Dr. Wu Speaks Out on Recruiting....Maybe

[Ricky Del Rio]

Dr. Wu,

Recently in one of the other threads, you commented to the effect that emphasis on recruiting under the present coaching administration is much greater than under the previous administration.

If you will expand on your comment, I will be appreciative.

I concur with your implication that the current staff seems far more engaged in the recruiting effort than the previous staff. However, I have zero evidence to support this notion other than Tropical Shock's fine work.

Perhaps Tropical Shock or others might have some thoughts on this subject.

Thanks.

P.S. - I am not interested in starting a food fight on Turgeon v. Marshall.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

RDR -

Coach Marshall makes an impact on everyone he meets. Whether it be recruits, fans, families, etc., people remember him and are impressed with him.

From what I have read it seems as though maybe it has more to do with the quality of the time he, and his staff for that matter, spend versus the quantity.

His 9 year run at Winthrop was well documented and followed by many basketball fans, including Jr High players who are now into HS and being recruited.

[SubGod22]

I'll weigh in by saying that from following the recruitment of players over the past 7 years or so that Marshall seems to have targeted and pursued more high quality players than we have previously. And by all accounts he and his staff have attacked the recruiting trail harder and I think we've already seen some of that pay off. Or we will next season :D It also seems that he and his staff are pretty good judges of talent as there have been a number of occasions where the staff picks up on a kid before others and the kid ends up rising in the eyes of recruiters and the "experts" everywhere. Recruiting is serious business and this staff works very hard at it.

[Shox21]

I'll weigh in by saying that from following the recruitment of players over the past 7 years or so that Marshall seems to have targeted and pursued more high quality players than we have previously. And by all accounts he and his staff have attacked the recruiting trail harder and I think we've already seen some of that pay off. Or we will next season :D It also seems that he and his staff are pretty good judges of talent as there have been a number of occasions where the staff picks up on a kid before others and the kid ends up rising in the eyes of recruiters and the "experts" everywhere. Recruiting is serious business and this staff works very hard at it.

Sub - I always read what you have to say, and listen for the most part. I'm still pretty new to the interworkings of recruiting, and basketball in general. I know the basics, but some of the finer points I have learned just from being on Shockernet and reading from posters like you.

You say you feel Marshall attacks the recruiting trail harder and targets higher quality players, and I agree. But, in all fairness, things have changed a lot over the past 7 years. Getting quality players to even listen 7 years ago was a challenge. And getting out on the recruiting trail was even more of a hassle. What Turgeon did with his team and the Sweet 16 run was to make things easier for those coming after him. Players remember our Sweet 16 because it is recent enough to remember. This is a great talking point with recruits. They also know Marhall's success at Winthrop which doesn't hurt at all. Marshall has it somewhat easier on the recruiting trail as far as the much improved travel arrangements. He can go further and faster than Turgeon could.

All that being said, I think one of the most important things Marshall has going for him is his personality and exuberance is selling our program to these kids. No more of this "at this level" talk we used to get. There is no "level" as far as Marshall is concerned. I really like having Marshall here and think only good will come from this. He has a geat love for this game we call roundball and has such great energy and excitement for the future, all of which he conveys to the recruits. It's hard not to be excited just listening to him.

One last point I will agree with is Marshall's staff does seem to be able to judge and assess talent earlier than most. When we get in on a kid early, we can get him before even the kid knows how good he could be. Time will tell, of course, just how good some of these assessments will be. Don't think you can score 100% all the time, but it's nice to think about.

[SubGod22]

I agree. But even in the last few years I felt that Turgeon held himself back on what he thought he could attract to WSU. Marshall doesn't suffer from that and aims high. Turgeon did take a couple of shots like Chris Barnes and missed. But I personally think he played it a little too safe and didn't reach as much.

You're right though about Marshall's personality and how he comes off to parents and recruits. That I think probably helps him get in more doors and be more attractive to the types of talents that Turgeon may not have. I was more implying what Turgeon did over the last couple of years and not the first few.

[Shocktoberfest]

I feel obligated to chime in on this because of someone I met a few months ago that is close to Chedder. Apparently this fine young man has come to camps at WSU for quite some time and when it became clear that he was a tremendous talent, a former coach I won't name, backed off telling the family of the Cheese that he was too good to be a Shocker. This particular coach began recruiting him again when he was hired to another school in another state in another conference. The family was not pleased.

This has not been the case since Marshall has been in Wichita. He doesn't feel that anyone is above the level that can be attracted to our school I love that about him. I love Chedder Cheese and I love Marshall.

[SubGod22]

I just hope Chedder Cheese loves Marshall!!! :D

[tropicalshox]

This particular coach began recruiting him again when he was hired to another school in another state in another conference. The family was not pleased.

And neither am I.

[SubGod22]

This particular coach began recruiting him again when he was hired to another school in another state in another conference. The family was not pleased.

And neither am I.

I'll go out on a limb and say none of us are

[Denny Crane]

Re: Dr. Wu Speaks Out on Recruiting....Maybe

P.S. - I am not interested in starting a food fight on Turgeon v. Marshall.

You may not be interested in a food fight but you just got one.

[tropicalshox]

That's the truth. I'm so POed I'm going for a walk.

[McShocker]

In defense of the previous staff, I think one of the reasons last year was so rough was that following the sweet 16 run they tried to raise the bar with their recruiting and then missed. A lot. If you think back to who we were known to be recruiting two years ago, we could have had a hell of a team last year if we land even a couple of them. Just as we have mentioned in the "following the coach to his new job" debate, when you miss on player A after players B AND C commit somewhere else, you are left with player D. I think the biggest difference is that Turgeon was trying to break through his self-imposed glass ceiling and Marshall has believed from day 1 that the sky is the limit. Because of this, I think GM will have more success bringing in his first choice.

[tropicalshox]

And when I come back I hope the Eagle has gotten on what happened at the EO meeting today or I'll be upset with them also!

[SubGod22]

Re: Dr. Wu Speaks Out on Recruiting....Maybe

P.S. - I am not interested in starting a food fight on Turgeon v. Marshall.

You may not be interested in a food fight but you just got one.

No food fight has been started. You can't talk about what was asked without comparing the differences in attitudes and approaches. And the initial post specifically asked for a comparison between the two.

Some may just be a little too sensitive...

[Ricky Del Rio]

Thanks for all of the comments.

I look forward to more posts on this subject.

Recruiting - the mother's milk of successful college basketball