Ria'n and Shaq will redshirt

[ShockTalk]

I have a huge concern over the minutes FVV is playing early (and Baker for that matter). Players are at greater risk for injury due to muscle stress and fatigue as the minutes climb into the mid 30's. As a poster stated earlier, we must be ale to trust Wessel, Wiggins and to some degree Green to play enough quality minutes at the 2 & 3 to afford Marshall to play FVV & Baker closer to 30. In injury to FVV would be devastating.

FVV, Baker, and Early playing less minutes starts with Carter, Coleby, and Lufile. What we are seeing right now is all 3 splitting minutes at the 5 with Carter not yet ready to take on 20+ minutes at the 4/5. First, Coleby and Lufile must take on all 40 minutes at the 5. This improved greatly against WKU, but they'll need to stay out of foul trouble to keep Carter at the 4 and not filling in for them. If Carter is not playing 20+ at the 4, Early ends up spending all his time at the 4 and none at the 3.

I do not see Wessel and Wiggins each playing 20 minutes at the 3, so Cotton splits his time at the 3 and less at the 1 or 2. You can see where this is going. If you have 80 minutes at the 1 and 2, plus Cotton playing 10 at the 3, that 90 minutes between FVV, Baker, and Cotton.

I really believe you're going to see FVV and Baker playing 30-33 minutes against tough competition, maybe Early as well. Much like what we saw Marshall do in the NCAAs. To counter this, I believe our bench is strong enough to play many more minutes against lesser teams. FVV, Baker, and Cotton stay at the 1/2 with Wiggins dropping down from the 3 to the 2 for 10+ minutes. Early playing some 3, Green getting 10-15 minutes, and Carter playing 20+.

Hopefully, this will have the effect of averaging FVV, Baker, Early, and Cotton's minutes to under 30 overall.

[WSUwatcher]

Actually, wsusphlash, it is fairly unusual for Marshall's guys to play 30+ minutes per game -- over his last five seasons, it's happened twice, both in 2009-10 (his first 25-win team), when Murry led with 31.6 minutes / game and, yes, little Clevin Hannah averaged exactly 30.

So Marshall clearly likes to have depth and also to use it; he obviously believes that it helps his team stay fresh. Obviously, too, he knows better than I do how to manage his players, so I have complete confidence he'll monitor the minutes and give guys the rest they need. Also, if something happens, such as an injury to FVV or Baker, Holland could take off the redshirt and I suspect probably would -- he's practicing with the team every day, so it's not like he doesn't understand what's going on.

I was just expressing the hope, and continue to do so, that some of his large group of wing-type players will step up and get enough solid, effective minutes that Fred and Ron will be able to get back down to 30 or less, which is obviously what Marshall would prefer -- and is a level of maximum playing time that has obviously served WSU well in recent seasons.

[1979Shocker]

Wichita State’s Holland, Morris learn to use redshirt year to advantage

Wichita State’s two redshirt freshmen approach this season with identical goals. How they look when they arrive at those goals, however, is quite different.

Both Shaq Morris and Ria’n Holland want to improve their skills and learn the college game while saving a season of eligibility for when more playing time exists. While Morris wants to slim down and improve his conditioning, Holland wants to gain weight. Both took WSU coach Gregg Marshall’s offer to redshirt last week and can concentrate on getting better for a career that will extend through the 2017-18 season.

Sophomore guard Ron Baker redshirted in 2012-13 and is glad he chose that route, difficult as it is to practice with no reward in front of fans. All of the redshirt’s work is done in practice. In Baker’s mind, the redshirt season is a time to work on fundamental skills, watch and learn. It paid off for him when he stepped into the starting lineup last season.

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2013/11/15/312...nd-morris.html

[WSUwatcher]

When Marshall suggests that a player redshirt, he could scarcely have a better advertisement for the value of doing so than Baker. Wessel can add his endorsement, too; he's said that after the fact he wished he had done so -- but when you have a player who started with a redshirt year and now has NBA scouts who visit WSU asking about him as a sophomore, that has to get his teammates' attention.

[wusphlash]

To your previous comment Watcher, I too believe that Gregg's preferred MO is to spread minutes out. My comment to 30 minute players being not that uncommon was to college basketball as a whole, not specifically WSU. I think the coaches decided that the redshirt benefit to Rian and the program was worth working Fred, Ron and Tekele heavier minutes this year if necessary.

[wufan]

I want to see Wiggins playing 20 per game. That will lighten the load on VanVleet and Baker a little. I don't know what Nick does in practice, but from a game perspective, he's earned additional PT.

[Cdizzle]

I want to see Wiggins playing 20 per game. That will lighten the load on VanVleet and Baker a little. I don't know what Nick does in practice, but from a game perspective, he's earned additional PT.

Agreed. I thought in the W&M he was starting to earn a little longer leash from Marshall. His defense and especially his intensity is SO much better so far this year.

[RoyalShock]

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2013/11/15/312...nd-morris.html

If you read that article last night, read it again today. It's been updated.

[Ricardo del Rio]

How did Shaquille go from 6-9 to 6-7?

[wufan]

How did Shaquille go from 6-9 to 6-7?

He's always been listed at either 6-8 or 6-7.