2016-17 Predictions and Expectations

[1979Shocker]

My first thought is that maybe one of AR and CK redshirt but not both. Watching the games in Canada I don't think Peyton can gurad the 2 spot and therefore will have to play the 3 (I hope I'm wrong). If that is the case we only have 3 players: Conner, Landry and Daishan to cover the 1 and 2, that's not enough when 2 of those players aren't Ron and Fred with Conner last year. This necessitates that there will be minutes for either AR or CK, but probably not both.

I will predict that we finish the regular season at 28-3 with one of those losses coming either to Louiville or Mich. State, one conference loss and the third one a toss up if another non-conf game or second conf. loss. We will lose in the finals of the Valley tournament and then make a run to the Elite 8 and lose a great game. Markis will have a breakout year and will win Valley player of the year. Landry will be freshman of the year, and AR will make the all freshman team. I have thought from the very beginning that this is a kid who will eventually be a huge star here at WSU, and will be the biggest surprise of the season in spite of his slender build and being a little behind due to the surgery.

Then it looks like, if someone is redshirting, it's going to be C.J. Keyser.

I, myself, don't think either of them redshirts because you can never have enough guards.

[ShockingButTrue]

Oh, we must have a "rudder"…

That's a good illustration of Orlando last year.

As the saying goes, "The past is a prime indicator of the future." ... With no point guard.

[pie n eye]

That's a good illustration of Orlando last year.

As the saying goes, "The past is a prime indicator of the future." ... With no point guard.

I think somebody said this earlier in the thread but we weren't just missing Fred. Landry was out, Shaq played a total of five minutes, Anton went down in game two, Conner wasn't eligible. Not to mention Fred and Ron were basically the only vets on the team. Anton was a senior but new to WSU and Bush was Bush.

This isn't the same team as last year, all those guys that struggled in Orlando are back and a year older and wiser. I'm not sure how relevant the comparison is.

One of my many predictions is that the hand wringing over PG won't last long.

[wufan]

The emergence of either Zach Brown or Rashard Kelly from role player to at least side-kick level is important to the success of the team. If both are kinda meh as they were last year, the offense is going to struggle.

[Dan]

The emergence of either Zach Brown or Rashard Kelly from role player to at least side-kick level is important to the success of the team. If both are kinda meh as they were last year, the offense is going to struggle.

Zach will be Tekele 2.0, Rashard just needs to play his role, which is fight for rebounds and play strong D underneath.

Edit: I just looked up Tekel's stats and then compared them to Zach's 1st 2 years. They are eerily similar. If Zach stays on the trend, he will average around 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game this year. Tekele went from 23 MPG as a Soph to 30 MPG as a junior. I'm not sure Zach will make that jump given that he shares a position with McDuffie.

[ShockingButTrue]

I think somebody said this earlier in the thread but we weren't just missing Fred. Landry was out, Shaq played a total of five minutes, Anton went down in game two, Conner wasn't eligible. Not to mention Fred and Ron were basically the only vets on the team. Anton was a senior but new to WSU and Bush was Bush.

This isn't the same team as last year, all those guys that struggled in Orlando are back and a year older and wiser. I'm not sure how relevant the comparison is.

One of my many predictions is that the hand wringing over PG won't last long.

Not intending to be a downer, but the squad that was in Orlando had an NBA player on the roster who did play (assuming Roy Barker makes the cut).

The team we fielded against Carlton looked kinda' like that squad, with several of those same players. BUT, in GGG we trust.

I have no idea who will step up and run the point at a moderately successful level for us this year. Conner?

[Kel Varnsen]

Random observation after watching some film from last season: McDuffie is a better defender than Zach Brown. Longer and does a better job of keeping a low center of gravity. He's the linchpin this season, both offensively and defensively.

[Aargh]

The shorter shot clock isn't kind to Marshall's offensive system. FVV typically made multiple probes of the D until he found a weaknewss. There isn't as much time for that with the shorter shot clock. In my opinion, that minimized one of Fred's main tools last year.

Without a PG who is proven at being able to break down a D, we may be more dependent on some one-on-one play.

I'm pretty comfortable with Shamet, McDuffie, and Brown doing some one-on-one stuff. Shamet and McDuffie are going to demand a lot of defensive attention. If that opens up another player, I think both Shamet and McDuffie are going to find the open guy. Could be a totally different look on the floor this year.

[shoxtop]

The shorter shot clock isn't kind to Marshall's offensive system. FVV typically made multiple probes of the D until he found a weaknewss. There isn't as much time for that with the shorter shot clock. In my opinion, that minimized one of Fred's main tools last year.

Without a PG who is proven at being able to break down a D, we may be more dependent on some one-on-one play.

I'm pretty comfortable with Shamet, McDuffie, and Brown doing some one-on-one stuff. Shamet and McDuffie are going to demand a lot of defensive attention. If that opens up another player, I think both Shamet and McDuffie are going to find the open guy. Could be a totally different look on the floor this year.

I really hope Gm goes back to a more inside out offense ala stutz/durley. Get the ball in to Morris while he's on the floor. He's shown he has the outside face up like Miller with the passing ability of durley when the double team comes. He plays best when he is in the rythym of the game. Sitting long stretches because of fouls only leads to more fouls. Hope Gm can get that under control. Either way, this offense must run much differently, and more similar to the pre Fvv/rb offense

[ShockingButTrue]

Random observation after watching some film from last season: McDuffie is a better defender than Zach Brown. Longer and does a better job of keeping a low center of gravity. He's the linchpin this season, both offensively and defensively.

I think so as well. I don't think Zach's D is bad, per se, but at times last year he'd get caught looking the other way more times than I thought he should have. That could be nitpicking some.

Now Mac, more often than not would sell out on the defensive side of the ball. He'd hit the glass too. He wants to have an affect on every part of the game. He wants to be good. His presence makes the front line a long one.

[Steeleshocker]

I really hope Gm goes back to a more inside out offense ala stutz/durley. Get the ball in to Morris while he's on the floor. He's shown he has the outside face up like Miller with the passing ability of durley when the double team comes. He plays best when he is in the rythym of the game. Sitting long stretches because of fouls only leads to more fouls. Hope Gm can get that under control. Either way, this offense must run much differently, and more similar to the pre Fvv/rb offense

So much this. 3G has regularly shown this approach before FVV and I expect he will again, considering the talent level of Morris. Even when FVV was a frosh we would try to play through Carl Hall on the inside.

[proshox]

Not intending to be a downer, but the squad that was in Orlando had an NBA player on the roster who did play (assuming Roy Barker makes the cut).

The team we fielded against Carlton looked kinda' like that squad, with several of those same players. BUT, in GGG we trust.

I have no idea who will step up and run the point at a moderately successful level for us this year. Conner?

Carlton ran quality sets against a team without a scouting report. I am not sure it indicates anything other than sets work really well when the opponent doesn't know them.

[60Shock]

Win 25 games, Win Valley, Place 1, 2, or 3 in MVC Tournament, Win 1, maybe 2 games in NCAA.

But, next year will be Special.

[ShockingButTrue]

Carlton ran quality sets against a team without a scouting report. I am not sure it indicates anything other than sets work really well when the opponent doesn't know them.

It didn't seem to matter our first game up North. Our help D looked good in that one.

And it did look kinda' like the team we put on the floor against Orlando, because it mostly was.

Obviously in March it would be a different story (closer).

[WSUwatcher]

So, SBT -- you think Carlton would beat the Shocks in a close one next March on a neutral court? I strongly doubt it, but maybe just in case I should be glad they won't be in St. Louis, because we all know what goofy stuff happens there.