Welcome - Paul Mills

[pinstripers]

Vuk Marjanovic is in the class of 2029. Someone to keep your eye on.

prolly leave that to you younger folks

[Stickboy46]

The article says he has 3 scholarships. I thought we only had 2. Did someone leave or something?

3 for 2024

[Wichita Willy]

The article says he has 3 scholarships. I thought we only had 2. Did someone leave or something?

[WuDrWu]

Damn, maybe we can get Peja's son to decommit from Stanford.


Vuk Marjanovic is in the class of 2029. Someone to keep your eye on.


As long as we're on the Baltic region discussion, am I the only one mildly annoyed that Zarko and Zoran haven't managed to send any love our way over the years? (Both still involved in the game I believe).


Do you think Coach Mills even knows something like that?

[1972Shocker]

He's followed by Taylor Eldridge and follows the W$U MBB page, I assume it's accurate.

https://twitter.com/ognjen_st2

I did a site search of "Stranjina" on goshockers.com and on oruathletics and received no results. However, I did find and confirmed in the ORU media guide that he was listed as 1 of 6 grad assistants in both 2021-22 and 2022-23. Based on The Athletics article, he is some kind of recruiting "coordinator" at Wichita State for Coach Mills which doesn't warrant any mention on the roster or staff directory. But it is interesting that the only two staff members mentioned in the article was Kenton Paulino (quotes) and Stranjina.

[JVShocker]

Hopefully we show up to the games on time

[WINGdingBALLfling]

From The Athletic article:



I don't recall hearing about this guy previously. Not listed on the Shocker roster nor the AD Directory. I wonder if this is accurate.

He's followed by Taylor Eldridge and follows the W$U MBB page, I assume it's accurate.

https://twitter.com/ognjen_st2

[1972Shocker]

From The Athletic article:

Any edge is key. A few years ago he hired a young guy from Serbia to be a graduate assistant. Ognjen Stranjina, Mills was told, knew everything about every player in Serbia. Stranjina had started an NCAA certified scouting service with his buddy Ivan Mitrovic in 2017 when Stranjina was just a college freshman. Mitrovic is now a scout with the Washington Wizards. When Stranjina arrived in Tulsa to work for ORU, it was his first time stepping foot in the United States. He’s now Wichita State’s director of recruiting.

I don't recall hearing about this guy previously. Not listed on the Shocker roster nor the AD Directory. I wonder if this is accurate.

[1972Shocker]

Definitely a man with a plan (and it appears a very strong work ethic). Really good article. I suspect the humble pie he was fed at his $12,000 a year teaching/coaching job at Fort Bend Christian caused a permanent chip to grow on his shoulder.

Wichita State’s roster is still not quite strong enough to compete for a league championship, but Mills is not afraid of a build. He lived it at Baylor, and Oral Roberts won eight games the year before he took over in 2017. (Whether that was Moore's opinion or something Coach Mills expressed is hard to say. Either way that seems like a realistic assessment at this point.)

“He spends 90 percent of practice teaching guys how to play versus just running plays,” assistant coach Kenton Paulino says.

Mills says his goal at Oral Roberts was never to lead the country in 3-pointers; it was to lead the country in dunks. He teaches his players to constantly put pressure on the rim, whether that’s driving or cutting.

[ShockerExpress]

I believe he was a financial analyst before he began his coaching career… recall FHCGM having a similar past with economics and business degrees.

Anyone who is deliberate and smart enough to count cards in blackjack is going to be successful in life.

[Shockm]

I thought CJ Moore did a great job, as always.

Most interesting tidbit I found in the article - out of the six official practices WSU has had so far, four have been started late due to one or more players being tardy. Candy wrappers left on the floor in the locker room...these guys are gonna get whipped into shape by Mills.

This tells anyone with an open mind, that IB wasn't a "high expectations, "detailed", "discipline" type of Head Coach (but his players liked him). That sounds like a losing atmosphere and culture. I can't see GM ever allowing practices to begin late, etc. IB is a great guy and a fine Asst. Coach, though.

[WstateU]

Mills appears far more analytical and calculated than his predecessor

I believe he was a financial analyst before he began his coaching career… recall FHCGM having a similar past with economics and business degrees.

[Stickboy46]

New Athletic article about Paul Mills.

https://theathletic.com/4656060/2023...ls-basketball/

Some really good nuggets in there and some "oof" nuggets (starting practices late, locker room being a mess over the summer, "Wichita State’s roster is still not quite strong enough to compete for a league championship") but overall those "oof" nuggets should be easy enough fixes (outside of the roster talent, that's a little harder).

As others have stated, I'm looking forward to some pretty offense.

Wonder who the player in Greece is that he was thinking about going and visiting ... "Last Monday, Mills was considering a spur-of-the-moment trip to Greece to see a player who could help the Shockers this season."

[shockersx]

Gotta say, looking forward to seeing some pretty and efficient offensive basketball

Hopefully we show up to the games on time

[Shock Top]

Gotta say, looking forward to seeing some pretty and efficient offensive basketball