Blame Game

[ShockTalk]

King made the best decision he could, regardless if we had an opening or not. ISU is on a complete different trajectory than we are right now and he wanted a chance to play in the NCAA.

Unlike McFarland, he has not played this season. Don't have any idea of his status for this year, as he is listed on their site with no picture or bio. Assuming the listed seniors all leave, I believe that ISU will lose around 104 mpg including their best player (by far their best). So, yes, chance to play in the NCAA is possible.

[shocker43]

Let's talk about stars. I definitely believe in evaluating the actual player and not just looking at the stars but I will admit they are an indication of the quality of a player.

The following is from Verbal Commits.

The players on our team average 2.667 stars. The only teams in the AAC that average less are Tulsa, E Carolina, Tulane and UCF.

Of the 11 high school players we supposedly have extended offers to, only one in not rated as 2 star and he is 3 star.

This is very worrisome to me. I know there are diamond in the roughs out there but at least on the surface it looks like we are recruiting on a level that will not allow us to be successful.

I'm not sure how VC does their ratings so I usually check 247. They seem to have a better ranking system that is easier to understand.

With that said, our recruiting since we've been in the AAC has been pretty poor. We haven't seen a noticeable improvement in the athletes that we are able to get since changing conferences. I think a lot of that has to do with our constant roster turnover that happens late in the recruiting cycle.

[MikeKennedyRulZ]

I'm not sure how VC does their ratings so I usually check 247. They seem to have a better ranking system that is easier to understand.

With that said, our recruiting since we've been in the AAC has been pretty poor. We haven't seen a noticeable improvement in the athletes that we are able to get since changing conferences. I think a lot of that has to do with our constant roster turnover that happens late in the recruiting cycle.

Agreed. VC almost seems like they make everyone 2 stars. I would not put much stock in VC star ranking. 247 is not exact science but it is better.

[ShockRef]

I will leave Jalen Ricks out of this, due to hearing nothing but high praise for his talent/potential. I know zilch about Abidde, so he is a complete unknown too. However, if he was a stud, he would have certainly made an appearance by now.
The current recruits/players are not AAC level and I've been adamant about it from the start. When I witnessed each in person in LV, it wasn't difficult to distinguish their ability or talent.
Both JP and QG are MVC talents and would do well if WSU was still languishing within. I just do not understand what this staff saw/envisioned when they grabbed both from lower division play.
Pohto landed in their lap, due to WSU's new best friend in Richard Pitino. He has big time talent, although mucho time with KR will be the biggest boom to his development.

Not to sure who they are in on now, but if they sign more of the same, maybe the move back to The Valley might start gaining traction. That... is a scary thought!
I can't believe I just typed that last sentence.

That is all.

[SubGod22]

Not to sure who they are in on now, but if they sign more of the same, maybe the move back to The Valley might start gaining traction.

Never say such things again.

[MikeKennedyRulZ]

Not to sure who they are in on now, but if they sign more of the same, maybe the move back to The Valley might start gaining traction. That... is a scary thought!
I can't believe I just typed that last sentence.

That is all.

[Dan]

yep, we take too many flyers on the "diamonds in the rough". I have no issue taking a couple flyers on athletic big guys but we can't make it our entire recruiting strategy. You have to get 1. a proven winner PG, size does not matter, 2) a guy that can shoot lights out, 3) a talented big man, preferably one that can stretch the floor. After that fill the roster with long athletes. Easier said than done, I know.

[ShockTalk]

Not to sure who they are in on now, but if they sign more of the same, maybe the move back to The Valley might start gaining traction. That... is a scary thought!
I can't believe I just typed that last sentence.

That is all.

Give the AAC a few more years. Given who's left, who's leaving and who's coming in, we'll look more like MVC Version 2 anyway. This conference will not be pushing any of the P5/BE as the 6th best conference any time soon after that. We'll have our hands full just being the "Best Next" conference.

[proshox]

1. Agree we are under sized
2. TE is not a PG. He had some success last season as a catch and shoot SG
3. IB trying to help him be an NBA PG has failed miserably for both TE and the team.
4. I do not like seeing the ball in his hands for more than a second. He should
shoot when he is open and shoulders squared otherwise should quickly pass
5. I don't see him as a team player. My biggest slam on IB has been his handling of TE

TE passes the ball. He also takes questionable shots. Those events are not mutually exclusive.

He also runs his ass off as a decoy for many sets, screens well, and knows what we are trying to do.

Last year he deferred in the first half of many games and we generally struggled to score. He would become
Shot-aggressive in the second half of games as it became necessary to win. He needs to find the proper balance.

The best player rightly takes the criticism, but I see TE’s performance as a symptom rather than the primary cause. We rarely have anybody providing consistent offense (at most we get better than average production from one other shocker). Teams such as Houston design everything around stopping Tyson by daring others to make plays. Until Craig, Dex, Ricky and Monzy consistently make teams pay it is going to look ugly.

[MikeKennedyRulZ]

TE passes the ball. He also takes questionable shots. Those events are not mutually exclusive.

He also runs his ass off as a decoy for many sets, screens well, and knows what we are trying to do.

Last year he deferred in the first half of many games and we generally struggled to score. He would become
Shot-aggressive in the second half of games as it became necessary to win. He needs to find the proper balance.

The best player rightly takes the criticism, but I see TE’s performance as a symptom rather than the primary cause. We rarely have anybody providing consistent offense (at most we get better than average production from one other shocker). Teams such as Houston design everything around stopping Tyson by daring others to make plays. Until Craig, Dex, Ricky and Monzy consistently make teams pay it is going to look ugly.

The four players you mentioned (maybe less RCiV) have been the only consistently good players for the Shox so I am not sure what you are talking about. They are shooting combined 40% from the field, 31% from three (ok this should be better), 77% from FT with an assist to TO ratio of 1.18. All better than TE's numbers. They are 4 of the top 6 in ppg, 4 of the top 5 in rpg, 4 of the top 6 in assists per game. Heck Porter and Dex lead the team in blocks per game. I love TE as much as anyone but it's time for a reality check.

[Woodrow]

We had some great years with HCGM. Seasons I will remember the rest of my life. When people question the direction the team is going with HCIB many want to blame Marshall. I really don't understand that. The players that were here when Marshall left are the players that HCIB coached last year, and won an AAC championship with, and went on to the NCAA tournament with. That fact has been stated over and over by many of you. HCIB is still coaching those same players with the exception of Gilbert who was academically ineligible after the spring semester last year, which we certainly can't blame Marshall for. So if Marshall left behind an AAC championship team let's stop blaming him for any problems the team is currently experiencing. The fact that our championship team from last year is struggling this year should be a question we can talk about without it being a Marshall/Brown thing. I want the Shockers to win and make the tournament. It doesn't feel like we are going to. I still hope we do. I want IB to be successful. I think he is struggling. It's not Marshall's fault, but I'm not anti HCIB because I think that.

[Topshock]

We had some great years with HCGM. Seasons I will remember the rest of my life. When people question the direction the team is going with HCIB many want to blame Marshall. I really don't understand that. The players that were here when Marshall left are the players that HCIB coached last year, and won an AAC championship with, and went on to the NCAA tournament with. That fact has been stated over and over by many of you. HCIB is still coaching those same players with the exception of Gilbert who was academically ineligible after the spring semester last year, which we certainly can't blame Marshall for. So if Marshall left behind an AAC championship team let's stop blaming him for any problems the team is currently experiencing. The fact that our championship team from last year is struggling this year should be a question we can talk about without it being a Marshall/Brown thing. I want the Shockers to win and make the tournament. It doesn't feel like we are going to. I still hope we do. I want IB to be successful. I think he is struggling. It's not Marshall's fault, but I'm not anti HCIB because I think that.

It is only GM's fault if you look at it with a broad perspective, meaning if he could/would have controlled himself, he would still be the coach and we wouldn't have had so many transfers.

[ShockerFever]

TE passes the ball. He also takes questionable shots. Those events are not mutually exclusive.

He also runs his ass off as a decoy for many sets, screens well, and knows what we are trying to do.

Last year he deferred in the first half of many games and we generally struggled to score. He would become
Shot-aggressive in the second half of games as it became necessary to win. He needs to find the proper balance.

The best player rightly takes the criticism, but I see TE’s performance as a symptom rather than the primary cause. We rarely have anybody providing consistent offense (at most we get better than average production from one other shocker). Teams such as Houston design everything around stopping Tyson by daring others to make plays. Until Craig, Dex, Ricky and Monzy consistently make teams pay it is going to look ugly.

TE is not the best player on the team.

[ShockRef]

My apologies to Sub and you regarding the off the wall comment about The Valley. Had a momentary lapse of judgment and regret even the notion of returning to he Valley of parity.
It will not happen again!

That is all.

[MikeKennedyRulZ]

My apologies to Sub and you regarding the off the wall comment about The Valley. Had a momentary lapse of judgment and regret even the notion of returning to he Valley of parity.
It will not happen again!

That is all.

All is forgiven...for now.