Everyone needs to move over and make room

[SPEShockAlum]

Great! Pick us 5th. See what happens. Feels good to know that we've taken care of business more often than not this year. Even the very good teams slip up sometimes, but the way we've been playing as of late, this team has me feeling it!

[SpanglerFan316]

I can see us being picked fifth (or lower) but I think we will finish in the Top Three.

[jocoshock]

They are going to be unbearable next year when the Shox are down. Until they fall off the wagon and give up posting.

The only way that we are truly "down" next year is if (God Forbid), HCGM heads for greener pastures and our awesome recruiting class fails to show up. Otherwise we are simply rebuilding and reloading...

[shoxlax]

I don't see us picked lower than fifth. MSU, ISUBlue, and Eville all lose good players. SIU and Bradley will not be better than us, IMHO. UNI, Creighton, Drake and ISU Red stand to be as good or better.

[Aargh]

I'm not suggesting the talent won't be there, but it's going to be relatively inexperienced (and younger) talent compared to what we have this year.

D1 experience next year:
DWill - 3 years
Armstead - 3 years
Orukpe - 2 years (effective years = 1, sort of)
Hall - 1 year
White - 1 year
Cotton - 1 year
Wessel - 1 year
Anacreon - ??? - 1 year (effective years = 0)

By "effective" I'm referring to the value of the experience rather than the quality of the contribution.

We're losing 16 years of D1 experience and returning 11 years of D1 experience. We're losing our inside dominater, the league's leading rebounder, all the 3-point shooters, and the playmaker and mid-range guy.

We're returning 25.7 points per game out of 78.3 points per game. I'm not expecting more than about a .500 finish in the Valley. We'd have to be bringing in some NBA prospects who are ready to contribute immediately at the D1 level to expect even a 12-6 league record next year. Kentucky gets those players.

Now back to the subject of the thread. We're going to get bandwagon fans now who will turn on the Shox next year. In addition, we're going to get a boat load of "I told you so" posters out here next year when the Shox are set up for a down year. It will be shades of 2007 all over again.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

I'm not suggesting the talent won't be there, but it's going to be relatively inexperienced (and younger) talent compared to what we have this year.

D1 experience next year:
DWill - 3 years
Armstead - 3 years
Orukpe - 2 years (effective years = 1, sort of)
Hall - 1 year
White - 1 year
Cotton - 1 year
Wessel - 1 year
Anacreon - ??? - 1 year (effective years = 0)

By "effective" I'm referring to the value of the experience rather than the quality of the contribution.

We're losing 16 years of D1 experience and returning 11 years of D1 experience. We're losing our inside dominater, the league's leading rebounder, all the 3-point shooters, and the playmaker and mid-range guy.

We're returning 25.7 points per game out of 78.3 points per game. I'm not expecting more than about a .500 finish in the Valley. We'd have to be bringing in some NBA prospects who are ready to contribute immediately at the D1 level to expect even a 12-6 league record next year. Kentucky gets those players.

Now back to the subject of the thread. We're going to get bandwagon fans now who will turn on the Shox next year. In addition, we're going to get a boat load of "I told you so" posters out here next year when the Shox are set up for a down year. It will be shades of 2007 all over again.

But, we have 3 guys that would have started for over half the teams in the Valley that didn't play this year. 3. Talent can many times overcome experience. Ask KU about running into Syracuse.

[Aargh]

But, we have 3 guys that would have started for over half the teams in the Valley that didn't play this year. 3. Talent can many times overcome experience. Ask KU about running into Syracuse.

Maybe. Armstead - I think qualifies, but Mitchell and Baker haven't seen a minute of D1 action.

Mitchell's best offer out of JuCo was below Valley levels. Baker had virtually no interest other than WSU. Until those guys show it on the court, it's a set up for a let down to expect them to come in and contribute their first year.

A "year in the system" has some value, but that's also a year of no actual on-court game experience. It's sort of a tradeoff that pays dividends in February but costs games in December.

I still remember (sort of) Cheese Johnson just flat stepping out of bounds in the NCAA's against one of the Michigan schools. I thought it cost the Shox a win over a very highly regarded team. First-year players mke mistakes - even in March.

[SpanglerFan316]

Maybe. Armstead - I think qualifies, but Mitchell and Baker haven't seen a minute of D1 action.

Mitchell's best offer out of JuCo was below Valley levels. Baker had virtually no interest other than WSU. Until those guys show it on the court, it's a set up for a let down to expect them to come in and contribute their first year.

A "year in the system" has some value, but that's also a year of no actual on-court game experience. It's sort of a tradeoff that pays dividends in February but costs games in December.

I still remember (sort of) Cheese Johnson just flat stepping out of bounds in the NCAA's against one of the Michigan schools. I thought it cost the Shox a win over a very highly regarded team. First-year players mke mistakes - even in March.

I thought Kansas State had some interest in Baker. Wrong?

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

Yeah, but was Cheese a true freshman?

I'm not going to get too far into the "next year" discussion, but will state the following fact:

Baker, Armstead, and Mitchell, if eligible, would have started for half the teams in the Valley.

Next year will show itself soon enough. I'm not worried about our backcourt of the future. Its here getting experience and waiting for its on the court leader. Our frontcourt has 2 returnees. We need Wessel or one of the new FR to step up and play the 3 successfully.

[tropicalshox]

Cleanthony is planning on taking good care of the 3 position.

[BostonWu]

I thought Kansas State had some interest in Baker. Wrong?

That is correct.

[ShockTalk]

I believe we will have more "effective" years of D-I experience and more players with D-I experience than what Marshall had in 08-09 when we went 16-16 (8-10).

4th (5th) year D-I Armstead / 1st year VanVleet / 1st year RS Mitchell vs 1st year D-I Hannah / 1st year Chamberlain;
4th year DWill / 2nd year Cotton / 1st year RS Baker vs 1st year Murry / 1st year Kyles;
2nd year Hall / 2nd/3rd year Orukpe vs 2nd year Clemente / 1st year Stutz;
1st year T. Hawkins (or Early)/ 2nd year Wessel vs 1st year WSU 3rd D-I Hawkins/ 2nd year Hatch;
1st year Early / 2nd year White / ? year Anacreon vs 2nd year Durley / 2nd year Ellis

I like us better than .500 in the Valley.

[DwShock]

Why are we talking about being a down team next year? Let's keep focused on one game at a time this year. I want to see what the current shocker team does this year. And who cares if people jump on? That's just more people to enjoy Shocker Basketball.

[martymoose]

Why are we talking about being a down team next year? Let's keep focused on one game at a time this year. I want to see what the current shocker team does this year. And who cares if people jump on? That's just more people to enjoy Shocker Basketball.

Not sure how the team being down next year came up. And no one cares if people jump on! Try to keep up!

[shocker22]

Not sure why we are talking about next year either however I do not think we will be down. Prediction is picked 3rd in the valley and finish 2nd.