gal's gone (Staff: Not accurate)

[Metalkatz]

My fiance saw Gal at the airport today around 2:30 coming home from somewhere... maybe he went home to visit for a few days?

[60Shock]

We need all the experience we can get next year with the rash of new recruits coming in. Clemente and Gal by far have the most experience of all returning players. JT is a far off third in minutes played, and the rest of the pack is scattered far behind. Of course we have Hawkins, who sat out, and Gris who was injured.

[tropicalshox]

I've stated before that I'm in the camp of us needing Gal back, but I'm not confident he will return. Adding to my concern was Marshall's statement that Gal and his father have been talking to the coach the last couple of weeks.

[Snapshot9]

I am sticking by my claim that the coach will have sit downs with each player, with honest assessments of each player's abilities, and the direction that the program needs to go. I think the Coach will be nice about it, but honest above all else.

I think that the decision for any player to leave will be a mutual decision based on what is best for the player and the program.

But, I do believe, that the coach can not afford to cater to glaring weaknesses in a player, and has to shore up next years team into a solid playing team. That's why Durley is such a delimma in my mind.

You can not have 1 or 2 players that can score, and the rest just role players. Your team will not get very far. Heck, even K-State has Jacob Pullen (who I like) besides Walker and Beasley, and Dominique Sutton and Client Stewart too.

Gal made strides this year, mostly when he took over during Matt's absence, but not enough for a Sophmore, and he sunk into the background when he went back to the 2. P'Allen Stinnett showed more poise as a Freshman, than Gal showed this year as a Sophmore. Gal has to face the fact that whatever his potential is, is not enough currently for the NBA, by a longshot. When he starts to understand his limitations, he will start to be a better player, and a much smarter one.

Take away Matt's 3 point stats, and the team average looks bad (PJ was up and down on 3's). And our Free Throw shooting was terrible this year, about 60% for the team average, which, again, makes it hard to compete against other MVC teams that average 75-76%.

[shockall]

Gal made strides this year, mostly when he took over during Matt's absence, but not enough for a Sophmore, and he sunk into the background when he went back to the 2. P'Allen Stinnett showed more poise as a Freshman, than Gal showed this year as a Sophmore. Gal has to face the fact that whatever his potential is, is not enough currently for the NBA, by a longshot. When he starts to understand his limitations, he will start to be a better player, and a much smarter one.

Good post. I agree fully. There are people who keep saying that Gal is "only a sophomore". He is now considered a junior player. Your statement that his level of play should be higher that what was shown this year is true.

Other posters hang the Shocker future on the new freshmen, who will be expected to contribute at a higher level than what Gal performed at this year.

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

I am sticking by my claim that the coach will have sit downs with each player, with honest assessments of each player's abilities, and the direction that the program needs to go. I think the Coach will be nice about it, but honest above all else.

.

Coach said on his show monday that he would be sitting down with everybody in the next couple of weeks.
You're not reaching into new territory or anything on this.

[rrshock]

I thought that all coaches did this every year. At least they talk with them about what they need to improve on and what the staff really feels about their playing time in the future.

[rZ]

Im kind of on the fence regarding GM's progression. If he had been playing American style basketball all his life, I would agree 100% that he has not progressed enough. However, how much does the adjustment from the Euro-style basketball have to do with it? I ask because, ask any European player from college to pro, and they will say that the adjustment is/was more difficult than they expected.

[RoyalShock]

I've thought the same thing rZ. However, with him going back to play in Israel every summer, I don't see him being able to make any adjustments stick. He goes there, plays well (I assume) and thinks it will translate here.

IMO, he should have made a clean break from Euro-ball. Go home for a short time in the summer, but come back and play with his team.

[WSUwatcher]

Euro ball

Royal, I've said before that I think Gal is actually set back by going home in the summer, because his apparent success there causes him to think he can do the same things here with similar results.

Unfortunately, as we've seen -- perhaps because American D-1 players are more athletic and have played more against comparable competition -- it just doesn't work that way. The moves that work in Europe all too often produce turnovers or missed and blocked shots here, but he seems to have a hard time realizing (or remembering) that. And the closing seconds of a possession -- or a game, for heaven's sake -- are a bad time to suffer from that kind of misconception.

Gal is a talented guy, and I wish him well wherever he goes and whatever he does, but I think that for the long haul the WSU program will benefit more from having four years of a guy like Kramer Soderberg (for example) than it will from having two more years of Gal.

The interesting calculation then becomes, what happens if the guys who are willing to sign for four years at this point aren't as good as someone like Soderberg?

[t7017s]

Man I had no idea we had so many experts on "Euro ball" right here in kansas. Who would have thunk it.

[SpanglerFan316]

Man I had no idea we had so many experts on "Euro ball" right here in kansas. Who would have thunk it.

They go to Europe every year and watch "Euro ball." I think Italy is their favorite place to visit (with a side trip to England to prepare to be "soccer fans" just in case WSU gets a soccer team); I know Italy is one of my favorite places to visit (although I've never seen a basketball game in Europe :D ). ;-)

[SpanglerFan316]

the chit is going to hit the fan!!! http://www.salukitalk.net/st/viewtop...24308ef292bb57 :cry:

[SpanglerFan316]

Yeah, and for the love of God, can everybody stop saying "chit." :lol:

You don't know who I am so you have no idea if I know jack. 8)

For the record, I don't know jack. :(

You don't know JACK about me and that was my point so quit acting like a JACK off. :shock:

1976, hmmm, I think that was my fourth year as a freshman..... :yes:

We all get information. :whistle:

I don't get it either. :roll:

I don't understand why that got your panties in such a bunch? :lol:

My panties are fine :blink:

I'd take your long term memory over mine any day :yes:

this bored has gone crazy

I love SIU fans when the chips are down.

[GarH]

I think SubGod22's and RoyalShock's take pretty much cover how I feel. Gal has the talent to be an asset next year, but the fact that he is going back to play Euro ball this summer instead of staying at WSU, does make me question is he will ever transition form Euro ball to the American college game.