State of the Program 2021

[homegrownshocker]

Let me explain my thoughts through this lengthy post having to do with the recent events that occurred this basketball season. Part of this process stems from the “we can’t messaging” observed on the recruiting board. We have a great set of young men that proved we can, one year after a small group of players served their own interest and left the program thankfully (not Burton and a few that were collateral damage). Remember these are my opinions and you are entitled to agree or disagree (no problems).
Let’s get the idea out of the way that many aren’t concerned Gregg Marshall (The Most Successful Coach in School History) being dismissed doesn’t concern us. He did a tremendous job of creating changes that have led our program to greater heights. The effect sent shockwaves through the room as far as it concerns the players, coaches, and our community.
Now let’s talk about Isaac Brown who was a like minded basketball coach that helped build the program for many years before earning the job as head coach. All of us witnessed his team win a championship and earn the job under quite weird circumstances this season. You had to know that his new public role as leader of the program would take a little time, he is a first time head coach. Challenges that he inherited by default.

1. How to recruit from zoom when no on campus visits are allowed (I know everyone is in the same boat).
2. Keeping a great staff in place with the change.
3. Not being able to recruit in the early signing period of his first year.
4. Keeping these young man on track with a vision as the interim coach.
5. I must admit that I liked how he directed his constructive criticism without being in the players faces each time they came to the bench.
6. Billy Kennedy believes in him and came on board to support what our former players endorse as a players coach.
7. Staff started off the late signing period with a 6’10 athletic center, Division II two time All-American guard, and a 6’8 transfer that is very physical and can probably play both the four and five.
8. Look forward to seeing how he continues to fill this roster.

Great start from you Mr. Brown and I will continue to believe that this program has better days ahead for those young men that accept the honor of putting on the Black and Yellow uniforms.

[forevershockerfan]

Coach Brown did a great job picking up the pieces. Coach of the Year in the AAC and our first ship here. The new recruiits so far look solid. I'm pulling for Coach Brown and the Shocks.

[molly jabali]

Yeah, but what's he gonna do about the rebounding???

)

[mattdalt]

Yeah, but what's he gonna do about the rebounding???

)

Or free throw shooting :)

[TheShocktocles]

Let me explain my thoughts through this lengthy post having to do with the recent events that occurred this basketball season. Part of this process stems from the “we can’t messaging” observed on the recruiting board. We have a great set of young men that proved we can, one year after a small group of players served their own interest and left the program thankfully (not Burton and a few that were collateral damage). Remember these are my opinions and you are entitled to agree or disagree (no problems).
Let’s get the idea out of the way that many aren’t concerned Gregg Marshall (The Most Successful Coach in School History) being dismissed doesn’t concern us. He did a tremendous job of creating changes that have led our program to greater heights. The effect sent shockwaves through the room as far as it concerns the players, coaches, and our community.
Now let’s talk about Isaac Brown who was a like minded basketball coach that helped build the program for many years before earning the job as head coach. All of us witnessed his team win a championship and earn the job under quite weird circumstances this season. You had to know that his new public role as leader of the program would take a little time, he is a first time head coach. Challenges that he inherited by default.

1. How to recruit from zoom when no on campus visits are allowed (I know everyone is in the same boat).
2. Keeping a great staff in place with the change.
3. Not being able to recruit in the early signing period of his first year.
4. Keeping these young man on track with a vision as the interim coach.
5. I must admit that I liked how he directed his constructive criticism without being in the players faces each time they came to the bench.
6. Billy Kennedy believes in him and came on board to support what our former players endorse as a players coach.
7. Staff started off the late signing period with a 6’10 athletic center, Division II two time All-American guard, and a 6’8 transfer that is very physical and can probably play both the four and five.
8. Look forward to seeing how he continues to fill this roster.

Great start from you Mr. Brown and I will continue to believe that this program has better days ahead for those young men that accept the honor of putting on the Black and Gold uniforms.

This was really good. The only thing I would change is that our colors are black and yellow. A lot of people get this wrong because so many media people say black and gold. Its black and yellow. : )

[WuShock16]

This was really good. The only thing I would change is that our colors are black and yellow. A lot of people get this wrong because so many media people say black and gold. Its black and yellow. : )

I once had someone tell me that it obviously is Gold because his SASO membership was “Bold GOLD.” I didn’t have the heart to tell him that it’s because “Mellow Yellow” probably isn’t a good SASO level name.

[Stickboy46]

Or free throw shooting :)

And don't get me started on Free Throw Rebounding!!

[sck41903]

Recruiting, Recruiting, Recruiting, that is like it or not the big part of what separates teams from good to great. I think Coach Brown is a very good person and players like him. Game management still needs a little work. But if you are telling me he did a great job (so far) recruiting I have to disagree. As an established top 50 program we should be able to attract more than D2, possible sleeper JUCO, and a unrated transfer (although I like him) to this type program. Anything is possible and I hope all of these recruits will become NBA prospects but you would think we should have at least been in the strong running for better service rated recruits. Maybe not this year, but hope we are not going to slip back to middle of the road teams in the future. Let's hope we are still on some other recruits.

[Ashockalypse]

Recruiting, Recruiting, Recruiting, that is like it or not the big part of what separates teams from good to great. I think Coach Brown is a very good person and players like him. Game management still needs a little work. But if you are telling me he did a great job (so far) recruiting I have to disagree. As an established top 50 program we should be able to attract more than D2, possible sleeper JUCO, and a unrated transfer (although I like him) to this type program. Anything is possible and I hope all of these recruits will become NBA prospects but you would think we should have at least been in the strong running for better service rated recruits. Maybe not this year, but hope we are not going to slip back to middle of the road teams in the future. Let's hope we are still on some other recruits.

Yes, this is where IB will have to really prove himself.

[WuTheOne]

Recruiting, Recruiting, Recruiting, that is like it or not the big part of what separates teams from good to great. I think Coach Brown is a very good person and players like him. Game management still needs a little work. But if you are telling me he did a great job (so far) recruiting I have to disagree. As an established top 50 program we should be able to attract more than D2, possible sleeper JUCO, and a unrated transfer (although I like him) to this type program. Anything is possible and I hope all of these recruits will become NBA prospects but you would think we should have at least been in the strong running for better service rated recruits. Maybe not this year, but hope we are not going to slip back to middle of the road teams in the future. Let's hope we are still on some other recruits.

As an established top-40 program in a solid conference with a HoF coach, Marshall was able to recruit Udeze, Poor Bear, and Bilau as his post players. It seems that unless IB does substantially better than that, you will consider him a failure as a recruiter. IB wasn't even able to recruit until well into the season.

This year's post players have been criticized repeatedly in this forum for their weaknesses and deficiencies. By your standards, does that make Marshall a failure as a recruiter? One year when we had to have a post player, the best Marshall could do was Bush Wamukota. In the immortal words of Mick Jagger, "You can't always get what you want". Marshall is generally considered a decent recruiter, but unless IB does better than Marshall, you will consider IB a failure as a recruiter.

Then there's your "game management" comment. I don't have the credentials to make a statement like that. Perhaps you've been a high-level assistant at a mid-major (or better) and have the knowledge and background to make a statement like that with some level of credibility. Perhaps you're just making stuff up because you wanted someone else hired.

The Shox needed to replace Wade, Gilbert, and Poor Bear. Those were the priorities in recruiting. It seems practical to make solid (not conditional) offers to players who are considered able to immediately fill those needs. Among that group, it's first come first served. If a coach waits to see if there's maybe a better player than the first to commit, there's a risk of not filling the need.

[AZ Shocker]

Have our 3 new guys signed their letter of intent yet?

[Shockm]

As an established top-40 program in a solid conference with a HoF coach, Marshall was able to recruit Udeze, Poor Bear, and Bilau as his post players. It seems that unless IB does substantially better than that, you will consider him a failure as a recruiter. IB wasn't even able to recruit until well into the season.

This year's post players have been criticized repeatedly in this forum for their weaknesses and deficiencies. By your standards, does that make Marshall a failure as a recruiter? One year when we had to have a post player, the best Marshall could do was Bush Wamukota. In the immortal words of Mick Jagger, "You can't always get what you want". Marshall is generally considered a decent recruiter, but unless IB does better than Marshall, you will consider IB a failure as a recruiter.

Then there's your "game management" comment. I don't have the credentials to make a statement like that. Perhaps you've been a high-level assistant at a mid-major (or better) and have the knowledge and background to make a statement like that with some level of credibility. Perhaps you're just making stuff up because you wanted someone else hired.

The Shox needed to replace Wade, Gilbert, and Poor Bear. Those were the priorities in recruiting. It seems practical to make solid (not conditional) offers to players who are considered able to immediately fill those needs. Among that group, it's first come first served. If a coach waits to see if there's maybe a better player than the first to commit, there's a risk of not filling the need.

sck41903 didn't say almost anything you just said. What I read him to say was that after losing our head coach who had established us as a consistent Top 50 program, he had questions about whether we would continue on that trajectory. Legitimate questions and/or concerns. You need to learn to relax and not make it personal. There were constant criticisms about Marshall even though he had a successful program he had established. Now Brown will need to earn his 1.25 Million Dollars a year and try to maintain the successful program. He's a big boy and can take it. I don't agree with everything that "sck" said but he was quite tempered in his comments, and not off of the rails as you made him to be.

[TrackSuitAndTie]

Have our 3 new guys signed their letter of intent yet?

[WuTheOne]

sck41903 didn't say almost anything you just said. What I read him to say was that after losing our head coach who had established us as a consistent Top 50 program, he had questions about whether we would continue on that trajectory. Legitimate questions and/or concerns. You need to learn to relax and not make it personal. There were constant criticisms about Marshall even though he had a successful program he had established. Now Brown will need to earn his 1.25 Million Dollars a year and try to maintain the successful program. He's a big boy and can take it. I don't agree with everything that "sck" said but he was quite tempered in his comments, and not off of the rails as you made him to be.

Here's the line sck used that pretty much says IB failed as a recruiter

As an established top 50 program we should be able to attract more than D2, possible sleeper JUCO, and a unrated transfer

That's not taking a wait-and-see attitude to see if the recruits work out. That's just outright implying failure with no evidence other than a personal opinion. The use of the word "we" instead of "I think we" makes a huge difference in the meaning of the comment.

There seem to be some attitudes among some posters that go like this:

We should never have fired Marshall. We didn't. The boosters and Boatright, who saw the report, fired Marshall.
We should have hired Jans. We didn't. That ship has sailed. Word is that Jans and Boatright don't see eye-to-eye and that was never going to happen.
We should never have hired IB. He was hired and now he's WSU's coach.

There are a lot of posts critical of IB. It seems more logical to look at what he's accomplished under incredibly difficult circumstances and see success rather than failure at this point in time.

[pie n eye]

I think the three guys we’ve signed so far are exactly what we needed. Personally, I don’t care how many stars a player has, especially one that has already proven themself at a level higher than HS (D2, JUCO, D1).

Obviously we will have to wait and see how it goes but all three appear to have the ability to make an immediate impact and fill or possibly exceed the production vacated by Trey Wade, Gilbert and IPBC.