Anton Grady 6-8 c/pf 2015, a Shocker!

[pinstripers]

If Grady takes our final spot, he will play the 5 and get way more minutes than Shaq.

[choida]

If Grady takes our final spot, he will play the 5 and get way more minutes than Shaq.

👌

[Stickboy46]

No doubt the kid had pretty decent stats in the Horizon League. I think there's a recognizable difference in competition level between the Horizon and the MVC. I think we would see a decrease in production (partially based on minutes, partially based on competition) if he became a Shocker. If he is looking to go somewhere and be the star, I think it's relatively obvious that WSU isn't the place for that to happen. On the other hand, if he is looking to go somewhere to play a role on a team that has a chance to do great things, WSU would be the right choice. I do think he would be a good (not great) get that would make us better, even if that was just because of his experience and giving our young guys some strong competition in practice. Sorry I'm not sold on him getting a lot of minutes yet, because I don't know how much the underclassmen will step up over the offseason. If he is our guy, I HOPE he comes in and proves me wrong.

He probably wouldn't be a star, but he would be a key player/contributor on a National Championship worthy team with an all-american backcourt for his final year of college. That a great option for him.

For us, it provides us with a solid down low presence that can give Shaq/BW/RN a break down low and gives us 5 more fouls to give. . I don't see any of them taking up all of the minutes at the 4/5. It would also allow us to possible play people at positions they are better at (EW, MM) rather than putting them where we need them to fill holes.

[shockmonster]

Horizon RPI 17. MVC 9

[ShockdaWorld]

I mostly just love the fact that we are actually debating the idea of how big of a contributor this guy (or whoever it is 3G brings in) will be on our NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP worthy team!!! Imagine the looks you would've got if you uttered those words when talking about WSU basketball ten years ago. Whoever he brings in, I'm sure will be the best guy to fill our needs. I trust 3G's basketball IQ and talent evaluation much more than my own or anyone else's. It's a GREAT time to be a Shocker fan.

[Dupe]

Horizon RPI 17. MVC 9

I'd be interested to see what the mvcs RPI would've been without Wichita State.

[Play Angry]

Horizon RPI 17. MVC 9

MVC RPI if you subtract WSU, who we obviously do not play against: 14

[asiseeit]

Don't enjoy being the contrarian but I think the knees are a problem. I know a couple guys
with persistent knee issues and they always seem to be a misstep or a tweak away from
another surgery. I really wonder if AG can withstand the rigors of our practices and his
ability to play the entire season. I wonder if he can force himself to play angry and at a 100%
knowing his knees are weak. If I thought he was capable of that and staying healthy I
would be on board but I am skeptical.

[Dupe]

MVC RPI if you subtract WSU, who we obviously do not play against: 14

Thank you. The current MVC is not a step up from the horizon league. A guy who averages 14 points and 8 rebounds in the horizon league would do just fine against MVC competition.

[ShoxRoxMySox]

So a guy who isn't even on the team deserves to start over Shaq.... right....

If Coach thinks starting Grady over Shaq brings out the best in him to take the spot later, better believe that's what will happen.

[Stickboy46]

Don't enjoy being the contrarian but I think the knees are a problem. I know a couple guys
with persistent knee issues and they always seem to be a misstep or a tweak away from
another surgery. I really wonder if AG can withstand the rigors of our practices and his
ability to play the entire season. I wonder if he can force himself to play angry and at a 100%
knowing his knees are weak. If I thought he was capable of that and staying healthy I
would be on board but I am skeptical.

I think the better question is .. If we pass on Grady for X,Y, or Z reasons, who else do we fill the last scholarship with? Grady may be a gamble for multitude of reasons (knees, will his 14/8 production continue against better competition) etc etc, but he's not a huge gamble. If we have a scholarship to give, why not give it to someone that COULD step up and fill one of our biggest holes next year rather than let it go to waste. He's a 1 year player, so it doesn't hurt recruiting for 2016 either.

As far as his knees holding up. He averaged 30 mpg for the year and he actually finished last year really strong. Over the last 7 games last year he averaged 18 pts, 11 boards, 3 asst, 1.3 blks per game in 35 mpg. That is a pretty good finish to a year for someone with concerns if they can withstand a season.

[BostonWu]

Does anyone think he would beat out EW at the four or SM at the five? I sure don't.
This guy is used to starting. There are a lot of intangibles to think about. How does
he accept being the 7/8 man or maybe even the 10/11 or worse. EW has ALL the
intangibles and WILL start as he rightly deserves. Can AG play angry on weak knees?
If he can't then he does not fit. He is an undersized center and lacks the athleticism our
team requires at the four. He might be third or forth option at either the 4/5 slots. When
CF returns he will be in the top seven. ZB will be in the top seven. At best AG is in at
back up center or PF and I think that is very iffy. I don't think he would be good for
chemistry. Having said all that, if this is who we get I will be rooting for his success and
ready for a plate of crow if he makes a solid footprint for us.

So you already know the guy's thought process and makeup and from there have concluded there would be chemistry issues? Fascinating!

[ShockdaWorld]

Wow, I didn't realize how much of a dropoff there would be between with WSU vs without WSU. I've never figured out the RPI stuff. And this would be a good year for a big to have a good year with two of last years MVC top bigs (Tuttle and Lynch) both being gone.

[Play Angry]

I don't think I'll ever understand why so many on here try to tear apart recruits who have confirmed mutual interest (and, at times, have made visits). It is silly. Why not save your ammo until that recruit eliminates WSU from contention?

If we sign the guy, you have to either (i) backpedal and admit you're a retard from a talent evaluation standpoint, (ii) stick to your guns that you assess talent better than the staff and hope the kid fails to prove your point, or (iii) pretend you never said anything bad about him and post over and over during the regular season about how much you love that player with all the credibility of a Vichy government decree.

Seems like getting excited about the players whom our staff values highly enough to devote tremendous time and resources to (if you think a visit and the preceding legwork involves anything but that, you are delusional) is a lot more fun.

[asiseeit]

Sometimes crow can be quite tasty. Would love to have a large dish if he signs and proves me
wrong. If GM likes him who am I to question it - only expressing my concerns. Sorry if I have
been to negative. If he signs I assure everyone I will quickly turn positive towards him and
hope he is good enough to start at center. If he does and stays healthy we will go deep.