Israel Barnes - 6'3" Guard - Wichita SE to Weber St

[Hurley]

One of his coaches had season tickets next to mine. He said Barnes doesn't think he would be a good fit for Marshall's system.

Sounds like something someone would say who is not being recruited by his hometown school. I have a hard time imagining Barnes would say he wasn't interested in WSU if WSU offered. Especially considering the relatively small amount of schools offering so far and the level of program the schools are.

[proshox]

Sounds like something someone would say who is not being recruited by his hometown school. I have a hard time imagining Barnes would say he wasn't interested in WSU if WSU offered. Especially considering the relatively small amount of schools offering so far and the level of program the schools are.

I haven't watched him play, but there are great players which would not be maximized by HCGM's system. That isn't a knock on the players or HCGM.... it just means you must have the right tools for each system to be successful and some tools will never work well in the wrong application...

[60Shock]

A puzzlement.

If Israel is half as good as his write-up, there must be something we are not aware of at either his end or our end.

[SHOCKvalue]

Because we can get better players.

I'm not into recruiting anything like you are, but according to ESPN the kid is considered a four star and the best recruit in Kansas for 2018, not that that is necessarily news to you.

[RoyalShock]

That is an odd thing for a recruit to say. There can be any number of reasons why a coach might not recruit a player, but rarely do you hear a player say he doesn't fit a system like Marshall's unless he doesn't think he'll get the minutes he wants (ie, the focus of the offense), or doesn't like the emphasis on defense. We did hear about a big kid a few years ago (ended up at K-State, I think) who thought Marshall's offense was too up-tempo.

[Aargh]

Maybe he doesn't like a system where the stats are divided among so many players? That would make both Barnes and Marshall quite comfortable with a lack of apparent recruiting focus on Barnes.

[pinstripers]

Seems to me that Marshall's players have to work their dog asses off.

[ShockingButTrue]

Seems to me that Marshall's players have to work their dog asses off.

They know what it takes to experience that "W".

"Winners make it happen, losers let it happen."

[ShockerNut2305]

He also had an offer from Iowa state that isn't being reported not sure why but he has also visited there and they have come down to watch him play.

[proshox]

Once again - there are many hard working, smart, and talented players that would be better served elsewhere. It is odd to me that there are people who wouldn't understand that all players are looking for teams that will be the best fit for their specific abilities.

[WSUwatcher]

Maybe he doesn't like a system where the stats are divided among so many players? That would make both Barnes and Marshall quite comfortable with a lack of apparent recruiting focus on Barnes.

Interesting possibility, Aargh. Still, 2018 is a long way off, so who knows what might happen.

Also, if Shamet doesn't blow up next year and try to go pro early, the Shocker backcourt in 2018-19 could be pretty full (Shamet, Reaves, Keyser assuming he develops at SG the way WSU seem to hope he will, and Haynes-Jones, plus potentially whoever fills Daishon's spot on the roster). That's pretty stiff competition for minutes, and some guys -- not saying I know about Barnes one way or the other -- prefer an easier path to PT.

[asiseeit]

Niether Keyser or Jones are established reliable players yet. I believe Barnes would
compete strongly for first guard off the bench his freshman year with the players
we know about today. Good chance of starting by his junior year.

[Aargh]

Niether Keyser or Jones are established reliable players yet. I believe Barnes would
compete strongly for first guard off the bench his freshman year with the players
we know about today. Good chance of starting by his junior year.

You might be forgetting that Keyser had virtually no practice time or time in workouts prior to the start of the season. If he's injury-free this offseason, he is likely to make significant improvement. Keyser was getting more minutes toward the end of the season.

Then there's this guy named Austin Reaves, who was better than 50% from 3 before his last injury. His docs think he should be free from that shoulder dislocating this year.

[Bluzrover]

Once again - there are many hard working, smart, and talented players that would be better served elsewhere. It is odd to me that there are people who wouldn't understand that all players are looking for teams that will be the best fit for their specific abilities.

Exactly. If you think about it, Gregg has made his success with young, overlooked talent that he and his staff seem to constantly uncover. And they've been competitive on the biggest stages. It's not hyperbole to say that he's extremely selective about those he recruits. I find it hard to believe there's a local kid who fits his program whom he would ignore or not recruit.

That being said, perhaps he's feigning disinterest to throw Weber off the scent.

[mini-shock]

Exactly. If you think about it, Gregg has made his success with young, overlooked talent that he and his staff seem to constantly uncover. And they've been competitive on the biggest stages. It's not hyperbole to say that he's extremely selective about those he recruits.

I think it may be hyperbole. Especially with this years recruiting blowing up. We are competing for
1. Known Players
2. Better players
3. Players who've been offered by competitive programs.

This year feels/is different. We know that.