The Official Wichita State vs Mississippi Valley State Full Stack Thread

[Shocktoberfest]

I really hope we get JW for another year ... not holding out hope... but he has so much potential.

It's so sad that this is our current reality. Any kid who can transfer without sitting is a huge risk to go to the next bigger better deal. Sucks!

[Dan]

I really hope we get JW for another year ... not holding out hope... but he has so much potential.

Crazy to imagine Porter, Walton and Council together. We'd still struggle underneath but that would be a potential NBA backcourt

[ShockTalk]

You Serious Clark?

Paid Attendance: 7,056

Butts in seats: 3,528

We just made ESPN's college basketball's front page. It's in the video section with Porter's running two-handed flush with about 3 minutes left in the game.

By looking at the video, 3,528 may be kind. It shows the first 7 rows on the bench side from side to side and those rows looked bad. Guessing people left early to beat the crowd. Cough, cough.

[MikeKennedyRulZ]

I think part of the Pohto issue might be discouragement at the lack of a big man coach to aid in his development. He seems like a smart kid who would enjoy learning and taking some direction. If there is no direction I could see the discouragement.

[asiseeit]

While the coaching staff is definitely to blame .. You can't wash KP of his responsibility here. He has not looked good .. even when in the spots he needed to be. The effort isn't there. Last two games he's played, both against teams he's drastically taller than their tallest player, he got 4 boards and 1 board. Maybe he's checked out because of the coaching staff .. but I find it hard to put 100% of the blame on the coaches for him not putting in the effort on the floor and just go "oh poor misused KP". He was a pick and pop center last year ... and now he's a pick and pop center that is 2-15 from 3 and scared to shoot.

Your right. No excuses but I just watched most of the replay and did not think effort was an issue. Very first possession he posts up strong wide open two feet from the rim and JP ignores him and the entry pass to take a deep three from the corner. Big men need to be rewarded with a good entry pass once in awhile. I see this as a team weakness with too many players looking for their own shots first. I did think perimeter ball movement was better last night but not inside out passing.

[ShockTalk]

As a group our 6 forwards/centers were 2-13 inside the arc.

[CBB_Fan]

I just want to point out that for all of Ballard's struggles to score, he still seems to massively impact how the other team plays while he is on defense. Given that Kenny Pohto isn't exactly burning the barn down on offense, I think Ballard is easily on track to earn more minutes. He came in early this game and stayed in for quite a while.

I would not recommend a taking a shot every time we hold the ball for 3+ seconds or throw a lazy one-handed pass. You'd need a blood in alcohol concentration by the end of a game rather than the other way around. Clearly we have a lot of trouble passing or cutting inside without losing the ball, and fundamentals seem to be a part of that.

My favorite guys right now are the ones I see hustling on the court: Porter, Walton, Rojas, Ballard. They all have their faults but I don't fault their effort. Pierre has also shown that he can be this team's elite shooter.

Shot quality still suffers due to a lot of 3s without a lot of work put into making them high quality looks. The only player I saw generate any interior looks in the half-court offense was Potter.

[Dan]

Pierre coming on helps, but Walton is the top 3 pt shooter in the conference by percentage. As for Ballard, they need to figure out how to work him through a screen for lobs/alley oops. On offense, he's mostly standing on the lower block and watching the rest of the team. I can see the need for a big man coach.

[SubGod22]

Ballard's offensive value would best be used like how Mo was most effective. Put him in the short corner area and when someone drives the lane he moves in for a dump off or lob for easy dunks/layups.

Having a legit big man coach would help all of our post players. I'm not sure who's in charge of that area, but whoever they are I'm not impressed.

Ballard will most likely always have limited value offensively, but they need to try and develop a little something from him/for him.

[Shockm]

Bright spot. We have two really good players (CP and JW), and maybe Pierre can move into that category. Continued good news is that CP4 won't transfer to another school.

[Shocktoberfest]

Pierre coming on helps, but Walton is the top 3 pt shooter in the conference by percentage. As for Ballard, they need to figure out how to work him through a screen for lobs/alley oops. On offense, he's mostly standing on the lower block and watching the rest of the team. I can see the need for a big man coach.

100%. Throw it up by the rim and see what he can do.

[Shockm]

Ballard needs to realize that close to the basket, he needs to dunk with two hands, using his strength. Twice he could have dunked it, but used one hand, and was fouled (missing the dunk). I saw him dunk it like that once earlier this year, when he dunked it with authority. Carry the other guy up to the rim, and "flush" it.

[AZ Shocker]

Reaching here....but wondering if KP is regressing due to getting most of his shots swatted away in practices by Ballard. I would think that would make him better but with the lack of a big man coach...perhaps he isn't being taught how to combat that.

[MTXEShox]

The "double dip" spot from Carlos O'
kelly's has seen it's better days as well. Poorly produced as well.

[MikeKennedyRulZ]

Ballard would have to be able to consistently catch the ball to make the plays you all describe above. I have yet to see that ability from him. He's too slow and predictable on the offensive end to be much help at this point.