Shocker Madness Oct. 25

[shockar25]

I won't repeat what everyone has said as it's pretty spot on. The most impressive newcomer was by FAR Kyles. The kid hit about every type of shot...inside, outside, driving, pull up. I think our defense is going to be good. Offensively we should be more confident, I do think we may settle for alot of 3's as we know Marshall isn't afraid to give the green light, but this year we may have a few players who can hit it more consistently.

JT looked good and I was very happy to see that he stayed pretty much inside. I don't believe he shot even 1 3 pointer...loved that. He abused Garrett pretty bad. I think it was a combo of just how skilled JT is around the basket and the fact that Garrett struggled to keep up with him at times. As expected Garrett should turn into a nice player but as most freshmen center he's gonna have a lot of work to do. I will say he looked pretty aggressive for a freshman center, so that was a nice plus.

Ellis did look a tad quicker guarding smaller players than he was last year. Although he did foul alot, at least 3 in the 20 mins I believe. Wasn't really a concern as this is just a scrimmage, but he'll have to work on staying aggressive but staying out of foul trouble.

Hard to get too up or too down for a 20 minute scrimmage. But overall, we do appear quicker and more athletic...and definately longer! Can't wait to see them in a real game!

Garrett's sweet left handed score there late in the scrimmage was pretty awesome though. He's going to be a monster player in the years to come. This year will not be his best, but we have much to look forward to.

[shockerfan]

The highlight video is up at goshockers.com. Doesn't do tonight justice really and they didn't get Kyle's dunk on Garrett in there :(. I don't care for P'unk Stinnet, but it reminded me of the dunk that he had against the 7 footer that plays (is he still on the team?) for Nebraska that the creighton fans went crazy about. So it's disappointing it wasn't included in the highlight video. It did have Garret's dunk though.

http://www.goshockers.com/HomePage.dbml?&&DB_OEM_ID=7500&SPLASH_SET=YES

[shockerfan]

I won't repeat what everyone has said as it's pretty spot on. The most impressive newcomer was by FAR Kyles. The kid hit about every type of shot...inside, outside, driving, pull up. I think our defense is going to be good. Offensively we should be more confident, I do think we may settle for alot of 3's as we know Marshall isn't afraid to give the green light, but this year we may have a few players who can hit it more consistently.

JT looked good and I was very happy to see that he stayed pretty much inside. I don't believe he shot even 1 3 pointer...loved that. He abused Garrett pretty bad. I think it was a combo of just how skilled JT is around the basket and the fact that Garrett struggled to keep up with him at times. As expected Garrett should turn into a nice player but as most freshmen center he's gonna have a lot of work to do. I will say he looked pretty aggressive for a freshman center, so that was a nice plus.

Ellis did look a tad quicker guarding smaller players than he was last year. Although he did foul alot, at least 3 in the 20 mins I believe. Wasn't really a concern as this is just a scrimmage, but he'll have to work on staying aggressive but staying out of foul trouble.

Hard to get too up or too down for a 20 minute scrimmage. But overall, we do appear quicker and more athletic...and definately longer! Can't wait to see them in a real game!

Garrett's sweet left handed score there late in the scrimmage was pretty awesome though. He's going to be a monster player in the years to come. This year will not be his best, but we have much to look forward to.

Oh I agree totally. I wasn't expecting him to be great defensively just because it usually takes freshmen centers the longest to adjust to Div 1 play because they are no longer 7 inches taller than everyone and it's ALOT more physical down low than they are used to. He's gonna be a major part of what is about to happen here and it's exciting. He was pretty good on the glass I thought and he was aggressive which was a nice surprise.

[Aargh]

Stutz looked a little weak defensively - especially early in the scrimmage. Some of the moves Durley made and some of the shots he made off of them aren't going to get stopped by many D1 post players.

Durley was getting a step on Stutz and leaving Stutz the option of allowing a drive to the hoop or letting Durley move away for space around the 10' area. Durley was drilling either option.

Later in the scrimmage Stutz had his feet spread wider, was defending with lateral footwork and denying Durley's first step move.

Durley seemed to have a better sense of working post moves patiently and passing out when that was the best option. I think a couple of weeks with Miller last summer was a huge benefit for WUS's post players.

[t7017s]

Murrey was by far the best on the court tonight in my opinion. He filled the stat sheet. I dont think many noticed how good he was all around. He was getting rebounds, steals, put backs, scoring at the rim and with jumpers. He did it all but he did it very quietly but never once messed up that I saw. I dunno if they kept stats or will post them but lets hope so. He was very cool out there like he was at the Y. He just did everything right. And the kids shoulders are as wide as a barn I kid you not. He has a lot of potential to put on a mean frame in his 4 years and really be special.


Best way to compare Kyles is Stinnet at Creighton or Osirus Eldridge at Ill St. Very athletic. Very calm and cool. Has a lot of defensive potential. Made shots inside and out. Could be very dynamic down the road.


Most disappointing to me was Durley. His post moves are better and his shooting touch seemed improved. He is still a black hole though and hates to give up the rock for any reason. His D didn't seem improved to me. His positioning was but not as much as i would like. Some of that has no doubt to do with his match up against Stutz. But if he can play within the team and learn to share the rock there is little doubt about his potential and the contributions he could make regularly.

Ramon and Hawkins barely touched the ball tonight on offense so its hard to say what to expect there. Ramon did get a couple looks from outside but missed them and that was about it for him on that side of the court. Hawkins had a really nice drive to the hole to start the game and another drive later that were smooth. He moves better than PJ but he doesnt have the body to absorb the contact so he has to. Looks to be a better jump shooter and clearly has better form though.

Both Chamberlain and Clevin looked solid and in control at the point. Both moved well and handled the ball securely. Chamberlain had a few nice pass attempts but the guys don't seem 100% on the same page just yet. Clevin can really stroke it.

Ellis... I agree with the assessment that he has improved on D against smaller quicker guys but still fouls way to much with those long arms. As athletic as he is, he is still a bit clumsy on D at this point. He is a big matchup problem for defenses. If he has the confidence to raise up and shoot over people this year and knock down shots consistently then watch out. Looked a little thicker and stronger and more ready to handle the rigors of a season.

Hatch and Mantis both looked just like anyone would expect. SOlid and played well within the scheme of things and let teh ball come their way and made good decisions. Both hussled and did the liitle things a team needs to keep things going. Glue guys if you will. Neither did much on offense but we know they can. I was hoping to see mantas be more assertive in that regard but I dont think thats his game. Hes happy to stay in the system and let points come to him or get rebounds or do whatever. Mantis has put on some weight especially his upper body and seemed stronger than he should coming off his injury. Hatch handles the ball very very well and has a strong upper body to deal with pressuring or nagging defenders and doesn't avoid contact or mind the bumping. Plays like every coach wants.

All the walkons looked solid. All played hard and didn't really mess up or lose their guys. Nothing really stood out here other than they all looked much better than I would have thought.

[WuDrWu]

Since Toure's name surfaced as a recruit with interest towards WSU I have been excited about watching him in a Shocker uniform.
I am not dissappointed. In fact, he is even more prepared than I hoped for. The more I think about it, the more I think it is going to be very hard to keep him off the floor. This kid is ready for the prime time, right now.

Remember Matt's interview with Bruce H where he talked about Toure making All Valley.....I believe he meant this year. I'm not saying he will, mind you, but the young man is going to be a handful. He has an understanding of the game that a lot of kids just don't get. He's a gamer.

I believe the future is bright, and I believe the future is NOW.

[shockar25]

I won't repeat what everyone has said as it's pretty spot on. The most impressive newcomer was by FAR Kyles. The kid hit about every type of shot...inside, outside, driving, pull up. I think our defense is going to be good. Offensively we should be more confident, I do think we may settle for alot of 3's as we know Marshall isn't afraid to give the green light, but this year we may have a few players who can hit it more consistently.

JT looked good and I was very happy to see that he stayed pretty much inside. I don't believe he shot even 1 3 pointer...loved that. He abused Garrett pretty bad. I think it was a combo of just how skilled JT is around the basket and the fact that Garrett struggled to keep up with him at times. As expected Garrett should turn into a nice player but as most freshmen center he's gonna have a lot of work to do. I will say he looked pretty aggressive for a freshman center, so that was a nice plus.

Ellis did look a tad quicker guarding smaller players than he was last year. Although he did foul alot, at least 3 in the 20 mins I believe. Wasn't really a concern as this is just a scrimmage, but he'll have to work on staying aggressive but staying out of foul trouble.

Hard to get too up or too down for a 20 minute scrimmage. But overall, we do appear quicker and more athletic...and definately longer! Can't wait to see them in a real game!

Garrett's sweet left handed score there late in the scrimmage was pretty awesome though. He's going to be a monster player in the years to come. This year will not be his best, but we have much to look forward to.

Oh I agree totally. I wasn't expecting him to be great defensively just because it usually takes freshmen centers the longest to adjust to Div 1 play because they are no longer 7 inches taller than everyone and it's ALOT more physical down low than they are used to. He's gonna be a major part of what is about to happen here and it's exciting. He was pretty good on the glass I thought and he was aggressive which was a nice surprise.

I agree completely. The future is bright as we all know very well.

[wsushockerdude]

any videos of the dunk contest or scrimmage?

[benishock]

Were there any recruits there?

[Born2Shock]

At first I was a little concerned with Stutz' defense last night, but as the game went on, he moved his feet better. I wish he would put his arms up, and play stronger, but I think this will come in time. He is not likely to see too many better offensive players this year than Durley. I find this quite promising, as playing against those post moves everyday in practice will definitely benefit him in the long run.

[Aargh]

Murrey was by far the best on the court tonight in my opinion. He filled the stat sheet. I dont think many noticed how good he was all around.

You can put me in the group that didn't realize exactly what Murry had done.

I was surprised to read in the Eagle that he led his team in scoring. When the way he scored was described, I remembered seeing it, but didn't realize at the time how his stats were adding up.

[Snapshot9]

There was one irritating thing, when they introduced 6'7" Aaron Ellis, I thought here we go again. Will someone get him down as 6'9" and keep it that way.

[im4wsu]

I may have missed it, but nobody ,mentioned that Stutz tied for second on the men's 3-pt contest with 4 in 30 seconds. Very nice stroke and extremely high arch for a 7-foot guy. Of course, Hannah was money hitting 8 and 9 in his two 30-second stints.

[kcshocker11]

These guys sound like their better than predicted!
I say look for Jan, I think we will be smiling!

:clap: :clap: 8) :posterwsu: :posterwu: :goshocks:

[RoyalShock]

There was one irritating thing, when they introduced 6'7" Aaron Ellis, I thought here we go again. Will someone get him down as 6'9" and keep it that way.

Perhaps they have actually measured him. If my ears didn't deceive me, they listed Durley as 6'6" and Hawkins at 6'4", each an inch lower than they were listed last year.