So how do you feel after the BU game?

[Snapshot9]

I think CGM is just fully realizing the difficulty of his job and of the conference.

It was very evident from his face that a great deal of pressure was felt by him to win the Bradley game, and that he felt a little lucky and relieved that we got the win.

I think the team will feel a renewed sense of spirit with the realization of what it takes to win the hard games, but I also think they will have to recommit themselves in upcoming games to be able to carry through. MSU is another test, but not to the extent that Creighton will be.

The Creighton game will be the barometer for the Shox on how successful the season will be for them.

I want to say also, that Michaels and Hatch both can play some in upcoming games, but I do think, now, that Hatch would be the best fit to play in Matt's absence. Preadom, has not progressed enough, from when he was a Freshman. He's a junior, and should be playing better now than
what he seems to reflect.

[Maggie]

Gal needs to learn to be point guard because I don't see him being replaced at pg next year, at least by a freshman.

Hannah, who will be a junior, will be Mekel's competition at PG next year. Next year will be interesting for Mekel because CGM brought in so many guards.

WuDrWu –

I feel no different about this team today than I did a month ago. If the shooting becomes more consistent, I think they will be a very tough out. Their defense and rebounding, for the most part, has been outstanding. That will keep them in games. They just have to shoot around 40%, give or take, from the field to win games.

I think CGM is trying to instill mental toughness into this team and a killer instinct. I hate to say it but past WSU teams were mentally fragile. The problem is this is hard to teach. Mentally tough players generally come by it naturally. I have seen improvement but it always seems to be a "two steps forward one step back" sort of thing. It appears certain players have bought into CGM's mentality; Clemente and MB come to mind. But the entire team needs to buy in every second of every game and that takes time. People tend to forget that these are college kids not "grown men".

CGM has impressed me so far – his game plans are solid and he has shown the ability to adjust during games. CGM is a good coach. I will be patient but I have to agree with SubGod – this team gives me a headache too.

[rZ]

Happy to get the win...Good to know that a "Bobby Knight" type speech at the half can get 51 on the board in the 2nd. Hope this game relieved some of the problems with confidence in shooting.

Ride the coattails of this win into Tues. and Sat. Two very important games.

[shockball]

I'm very happy with the win. I'm hoping that each of our players can motivate themselves, or a team mate takes it upon himself to light a fire. Marshall should not have to resort to ranting.

[HockeyShock]

I'm not as worried about the first two losses (even though ANY home loss worries me to some degree) because DU and IllSt are the two hottest teams in the conference right now. Getting one back on the road vs. Bradley (and I'll take a win at Bradley with a smile even if they've lost to Cloud County) helps a lot.

What I've said in private conversations since the UTA game still applies: The system WORKS. The team has had abyssmal shooting in their losses, and yet they've yet to be truly blown out, they've been in all of those losses until the final minute.

Moreover, the system works even with the hodgepodge lineup we have right now. Athletically, probably the only thing that trumps speed is smarts, and we have that in spades. I'm a bit amused at all of the talk about Graham Hatch and Bret Michael. Perhaps they're not prototypical Marshall System(tm) players, but they're smart, skilled ball players who have bought into the system, and now that we're down essentially three players (Orupke, Butler, and Braeuer), we need all of the quality minutes we can get, and those two guys gave us quality minutes against Bradley.

When the team gets shots to drop, like the second half against Bradley, it's scary how good they look. I'm not trying to be Captain Hyperbole here, either - just look at the LSU game. They didn't shoot particularly well in that game, and they won by 20! The system WORKS.

As for Mantas, he may be a bit slow to develop as a scorer, but he's played well all year as a defender and the scoring is coming. He's going up strong when he goes and it looks like he's stopped that hesitation thing he had when he'd get the ball in the non-con games.

And notice this: In the two games (so far) without Matty B, we lost the one where he wasn't in attendance and we won the one where he was. Perhaps we should start calling him ACMB (Assistant Coach Matt Braeuer).

:clap: :wsu_posters: :yahoo: :clap:

[SpanglerFan316]

What I've said in private conversations since the UTA game still applies: The system WORKS. The team has had abyssmal shooting in their losses, and yet they've yet to be truly blown out, they've been in all of those losses until the final minute.

I agree. WSU can win the Valley if our shooting improves. Our defense and rebounding are strong.

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

If we get a more consitant effort of offensive there is no reason we cant make a run.

The Monmouth game is/was brutal. But we have been in everygame that we lost thanks to our defense just our offense has sucked beyond words.

[McShocker]

I'm normally a glass half full kind of guy, but we aren't going to make a run at the title. What signs point to that? We have spurts of excellence and long stretches of laughable incompetence. This is a rebuilding year in every sense. I think we can break .500 and maybe make a run in the tourney, but anyone who really expects a run at the season title has had too much yellow kool-aid.

PS Make sure the yellow kool-aid is carefully labeled. :innocent:

[ABC]

If we win the next three games, I will be a complete believer for this season.

1/8 at MSU
1/12 Creighton
1/16 at Illinois State

[Denny Crane]

ABC:

Eddie Haskell of Leave it to Beaver was the classic sycophant....can anybody think of others from television or the movies?

[SpanglerFan316]

I'm normally a glass half full kind of guy, but we aren't going to make a run at the title. What signs point to that? We have spurts of excellence and long stretches of laughable incompetence. This is a rebuilding year in every sense. I think we can break .500 and maybe make a run in the tourney, but anyone who really expects a run at the season title has had too much yellow kool-aid.

PS Make sure the yellow kool-aid is carefully labeled. :innocent:

Every Shocker fan should expect this to be a rebuilding year. As long as the team is getting better and we can look forward to next year, I will be satisfied. We should have Clemente, Preadom and Griskenas back as seniors, Mekel and Hawkins as juniors and Ellis, Hatch, Durley and a few others as sophomores. If the returning players learn to be tough and spend the summer getting into "Marshall" shape, then these veterans together with the recruits Clevin Hannah, David Kyles, Toure Murry and Garrett Stutz may give us a strong team next year.

On the other hand, look at his bio on goshockers:
"In his first year as the head coach after being named to the position in April of 1998 at Winthrop, he led the Eagles to a 21-8 record, their first-ever Big South Conference regular season championship, the conference tournament title and the school’s first trip to the NCAA tournament. Winthrop’s improvement of 14 victories over the 1997-98 season was one of the biggest turnarounds for NCAA Division I programs."
Who knows how the season will play out?

[60Shock]

Up to this point, the Shox have been a crap shoot - Pay your money and take your chances.

We lose games we should have won and win games we possibly should have lost.

Just when you think they may have turned it around, they seem to lose their motivation and a game or two later they get it back.

Right about now, a long winning streak might just be what the Doctor ordered.

[JVShocker_old]

A shot at the Valley title? Uh, no.

In a rebuilding year (and at this point in the season) the Shocks will do great to stay out of the play in games (Thursday night) at the MVC Tourney. Thats what I'm hoping for, anyway. And then, THEN make a run at the Conference Tournament Championship (3 games are easier than 4). :D :goshocks:

[ABC]

ABC:


Eddie Haskell of Leave it to Beaver was the classic sycophant....can anybody think of others from television or the movies?

Another great question, Larry.

Haskell is a great pick. He has to take the cake among fictional characters (but not some of the real people who know who they are.)

Potsie and Ralph Malph did a good job at sucking up too.

Does Frank Burns qualify? Frank Burns eats worms, or so I heard.

How about Roz in the classic move "9 to 5" "?