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Austin Reaves is a gamer... Hurts but everyone makes choices and what's best for him must be to play elsewhere...
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For those saying AR was a liability on defense, he may not have been the quickest dude ever, but damn could he take a charge. Who else could take a charge like AR on our team? I get it, it's like when you get dumped, you tell yourself "I didn't really like that chick's snaggeled tooth anyway", but it's all just basic defensive rationalizations to help heal the broken heart and wounded ego.
We know next year will probably hurt, but I am excited to see what these new guys can bring to the table. I really enjoyed the first several years of the Marshall era because I KNEW we were building something special. I enjoyed the next few years because I KNEW we had something special. And I will once again enjoy next year because I KNOW we will build something special again.
Thanks for your time as a Shocker AR. Good luck.
“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”
-Sun Tzu, The Art of WarComment
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If nothing else, the sheer size of this thread is evidence to how much we appreciate Austin. On several occasions, I've described him as having basketball IQ second only to Fred.
That being said, these aren't the 90's and we didn't just lose Maurice Evans. High Major schools .... like US, now .... don't fret over a surprise transfer. Especially when, arguably, the best class we've ever had is just about to come in. Every program has to reload, and every program has to adjust when the circumstances change so drastically as they did for us going from the Valley to the AAC. Heaven forbid, mistakes may even be made along the way, but we all knew this was going to be a rebuilding year, even before last year started. If Austin re-evaluated his position, he actually did us a favor by doing this now, so that it can be dealt with head-on in the spring recruiting window.
And I don't buy the conspiracy theories. Our only connection with the mess going through college basketball is a check to Fred's stepdad, given in the latter half of his senior year, of an amount that *I* could write quite comfortably. It's far, far more likely that the chemistry just didn't work out the way the coaches thought that it would. It happens. Skill sets mesh really well on paper, but you don't really know how things will go until you're in the middle of the journey. In hindsight, we now know that none of the upperclassmen were natural vocal leaders. Lots of guys that led by example, but nobody that embraced the role of holding others accountable. Austin assumed that role, and it's a credit to him and a good indication of how bright his future is that our upperclassmen let him, a sophomore, have that role, but that doesn't mean that the chemistry worked as well as when Fred was doing it.
We are transitioning to recruiting athletes on par with what we have seen in the AAC. With Marshall at the helm, I am confident that he will continue to find hidden gems and high-character guys at that level. We should, at the very least, act like we belong at the high major table and not wring our hands when one player unexpectedly decides to transfer.
I truly hope Austin finds what he needs for his basketball career, and that he finally gets fully healed so that he can operate at his tremendous potential. We not only will be fine, we are fine.
(Oh, and anybody posting on THIS THREAD in particular with single-digit post counts, just realize, no matter how pure your intentions, what you must look like to us old-timers. Thank you.)
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High major schools don't return only three players with any D1 experience, bring in the #50 class, and then shrug off possibly the best of those three players transferring. (And despite McDuffie's potential, Reaves was the best of the three last year.)
We have two players with experience returning now. And absolutely nothing about Jones's play last year makes me confident in more than one of those. This is a big deal and just saying we're a big-time program doesn't change that. We might be a high major program, but we're a high major program on track to maybe win 15 games next year.
I'm not going "sky is falling" on this, but just saying we're a high major program and they don't worry about a surprise transfer is ridiculous. Any high major with a #50 recruiting class and only three returning players is going to freak out when the top returing player transfers. Especially when he was our best returning ball handler, and we lost our best PG recruit. We don't have a Kentucky class with four first round draft picks coming in.Last edited by Rlh04d; April 19, 2018, 06:39 PM.
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Don't know, but Ma and Pa played at Arky State...think he "goes home?"Originally posted by Rocky Mountain Shock View PostComment
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I think we just all need to get out the boom box, Peter Gabriel tape and head for Austin's dorm room window and John Cusack him tonight. He couldn't leave then if we play In Your Eyes right?
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So you honestly think a team that was within a made 3 from winning the conference was "exposed" and 3G decided he wanted to clean house and got rid of everyone?Originally posted by Shox The Revenant View Post
Give me a break.
Austin was the first guy that left that is even surprising or disappointing. That's not cleaning house. That's just college basketball.
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Also, could everyone please tell your friends and family that Gregg isn't leaving. I'm tired of seeing and hearing the rumors that because this is happening and his kids are basically out of school he's jumping ship. Well would he even go? Chicago State? Siena? Guy is a WSU lifer. He's not leaving unless Duke calls him up when Coach K retires (which will never happen).Comment
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Huh? I think you have me confused with someone else. I DO NOT think HCGM is leaving, never have and never will unless some blue blood program on the east coast has an open position. Get your head twisted back on straight son. -
He wasn’t talking to you about that KC. But he did own you on his first take, which you predictably ignored.
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Sad day for WSU to lose such a quality young man and solid Shocker. I loved AR game on the court and witnessed solid improvement. Why were we such supportive fans of Austin here on SN? ? He played with intestinal fortitude, willing to take many charges even though he was still healing up. When another Shocker was hurting, Austin was the first man in his corner to lift him back up as witnessed after the last Kentucky game with LS when the game was over. That was not the only time Austin did that. Wishing Austin the very best in both basketball and his future and am grateful for his diligent efforts and hard work here. Yes, his list of interested Programs will be quite lengthy and the winner will be honored to get him.
In the meanwhile, we know our Coaching Staff will tirelessly keep recruiting and reload for next Season. Our Program will continue to rise above various setbacks that happen in the exciting arena of College hoops and we are still highly respected out there. Not sure I ever remember a Shocker team ever having as many new players to the Program as we will have for next Season after just having maybe the most experienced Shocker team in the Marshall era for 2017/18. New recruits will know there will be plenty of playing time that can be earned which could benefit the final needed pieces of next Seasons puzzle. Stay tuned.Shocker basketball will forever be my favorite team in all of sports.Comment
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Good luck Austin wherever your next adventure takes you. I was looking forward to watching Austin develop. Next year is going to be interesting.Comment
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I generally have a love/hate relationship with your posts, mostly the former, but this one falls firmly in the “love” camp.Originally posted by XManCometh View Post
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Yep. Had to do a double-take.Originally posted by SHOCKvalue View PostDeuces Valley.
... No really, deuces.
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"Enjoy the ride."
- a smart manComment
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I dunno about that. But this situation reminds me of a comment HCGM made a few weeks ago.Originally posted by GreatWhiteBuffalo View Post"It's amazing to watch Ron slide into that open area, Fred will find him and it's straight cash homie."--HCGMComment
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"You Just Want to Slap The #### Outta Some People"Comment
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I would never have thought that reaves would leave the program. Hes had a lot of success playing here. WOW!!!!Comment
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