Hawaiian Experience

[ShockRef]

My 1st time to the Islands and it was awesome. Natural beauty that can not be described with credibility and a place that you have to see to believe.

Oh yea, observed some basketball while there. A few snippets from Row 15.
Note - none of this will be the equivalent of a Shoxlax analysis!

* FVV is forcing the game instead of letting it come to him. I know CE & friends have moved on, but he needs to do what he does best - lead. That means adjust and be a leader to this years cast.
* RB needs to stop thinking about this, that and the other and just play. It is obvious he has a lot on his mind. Get back to doing what he was before all of the next level chatter started.
* RK is going to tear The Valley apart if he keeps working hard and stays focused. Even when he doesn't snare a rebound, he disrupts the other team. It's been a while since I've seen a 6'7" player with his foot speed. He can pressure guards during a press and matches them step for step.
The GW game was just a bad match up for him. Every player has those games.
* RN will be fine. He has natural talent and will develop nicely. Spending a year with KR will make all the difference.
* SM has problems. It was hard to watch him in what time he played against LMU. No energy, no passion and minimal effort. Their 2nd team players were abusing him.
* BW is a nice guy. Too nice. He may be listed as a Jr, but he plays with the confidence of a Frosh.
Refer to my post when he was signed. I stand by my original observation and even more. I heard from a couple of trusted sources at the time of his signing who had seen him and were puzzled. This is why they are trusted sources.
* ZB is just the type of player GM covets. Long, can play defense and covers a lot of floor in a short period of time. The sky is the limit.
* RH is a 55 gallon drum of energy. Plays hard nosed defense and can shoot the **** out of the ball.

This is such a different team from last year and the expectations of most WSU fans is unrealistic. DC is a good player and works hard, but until RK & RN really 'get it', WSU is one turned ankle away from being scary weak in the post.

KL was a decent, not great post player for GW and made life unbearable in the paint for WSU. Imagine the night against a legit Top 20 team with big time post players.

Not good.

That is all.

[shocks02]

KL was a decent, not great post player for GW and made life unbearable in the paint for WSU. Imagine the night against a legit Top 20 team with big time post players.

You mean like Utah?

[Ricardo del Rio]

My 1st time to the Islands and it was awesome. Natural beauty that can not be described with credibility and a place that you have to see to believe.

Oh yea, observed some basketball while there. A few snippets from Row 15.
Note - none of this will be the equivalent of a Shoxlax analysis!

* FVV is forcing the game instead of letting it come to him. I know CE & friends have moved on, but he needs to do what he does best - lead. That means adjust and be a leader to this years cast.
* RB needs to stop thinking about this, that and the other and just play. It is obvious he has a lot on his mind. Get back to doing what he was before all of the next level chatter started.
* RK is going to tear The Valley apart if he keeps working hard and stays focused. Even when he doesn't snare a rebound, he disrupts the other team. It's been a while since I've seen a 6'7" player with his foot speed. He can pressure guards during a press and matches them step for step.
The GW game was just a bad match up for him. Every player has those games.
* RN will be fine. He has natural talent and will develop nicely. Spending a year with KR will make all the difference.
* SM has problems. It was hard to watch him in what time he played against LMU. No energy, no passion and minimal effort. Their 2nd team players were abusing him.
* BW is a nice guy. Too nice. He may be listed as a Jr, but he plays with the confidence of a Frosh.
Refer to my post when he was signed. I stand by my original observation and even more. I heard from a couple of trusted sources at the time of his signing who had seen him and were puzzled. This is why they are trusted sources.
* ZB is just the type of player GM covets. Long, can play defense and covers a lot of floor in a short period of time. The sky is the limit.
* RH is a 55 gallon drum of energy. Plays hard nosed defense and can shoot the **** out of the ball.

This is such a different team from last year and the expectations of most WSU fans is unrealistic. DC is a good player and works hard, but until RK & RN really 'get it', WSU is one turned ankle away from being scary weak in the post.

KL was a decent, not great post player for GW and made life unbearable in the paint for WSU. Imagine the night against a legit Top 20 team with big time post players.

Not good.

That is all.

Thanks.

I look forward to Rashard's 12' jump shots.

[shoxlax]

Great stuff Ref. I agree with all of it. Really feel like hit the nail on the head with BW and its exactly why we should've redshirted him.

[pie n eye]

1-3-1

[Dan]

Great stuff Ref. I agree with all of it. Really feel like hit the nail on the head with BW and its exactly why we should've redshirted him.

Forget the redshirt. Have him graduate and/or move on and open up a scholly for someone with real talent. We don't need to recruit projects anymore.

[pinstripers]

Forget the redshirt. Have him graduate and/or move on and open up a scholly for someone with real talent. We don't need to recruit projects anymore.

We have ZERO post players coming in, and will be losing Carter. Seems like we have to keep Shaq or Bush. Both if we don't sign a spring Juco post.

[SHOXAAC]

Great stuff Ref. I agree with all of it. Really feel like hit the nail on the head with BW and its exactly why we should've redshirted him.

RS Bush-Wam would just delay the natural progression of letting him finish his career so a better option can come into the program. This was not one of our coaching staffs better choices.

[SHOXAAC]

Forget the redshirt. Have him graduate and/or move on and open up a scholly for someone with real talent. We don't need to recruit projects anymore.

Didn't see your post before posting mine. Couldn't agree more. I just hope our 7-foot projects have come to an end.

[shoxlax]

Forget the redshirt. Have him graduate and/or move on and open up a scholly for someone with real talent. We don't need to recruit projects anymore.

He could've still moved on next year with two years eligibility and we could've evaluated him "for free"

[shoxlax]

RS Bush-Wam would just delay the natural progression of letting him finish his career so a better option can come into the program. This was not one of our coaching staffs better choices.

I was just thinking of still giving him two years eligibility somewhere as it is clear to me that he nor us will benefit much from this year

[jocoshock]

I somewhat agree with your analysis of Fred, and by extension RB and TC. But much of forcing action and not letting the game come to them is due to the absence of CE, and CL and KD. There have been too many games where there has been no (inside) game to come to them. All three have tried (too much at times) to create offense on their own. It finally caught up with the against GW.

[SHOXAAC]

I was just thinking of still giving him two years eligibility somewhere as it is clear to me that he nor us will benefit much from this year

I hear you, but I think there are better options. This coaching staff seems to be enamored with the thought of unearthing a diamond in the rough from Africa. It's my unworthy opinion, and has always been, that putting more attention to the recruitment of a big through traditional means would yield better results. I understand hitting big on a "big" is a challenge to begin with. The volume of candidates are less than that of any other position, but I still think a more traditional approach to recruiting would bring better results. If you are going to venture out of the country, at least take a chance on a Jakob Poeltl for example. He has experience playing basketball for years and has shown to be excelling at each step along the way. Trying to develop a 7-footer with limited experience in less than 4 years has proven to be a challenge at best.

[wusphlash]

In deference to the title of this thread "Hawaiian Experience", I suggest we discuss the search for Polynesian 7 footers.

[ShockRef]

Forget the redshirt. Have him graduate and/or move on and open up a scholly for someone with real talent. We don't need to recruit projects anymore.

Dan confirms what I said originally - No.

I am not intending to be rain down on the kid. As mentioned, he is a nice guy.
However, it is what it is and he doesn't have enough eligibility/time left to develop to where he can play at this level.

The real issue is WSU now operates on a different level than it did just 5 years ago. Expectations have risen to the point where a 10-2 non-con record cause half the following to contemplate jumping off the top of Cessna Stadium.
Translated; the days of taking a gamble on a 2 year player with limited experience or talent are long gone in the rear view mirror.

It certainly puts more pressure on the recruiting arm of the staff. But they created this monster and along with the money and notoriety comes the enormous pressure to continue the upper level success.

HCGM made the quip about shaving and recruiting. They better get to work and find the low post stud that is required if they want to continue to reside in the high rent district.

That is all.