Worst Case Scenario - Time to Trust the Process?

[FadedCrown]

What a timeline it has been, and not the one we had wanted.

Now though, we have to remind ourselves it can get worse from here, unlikely but it can.

Some Shocker fans did not want to see Reaves run the point, and it made sense. But, with him leaving, the PG situation only gets cloudier from here.

Alvarez has not signed yet, and with Reaves transferring you have to wonder if that makes him wonder what is happening behind the scenes that we do not know about.

Next season will be the most interesting Shocker season in the Gregg Marshall era. Can we make 8 straight NCAA tournament appearances?

Most media critics will count us out, but we will see if Gregg lets that happen so easily. If 8 straight is going to happen, we need to do one thing that was missing from last year's team.

Play Angry.

[Cdizzle]

Spoiler: WSU will make 7 straight NCAA tournament appearances.

[FadedCrown]

Have to win the American tournament in my opinion.

[SHOCKvalue]

Second spoiler: WSU has already made it seven straight.

Oh... feels real good like to nail Cdizzle on a metric. Though that pretty much makes it: Cdizzle: 358, SN Field: 1, now.

EDIT: LOL... joke is on me, big time. Slow on the uptake this morning.

[FadedCrown]

SHOCKvalue Fixed, miscounted my years.

[ShockTalk]

Actually, making the NCAA is the least of my concerns. It would be one thing if we were winning the recruiting battles and bringing in a number of higher caliber players (not saying the ones we've got won't turn out that way), but if AR was telling the staff this weeks ago and we're still "appearing" to have signing difficulties, I think I have reason for other concerns. The next few weeks will hopefully sort all this out.

[ShockdaWorld]

I think they’ve been hoping he would change his mind, but finally realized it wasn’t going to happen. At the same time, they’ve been recruiting his replacement.

[pie n eye]

Well, we have absolutely no reason to believe Marshall knows what he’s doing so I’m definitely going to freak out.

[SHOXJOCK]

Well, we have absolutely no reason to believe Marshall knows what he’s doing so I’m definitely going to freak out.

Do you need a napkin to wipe off the sarcasm dripping off your chin?

[pie n eye]

Yes, please. I appreciate it.

[shocker43]

The guys we are bringing in have already bought in to the process. We get back to playing angry next season, and make it into the NCAA tournament as a 9 seed.

[OregonShocker]

News flash! With the recent uptick in the baseball program, the Athletic dept has decided to fold the basketball program; any extra revenue will be stashed away to start a football program at the D1 level. Story at 10.

[OregonShocker]

Seriously, I agree that Playing Angry is needed. Seemed only Shaq bought into that at times. A hyena?! Really?! "Play Hyena!"?

[Shock Top]

Actually, making the NCAA is the least of my concerns. It would be one thing if we were winning the recruiting battles and bringing in a number of higher caliber players (not saying the ones we've got won't turn out that way), but if AR was telling the staff this weeks ago and we're still "appearing" to have signing difficulties, I think I have reason for other concerns. The next few weeks will hopefully sort all this out.

Recruiting is a game all of its own. Especially, in the Spring period were everyone is waiting for the Dukes and Kentuckys of the world to offer them.

Trust me, if the staff knew about Reaves for a couple weeks, then they already had recruits in mind to fill his seat. Sometimes, that takes four offers to get one “yes”, but it’s only one “yes” that you need. (we’ll, three still but you get my point!)

I know your no dummy, I just felt the need to give my opinion. This is a forum, after all! ;)

[ShockTalk]

My point had nothing to do with actually filling the spots. Nevertheless, I will support each and every player.

[WSUwatcher]

Well, we have absolutely no reason to believe Marshall knows what he’s doing so I’m definitely going to freak out.

Well said, Dr. Sarcasm -- either you trust the process and the guy running it, or you freak out.

[OregonShocker]

I believe that HCGM has done more with less in the past; by that I mean, sure our numbers look down re: returning players, but the newbies he knows better than us and I believe he will mold them into a coherent bunch quickly.

[60Shock]

What we as fans should have learned by now is, It is fine to preach that all the Shocker BB team needs to do is, Play Angry, and that will solve everything, but obviously mimicking those two little words, and actually Playing Angry, takes the right skills, mentality, and toughness, as a team, and not one or two players.

And as of today, we do not have a team. We have two seniors and a sophomore who last year played very limited minutes, and a potential bunch of good looking recruits who have never played together.

I'm going into the coming season with great expectations that it will be a fun season and that we will start to see some of our new recruits start standing out by the time we start playing our Conference schedule.

I do not expect us to come close to winning the Conference, nor do I expect us to earn an invite to the NCAAT, and maybe not even the NIT. That being said, I will still most likely predict that we will win most of the games we play, not because I think we will, but because I really hate like hell to predict a Shocker loss.

[SHOXAAC]

Sorry, paying a coach 3.5M for not at least making the NIT is unacceptable...just sayin.

[WSUwatcher]

Yeah, at least Calipari got Kentucky into the NIT that one time before Robert Morris, I believe it was, got in their way. Of course, he probably also was getting a lot more than $3.5M that season. So I guess the game against Robert Morris was what the extra bucks were for.

Personally, I don't expect the Shocks to fall short of the NIT next season, but we'll see how it goes.

[60Shock]

I personally do not believe that during, or even after, one possible down year, that we should be pondering as to whether GM is worth his salary.

AND PLEASE, DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES PERMIT A POLL ON THIS TOPIC.

[Shockm]

Sorry, paying a coach 3.5M for not at least making the NIT is unacceptable...just sayin.

It sounds like you are paying him and unhappy with your investment. I'm not paying him either (I pay SASO but that pays our players and scholarships not the coach) but have a friend who is in the group who is. I'll have to ask my friend if he is happy with the investment this year. I think that the 7 years at 3.3 right now, gives Gregg some wiggle room to turn things around.

[Shockm]

Actually my words "turn things around" is a bad phrase. He actually probably has some wiggle room to build things up again. The program has never been higher but we are reloading with young players

[SHOXAAC]

It sounds like you are paying him and unhappy with your investment. I'm not paying him either (I pay SASO but that pays our players and scholarships not the coach) but have a friend who is in the group who is. I'll have to ask my friend if he is happy with the investment this year. I think that the 7 years at 3.3 right now, gives Gregg some wiggle room to turn things around.

I'm not paying him jack. That's not my job to do. There are a few fans who think we might not even make the NIT next year. Sorry, a CIT level program for even one year with a coach making $3.5M is a bad high in my eyes. Do I think we won't at least make the NIT next year...no. I believe we at least meet that level, because I believe in Gregg and an NIT appearance next season might be the best we can do. Time will tell. This coach worship thing with some fans is a slippery slope. The past several years, while we were making solid, deep runs in the NCAA tournament Gregg was leveraging that to make way more bank than a college coach should make in my opinion. Many fans were saying "pay the man, he deserves it." I was not in that camp by the way, although I am a big fan of having Gregg as our coach. But it works both ways. It's easy to get behind the man when life is good, but he better be a man and take some heat if things go south even if it's for one year. Again, I don't think it will come to that, but I was just reacting to some fans thoughts that we might be a CIT program next year. I am still a Shocker fan, through and through and will support the program regardless.