Welcome - Paul Mills

[Onegreatracer]

For clarity, my point on Isaac Brown isn't that he was mistreated. It is that he didn't crack 20 wins in three seasons, and got canned. Would we let Mills get a fourth season in that circumstance? ORU did, and he got a Sweet 16 that year.

We could immediately get new transfers and go back to winning. But we could also be in for a longer rebuild, which is entirely within reason. Will butts stay in seats for a recruiting cycle if that it is what it takes? Will we stick with Mills through thick or thin?

Mills won’t take more than 2 years to win 20, fwiw

[Aargh]

For clarity, my point on Isaac Brown isn't that he was mistreated. It is that he didn't crack 20 wins in three seasons, and got canned. Would we let Mills get a fourth season in that circumstance? ORU did, and he got a Sweet 16 that year.

We could immediately get new transfers and go back to winning. But we could also be in for a longer rebuild, which is entirely within reason. Will butts stay in seats for a recruiting cycle if that it is what it takes? Will we stick with Mills through thick or thin?

If Mills offense, in his third year, looks like IB's did the first half of this season - against some really bad teams, no less - then I'd hope KS would go on another coaching search. If Mills is regularly playing 2 walksons in year 3, because the walkons are better than his recruits, then I'd hope KS would go on another coaching search. If after Mills' second year everybody but 1 starter and 1 role player transfer, then I'd hope the next season would be carefully evaluated to see if Mills could handle the turnover in his program.

BTW, unless an AD is offering 5 years, or maybe a sweetheart 4-year deal,that AD will still be looking in May.

[Topshock]

Oh no, we'd have to get a new coach! Good thing in that circumstance we don't have millions in liabilities and can afford to spend $5-7M and get the pick of the litter.

Frankly, we still have the possibility of looking for a new coach before Mills goes through a recruiting cycle. If we did what we needed to do to have any shot, that's the path we had. But we'll still be deservedly mocked if Mills has the same contract as Brown with each having just one great season behind it (Brown winning the AAC obviously, Mills winning 30).

Obviously I want Mills to succeed and have this discussion not matter. The jury is still out. But Mills is already not being put in a place to succeed. It is entirely reasonable to rebuild for a year or three under most circumstances. But if it is year three without a 20 win season, he'll know just as much as we do that a lot of money is coming off our books. Could we have waited six years for a 30 win season, like Oral Roberts did, knowing that after year 3 we could spend much more money in a coaching search?

Isaac Brown didn't get that chance.

One of the flaws in your logic is that Mill's 6 years ago took over a program in shambles, and did not have NIL and free transfer rules. It took longer for a coach then and everyone knew it. It should be much faster to change the direction of a program now.

So yes people will expect results quicker now, but by the same token Mills has the track record of getting it done even under the old rules.

Isaac Brown took over a program that was at the AAC championship level and proceeded to run it in the ground. There is no comparison to Brown and Mills. Their programs headed in opposite directions from the start of their coaching careers.

One more thing. Do not compare our program to ORU and suggest we should emulate them in patience. They are not even in the same stratosphere. We have beaten, and this is just off the top of my head, in the last 10 years: Arizona, Kansas, Gonzaga, Indiana, Ohio State, Pitt, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Baylor, Houston, Memphis, Missouri, Iowa, Connecticut in the last 10 years. Who is on that lost for ORU? That means that Mills taking that program to the Sweet Sixteen is much harder than taking ours.

[WstateU]

[WstateU]

[moshock]

For clarity, my point on Isaac Brown isn't that he was mistreated. It is that he didn't crack 20 wins in three seasons, and got canned. Would we let Mills get a fourth season in that circumstance? ORU did, and he got a Sweet 16 that year.

We could immediately get new transfers and go back to winning. But we could also be in for a longer rebuild, which is entirely within reason. Will butts stay in seats for a recruiting cycle if that it is what it takes? Will we stick with Mills through thick or thin?

WSU >>>> >>> ORU as far as expectations - facilities - $$$ - pretty much everything.

[revenge_of_shocka_khan]

I like this hire:
- spent a lot of time on a disadvantaged neighborhood, this will help him relate to inner-city kids
- spent a lot of time in Houston, an area we’ve always recruited well
- worked as an assistant at Baylor, which should give him an in with Texas coaches
- probably the best candidate available.

I watched Drake’s NCAA game and noted that DeVries exhibited a trait that used to drive me crazy with HCGM, in that he was comfortably ahead against Miami, but did not call a TO until they had surged to a lead, which gave me flashbacks. I think his poor clock management was a big reason Drake lost control of the game.

i am keeping my fingers crossed that he can either bring his PG with him or has the presentation skills to convince some of the options available in the transfer portal in order to accomplish a quick roster rebuild.

[BostonWu]

I'll be disappointed if we repeat the same mistakes with contracts this time around. In the day and age of NIL and the portal kids don't care if a coach signs for either 4 or 5 years. No one is saying 2 years. Who knows PM could flame out and we have to be smarter going forward. 3 former coaches and an AD on the payroll is embarrassing.

[Shocker82/85]

Taylor tweets that Mills is bringing his ORU assistant Kenton Paulino with him, but not Patterson. He said it will be a whole new staff.

[rjl]

I'll be disappointed if we repeat the same mistakes with contracts this time around. In the day and age of NIL and the portal kids don't care if a coach signs for either 4 or 5 years. No one is saying 2 years. Who knows PM could flame out and we have to be smarter going forward. 3 former coaches and an AD on the payroll is embarrassing.

Brown gets paid another 3 years. I think Marshall's payments dry up in around November of 2026.

I'd like to think that Mills would have around 3 years to show what he can do regardless of any money problems, but 3 years is coincidentally around the time the payments to both Brown and Marshall stop.

[Shock Top]

Taylor tweets that Mills is bringing his ORU assistant Kenton Paulino with him, but not Patterson. He said it will be a whole new staff.

I knew that name sounded familiar.

Glad Taylor tweeted the video as well.

[shockerfan]

I know this belongs on the recruiting page. But figure this is a good place to mention it also.

HCPM not wasting any time!! 6' 3" CG

From what I can tell offers from:

CAL
Colorado St
Drexel
Loyola (Chi)
UNI
OU
Oklahoma State
Oral Roberts
Portland
Rice
Sam Houston
Wake Forest

And now us

[Shocker82/85]

I will throw this in since it has been mentioned that we hope Saal or Paulino can get to Hutch.

If Mills is looking for a 6’3” guard, I saw one today at Hutch. His name is Malachi Davis. He is only ranked #86 on the juco recruiting.com top 100 put out January 3rd, but Brad Winton, a juco recruiting guy, says he has improved a lot this year. He has a teammate, Addison Patterson, that was ranked #7, but he hasn’t played in Hutch. He averages 19 per game. Davis has averaged 16 in 19 minutes per game this season. For the season, he has shot 50/35/77. He plays at Tallahassee. In 2 games, he has scored 79 points. He is 28-56 in 2 games. Today, he scored 48 with a 4 point play with 2 seconds left in overtime to win their game by 1 against Salt Lake. The final was 94-93. Speed, quickness, change of direction, got to the rim at will, range (6 of 12 on 3’s) and had 4 assists credited to him, but I think he had more. Played all 45 minutes. Basically, he is doing by himself what Patterson and him did together throughout the season. I don’t know that you could put Davis at point, but he can definitely make plays for others when he gets in the lane. Davis is from Toronto. He’s a better ball handler than anyone we have on the roster.

Salt Lake has a 6’8” center who average 11.6 ppg & 6.5 rpg. He shot 56/44/85. He made a little over 1 three pointer per game. He had 18 and 14 in the game against Tallahassee. His name is Jared Garcia and he is from Houston. Salt Lake was missing the #1 rated Juco player who has signed with Jans.

[Stickboy46]

Taylor tweets that Mills is bringing his ORU assistant Kenton Paulino with him, but not Patterson. He said it will be a whole new staff.

Already a bit nervous with the hire. This doesn't help for me. Mills success is heavily linked to one recruiting class. The assistants staying at ORU are the ones that are credited with finding those guys.

Gotta hope for the best.

[1972Shocker]

Sorry if posted elsewhere....

How some national college basketball analysts rate Wichita State hiring coach Paul Mills (msn.com)

I think this may have been commented on but let's hope the tree and branches continue to grow and have success and that HCPM's ability to build relationships combined with,, hopefully a solid NIL structure will allow the Shockers to create and maintain more stability in their program. The revolving door of players has no doubt negatively impacted fan interest in and support of the program.

Hiring former Baylor assistants under Scott Drew has worked out for several programs lately. Jerome Tang (Kansas State), Grant McCasland (North Texas), Mills (Oral Roberts) and Matthew Driscoll (North Florida) have all had success on their own as head coaches after leaving Drew's staff.

What Oral Roberts lacked in NIL money, Mills made up for in relationships. Burton said Mills is a tremendous relationship-builder, which is why he believes star scoring guard Max Abmas has stuck with Mills for four straight years at Oral Roberts.

Abmas became a star in 2021 when he led Division I in scoring at 24.5 points and sparked Oral Roberts' Cinderella run to the Sweet 16. Despite receiving national attention and options to transfer up, Abmas has spurned the transfer portal.

"One of the most incredible recruiting jobs in the country has been coach Mills keeping Max Abmas — keeping him for not just one offseason but two offseasons in a time period where players are getting crazy amounts of NIL money," Burton said. "That says a lot about the young man, but it also says a lot about coach Mills and his ability to connect. He really invests in his players and is very genuine.