Too early for MVC talk next season?

[wsushox1]

...because we've lways been so good at predicting minutes and positions.

Last year at this time, I believe we had Baker and Wessel as probably the last two guys off the bench.

Just to throw a little kink into all theswe predictions, Early is thought to be working on handles and driving to the hoop over the summer. We already know he can hit from 3, and he's got a natural pull-up jumper. Throw in driving to the hoop, with a possible dish to the secondary defender's guy - and he's one of the nastiest 3's in the nation next year - and maybe looking at first-round pick in the league.

I'm going to put White as the primary backup for Coleby while Shaq is brought along without the presssure of being the primary backup. Like what happened with VanVleet this year, except remember that front court players take a little longer to develop.

We've got a lot of guys who could play a lot of minutes - more minutes than are available. Marshall isn't just building "a" team. He has to have one team for the MVC - and then another for the NCAA's. The ability to go small and quick, or tall and athletic next year is going to be pretty impressive. The small, quick team is FVV, Cotton, Baker, Early, and Coleby. Bring i Carter for Baker or Cotton and move Early to SF for the big team.

Wait are you saying Baker is not Big?

The dude is so built.

[Aargh]

Wait are you saying Baker is not Big?

The dude is so built.

Baker = 6'3" - 218
Cotton = 6'2" - 202

Not much difference there. Use Baker for offensive possessions and Cotton for defensive possessions.

[another shocker]

Baker = 6'3" - 218
Cotton = 6'2" - 202

Not much difference there. Use Baker for offensive possessions and Cotton for defensive possessions.

use baker for points (and defense, and good basketball movement). use cotton to lead that team next year. he is the captain now.

[WuDrWu]

Last year at this time, I believe we had Baker and Wessel as probably the last two guys off the bench.

Who's this "we" stuff, white man?

[1972Shocker]

I guess I have the guys we haven't seen much will be great syndrome, I am really looking forward to seeing how this young man develops. I'm really glad he took a redshirt year. Hope he put to as good of use as Ron Baker did with his redshirt year.

I'm kinda thinking (maybe just wishing and hoping) that Derail will develop into a Cleanthony Early type player in a couple of years. Is that totally nutty or does he have that kind of potential? I guess time will tell.

[1979Shocker]

Baker = 6'3" - 218
Cotton = 6'2" - 202

Not much difference there. Use Baker for offensive possessions and Cotton for defensive possessions.

Baker wasn't all that bad on defense this year. Next year he'll be even better.

[pogo]

Reading the Derail Green thread again and whatever happened to Shocker Heights and BigShotmaker? You guys still out there?

[1979Shocker]

I guess I have the guys we haven't seen much will be great syndrome, I am really looking forward to seeing how this young man develops. I'm really glad he took a redshirt year. Hope he put to as good of use as Ron Baker did with his redshirt year.

I'm kinda thinking (maybe just wishing and hoping) that Derail will develop into a Cleanthony Early type player in a couple of years. Is that totally nutty or does he have that kind of potential? I guess time will tell.

I think Derail is already a better outside shooter than Cle. He just needs to develop other parts of his game and get used to playing D1 basketball competition compared to the high school competition he had the last time he was able to play. Hopefully, practicing with the team this pass season has made him more than enough prepared. You can't practice against a much tougher defense than what the Shockers put out.

[WuDrWu]

Baker = 6'3" - 218
Cotton = 6'2" - 202

Not much difference there. Use Baker for offensive possessions and Cotton for defensive possessions.

That 202 is all choice...if you don't believe me, take another gander at the intro video prior to the Louisville game (which was 100% EPIC by the way).....Geeez that kid is sculpted.

[swiltar71]

I remember in late dec or early jan HCGM was asked on the coaches show who had improved the most since the beginning of the year. Without hesitation he said Green. He mentioned his grasp of o and d had improved tremendously.

[garylee]

Aargh, I agree with your last post except for CE playing a lot of three. Most teams are playing a lot of stretch four that allows the PF to play like a three. I also think JW could be the backup five, as well as, a backup at four. He has played in the shadows of CH. He won't be another CH but he is our best returning rebounder - something we need with CH/EO gone and he plays solid D. Anyone who has watched scrimmages knows he also has offensive potential. Agree with TC as team captain he is our new leader after CH. As for all the newcomers its nice to know they can shoot but what I want to know is are they going to do the dirty work of defense and rebounding. THAT is our teams strength and identity !

[SubGod22]

Cle will play more SF this coming year than he did this past year. How much will depend on our depth at the 4/5 spots. If we're able to play him at the 3, we become that much more dangerous and hard to guard.

[MadaboutWu]

Tekele Cotton is going to be an important leader, but he is the type who leads by example not so much with words. To me that doesn't fit the profile of team captain.

[shockmonster]

Cle will play more SF this coming year than he did this past year. How much will depend on our depth at the 4/5 spots. If we're able to play him at the 3, we become that much more dangerous and hard to guard.

I think that whether he plays on the wing as the 3 depends more on how he is able to guard smaller, quicker players. We have a lot of good wing players who play good defense on the perimeter. Playing against 6'3" players on the perimeter pulls CE away from the basket and takes away from his rebounding. But if Marshall thinks that he can guard on the perimeter, he'll play him there more. CE had a tough time guarding perimeter 4's this year. Regardless, he'll most likely play more on the wing than this year and they may play a press where he is able to play a wing because he is tough on press Def.

[SubGod22]

I think that whether he plays on the wing as the 3 depends more on how he is able to guard smaller, quicker players. We have a lot of good wing players who play good defense on the perimeter. Playing against 6'3" players on the perimeter pulls CE away from the basket and takes away from his rebounding. But if Marshall thinks that he can guard on the perimeter, he'll play him there more. CE had a tough time guarding perimeter 4's this year. Regardless, he'll most likely play more on the wing than this year and they may play a press where he is able to play a wing because he is tough on press Def.

It may take away from his rebounding some, but it wouldn't hurt the team rebounding. We'd still have two other 6'7"+ guys down low. And I'd say that Cle's D has improved quite a bit and I know that ballhandling and D are going to be pushed hard over the summer. There were some games later in the year, and La Salle, where Cle did a fine job guarding smaller, quicker players. Will he get beat some? Of course. But so did Mal, Baker and Cotton among others. His quickness and length could really disrupt opponents. Especially when he's backed up in the paint by Coleby/Carter/Shaq.

He played some SF this season and had we had another post that was more of an offensive threat than Ehimen, I think we would have seen it more. Or if CJ would have been able to be more productive. As it was, we didn't have quite the flexibility to run him out there as much.