Early WSU Scouting Report

[Wufan]

In this post I am going to try and present an unbiased view of the 2012-13 Shockers for those that are interested and I hope that other fans will add similar posts. This is not a "look how good the Shockers will be" thread, but an August preview of what to expect from each position.

Point Guard:

Malcolm Armstead is a 6-0 200 lb senior transfer from Oregon. He was a RS last year but is expected to run the show this year. He is known for his defense (2.2 spg over two seasons in the PAC-10) and is a savvy leader (4.4 apg). Armstead can also score a little (8.4 ppg) and requires respectable defense from the perimeter (33%). With the departure of Young, Ragland, and Moore, Armstead should be one of the best PGs in the MVC this year.

Backing up MA will be 6-0 180 lb freshman Fred VanVleet. Fred is the highest ranked freshman coming into the MVC this season. He's a winner from the Chicago metro area known as a pass first PG. Not super quick or a great scorer, but is a very mature player. Division I defense and athleticism is still a question mark.

Shooting Guard:

6-2 200 lb senior Demetric Williams is likely to move from combo-guard to shooting guard. While the name is probably familiar to all on this board, he has not stood out to this point in his career. He is a hustle player that is at his best offensively when he's attacking the basket, but is a good FT shooter and solid from deep range. Demetric will be asked to carry a greater scoring load this year versus his junior season (5.5 ppg).

6-2 210 lb sophomore Tekele Cotton will also look to expand his role from his freshman season (10 mpg, 3 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.7 apg, 0.6 spg). Tekele is a high basketball IQ guy that earned his PT with his defense. He will need to be more aggressive on offense if he wishes to maintain court time.

Small Forward:

A pair of highly decorated and highly recruited juco transfers will attempt to fill the void left by the graduation of Toure Murry and Ben Smith. Cleanthony Early (6-7 220 lbs) is a raw athlete that can do it all. He put up monster stats against lower tier competition (20 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, and 5 blocks) and dominated the field at the JUCO top 100 camp. He has a steep learning curve and is very raw early in his junior season. The speed at which he adjusts to D-I will greatly effect his impact this year. 6-6 210 lb wing guard Nick Wiggins is known as a scorer from deep and at the rim. He is further along than his counterpart, but defense is still in question. If the Shockers are going to score efficiently this year, it will likely depend on the success of these two players.

Power Forward:

6-8 240 lb senior Carl Hall will is expected to lead the team in the paint this year. He plays with incredible energy and strength and can defend as well as any forward in the league. Hall should rebound better with the graduation of Garrett Stutz, but will have to develop a mid-range game if he is going to improve on his 8 points per gave as a junior.

Jake White will be the primary back-up to Hall and he has the size (6-9 240 lbs) and skills to be effective in his sophomore campaign. White was a step slow in his freshman season and a repeat of that will hamper his performance.

Center:

7-0 260 lb demi-God Ehime Orukpe will finally have an opportunity to prove himself as worthy now that Stutz and Durley have graduated. His positioning and hands are still below average and any effectiveness he has will be due solely to his freakish athleticism.

6-9 260 lb JUCO transfer Chadrack Lufile was brought in to add much needed depth to the post, but many believe he could get the starting nod early in the season. Lufile is athletic and strong and capable of scoring out to 15 foot. The combination of the two Shocker centers (and Carl Hall) should make Wichita State the best defensive front court in the Valley, but scoring could be anemic.

Deep Bench:

JUCO AA Joe Mitchell left the University of Ohio to walk-on at his hometown university. Joe is a scoring PG that could be in the mix at either guard position. Ron Baker is already a pick-up game legend and is the Shockers best pure shooter. As a redshirt freshman, Ron is still trying to establish himself in the rotation. Evan Wessel is returning after an unimpressive freshman campaign but is looking to increase his minutes. Derail Green comes to campus as a 6-8 180 lb SG from Texas. A redshirt year to put on weight is very likely.

[glm38]

Good job of presenting a clear realistic assessment of your shockers. What would be your guesstimate of where the shocks finish in the MVC?

[Wufan]

I think the Shockers will be an exceptional defensive team at both guard positions. If VanVleet is unable to be effective on the defensive end then Demetric Williams will take his minutes and provide us with a three man rotation of Armstead, Williams, and Cotton. If VanVleet learns quickly, our offense will get a boost having him off the bench.

The Shockers will also be a very good defensive team in the post (PF/C). Carl Hall has already proven himself as a tenacious defender at 6-8 240. The 7-0 260 lb Orukpe has proven himself as an intimidator averaging 1 block in 8 minutes per game as a junior. Lufile, at 6-9 260, is also very athletic and skilled for someone that size. I believe this three man combination will be extremely difficult for most teams to match up.

The above grouping with depth is good enough for a mid-pack Valley finish (3rd to 7th) but lacks scoring punch. Where the Shockers ultimately end up depends on Nick Wiggins and Cleanthony Early. As was mentioned above, both players have some D-I adjustments to make. If the adjustments occur early in the season, WSU will be competing for first place. If they don't occur until 2013-14 or not at all, then WSU will finish between 3rd and 6th. Remember, that Early and Wiggins are long athletic scorers and are both ranked as top five JUCO prospects, roughly equivalent to top 50 high schoolers. I believe that at least one of them will get it before Christmas and WSU will finish competing for second or third place in the Valley.

[LMS]

Thanks for the breakdown. Sounds like if the Shox can get production inside that they'll be tough again.

[Wufan]

Thanks for the breakdown. Sounds like if the Shox can get production inside that they'll be tough again.

That's the real question. With the loss of our three best perimeter shooters (Ragland, Smith, and Kyles) it remains to be seen if the Shockers can extend the opponents defense. If we don't have any shooters better than 35% from deep, teams will be able to pack in the defense and limit scoring opportunities in the paint. Hopefully the reverse will also be true. Teams will be forced to respect the interior opening up the arch for attack, thereby giving our guards better looks. The Shocker half court offense may be an adventure this year.

[jwa123]

Van Fleet is from Rockford. From Kansas that may look like Chicago metro but it isn't. In Illinois we view Rockford as a separate distinct entity from the Chicago metro area which a quick look at the map will confirm.

Regardless of where he is from, Van Fleet is a player!

[glm38]

I like your optimism wufan. But I'd seriously be shocked (pun intended) if WSU competes for first. Not that it never happens but it's only very rarely that a team with that many new players (to D1) competes at the highest level. Not saying it's impossible - just that it's not very likely.

If WSU accomplishes a top 2 finish then it will be a real credit to Marshal's ability.

[Wufan]

I like your optimism wufan. But I'd seriously be shocked (pun intended) if WSU competes for first. Not that it never happens but it's only very rarely that a team with that many new players (to D1) competes at the highest level. Not saying it's impossible - just that it's not very likely.

If WSU accomplishes a top 2 finish then it will be a real credit to Marshal's ability.

I said that they would compete for first ONLY if Early AND Wiggins both "get it" early in the season. I went on to say that I believe one of them will get it by X-Mas and that we will COMPETE for 2nd or 3rd. I don't think that is too far fetched.

[DoubleJayAlum]

I still think that Orupke's defensive skills will be curtailed by his propensity to foul. He isn't going to be able to try to block every shot if he picks up 2 fouls in his first five minutes on the court every game.

WSU is by far the biggest conundrum heading into the season.

[Wufan]

I still think that Orupke's defensive skills will be curtailed by his propensity to foul. He isn't going to be able to try to block every shot if he picks up 2 fouls in his first five minutes on the court every game.

WSU is by far the biggest conundrum heading into the season.

You are not alone in that assessment. 3 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, 3 fouls and 17 minutes is what I am expecting. Foul trouble will not prevent his effectiveness, only his minutes.