Stephen Hurt '14 c 6-10 offered to KSU

[pogo]

OK I think I get the point that there are no absolutes in anything sports related. But isn't that why most people like sports? No matter how uneven it looks they still play the game and sometimes even the prohibitive favorite loses. Its why I read the sports section first.

[im4wsu]

Neither in the modern era, but Loyola did have a 6'9" center which is on the low end, but qualifies as a big center as opposed to a small one.

The five Iron Men -- Jerry Harkness (6-3), Les Hunter (6-7), Vic Rouse (6-6), John Egan (5-10) and Ron Miller(6-2) -- each had their jersey retired.

One article said

An under-used member of Loyola's team who is still with us, Rich Rochelle, did an interview not long ago in which he remembered the way Ron Miller guarded the visiting team's top player so relentlessly, Miller even followed the kid during a timeout to the North Dakota bench.

[RoyalShock]

2011 Uconn huskies.

Alex Oriahki - 6'9", 240
Charles Okwandu - 7'0 (16 mpg, 2.8 rpg, 1.2 bpg)

[pie n eye]

6'9" is power forward height. Okwandus stats don't really scream integral player.

[im4wsu]

6'9" is power forward height. Okwandus stats don't really scream integral player.

Stats don't, but 16 mpg puts him in the same ballpark as Fred VanVleet

[RoyalShock]

6'9" is power forward height. Okwandus stats don't really scream integral player.

It used to be, back when teams were all after 6'11 to 7+footers to play center. I would say 6'9 can be a legit center these days.

[benishock]

Didn't the 64 and 65 UCLA teams win with 6'5" Fred Slaughter at center?

[WstateU]

Didn't the 64 and 65 UCLA teams win with 6'5" Fred Slaughter at center?

:)

[jocoshock]

It used to be, back when teams were all after 6'11 to 7+footers to play center. I would say 6'9 can be a legit center these days.

Athletic 6'9" center with offensive and defensive skills better than 7 footer with slow feet and who cannot jump... so unless you get the offensive game of Garrett Stutz with the body of EO, the 6'9" guy is the way to go... and if Ehimen Stutz did exist, he would be playing for Kentucky...

[1972Shocker]

There are just so many factors that can define what makes a good player.

Some of the factors I can think of include:

Size (height, width, bulk, length)
Athleticism (quickness, hand speed, foot speed, jumping ability, strength)
Basketball Skills (shooting ability, ball-handling/passing ability, defensive skills, rebounding skills)
Intangibles (basketball IQ, leadership, mental toughness, confidence)

Size in and of itself is not worth much unless you have some of the other factors in play. In terms of physical attributes I think extreme quickness is much tougher to deal with on the basketball court than is extreme size. OTOH, you pair extreme size with another skill like an unstoppable skyhook and you end up with an all-time great like Kareem.

Personally I prefer players with good skill set and a bushel basket full of intangibles who have decent athleticism. The bigger and stronger the package that comes in the better, although the latter is kind of the icing on the cake.

The thing with Coach Marshall is that the 6-6 to 6-8 players he recruits tend to be pretty long and pretty darn athletic and if they aren't strong when they get here they will be strong by the time they leave. These guys tend to play bigger than their size might otherwise indicate. Of course, everyone is looking for that long, athletic/strong 7-footer with above an above average skill set. Unfortunately the space allocated to the those commodities on the supermarket shelves is rather limited.

[pinstripers]

Size of hands

[pie n eye]

Stats don't, but 16 mpg puts him in the same ballpark as Fred VanVleet

I guess my point was I don't remember thinking, "man, they would not be making this run if they don't have okwandu." Obviously they were driven by Kemba walker with 6'9 orhiaki (sp) doing most of the damage down low.

[shockmonster]

The W.S.U. Shockers made it to the Final Four without a starter taller than 6'7 or 6'8. I'd settle for a run like that until
We are able to recruit a 6'10 true Center when we win the National Championship in 2-3 years.

[wusphlash]

Why is the thread on a non-Shocker on the first page of the Recruiting section? RIP and move on.

[WSUwatcher]

The W.S.U. Shockers made it to the Final Four without a starter taller than 6'7 or 6'8. I'd settle for a run like that until
We are able to recruit a 6'10 true Center when we win the National Championship in 2-3 years.

Yes, monster, and even though the Shocks didn't win, I doubt that many on here, least of all Sub, would suggest that they didn't have a chance. If anything, some have commented that the misadventures of WSU's 7-foot role player at the foul line (and Baker's unfortunate choice to feed him in the post instead of firing an open three) were, if not a turning point, at least a momentum breaker in a game the Shocks could easily have won -- probably should have won -- to advance to the championship.

So no need to worry about the lack of a giant at this point. For one thing, this year's Shocks have a 6-9 leaper and shot blocker to start, backed up by a 6-9 hulk who can run. Who knows, maybe Shaq Morris will even grow into another 6-9.

As for 2014-15, fall signing is a month away, spring signing is seven months away, and the transfer parade so prevalent these days -- including guys with immediate eligibility -- continues after that. Obviously it's an advantage to have a big center, even if he isn't quite Ehimen Stutz, and Marshall and his staff know that and will no doubt work to find the right one. They've shown great skill in finding guys who can effectively run the Shocker machine, and there's no reason to think they can't handle the job this time. But if Hurt didn't want to play fast, he probably wasn't the right one anyway. And as last year showed us, such a player, while no doubt helpful, isn't absolutely essential. Nice, yes -- but as the logicians would say, neither absolutely necessary nor sufficient.

So I'm not worried, and if Sub is, I'll be glad to take over his job as the "not worried" guy for now.