Shaquille Morris is a Shocker!

[pogo]

I don't see any need for you to inject logic and common sense into this discussion............

Really! Logic and common sense have no place in a fan forum. But all that aside that was a good post 72.

[ShockRef]

Spot on analysis!

It looks to me like Shaq's #1 priority for his Freshman year will be to get into the best physical condition he possibly can.

The transition from high school to D-1 ball is always more difficult that many fans think and I believe that is even more so the case for big men. A lot of these guys cruise in high school because they are just so much bigger and stronger than most of their competition. Shaq, as with most big guys will now need to learn to play with guys that are his equal in terms of size and strength while you have a bunch of athletic 4's helping off just to make life in and around the lane more difficult.

Shaq will get his minutes, but year 1 will be primarily for building a foundation for the future in any and all aspects of the game and conditioning.

No one on SN has a true understanding of the difference between HS & D-1 ball, let alone the incoming Frosh.

Trust me, the 1st few days of practice under Chief Run-Your-Ass-Into-The-Ground clears up any doubt about who is in charge and how things will be ran.

Life under HCGM is a TOTALLY different world vs finishing up 7th period HS history class and meandering down to practice under Coach/PE Teacher Nice guy.

That is all.

[Ricardo del Rio]

No one on SN has a true understanding of the difference between HS & D-1 ball, let alone the incoming Frosh.

Trust me, the 1st few days of practice under Chief Run-Your-Ass-Into-The-Ground clears up any doubt about who is in charge and how things will be ran.

Life under HCGM is a TOTALLY different world vs finishing up 7th period HS history class and meandering down to practice under Coach/PE Teacher Nice guy.

That is all.

Or moseying back on defense, which Shaq is prone to do.

[wu_shizzle]

I don't disagree with any of the "keep it real" commentary.

The only thing I would say is Shaq has proved himself against more than just every-day HS players.

He has shown that his game rises to the level of his competition and has had success against future D1 players.

[pinstripers]

I don't disagree with any of the "keep it real" commentary.

The only thing I would say is Shaq has proved himself against more than just every-day HS players.

He has shown that his game rises to the level of his competition and has had success against future D1 players.

Agree. Course probably none of them is gonna start as a freshman, either.

[wufan]

Bump

[WuDrWu]

I was looking back over the recruitment of Shaq and some of his highlights during his high school career.

He was clearly the best player (game MVP) of an Oklahoma/Texas All Star game that featured multiple D1 signees including OU standout frosh and Edmond Memorial teammate Jordan Woodard (started all 33 games averaging 10+ for the #5 seeded Sooners).

Not everyone continues to develop and progress but if Shaq does, even if it's not so much this season, he should be more than a serviceable big man for a top 20 program.

Just think what a kid like this does at WSU 10 short years ago....how about played major minutes if he didn't start from day 1?

[WSUwatcher]

Back in the pre-Marshall days, Doc, I remember all the complaining by the second-guessers about Jay Tunnell from Topeka and why the Shocks let him get away within the league to become a capable player right from the start.

Tunnell may be a point of reference, because can you imagine someone like him (no disrespect intended) being an immediate starter and major contributor for the current Shocks? Not if Shaq isn't, because I'm thinking the Shocker Shaq -- apologies to Jimmy Gilmer, whom I had to look up to remember -- has quite a bit more upside than Tunnell did, and yet he's already redshirted and it's hardly apparent even now that Shaq will be the man in the middle for starter's minutes next season. Maybe he will, but as you say, the competition for time is MUCH tougher now.

[pogo]

You mean there USED to be people on Shocker Net that complained and second-guessed? Hard to imagine.

[xazshox]

More on Shaq Morris

My recollection of Shaq's performance in that Ok,Tx All-Star game after he completed his Sr season in basketball is that he had over 20 pts, 11 rebounds or so, & about 5 blocked shots. And, he was later viewed by Rivals.com as a "2 Star" talent. So, how does a player get that kind of rating with his potential? From all that I have read about him, he came to WSU overweight & was continually getting injured during his 1st summer here. From that point on, he underwent a major paradigm change in attitude. Fred Van Vleet was involved in it. From what I recall reading somewhere, Fred went up to Shaq & told him that unless he changed his attitude, he didn't want him on the team. I ran across one of the players on the team at a WSU softball game this past spring. I asked him about Shaq & he said that not only was FVV involved, but that the entire team told Shaq that he needed to change his attitude. To his credit, it appears that he has done that. I've seen him in practices before & he looks to have some real potential to be very good. For one thing, he jumps very well for a big man. He also has a very nice soft shooting touch from outside & he can throw his weight around on the boards. He may turn out to deserve a 4 star rating now that he has a better attitude & has got in better shape. A redshirt year was very good for him. it will be very interesting to see how he does this coming season!

[wufan]

Shaq was something like 275 or 280 as a junior and either OU or OSU said they would have a spot for him if he could get down to 240. He's about an inch shorter than he needs to be, but his quick feet, soft touch, and springy bounce are hard to come by with that size.

[xazshox]

Shaq Morris

My take on why Shaq Morris had such an attitude change is because he really badly wanted to be on the Shocker basketball team. The atmosphere Marshall & his staff have created here is such that the teammates are supportive. The practices are very difficult, so anyone who stays here has to learn to practice very hard. We all recall the quote from Fred Van Vleet last spring when he said that the practices are harder than any game he has ever played in. It reminds me of the situation with JT Durley who was here when Marshall arrived. Marshall later said that Durley had the biggest attitude change of any player he ever coached in his 25 yrs of coaching (up to that time). Marshall once told me that when he got here, Durley was like the Pillsbury dough boy, but he eventually got rid of his big gut and became an excellent player. A player has to be in very good shape for his body to withstand the practice rigors!

[pinstripers]

I need to get in shape

[S_WU_SH]

A nice piece by Sully.

http://www.kansas.com/sports/college/wichita-state/article2484394.html

I look forward to seeing what Shaq will do this season. It looks like he's been putting in the time and effort. I think it's so great that former players keep coming back and encouraging the current players to carry on the legacy.

[WSUwatcher]

Very nice piece, and definitely a basis for excitement about what Shaq can do. Great to see what Rosenboom says about his physical potential.

If Durley thinks Shaq is bigger and more athletic than he was, that's good -- but what's even better is that Shaq has a head start on JT in a number of important ways: he's had Marshall in charge from the beginning, so he didn't get a year under a less demanding regime to develop bad habits the way JT did; he has teammates like Baker, Cotton, Wessel, and especially auxiliary coach FVV to push him, which Durley didn't; he has the advantage of advice from someone like JT, who has been down this path and seen where it can lead if a guy puts in the effort; and he has a program to carry on that finished last year 35-1 and isn't satisfied about it, which is a way higher level of accomplishment and expectation than JT ever had to inspire him.

It's a pretty remarkable time to be a Shocker fan, but also to be a Shocker player. We need to enjoy this amazing ride, and I hope Shaq does as well.

Edit: I hope Shaq gets that Caesar dressing on the side when he orders his salads, because I've seen (and eaten) plenty of Caesar salads that are in no way diet food.