Any news on Orukpe?

[60Shock]

Perhaps Santa will drop him off as a Shocker Xmas present when making his appointed rounds.

[Ricky Del Rio]

On Coach Marshall's radio show tonight, the subject of shot blockers was raised.

Coach said to the effect, "We will have a shot blocker soon." And that was it. He did not elaborate.

I am more inclined to think he was talking about EO rather than Stutz.

Another interesting comment was this: He has a goal of winning the MVC post season tournament. He did not say win the conference championship, but the tournament championship.

I interpreted this to mean, if the stars align with Orupke and the team improves as the season unfolds, then by tournament time, maybe the Shockers can win the tournament. There will be losses along the way, which will make the conference championship unlikely.

Also, he talked about the lack of an interior game and he was quite candid about it.

Amendment: I just read Sullentrop's blog. I guess I am wrong about my assumption about EO.

[newshock1234]

So this is the Week he shows up aint it!

[mulligan]

Suellentrop wrote about this subject on his blog today. www.kansas.com ..... Doesn't sound like we are getting him this season.

[rrshock]

Maybe everything has been confused and what should have been let out was that he'd be here for classes, but not to play. Or, they're just screwing with us and wanted it to be a surprise.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

I have no doubt based on certain comments that coach has made before that the answer would be "we don't know anything" Teams cannot prepare for players that they don't know are here, and if they aren't here...

[1972Shocker]

From Today's Wichita Eagle

On hold -- Wichita State is still waiting on exit exam results for Nigerian basketball player Ehimen Orukpe, coach Gregg Marshall said Monday. Rumors that Orukpe's arrival is imminent are false, he said.

"Nothing to report," Marshall said.

Orukpe, a 7-foot center, needs results from his exit exam, administered by the West Africa Examinations Council, that will allow him to leave Nigeria and enroll at WSU. Once the test results are available, work can begin on admission to WSU, student visa and eligibility through the NCAA.

WSU had hoped Orukpe would arrive in time to be eligible beginning after final exams on Friday. With his arrival delayed, Marshall wants to get him here in time for second semester classes and, most likely, redshirt him.

"If we got him here now, I'm not sure I would play him," Marshall said.

[rrshock]

I thought Marshall said he'd play him if he got here this year? Why the change?

[im4wsu]

I thought Marshall said he'd play him if he got here this year? Why the change?

I believe that was if he got here by Dec 15th. There are 8 games between Dec 14th and Jan 15th...that might affect his decision as to redshirt or not.

[Maggie]

The last two paragraphs do not make sense. At first I thought he would likely redshirt the kid because if he arrives it will be much later than anticipated but Marshall's quote seems to indicate that he might not play him if he was eligible today.

[wsu789]

My mind reading skills are not what they used to be, but it could be that coach thinks our current crop of interior players has defended the post fairly well, even without Butler, who presumably is now able to play. There might also be timing/eligibility issues that cannot get fully resolved in time for the post-first semester run of games. If he got here, hypothetically, today and you played him for the next four games, then found out there was some snafu in his eligibility, that would not be a good situation. To me, "admission to WSU, student visa and eligibility through the NCAA" does not sound like a speedy process, none of which can apparently begin until the ill-fated test results arrive. If he had arrived 3 or 4 weeks ago, then those issues probably could have been sorted through in time to get him ready to play this week. The way I read Marshall's quote, 'getting him here right now' does not equate to eligibility.

Pure speculation, but a couple of possibilities.

[ShockRef]

Information was provided a couple of weeks ago it was not going to happen this year. The information was based on fact, not rumors. Therefore, I will repeat - it will not happen this year. However, next year looks good. How's that? 8)

[SB Shock]

Information was provided a couple of weeks ago it was not going to happen this year. The information was based on fact, not rumors. Therefore, I will repeat - it will not happen this year. However, next year looks good. How's that? 8)

I think the biggest thing to note is who were the posters who were making bold prophecies. Probably means something.

[newshock1234]

all i care about it that he gets here, i prolly prefer that he redshirt anyways. I rather have him 4 full years than 3 and half years

[T.VuOP]

No offense taken. I really hesitated in sharing anything about what I learned in the last few days, for obvious reasons as you have stated. But, I really couldn't contain my excitement. And if I'm wrong about it, I will voluntarily turn myself in and be at the mercy of ShockerNet faithful and any appropriate punishment (like having to attend a KU game and wear KU blue).

Thank you for sharing! :bow:
Could you tell us what you learned in the last few days? 8)