Blame Game

[Woodrow]

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.

If your statement means that Marshall contributed to his own departure and is a better coach than Brown I would agree with you. My argument is Brown coached the players he inherited last year to an AAC championship. He recruited his own players in the last recruiting class. Yet, we are now struggling and it looks like we may not finish in the top 3 or 4 in the conference like we thought we would. The next 2 conference home games will tell us what we need to know. If we lose one or both it is going to be a tough season for Shocker basketball. I hope HCIB gets things figured out and we start a long winning streak. Go Shocks.

[Dan]

Brown and Waterman recruited most of the guys on this team, not Marshall. Marshall's job was to decide which recruits to offer.

[RoyalShock]

Most of our recruits since joining the AAC fall into one or more of these categories:

- Received mostly mid-major offers (2-3 stars, most of our players fit here)
- Lack of exposure (Dexter)
- Glaring weakness in their game or undersized (the ol' diamond in the rough - Ricky, Jenkins, Udeze)
- Fell into our laps after a coaching change at their committed school (Sherfield, Pohto)
- Juco (Porter, Echenique, Monzy, Wade)
- Lower-level grad transfers (Grant, Pleasant)
- Injury in HS that cooled off interest (Burton)

Tyson is really the only one of our better players who I think doesn't apply. He was a solid top 100-ish player we recruited and landed.

Is this a failure on the part of coaches or just where we are as a program within the college basketball pecking order? It feels like we should have been landing an occasional 4-star (TE notwithstanding) without them fitting into one of the above categories.

While I have seen offers go out to high school players who are also receiving other high-major offers, we rarely seem to make their final lists. I don't feel at all good about the prospects of getting a talent infusion any time soon.

[Shockm]

Brown and Waterman recruited most of the guys on this team, not Marshall. Marshall's job was to decide which recruits to offer.

and "close the deal". His reputation did help him do that. Brown had a nice start last year, closing the deal on Kenny and Jalen Ricks (2 Top 150ish recruits), but if we don't follow it up with success, it's going to fizzle out.

[Atxshoxfan]

and "close the deal". His reputation did help him do that. Brown had a nice start last year, closing the deal on Kenny and Jalen Ricks (2 Top 150ish recruits), but if we don't follow it up with success, it's going to fizzle out.

I don't think there's anything definite as to why players go to one school or another. Unfortunately it is probably do to a coach or assistant or a teams recent success.
Lincoln Riley leaves OU and a few players follow. Dark takes over Texas and a few of his old players from Alabama follow. A player goes somewhere with a good history but the team starts sucking, transfer portal.
That's the insanity of the new transfer rules, or lack there of. I'd like to see a new athletic association that required a 3 yr commitment to the school or player gets billed for the years he played if he doesn't stay for the 3 year commitment. Stop the transfer BS and limit NIL to 24k per year, or eliminate it all together.

[RoyalShock]

Matt McFarlane has been allowed to play and has played in 4 games for LaSalle averaging 2.8 ppg and 2 rpg in 10.5 minutes.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...matt-mcfarlane

He's now played in 6 games, averaging 10.5 minutes (4.3 in his first 3, 16.7 in his last 3), 3.7 pts, 1.8 rebs.

8-19 FG
6-13 3FG (2-6 2FG)

So he's shooting twice as many 3s as 2s. Doesn't seem (yet) like the type of player that would have helped us much in the post. At best, he's a poor man's Kenny Pohto. It will be interesting to see if they depend on him more as he gets more games under his belt.

[SubGod22]

He's now played in 6 games, averaging 10.5 minutes (4.3 in his first 3, 16.7 in his last 3), 3.7 pts, 1.8 rebs.

8-19 FG
6-13 3FG (2-6 2FG)

So he's shooting twice as many 3s as 2s. Doesn't seem (yet) like the type of player that would have helped us much in the post. At best, he's a poor man's Kenny Pohto. It will be interesting to see if they depend on him more as he gets more games under his belt.

So he's a better outside shooter than Tyson? That's where he could help.

[SB Shock]

While I have seen offers go out to high school players who are also receiving other high-major offers, we rarely seem to make their final lists. I don't feel at all good about the prospects of getting a talent infusion any time soon.

If you look at who WSU is offering on verbal commits - it is all 2-star players except for 1-3 star next year and 5-star in couple years. I don't feel good about that talent infusion either.

[Dan]

Gregg had luck with jucos and transfers. I would not be opposed to signing more of these guys if they are high level

[RoyalShock]

Gregg had luck with jucos and transfers. I would not be opposed to signing more of these guys if they are high level

There's definitely nothing wrong with plugging a few roster holes with quality jucos and transfers. But we need players to build around.

[Shockm]

Gregg had luck with jucos and transfers. I would not be opposed to signing more of these guys if they are high level

One of Marshall’s greatest recruits was Cleanthony Early who he closed when Cle visited.

[Dan]

One of Marshall’s greatest recruits was Cleanthony Early who he closed when Cle visited.

Not to mention Jaime, Carl Hall, Ben Smith, Joe Ragland and many more

[Shockm]

Not to mention Jaime, Carl Hall, Ben Smith, Joe Ragland and many more

None of those were as high a recruit as Cle. He may have been the #1 Juco recruit that year.

[WuShock16]

Gregg had luck with jucos and transfers. I would not be opposed to signing more of these guys if they are high level

I saw a message board/social media post about K-State football where one of their fans said that they do much better recruiting jucos/transfers because those guys make “business decisions” and are done with all the glamour BS that mesmerizes HS recruits.

There’s some truth to that, which could make that a decent strategy for a program like WSU. Sure, try to sprinkle in some high school kids who could stay longterm, but in the age of portal, you pretty much have to plan for teams on a year-by-year basis.

[proshox]

Juco basketball isn’t as fertile as it once was. I think many previous juco guys spend time at Prep Schools and find their way to D1, D2, etc vs. JUCO.