Last year vs. This year

[Maggie]

As others have pointed out, I am sure he was trying to compare Ryan Martin and Clemente. Let me be clear, I was a big fan of Ryan Martin and there is no way WSU gets to the Sweet 16 without him. Notwithstanding, if you asked me to choose between Clemente and Martin – I am taking Clemente –he is a better rebounder and scorer than Martin – period. RC is also the better athlete. But most importantly, RC can match Martin’s effort which is a pretty high order.

When push comes to shove, its Clemente no matter how much I liked Martin.

[BOBB]

Re: Last year vs. This year

I think that we have more talent this year than we did last year. Last year's team took us to a #8 ranking with road wins at George Mason, LSU and Syracuse before our mental toughness and team unity collapsed.

We could be very good this year. In fact, I think that we should be 10-1 right now.

Next Saturday nights game will tell us a lot. It will be interesting.

I disagree on the talent issue. I'd take last year's talent over this years. Would you trade Griskenas for Kyle Wilson? I would take Kyle every day. Clemente and Ryan Bradley are in my mind interchangeable (not a knock on either).

i would agree with ya on the Kyle for Grisk, but come on man, there is no way Ryan Bradley and clemente are interchangable. I assume you did watch ryan bradley play, because it was not pretty.

Ryan Bradley s/b Ryan Martin. Oops.

[rrshock]

Having been very critical of this team last week, I am now very happy with what they have shown the past 2 games. They came out a completely different team against LSU and UAB. Hopefully this is the team that sticks around the rest of the season.

This year's team, I believe, is better. They might not have the shooters, but they have a couple of guys inside that are playing much bigger than they are. Plus PT is alot better. Gal seems to be better. MB is looking very good and finally fitting into the system.

I take this team over last year's for a couple of reasons. They have now shown what is needed to do good in the MVC. The way they are playing is exactly what is needed to win a game at Carbondale or Omaha. And also to win the MVC tourney.

[Rosewood]

Well, last year's Matty B is back but better and wiser and older so a plus there (okay, so he does need to find his free throw shooting and fast).

Last year's Gal is back, but better, even if he is still a sophomore (and we all know what comes with that). So a plus there.

Phil is back and way better then his drop off last year. I hold my reservations on calling him a Kyle Wilson replacement because of his drop last year. My reaction when I saw him take a 3 the first time this year: "Wait, what?" So a plus there.

Ryan Martin is gone, but Ramon Clemente has channeled his spirit, plus has more inside offense. A plus there.

Sean is gone. I was (am) a huge Sean O fan but we all know he fell off through Valley play. He hasn't been replaced but the inside game is so much stronger, I'm not sure he needed a straight up replacement. Everyone so far has shown much better D then Sean ever gave (it just wasn't his strong point). So I won't say we are plus with him gone but we aren't hurting from what he left as. (Definitely a minus if you are counting Sean when Sean was on and being the big O we loved to cheer for.)

Do I even need to mention Cooz? He is always a plus. (Okay, so his 3 ball until the back breaker against UAB was gone and his freethrow shooting is all wtf but he is still Cooz and if you need me to say any more, please log off now).

Wendell may never live up to some of the hype that was once sent his way but he is back and just as good if not better. Maybe not great, but definitely better. So, a plus there too.

The Bradleys are gone. Ryan was a nice guy but not much of a loss. Karon was Karon but I think we all agree that JT D is at the very least a more consistent player, if not just straight up better. Not going out on a limb to put a plus here.

Ellis is showing promise. Montas is also showing promise. They sure are making the team better but if I have to KC shox this place up, I can only put those two as a wash right now. Now, if it is rosewood speaking again, I say those two are both pluses from last year.

Finally coaching (who am I forgetting?). I can and will say (and have said) everything nice about Turgeon. Last year was such an emotional ride that it just took the toll on him. I never got frustrated with him until he just flat out said he didn't know what to do with those guys last year. I think he just reached an end. I'm not savvy enough to compare the coaches on Xs and Os but I do know that at the very least, HCGM has brought in new life and new energy and new enthusiasm and new hope, yet alone some crazy thing called the zone. I'm not going to compare Turgeon's shocker hall of fame career to the potential career of HCGM. I'm just comparing all of last year to what we have of this year and so far in coaching, HCGM is a plus.

So, if you are keeping track of the score at home, we are pluses across the board on player improvement and in coaching.

I still have no expectations for this year. None. Cutting down the nets to not even playing in StL. Whatever. But I can tell you that the team I see now, even when I was at UMKC and second row for UTA is a better all around team than the team I watched fall from grace last year.

[Rosewood]

Drake intrigues me.

I've always liked seeing teams use the press, so even though Drake is Drake, I've always enjoyed watching them really make teams have to work the full court.

I always find it interesting when a team in sports goes up against a team that uses similar play styles. This lends to interesting matchups since the teams themselves practice against themselves and are naturally more prepared to play someone that does what they themselves do.

Are we going to burn through Drake's press even more this year? Is our press, that has looked so good even in bad games, finally going to get destroyed?

Plus there is the whole new coach thing. Will Drake, one of the smaller MVC schools, be naive enough to come into CKA ready to play a Turgeon team or will the coaches have REALLY refocused and learned that this is a completely different team?

I don't know the answers to these questions and that is why I'm ready to skip Christmas and go right to game time.

[rrshock]

I think young Davis at Drake will be ready for his trip to CKA.

[tropicalshox]

Merry Christmas everybody.

MB, as we all know is playing great compared to last year. Last year Gal was playing very little, with no experience. After a rough start this year when at the point, he is coming around. Preadom has given us stronger than ever minutes the last couple of games. It appears we are solving our difficulties at PG when MB is out of the game. I think we are much better off now compared to last year at this position.

SO had a few good games last year, but too many not contributing during Valley play. Gal should keep improving with experience. I'll give this year's team a nod over last at SG.

Cooz is Cooz but not having the year I expected but that could turnaround. Depth at the 3 is starting to see promise.

Not knocking Ryan Martin but the nod has to go to Clemente. PT is actually playing almost equal to Wilson. Durley is a big plus. Again I give the nod to this team at the 4 and 5 over last year.

Last year's team fell flat on it's face. With Greg Marshall, it will not happen. Team unity appears be no problem. The team is starting to learn, and strive with Marshall's system. No doubt the Valley is down. I can't believe Drake is for real and I predict a victory Saturday will start us on the way to a much better MVC record than last year.

[wsu789]

We have no one on this team with the inside-outside game and maturity of Kyle Wilson as a senior. That is a major loss imo.

Perhaps a combination of two of Thomasson, Gris and Durley can replace one Kyle W (PT is closest, but obviously doesn't have the sweet trey that KW did). But we can only play five players, last time I checked.

No one on this team gives us the perimeter threat that SO did, but everyone, and I do mean every single one, plays harder and plays better D.

So, with missing SO and KW, I think we have a significantly less dangerous starting five than last year (on offense), and our first guard off the bench (KB versus AE or WP) is also a drop off. We probably have more depth at the 7, 8 and 9 spots off the bench, however.

I do think we are significantly tougher, in better shape, better rebounders, and better defensively than last year.

God bless us every one!

[Anthony2]

Phil playing equal to Kyle? Not even close.

[Capitol Shock]

Is there anyway to compare Phil's averages to Kyle's through the first 11 games?

[Maggie]

It is hard to compare PT to Wilson. They are different players who play different types of games. However, overall I think Wilson is superior to PT. Wilson could take it inside like PT but Wilson was a far better outside shooter. My only issue with Wilson is he seemed a bit "soft" at times. This year PT has been anything but soft (last year a different story). I happen to think that PT is one of the most improved players this year.

[Ricky Del Rio]

Is there anyway to compare Phil's averages to Kyle's through the first 11 games?

Yes.

[Ricky Del Rio]

Just some rail spur information.

Coach Marshall said that Phil made 97 of 100 free throws in a recent practice. I am pretty sure this might be classed as hot shot shooting.

It is quite amazing he is shooting so much better from the free throw line this year, when compared to last year.

[forevershockerfan]

I actually wonder if PT's performance on free-throw % improvement from last year to this year could end up being on target for a Shocker record?

[SubGod22]

I think PT might be slightly better inside. He's definitely not the outside threat that Kyle was though. But I think PT is a better rebounder as well. They're not the same type of player which makes it tough to judge though. Each brings different strengths and weaknesses.