also have young talent like us next year, but they also will have a ton of experience next to the young players. We have McDuffie with meaningful experience. That’s it...

Though 9th is low in my opinion, it is not unreasonable. This is not the MVC... Look at the teams ranked ahead of us. They are ALL good teams with experienced players coming back. They are all coached by good coaches. This is not Drake and Bradley on the other bench anymore...

WSU could finish anywhere from 3-9 next season. This roster with a normal coach finishes 9th. 3G is a top 10 coach and I think we will end up in the 4-7 range because of him.

Now for the following season... You guys better go buy some nice polarized sunglasses, because the future is so bright you might have a hard time seeing the games next season.

[WstateU]

I’ve been enjoying some of the Twitter comments from our newcomers. I’d say we have a confident (some might say cocky) group of freshmen. Sure, they’ll have their peaks and valleys throughout the season, but should be dangerous come March.

Reading some of coach Marshall’s comments on players (goshockers.com) might lead one to believe that a player like Chance Moore would be a candidate for a redshirt, however you just never know. Coach Marshall is a master at sending subtle messages. No doubt he’ll have some thoroughbreds that will need to be broken.

CHANCE MOORE
Gregg Marshall: “Chance is a multi-dimensional type of player out on the wing. He needs to get stronger, but he can really score the basketball. He's a skilled talent, and we’re looking forward to helping him reach his full potential on and off the court.”

https://goshockers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3711

Chance Moore Twitter:
https://twitter.com/ReRunMoore11


Yes, on paper, our class doesn’t jump off the page, however HCGM has proven to be a master at adding stars to player rankings. I understand why we should be cautious with a group of mostly 3-star newcomers and one seasoned veteran. It’s a safe bet that one or two newcomers will exceed their ranking, while others will fall below. Even the bluebloods with 5-star McDonald AA’s have underachievers. We’ll soon see if our ‘diamonds in the rough’ become sparkling gems. It’s exciting at this point and there’s nothing wrong with drinking a little Kool-Aid during the offseason. Go Shocks!

[WuDrWu]

I have not been particularly bullish on the 18-19 team to date. People WAY underestimate experience, leadership, having been there etc.

After having seen the guys in practice however, I believe the upside is higher than I first thought. There are some good pieces. Long ways to go, but there's a long ways to go.

[Mr. Obvious]

Correct Doc, newbies have periodic brain farts. We have a lot of newbies.

[ShockTalk]

Probably because so many people way overestimated experience, leadership, having been there, etc., last year.

[WSUwatcher]

Interesting point, ST -- those seemingly beneficial qualities didn't work out quite as hoped or expected.

[choida]

Let's hope 9 teams get into the dance from the AAC

[C0|dB|00ded]

If we lose to Penny I'll kill myself.


T


...:cool:

[WstateU]

RIP!

https://media.giphy.com/media/FBeSx3itXlUQw/giphy.gif

[Aargh]

Some people really got down on Reaves last year because he made some "freshman" mistakes late in games. (I always thought the guy who ended up with the ball got an assist from the guy who threw the ball).

There's a reason why they're called "freshman" mistakes. It's because freshmen make them. They do it several times a year. My memory of this is fading, but didn't Cheese Johnson cause us a shot at a great NCAA run with a late game "freshman" mistake? Even freshmen who are great players do stupid things when they are confronted with aggressive D1 players. They're just not used to the pressure.

When the only returning player of any significance is McDuffie, and then you look at the results McDuffie showed last year, picking the Shox 9th in this league can be justified.

In addition to losing 6 seniors, we lost our point guard who was a first-round NBA pick. The backup PG who was groomed by Shamet and is ready for his turn in the spotlight is (only the sound of the crickets chirping breaks the silence here). Remember how the team looked when Baker was the PG? Not at all like a Marshall-coached team. And Baker is an NBA combo guard. We do have 2 JuCo AA PG's on the roster, but JuCo AA PG's usually need some grooming before they're ready for high-level D1 play. There's a reason the KC Chiefs kept the salary of Alex Smith for a year after they drafted Mahones. The guy leading the team needs some time to adjust to that role at that level.

[Aargh]

Yep. That was my point. If people were upset about a Soph with D1 experience making mistakes, then some SN posters might be better off expecting some Fr mistakes rather than expecting an NCAA team. At the level we're playing against now, mistakes cost games.

[C0|dB|00ded]

Ron and Fred were freshmen once. I don't remember them throwing away games late like OU-Boy.


T


...:cool:

[Aargh]

Ron and Fred weren't counted on early in their Fr seasons. Ron had been around a year as a RS, and the last time Fred made a big mistake may date back to potty training. That guy was special in a lot of ways.

Reaves had that "come and take the ball away from me, you can do it" look. This year's Fr class doesn't have that look, but they are still going to throw away some games one way or another. That's what Fr do. If they don't do that, then we got lucky.

[im4wsu]

Current roster with Marshall quotes ;
G 6'5" 197 lbs
0 Dexter Dennis
Freshman Baker, La. Believe Academy (S.C.)
“We feel Dexter has the raw talent and athleticism to be, not only a fine collegiate player, but eventually a guy who could play at the highest professional level. He can shoot from deep, attack the rim and has a ready-made Division I body walking in the door.”

F 6'8" 196 lbs
1 Markis McDuffie
Senior Paterson, N.J. St. Anthony HS
No quote from Coach Marshall

G 6'3" 204 lbs
2 Jamarius Burton
Freshman Charlotte, N.C. Independence HS
“Jamarius is just a few months removed from winning a state title and, when you watch him play, it’s easy to see why. He not only make plays, but winning plays. He understands what needs to be done, based on time and score, and then executes. With his size and athleticism, we see Jamarius a guy who can score and defend at multiple positions for us. I’m thrilled that he’s chosen to continue his career at Wichita State and look forward to seeing him in yellow and black this fall.”

G 6'2" 184 lbs
3 Ricky Torres
Junior Pinellas Park, Fla. Mo. St.-West Plains JC
“We feel Ricky has the poise, leadership ability and talent to step in from day-one as a lead guard. He scores at all three levels and has a tremendous feel for the game. He plays at his own pace and averaged eight assists per game last year for Coach Chris Popp because of his tremendous vision!”

G 6'0" 169 lbs
4 Samajae Haynes-Jones
Senior Wichita, Kan. Hutchinson CC
Prior to last season "As a staff, we're excited to be bringing in a player of his caliber. But we're also excited for Samajae. He's a Wichita kid who made it his goal to come back home and play for the Shockers. He wants to be great. He's a gym rat. He's tough and competitive.”

F 6'6" 207 lbs
5 Rod Brown
Redshirt Freshman Cordova, Tenn. Cordova HS
No quote from Coach Marshall

G 6'3" 194 lbs
10 Erik Stevenson
Freshman Lacey, Wash. Timberline HS
“I love Erik’s game and his mental approach. He’s a hard-nosed player with skills to match. He’s a Ron Baker type. He’s strong, athletic and can really shoot it. We think he’ll fit in very well here and have a chance to help us right away.”

F/C 6'8" 249 lbs
12 Morris Udeze
Freshman Houston, Texas Montverde Academy (Fla.)
“Morris is a dynamic young post player who rebounds well and protects the rim. He’s powerful and really starting to come into his own as a productive post scorer. We’re looking forward to having him in the yellow and black next year.”

G 6'2" 174 lbs
14 Jacob Herrs
Walk-on Sophomore Wichita, Kan. Andover HS
No quote from Coach Marshall

G 6'0" 155 lbs
15 Brycen Bush
Walk-on Sophomore Wichita, Kan. Goddard Eisenhower HS
No quote from Coach Marshall

F/C 6'11" 236 lbs
21 Jaime Echenique
Junior Barranquilla, Colombia Trinity Valley (Texas) JC
“In recruiting you’re often forced to choose between experience and upside. Jaime gives us a little of both. He’s a skilled 5 who will come to us with two years of high level JUCO ball under his belt, and he has the tools to play the 4 as he continues his development. He can score over both shoulders in the block and shoot it out to 17-feet. He’s long, but he also moves well.”

F 6'6" 190 lbs
22 Chance Moore
Freshman Louisville, Ky. Beckley Prep (W.Va.)
“Chance is a multi-dimensional type of player out on the wing. He needs to get stronger, but he can really score the basketball. He's a skilled talent, and we’re looking forward to helping him reach his full potential on and off the court.”

F 6'5" 224 lbs
23 Teddy Allen
Sophomore Mesa, Ariz. West Virginia (may have to sit out this year per transfer rule if not waived)
“Teddy is a young man who has shown the ability to score the basketball,” Marshall said. “He is a physically strong and tough driver and post-up player who also pounds the offensive glass. He has a relentless work ethic, and we feel his experience playing in the Big 12 will be beneficial to us in practice and ultimately in games.”

G 6'2" 170 lbs
32 Tate Busse
Walk-on Freshman St. Francis, Kan. St. Francis HS
No quote from Coach Marshall

C 7'0" 268 lbs
33 Asbjørn Midtgaard
Sophomore Helsingor, Denmark Espergarte Gymnasium
From last year: "Asbjørn possesses two important qualities that you look for in a post player: hustle and muscle. Obviously the first thing about Asbjørn that jumps out at you is his size. He's 7-feet and a chiseled 270, even though he's only been lifting weights for about six months now. But we were equally impressed by his charisma, both as a player and a person, and his passion for the game of basketball. He's developed a nice skillset around the basket and is getting better by the day."

F/C 6'9" 275 lbs
44 Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler
Freshman Omaha, Neb. Sunrise Christian Academy (Kan.)
“Isaiah is a very likeable young man who works very hard. He’s a big, strong defender and rim protector. On offense, he does a little bit of everything inside and out. He can shoot the three, run the pick-and-roll and is good on the low block. We’re looking forward to having him join our basketball family.”

[Jhook89]

I have not been particularly bullish on the 18-19 team to date. People WAY underestimate experience, leadership, having been there etc.

After having seen the guys in practice however, I believe the upside is higher than I first thought. There are some good pieces. Long ways to go, but there's a long ways to go.

Anyone in particular catching your eye?

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

I am not WuDrWu, but I will give you two names:

Dexter Dennis
Ricky Torres

[wufan]

Did you see them play DSB?

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

I have, although not since they signed with WSU.

[WalterSobchak]

It is truly beyond laughable that this team was picked 9th in the AAC by someone who has been covering college basketball for 15 plus years. If I'm not mistaken, this is the best recruiting class GM has ever had (regardless of the # of newbies). I hate bringing up 2012-2013 in situations like these.....but without looking anything up, I would bet 65%+ of all statistical production from that squad came from guys that had never played a minute at WSU prior to that season. I think we will all be chuckling about yet another perceived drop-off at WSU that never came to fruition. This group is already well-versed about expected level of success.

[wufan]

I have not been particularly bullish on the 18-19 team to date. People WAY underestimate experience, leadership, having been there etc.

After having seen the guys in practice however, I believe the upside is higher than I first thought. There are some good pieces. Long ways to go, but there's a long ways to go.

Let’s hear the scouting report.