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How Stars Escaped Bigger Programs

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  • How Stars Escaped Bigger Programs

    Source: ESPN Insider

    The following is only a portion, which applies to the Shockers, of the full article.

    The return of preseason All-Americans Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker has Wichita State once again poised not just to be one of college basketball’s best mid-major programs, but a program that could be capable of making another deep run come March.
    Here’s a look at how they, and a couple of other mid-major stars, eluded the “power conferences” out of the high school ranks and went on to become true college basketball stars:
    Fred VanVleet, PG, Wichita State Shockers (Senior, 6-0, 195)

    Current: A third-team All-American and MVC Player of the Year as a sophomore, VanVleet was named to the Missouri Valley’s All-Conference, All-Defensive and All-Tournament teams for the second consecutive year last year as a junior.
    Recruitment: While VanVleet finished his high school career ranked in the ESPN 100 of 2012, his decision ultimately came down to Wichita State over Kent State and Northern Illinois. VanVleet elected to play on a local AAU team instead of on the national circuit, and that caused many high-major programs to question his size and quickness. That said, Kansas did attempt to get involved with VanVleet after he committed to the Shockers.
    Scouting report: While VanVleet still isn’t especially explosive, he’s compact, strong and tough and has excellent command of both the ball and his team. While both his assist-to-turnover ratio and shooting percentages dipped as a junior, he’s still one of the most trustworthy floor generals and distributors in college basketball, along with a consistent open shot-maker.

    Ron Baker, SG/SF, Wichita State Shockers (Senior, 6-4, 220)

    Current: Baker earned All-American status as a junior while also being named first-team All-Missouri Valley for the second consecutive season. He played with Team USA in last summer’s Pan-Am Games and has already scored over 1,000 points in his college career.
    Recruitment: Baker was even more of an unknown than VanVleet, growing nine inches between his freshman and junior years of high school. He even attended Wichita State’s Elite Camp the summer before his senior year only to see the Shockers sign two other guards -- Evan Wessel and Tekele Cotton -- during the November early signing period. Former assistant coach Chris Jans continued to keep tabs on Baker until finally going to see him in the semifinals of the state tournament. With his only other offers at the time being South Dakota State and Arkansas-Little Rock, Wichita State was able to bring Baker in as a non-scholarship redshirt freshman, before awarding him a scholarship a year later.
    Scouting report: By college standards, Baker is a good sized two-guard with a relatively long wingspan and strong body to match. A heady player and very good three-point shooter, he’s especially dangerous operating off a ball screen, in large part because his ability to shoot off the dribble puts immediate pressure on his defender to fight over the top. What Baker lacks is great quickness or dynamic playmaking ability against a balanced defender.
    "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it is about the future."

    --Niels Bohr








  • #2
    "his assist-to-turnover ratio....dipped" Yes, from LEGENDARY values down to merely Historically Great values.

    And it still steams me that KU took a run at Fred AFTER he committed to us. Of course, it wouldn't have been the first thing they out-and-out stole from us.

    Yes, I throw an inappropriate gesture out the window every time I pass the 7th/8th Street exit of the Canal Route. Why do you ask?

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by HockeyShock View Post
      "his assist-to-turnover ratio....dipped" Yes, from LEGENDARY values down to merely Historically Great values.

      And it still steams me that KU took a run at Fred AFTER he committed to us. Of course, it wouldn't have been the first thing they out-and-out stole from us.

      Yes, I throw an inappropriate gesture out the window every time I pass the 7th/8th Street exit of the Canal Route. Why do you ask?
      You're not the only one.
      Once a Shocker, Always a Shocker-- RIP Guy Alang-Ntang

      Shocker Basketball=Life

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by HockeyShock View Post
        "his assist-to-turnover ratio....dipped" Yes, from LEGENDARY values down to merely Historically Great values.

        And it still steams me that KU took a run at Fred AFTER he committed to us. Of course, it wouldn't have been the first thing they out-and-out stole from us.

        Yes, I throw an inappropriate gesture out the window every time I pass the 7th/8th Street exit of the Canal Route. Why do you ask?
        Post of the year material.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by DJShocker10 View Post
          You're not the only one.
          My wife asked me why I "held onto grudges" like that.
          People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do. -Isaac Asimov

          Originally posted by C0|dB|00ded
          Who else posts fake **** all day in order to maintain the acrimony? Wingnuts, that's who.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by shock View Post
            My wife asked me why I "held onto grudges" like that.
            It goes deeper than a grudge, but an egregious injustice perpetrated against WSU and the city of Wichita. One of many, I might add. I not only dislike that particular location, but also the horrid sign at the East Kellogg exit of the turnpike. I have often wondered what the fine would be for "repainting" that sign.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by HockeyShock View Post
              "his assist-to-turnover ratio....dipped" Yes, from LEGENDARY values down to merely Historically Great values.

              And it still steams me that KU took a run at Fred AFTER he committed to us. Of course, it wouldn't have been the first thing they out-and-out stole from us.

              Yes, I throw an inappropriate gesture out the window every time I pass the 7th/8th Street exit of the Canal Route. Why do you ask?
              Ha.. I have a story I think you guys will appreciate.

              Two falls ago, I briefly dated a gal who was a med student there. Now, she didn't give a crap about basketball, and was originally from Arizona. KU Med was just the only place she could get in. Anyway, I was talking about Shocker Basketball, since this followed the Final Four run, and she said something about how she wished WSU would have lost, because she was sick of hearing about it. You can imagine how I felt about that, but I since learned she has a lot of very loud, terrible opinions about things..

              So, the following season, during the 35 game winning streak, remember how they changed the lights on the old Holiday Inn building to be yellow and had the number of wins up on the building? Well, that very gal who wished we would lose lived ​in that building at the time, so she had to deal with that on a daily basis. :)

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