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Highlight from KAKE's 60 Year Anniversary lookback:
"The Battle of New Orleans-1981"
"The Battle of New Orleans-1981"
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That was more like a sliver of KAKE. Or maybe a bite.Originally posted by WuShock Reaper View PostKansas is Flat. The Earth is Not!!
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It's a be - ut - iful day in KAKElandOriginally posted by WuShock Reaper View Post"I not sure that I've ever been around a more competitive player or young man than Fred VanVleet. I like to win more than 99.9% of the people in this world, but he may top me." -- Gregg Marshall 12/23/13 :peaceful:
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Remember when Nancy Pelosi said about Obamacare:
"We have to pass it, to find out what's in it".
A physician called into a radio show and said:
"That's the definition of a stool sample."Comment
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Marge: The plant called and said that if you don't come in tomorrow, don't bother coming in Monday.
Homer: WOOHOO! Four day weekend.Comment
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Kind of silly to put Sully in the media love thread but I think the above link is mostly a watered down version of the good article in the Eagle.
Kelly (6-foot-7, 235 pounds) arrived at WSU more physically mature than most freshmen, after a year at prep school in Virginia. Strength and conditioning coach Kerry Rosenboom describes Kelly as about as close to a finished product as is possible for a freshman.
“He comes in at 234 pounds and wants to play at 235,” Rosenboom said. “It’s probably one of the easiest things I’ll ever do in my life. I just tell him ‘Don’t go to the bathroom for two hours’ and he’s there.”
Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/sports/college...#storylink=cpyShocker Nation, NYCComment
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Dissed by Katz and greenburg. Not in their top 25 programs looking out next three years. media love?Comment
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An ESPN Insider story using the following methodology -Originally posted by jocoshock View Post
CBB Future Rankings: Methodology
Updated: September 25, 2013, 10:31 AM ET
By ESPN Insider staff
To generate the top 25 rankings for the College Basketball Future Power Rankings, we had our panel of experts – Paul Biancardi, Jay Bilas, Fran Fraschilla, John Gasaway, Jeff *******, Seth Greenberg, Andy Katz and Miles Simon -- rate the upper echelon teams in college basketball from 1-10 (1 being the worst, 10 being elite and 5 being average) in five different categories: Coaching, Current Talent, Recruiting, Program Power and Stability.
The purpose of the voting was to produce a ranking of the teams that will have the most success over the next three seasons.
Here are the criteria for each category and the value of each category as it pertains to the overall rankings:
1. Coaching
This category covers all aspects of a team's coaching staff for the next three seasons, with the exclusion of recruiting, which has its own section.
Value: 25 percent
2. Current Talent
This section consists not only of returning players, but also transfers and incoming freshmen for the 2013 class already in the program.
Value: 25 percent
3. Recruiting
There are two components to this section: players already committed and targeted for the 2014 and 2015 classes, and the school's general recruiting trajectory and momentum.
Value: 25 percent
4. Program Power
This section takes into account factors like program history, fan and school support, resources, facilities, recent and historical success and any other intangible factors (e.g., NCAA sanctions) that affect a team's outlook for the next three seasons.
Value: 15 percent
5. Stability
This category takes into the possibility of turnover on each team's roster and coaching staff, and rewards teams with stronger continuity.
Value: 10 percent
We then averaged each panelist's votes together to give every team a single score in each category, and weighted them based on importance. The weighted category averages were then added up and represented on a 100-point scale to create the final team score. It was based on those scores that we produced our top 25 ranking.Comment
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When national analysts compare us to elite BCS schools, we aren't going to score well in recruiting and roster. Not enough 4+ star recruits. Maybe we got the benefit of the doubt for roster with the to AAs in our junior class.
We also won't do well for stability as everyone knows that HCGM is going to bolt for the first second rate P5 school that offers. ;)
We're in the wrong conference for program power.
We should have done well with coaching staff.Livin the dreamComment
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Looking at those categories, it's hard to imagine how WSU could possibly have missed the top 25. Maybe ESPN didn't mention the extra weight they gave to the votes of Jeff ******* and Doug Gottlieb.
And wufan must be right about the coaching aspect -- despite all evidence to the contrary, they're obviously assuming that Marshall has one foot out the door. (I guess if you report it often enough, eventually there's a chance you might get it right.)Comment
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Just makes the proverbial chip on our shoulder a little bigger.Originally posted by Ashockalypse View PostComment
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Springfield News Leader - "MVC Insider: Valley's plans to beef up schedules"
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Wichita State Shockers
2013-14: 35-1 (18-0)
In-conference offense: 1.16 points per possession (second)
In-conference defense: 0.91 points allowed per possession (first)
Considering Wichita State completed an undefeated regular season in 2013-14, it might not be too surprising to learn the Shockers were good at just about everything. This makes it difficult to concisely describe an identity for the team, which is a problem for a preview writer but obviously not for the team itself. Part of the reason for Wichita State's success was its opponents couldn't easily exploit the Shockers' weaknesses because those weaknesses didn't exist.
Defensively, head coach Gregg Marshall has long relied on excellent 2-point defense and great defensive rebounding, and that was the case to an extreme the past season, when WSU ranked seventh nationally in defensive rebound percentage and 25th in 2-point percentage defense. That shouldn't change much this season. The Shockers return senior forward Tekele Cotton, who was the Valley's Defensive Player of the Year and who usually gets the assignment of covering the opponent's best offensive player.
Projected starting lineup
Pos.
Name
Year
C
Darius Carter
Sr.
F
Evan Wessel
Jr.
G
Tekele Cotton
Sr.
G
Ron Baker
Jr.
G
Fred VanVleet
Jr.
.
Also returning is senior center Darius Carter, who had the fourth best block rate in the conference the past season. He got most of the minutes at the 5 this past season, though he shared time in a three-man platoon. With both Chadrack Lufile and Kadeem Coleby having exhausted their eligibility, Carter should be on the floor much more and might even get some time at the 4 when Wichita State needs to play a bigger lineup. Carter was easily the most productive offensive player of the past season's center trio, as he made 53 percent of his 2s while posting the 14th lowest turnover rate in the country.
Offensively, the Shockers were good, if not great, in every major tempo-free category. If you want to nitpick, their 3-point accuracy was somewhat ordinary: They hit 35 percent of their long-range shots, which was barely above the national average. But considering Wichita State took a bunch of 3s, that figure is acceptable. Along with Cotton, who made 37 percent of his shots from beyond the arc the past season, the Shockers welcome back their steady point guard, Fred VanVleet (41 percent on 3s the past season), and shooting guard Ron Baker (38 percent), both of whom are capable shooters.
Baker is getting a bit of notice from folks at the next level after a second solid season in Wichita. The 6-foot-3 junior made 38 percent of his 3s, 54 percent of his 2s and 85 percent of his free throws in 2013-14. He also posted above-average block and steal numbers. He closed out the season with one of his best games, a 20-point performance in the loss to Kentucky, and he's capable of backing up VanVleet at the point.
VanVleet was ridiculously efficient the past season. He posted the 14th offensive rating in the nation. He maxes out the categories that matter for a point guard. He makes his shots, gets to the free throw line, doesn't commit turnovers and dishes out a bunch of assists. The one concern is his usage rate was a tick under 20 percent. That was fine on a team with Cleanthony Early, but VanVleet will have to generate more offense himself this season. Still, you might not find any backcourts in the country better than VanVleet and Baker this season.
Speaking of Early, replacing him will not be simple. He was the ultimate stretch 4 and shot a ton of 3-pointers, but he also made 58 percent of his 2s and got to the free throw line (where he was an 84 percent shooter) a bunch as well. The starters at the other four spots are established, but there's a fair amount of uncertainty as to how power forward minutes will be distributed.
Ron Baker
AP Photo/ Stephen Haas
Junior guard Ron Baker is generating attention from NBA scouts.
If experience is important, Marshall could play 6-foot-5 redshirt junior Evan Wessel in that spot. Wessel has spent three seasons as a reserve but is in no way a power forward. Even the Shockers' official roster lists him as a guard. However, Marshall used some four-guard sets on occasion the past season and admitted, "I don't know what he is," when trying to assign a position for Wessel.
"He's real strong. He rebounds. He defends," Marshall said.
It's a viable lineup in a league with few skilled frontline players. However, against a non-conference schedule that includes Memphis, Utah, New Mexico State, Alabama and Seton Hall, the Shockers figure to play a more conventional fivesome. Among the possibilities in that case is 6-foot-7 freshman Rashard Kelly. Kelly has the reputation of being able to shoot the 3 capably, if not with the accuracy and quantity of Early. Another player in the mix is 6-foot-8 junior college transfer Tevin Glass, who's a more conventional 4.
You'll also see some of 6-foot-7 redshirt freshman Shaquille Morris. Checking in at 275 pounds, Morris will be able to play in the middle against most Valley opponents, especially with his above-average athleticism. It's possible Marshall could play some bigger lineups with Morris or 7-foot shot-blocking specialist Tom "Bush" Wamukota paired with Carter. Marshall appreciates the battle for minutes that will ensue among the newcomers in practice and said, "it's like going downstairs Christmas morning and not knowing what's under the tree."
Wichita State is a team that will be be measuring itself not against its conference, but against the rest of the country. In that vein, the Shockers have loaded up on a non-conference schedule that will be one of the toughest among top-25 teams. The thing holding it back is there are just two true road games on the schedule (against Utah and Detroit), and there aren't any elite opponents on it. But WSU has an early neutral-site contest against Memphis, and Marshall's men also play in the Diamond Head Classic, which has the potential for two more games against future tournament teams. The Shockers have few breaks in November and December.
January and February is a different story, however. Sure, they'll have to deal with opponents and coaching staffs very familiar with the Shockers' tendencies. But with the possible exception of Northern Iowa, there might not be a team in the conference contemplating an at-large bid after Jan. 1. That means Wichita State should post another gaudy record and be in line for a high seed come Selection Sunday.
Projected 2014-15 conference finish: first.Shocker fan since December 28th, 2005!Comment
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Didn't know Carter took care of the ball this well:
"Carter was easily the most productive offensive player of the past season's center trio, as he made 53 percent of his 2s while posting the 14th lowest turnover rate in the country."Livin the dreamComment
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