2livewu wrote:glm38 wrote:I think the championship is WSU's to lose. They do have question marks though. The biggest question to me (again just like last year) is post play. PG is also a concern but I do think Frankamp can adequately do the job.
But center/post? Shaq has been incredibly inconsistent and in and out of Marshall's doghouse for good reasons. Nurger to me is just a serviceable backup. There is a juco coming in but jucos usually need an adjustment period.
Some concerns to be sure but I think overall WSU will win the league again due to coaching and overall talent. But I think post play might limit their post season chances just as it did last year. And I think the top 3 teams may be in a really tight race for first this year.
Good stuff. Couple of add ons. Willis is further along than either Hall or Carter. We stole this kid. Agree about Shaq and PG. Consistency is questionable at least now. At least with Shaq we can go small with say Willis and Kelly and get by. Plenty of athleticism and enough size for the Valley at least. Not a good way to fight in March and April though, and that's measuring stick these days.
For me, intangibles are the biggest question. Obviously Fred (and Ron) were beyond special there. Not sure who picks up the slack this year, but the Reaves kid will at some point. Sorry, but you guys are gonna hate him.
Well said. Willis is a man in the post. More of a 4 than a five, but probably lacking a bit of range. At 6-9, 225 he has enough size to be a good post. The goal is for Shaq to go 22-24 mpg, but that's the goal, not the expectation. He is in the best shape of his life, but...
Excellent point about intangibles, and I think one that several Valley fans on this forum have made. Shamet and Reaves appear to have them, but our likely PGs (Frankamp and Smith) are still developing them. Vocal leadership is still missing from the team. Reaves will be very good at some point, but it's not clear when. He's slight of build, 6-5, 190ish, and just came off of shoulder surgery, but has a good shot, great handles, and the is already the best post-passer on the team per HCGM. The ceiling for the The ceiling for the 17-18 Shockers is off the charts, but its far too early to tell how close they get to that ceiling.