Coach in today's Eagle

[pinstripers]

Here are some Marshall views from last week's MVC coaches call.

• On fan expectations at WSU: "They've been to one NCAA Tournament in 19 years. I hope we can do that. I hope if I get the opportunity to coach here 19 years I can get to the dance at least once and make a run."

Comment: Most Shocker fans blocked out the 1990s and have no idea what Marshall means.

• "Right now, we are dealing with some recruiting classes that may have not been what they thought_the last couple years. There's just not a whole lot of depth. Even some of the guys we brought in late have not lived up to their capabilities."

Comment: Nobody knew this better than the former coaching staff. Last season's team never recovered from a few recruiting misses (most noticeably Keith Wooden, Adam Koch and Casey Crawford). This season was headed for a major makeover no matter who coached WSU. It may take Marshall another season or two to recover. It appears he is off to a good start, even considering the slow start by junior transfer Mantas Griskenas.

• On senior guard Matt Braeuer.

"He's a guy the previous coaching staff didn't really let shoot too much. He was kind of the run-the-offense and just be a complimentary player. Unfortunately, we need him to be much more than that. That's part of our problem. He's a very good player. He's not an all-conference player."

Comment: Braeuer did not shoot as much the past two seasons because other options such as Paul Miller, Kyle Wilson and Sean Ogirri made more sense. Braeuer is a better offensive player this season, and Marshall's system plays to his strengths of quickness and smarts. WSU is a stronger offensive team when Braeuer can make other players better and the scoring burden is shared.

[Ricky Del Rio]

I am not wild about Coach Marshall's tendency to publicly slight Coach Turgeon and his recruits. He has done so on several occasions.

I especially did not like his comment about Matt and not being an all conference player. I think he could have gone without making that statement.

I am sure some on this esteemed forum will find his comments refreshing, but I do not. The statement about Matt does not serve any useful purpose.

[Hotel Paper]

He's speaking from his heart and it's quite refreshing

[ABC]

I am not wild about Coach Marshall's tendency to publicly slight Coach Turgeon and his recruits. He has done so on several occasions.

I especially did not like his comment about Matt and not being an all conference player. I think he could have gone without making that statement.

I am sure some on this esteemed forum will find his comments refreshing, but I do not. The statement about Matt does not serve any useful purpose.

I agree. I don't see how it helps.

[goshocks]

motivation maybe... just trying to think about it.
________
Mercedes-Benz W116

[Snapshot9]

What he said about past recruits holds a lot of truth, with the injuries that plagued us, and the players that were not up to the challenge of D-1 level
ball. Many times, I wondered what the coaches saw in some players to recruit them in the first place, and wondered long and hard about their evaluation techniques used for recruiting. Too many players in the past looked like they thought they could just 'coast' along like in High School, and some just looked like they had just taken up Basketball instead of have been playing it since they were a kid.

Did they use objective scientific evaluation techniques as well as the 'Basketball eye' for talent? Big gray area I would like to know more about.

Not to mention, obvious oversights on past injuries and not giving it the proper weight for consideration of the recruit to begin with, i.e., Green for one. No, you can't always predict injuries or whatnot, but past problems could have been considered more carefully than I think they were in the past.

For example, Mantas's slow start might be related to the fact that he is recovering from an ankle injury from last year, to put it in this year's terms.

And I think that Coach Marshall was saying that if Matt had been utilized to his full potential that, in fact, he would be an all conference player. Seeing how Matt had the highest shooting percentage last year, this would indicate that, in deed, could be true.

[wufan]

"He's a guy the previous coaching staff didn't really let shoot too much. He was kind of the run-the-offense and just be a complimentary player. Unfortunately, we need him to be much more than that. That's part of our problem. He's a very good player. He's not an all-conference player."


Coach is saying that we need to rely on Matt to supply the offense, and while he is capable of doing so, we should have other players (All-Conference players, i.e. PJ) that are doing it. "Unfortunately, we need him to be much more than that. That's part of our problem." We would be better if Matt was a complimentary player instead of a focus of the other team's D.

[im4wsu]

Maybe it is HCGMs way of saying MB is our point guard and in our syatem the point guard isn't supposed to carry the scoring load.

[Maggie]

Some of CGM’s public comments are a bit surprising but I think you people in Wichita are simply not used to a coach being so candid. What Marshall said about the past recruiting classes and MB are totally accurate. Regarding the recruiting, I didn’t take it as negative comment towards Turgeon and his staff because I think Turgeon would agree with Marshall. Furthermore, I expect Marshall will be just as honest about his own recruiting classes.

As for MB, I wouldn’t take CGM’s comments to the extreme nor would I look for some hidden meaning. Marshall seems very direct and very capable of getting his point across – in other words I think you can take what he says at face value. But what he said does not reflect poorly on MB. In nearly every interview Marshall has gone out of his way to praise MB. It is not a knock against MB to say he is not an All Conference Player – he is not and probably never will be. What is MB? He is a player who I think gets the most out of the talent he has. The kid has a high basketball IQ, works hard and never quits in a game. Because of this he is able to overcome many of his physical limitations. I wish every player had MB’s heart and smarts – but it doesn’t work that way. I have been critical of MB’s limitations in the past. But he is proving me wrong this year and I couldn’t be more pleased.

Whether Marshall making public comments like this helps or hurts is debatable. However, you better get used to it because he won’t change.

[Ricky Del Rio]

Anybody, how does this sound?

Your wife will never win a beauty contest.

Your kids will never make the honor roll.

You will never get promoted.

[mattdalt]

I do not know the man, but if HCGM is anywhere close to as good a person as has been described, then this is not the first time the team and specifically, MB, have heard the comments.

HCGM does not strike me as the type of person that would talk publicly before having communicated the same thing privately.

I suspect MB knows exactly what HCGN thinks and what that comment meant. If we do not, too bad for us.

[SB Shock]

I have heard HCGM heaping praise on MB everything time he speaks about the team. I think you have to be careful of not taking his quote out of context.

[AZ Shocker]

Some of CGM’s public comments are a bit surprising but I think you people in Wichita are simply not used to a coach being so candid.

Exactly. Shocker fans did not get to see a real candid coach in the previous seven years. MT wasn't totally "tight", but obviously Marshall is more to the point and honest. Like we Shocker fans have come to know...Coach GM is open (candid).

I hope that Shocker fans can appreciate that and allow Marshall do his thing. It would be a shame to see Marshall change his candid ways over the years simply to appease the fanbase. If I was a betting man...I would bet that most Shocker fans already appreciate GM's candidness and the other fans will learn to appreciate it in due time. :)

[ShockRef]

He is honest. Brutally honest and it's actually quite refreshing. His enthusiasm tends to rub off on his players and we know that MB definitely is a Type 'A' personality. We also know that MB really down after last seasons debacle. Based on his current demeanor, I'd say he has welcomed the change in command with open arms.

[pinstripers]

If Coach was on here, some would label him a troll.