Shocks Land East Carolina Transfer

[shockar25]

Wow! Big deal about this guy. He didn't even average more than 10 points a game during his tenure at ECU. :D

While I'm not saying this guy is going to be the basketball GOD, I really like our overall depth and the recruiting class as a whole looks really solid.

About Gabe--he's got some talent for sure, but our coach and his ability to develop that talent is what makes me so optimistic about the future in general.

:posterwu:

[Ricky Del Rio]

It's very easy to get carried away with this years recruiting class. However it is what it is and difficult to argue against.
Therefore, I pose The Question... On paper, has there been a better recruiting class since the days of X, Aubrey Sherrod, Bernard Jackson & others? Think about it (especially the older posters) and try to match the level that just landed on campus.
Any takers? 8)

The short answer is no.

[Ricky Del Rio]

I think someone else has said it, but I don't recall a top-to-bottom group of players we'll have that compares to this one.

In the recent past, we'd have three or four 3* players, one or two others that would start because of hustle, and then some 2* guys that would substitute and be on the practice squad. It was almost obvious who was going to start and who wasn't.

Now, we've got at least 10 3* guys. One or two of the juco guys coming in might be 4* players if they were graded on the same scale.

There's no one who's going to coast through practice on talent alone.

I said maybe the best 1-13, since I have been watching, which began in 1962. I am sure some can make an argument for another class, but this upcoming class has lots of potential.

[Aargh]

Stutz has better basics than many HS players his height and appears to have development potential. Rated a top-40 HS post player.

OE has the height, athleticism and apparently the natural instincts to be a 7' shot-blocking, board-grabbing player.

We'd be excited to have either one of them. Now we have the luxury of recruiting a 7' player that tanks and we still have one left in the same class.

Marshall also recruited 2-deep at PG and SG. I think Hannah and Chamberlain can be safely described as two of the better Juco combo guards this year. Again, if one of them struggles adjusting to D1, there's another guy.

If both Chamberlain and Hannah work out, Kyles and Murry can be brought along without being forced into action too soon. If one doesn't develop as a SG, there's one left.

The holes going into this year were 1,2 and 5. Marshall recruited 2 players to each position.

There's a 2-year D1 starter in the A-10 becoming eligible to play wing. Depending on the opponent, either Ellis or Kyles/Murry can be a likely backup there.

At this point in time this is the best recruiting class since Smithson the First. It's not only the best overall class, but also one of the best fits compared to needs since that era.

[shockerfan]

Stutz has better basics than many HS players his height and appears to have development potential. Rated a top-40 HS post player.

OE has the height, athleticism and apparently the natural instincts to be a 7' shot-blocking, board-grabbing player.

We'd be excited to have either one of them. Now we have the luxury of recruiting a 7' player that tanks and we still have one left in the same class.

Marshall also recruited 2-deep at PG and SG. I think Hannah and Chamberlain can be safely described as two of the better Juco combo guards this year. Again, if one of them struggles adjusting to D1, there's another guy.

If both Chamberlain and Hannah work out, Kyles and Murry can be brought along without being forced into action too soon. If one doesn't develop as a SG, there's one left.

The holes going into this year were 1,2 and 5. Marshall recruited 2 players to each position.

There's a 2-year D1 starter in the A-10 becoming eligible to play wing. Depending on the opponent, either Ellis or Kyles/Murry can be a likely backup there.

At this point in time this is the best recruiting class since Smithson the First. It's not only the best overall class, but also one of the best fits compared to needs since that era.

Couldn't agree more. This class has the POTENTIAL to not see much drop off when subbing which is a very nice problem to have. I don't love KU, but that had alot to do with their run this year...their overall quality of depth. It's pretty amazing what Marshall has been able to put together in only his 2nd year here where his 1st year was very painful to witness. That says alot about how special of a coach we have and how lucky we are to have him!! GO SHOX!

[Txlen]

From top to bottom, this incoming class is the best that I can recall since the Carr, Levingston, and Jones class. The class with Sherrod and Dreiling, also with Papke, I believe, was really good, but there was not the numbers of players that we see coming in now. Regardless, it is an interesting time to be a Shocker Fan.

The question now is whether the current perceived quality translates to actual quality on the court this fall and after?

This reminds me of a recruiting story of years ago when I called Gus Grebe to ask him how recruiting was going? (This was the year that WSU recruited Terry Benton.)

Gus gave me this noncommittal reply, "The coaches are out beating the bushes."

Well, I think Gus Grebe's response accurately describes the current situation for WSU, "The coaches are out beating the bushes!"

We will soon find out how successful they were!

[Shox21]

Wow! Big deal about this guy. He didn't even average more than 10 points a game during his tenure at ECU. :D

He made that "staggering" stat playing out of position at the 5. I, for one, am going to reserve judgment until he has a chance to prove himself at the 3 or 4, which as I understand it, is where he feels his real talent is and where I assume Marshall is planning on playing him.

[GO_SHOCKERS]

From top to bottom, this incoming class is the best that I can recall since the Carr, Levingston, and Jones class. The class with Sherrod and Dreiling, also with Papke, I believe, was really good, but there was not the numbers of players that we see coming in now. Regardless, it is an interesting time to be a Shocker Fan.

The question now is whether the current perceived quality translates to actual quality on the court this fall and after?

This reminds me of a recruiting story of years ago when I called Gus Grebe to ask him how recruiting was going? (This was the year that WSU recruited Terry Benton.)

Gus gave me this noncommittal reply, "The coaches are out beating the bushes."

Well, I think Gus Grebe's response accurately describes the current situation for WSU, "The coaches are out beating the bushes!"

We will soon find out how successful they were!

beating the bushes?? is this the Sharron Collins thread?

[Maggie]

I agree that people should not get carried away about the quality of this class. Keep in mind; they are probably a year or even two years away from playing to their full potential. I am on record as stating this is the best recruiting class WSU has had in a very long time – and I still believe that; however, I am going to be patient with these kids. There is not exactly an abundance of D-1 experience on that roster and they will be tested early next year.

As for Blair, the numbers he put up last year are not all that bad, when he stayed on the floor. SWarehouse took the time in the recruiting threat to note that when Blair stayed out of foul trouble and played 29 minutes or more he was quite productive against decent competition:

38 minutes, Richmond, 19 points, 12 rebounds
32 minutes, Rice, 19 points, 13 rebounds
30 minutes, Central Florida, 9 points, 5 rebounds
30 minutes, Tulsa, 10 points, 9 rebounds
30 minutes, Liberty, 15 points, 5 rebounds
30 minutes, South Florida, 14 points, 5 rebounds
29 minutes, George Mason, 8 points, 12 rebounds
29 minutes, NC Wilmington, 13 points, 11 rebounds
29 minutes, Clemson, 10 points, 8 rebounds

Also, he was playing out of position.

What I would be interested in knowing is if CGM thinks there is any advantage to recruiting for WSU vs. Winthrop.

[newshock1234]

With the addition of Blair, what is everyone's opinion about the quality of players being recruited to the Valley by WSU and the other teams?

It seems like that there is a marked increase in the talent level coming into the Valley.

Because Valley players traditionally stay for four years, it would stand to reason that the Valley is going to be extremely tough in league play and out, for years to come.

The coaches at WSU and elsewhere are doing excellent recruiting.

Am I dreaming or is that the perception of others, as well?

As a result of Blair's signing, it got me to reflecting on what is occurring, or seems to be occurring?

i think the valley is getting rewarded for that good 3 or 4 year run we had before last year. Whne people around the nation here about the valley they respect instead say "who"?

[rjl]

What I would be interested in knowing is if CGM thinks there is any advantage to recruiting for WSU vs. Winthrop.

I would say yes based on facilities and fan support alone.

[rjl]

I'm sorry - but I agree with KC more than the rest of you all. Saying this is the best class since the early 80's is a bit premature. I'm not saying it's not...but every year we go through this dance. According to some of you...we never have a bad class. I'll just enjoy the ride.

The national recruiting services, including Rivals, Scout, and Hoopscoop (one of the few who include juco players) agree with us, though.

In recent years, we've wanted to believe in the potential of recruits simply because our coaches recruited and signed them. We had to hope that almost every player was a diamond in the rough. The reality is that those are the exception rather than the norm, especially when dealing with players coming from the United States.

Yes, these recruiting services don't always get it right. But a 3* or 4* player stands a much greater chance of being the real deal than a 2*, so the odds of five or six 3* and 4* players producing at least a few legit studs is much greater than a few 2*s and maybe one 3*.

As Aargh explained, the odds of our first choice at each position we've recruited really becoming a difference maker is much greater than it's been in a long time. And if that person doesn't work out, the guy we've recruited right behind him has more potential than we've recruited for a while too.

I don't think anyone is really expecting them to make a huge difference immediately, but almost everyone knows that the potential of this class is something none of us have seen in a long while.

To put it in gambling terms, the odds just took a big leap in our favor this recruiting season.

[Maggie]

What I would be interested in knowing is if CGM thinks there is any advantage to recruiting for WSU vs. Winthrop.

I would say yes based on facilities and fan support alone.

That is what I assume. In addition, I also assume the fact that the MVC is a stronger conference helps as well.

But you never know. I had to listen to the prior regime complain about how difficult it is to recruit quality kids to the MVC and WSU. I just want a different perspective.

[Snapshot9]

The fact that we are recruiting out of our normal area and having some success at it does say something for our school, program, and the coaching staff.

The S16 run gave us a lot of recognition on a national basis, and players now know who we are where they might not have before the run.

CGM is here to take us to the next level, and it will be a nice ride.

[ShockTalk]

What is really amazing about this recruiting class is the number of recruits and its apparent quality of each and every individual. Also, on paper, the team has no glaring holes or weaknesses. However, is there an AC, Cliff, or X-Man in this class? From even an older era, a Stallworth, Bowman, or Armstrong? Time will tell. What I do feel good about is that I feel some of these players may very well compare to Evans (talent wise at their own position) and there may be a team full of them. Great day to be a Shocker!!!!