OFFICIAL FINAL 4 GAME THREAD-WSU VERSUS LOUISVILLE

[forevershockerfan]

just wanted to post how solid and consistent Cle Early was during the Dance. His last game reminded me some of his 37 or was it 39 performance earlier this Season. Look for Early to be more consistent overall his last Season for us. Our key Juco players really bring it their Senior Season and few do as well as Cle did his Junior Season here.

[SubGod22]

just wanted to post how solid and consistent Cle Early was during the Dance. His last game reminded me some of his 37 or was it 39 performance earlier this Season. Look for Early to be more consistent overall his last Season for us. Our key Juco players really bring it their Senior Season and few do as well as Cle did his Junior Season here.

If Cle can play with that consistency and stay out of so much foul trouble, he could average 17+ for us. We'll be well rounded but he's shown he can get his points within the offense and not interrupt the team.

[RoyalShock]

just wanted to post how solid and consistent Cle Early was during the Dance. His last game reminded me some of his 37 or was it 39 performance earlier this Season. Look for Early to be more consistent overall his last Season for us. Our key Juco players really bring it their Senior Season and few do as well as Cle did his Junior Season here.

Late in the game against Louiville, after his tip-in, I saw a look of determination on his face I hadn't seen before. It bodes well for him being a team leader next year.

[pinstripers]

It seems everyone is projecting a front line of Coleby, Carter, and Early at the 3, which sounds pretty sweet on offense, but to make this work Early is going to need to be able to guard smaller forwards on the perimeter without picking up silly fouls. He has a good ways to go in that department. If he gets there, watch out.

I dunno who is predicting that, and we will prolly see it a little bit, but I don't believe we'll see that very much.

[GoShockers89]

I was amazed at how much better Cle's defense was in the Dance. He played absolutely amazing D against Ohio State, and pretty darn good D against Louisville, LaSalle, and Pitt. The effort was there against Gonzaga but he committed a couple of dumb frustration fouls which cost him 8-10 minutes of playing time.

Limit the silly ones next year and he will be one of the best to ever put on a Shocker uniform.

[MadaboutWu]

I dunno who is predicting that, and we will prolly see it a little bit, but I don't believe we'll see that very much.

I actually agree--I imagine Cle most of the time playing a max of 5-10 minutes a game at the three. It wasn't that people were predicting that scenario per se, but a some folks seemed to think Coleby and Carter would divide time at the 4/5, which only makes sense if Cle starts at the three.

[WstateU]

http://goshockers.com/SplashPage.dbml?SPLASH_AD_ID=936441

[forevershockerfan]

http://goshockers.com/SplashPage.dbm...H_AD_ID=936441

I propose a 'SN toast' for a funpacked time on here this Final 4 Season. Most of us will never meet in real life. I actually think I met WstateU and RDR many moons ago as we watched Paul Miller educate Mr. Stutz in a summer scrimmage after PM graduated and Stutz was an incoming freshman. However, I was never sure of that. "Yipes, Stripes, Beechnut Gum." WstateU entertained us on the "Shockers vs Bluejays gamethread" started by the good Doc, but had been facing some health issues. He cheered us all up on his own road to recovery. Before that, Aargh had recovered from some very serious health issues as well and still is right here posting with us. It is a joy to share our love and observations of Shocker basketball and we owe RoyalShock and all of the SN Staff our thanks for making this Forum possible. What a Season this was and the very best is yet to come. To all those here on SN, Our Shockers, Coaches, and Shocker Nation, I say "Salute!!!" As Gregg Marshall said "It's not over, it's just the beginning."

[60Shock]

just wanted to post how solid and consistent Cle Early was during the Dance. His last game reminded me some of his 37 or was it 39 performance earlier this Season. Look for Early to be more consistent overall his last Season for us. Our key Juco players really bring it their Senior Season and few do as well as Cle did his Junior Season here.

Completely agree, FSF, all aspects of Cle's game seemed to take a significant step forward in the tournament. In addition, he made some very sweet tip-ins.

[Rlh04d]

If Cle can play with that consistency and stay out of so much foul trouble, he could average 17+ for us. We'll be well rounded but he's shown he can get his points within the offense and not interrupt the team.

I think that's the real trick. We all know what Colt Ryan and Doug McDermott can do when the entire offense is built around getting the ball to them. The trick is in being able to score that way when you're not the center of attention. If Early can get his points in the normal flow of the game the way he did throughout the tournament, he's going to be an incredible player. I expect him to be a MUCH better NBA prospect than McDermott next year, if he gets his foul troubles under control. He won't score as many points, but he'll do it in a more impressive way to scouts, while playing high-level defense.

[Kung Wu]

Satisfied.

[forevershockerfan]

When I was knee-high-to-a-grasshoppa, I remember watching the Shocks on our Black and White TV play in the Final 4.. However, tomorrow night will be my first in-person Final 4 Celebration. Did somebody say there was a surprise speaker or am I dreaming? I heard this all starts at 6:30 p.m.? Since this was our best Shocker Season ever, I hope oodles of Shocker Nation Fans attend. Bring yourn party hats, play angry and Final 4 attire, and expect a grand time.

[im4wsu]

My golf league begins tomorrow, so I cannot enjoy the festivities. Somebody please give a very loud holler for me, please.

[forevershockerfan]

It is beginning to finally sink-in now. What made this Shocker team that was hard-hit with losing the fire-power of 5 of our top 7 players and later 4 starters missing various games due to injuries, able to rise to the level of a Final 4 team that gave Louisville the toughest game of all there?

First of all, with all of the above in play, how did we even make the Dance? WOW!! It is like you are on a train ride. First stop is Salt Lake City. Many said the journey ends here. Nope, we jump back on the turnip truck, destination LA. Now we are told we have no chance, but it was fun while it lasted? Right? Nope, now we head to Atlanta and make this here Final 4 for the first time in 45-50 years as a 9th seed. Why this Season? Why this team? Vegas said the odds demand this would be a very long shot and the experts told us the same. Nope, they were incorrect still again. Not this Season because this was a very special team of MTXE unsatisfied road warriors that played angry. Destination Atlanta!!!

Yes, it is sinking in now and each time I think about it, which occurs daily, I think of the jam by Flo Rida called "Good Feeling." Then I think of 3G saying something like "this is only the beginning."

These are memories we will cherish, refer to, and remember, as our Program moves forward. This Final 4 was grand for our great City and our ever rising Program and will be a gift that just keeps on giving. Even the skeptics started changing their tune about us. Fans from many other teams were cheering us on. Our beloved Shockers ignored the doomsday critics and the odds that magnified each step of the way saying "it is rare this could happen." Instead, they pulled together, believed they could win, and then executed their game-plan to the very best of their abilities as teams with much more highly touted players did not make it this far.

Think about this. Before the Season, what if you would have wrote your own script of how our Season would end with the most accurate, realistic and positive ending you could predict. Keep in mind, at that juncture, you don't know about all of the injuries that plagued our team all Season. In terms of what really happened, it makes us now understand that this will always be a Season to remember and cherish in the Annals of Shocker History.

[im4wsu]

It is beginning to finally sink-in now. What made this Shocker team that was hard-hit with losing the fire-power of 5 of our top 7 players and later 4 starters missing various games due to injuries, able to rise to the level of a Final 4 team that gave Louisville the toughest game of all there?

Hall missed 7 games, Wessel missed 31, Baker missed 21. Together, that is 59 out of 195 starts (39 games times 5 players) or 30.3%. Add in Orukpe missing 3, it becomes 31.8%. I don't know how many of Lufile's 10 misses were due to injury, performance or matchup, but I know he had back problems during the fall practices. If half were due to injury, that is another 5 to bring the percentage of missed games to 34.4%. Jake did not appear in two contests, but I have no recollection of that being due to injury.

In any event, using just the 30.4% of starters missing games, that is equivalent to missing 1.5 starters EACH game. HCGM accommodated by adjusting the minutes of others. The change shown for each player is the difference between their average mintes over 39 games compared to their average over the first 8 games.

Wessel	-15.1
Baker	-13.1
Hall	-5.1
Cotton	7.9
Wiggins	5.8
Williams	4.9
Armstead	4.8
Van Vleet	3.3
Orukpe	2.7
Early	2.1
White	1.7
Lufile	0.1