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glm38 wrote:

Wufan wrote:He also started 8 or so games for the Shockers as a sophomore before breaking his finger. That team went on to the final four. He played out of position last year and did well in every facet except scoring. If he plays the 3 this year, as is the plan, he will be dangerous. Not all-valley, but very effective.

It's good to be talking basketball again!

Wessel reminds me of Keith Pickens who recently played for the Bears. Both tough as nails and willing to do anything to win. You have to love guys like that.

Decent comparison. How Pickens continued to play the way he did through his injuries was a testament to his will.

[quote="Wufan"]He also started 8 or so games for the Shockers as a sophomore before breaking his finger. That team went on to the final four. He played out of position last year and did well in every facet except scoring. If he plays the 3 this year, as is the plan, he will be dangerous. Not all-valley, but very effective.

It's good to be talking basketball again![/quote]

Dangerous on the nights he is hitting. I suspect that if he is permanently moved out of his spot at TPF (tiny power forward), his average minutes could go down significantly. Some nights he just won't be hitting. If on those nights he isn't grabbing rebounds and loose balls in the paint either, what will his purpose be?

One of Evan's greatest assets are his lack of turnovers. He was like 2:1 last year. He is a smart passer, great rebounder for his size, great post defender for his size, and the best guy in the nation in going after loose balls. If he's positioned outside the scrums he usually frequents, his contributions to the team drop dramatically.

I think he could still be playing TPF this year, as insane as that sounds for the reasons mentioned. I have no faith in his shooting consistency and if you're not a good shooter by now...


T


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If Wessel is positioned on the court, he is positioned to be in the scrums for loose balls.

Sporting News names Baker #1 SG.

http://www.sportingnews.com/list/4659367-ranking-best-top-shooting-guards-college-basketball-2015-16/slide/369940

And VanVleet the #3 PG.

http://www.sportingnews.com/list/4659273-ranking-best-point-guards-college-basketball/slide/369377

Change the title to Baker/VanVleet/Brown - Brown/VanVleet/Baker.

Three NBA players. If not, then damn close.

Just sayin'.

rdr

SI's feature article in their college basketball preview issue was about Fre VanVleet. It's a lengthy read - 8 print pages.

It's worth a read. It hardly touches basketball, but goes pretty deep into how he got where he is today, and the challenges he faced growing up in one of the worst cities in America.

http://www.si.com/college-basketball/2015/11/12/fred-vanvleet-wichita-state-shockers-ncaa-tournament-gregg-marshall

Great read! As a lifelong resident of Rockford who travels all over the Midwest though I can honestly tell you that it is not one of the worst cities in America. However for a young black male there are extreme challenges and stories like Fred's are truly very rare.

Just wanted to add some points of personal insight regarding this article:

My daughter goes to Auburn HS and Fred has spoken several times to the student body.
It is actually a good safe school that is one of the best teams in State for Football and Basketball.

My son has been invited to participate in Joe Danforth's 5-0 basketball camps. Joe is a tough as advertised but also very fair and a great coach. It's a family affair with Fred and his brothers running drills and working with the boys. Susan is always there too. You can easily see the family bond that helped Fred stay focused to achieve his goals.

Since Fred is a hometown hero you will see more Shocker gear than ISU in town. I am okay with that because it brings more awareness to the Valley when most around here only follow the BIG10.

I couldn't be more proud of Fred on and off the court. It has been a great ride watching his run at WSU and I congratulate the Shockers on taking a chance on a Rockford kid.

Lastly...Lee Lampley really was THAT good!

Now we need Fred to get more than 75% healthy so he can have the kind of senior season he deserves.

Fred racks up his first MVC Player of the Week Award.

http://cdn.streamlinetechnologies.com/m ... _2015b.pdf

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