Last Summer Scrimmage Recap From WSU

[Aargh]

Summer scrimmage evaluations are opinions of observers and don't always indicate how players will perform in game systems and game situations, but they're all we've got this time of year. I'll try to be brief.

Conner Fannkamp - Frankamp's biggest doubter among WSU fans is now gushing with praise and reporting that Frankamp is looking like the top-40 guy where he was ranked out of HS - and he's doing that playing PG, which wasn't his HS position.

VanVleet - Quicker, faster, and better vertical. Look for him to finish an alley-oop from one of the other perimeter guys sometime this year.

Rashard Kelly/Shaq Morris - both are leaner and have worked on their O.

Ron Baker/Zach Brown/Evan Wessel - Baker is Baker. Brown is the guy who clowned a lottery pick in the NCAA's last year. Nothing new to report. Wessel still doesn't look like a starter among the talent on the team, but will be.

This is probably the best team at WSU in the Masrshall era.

Eric Hamilton (Fr) Unlimited ceiling, but has attitude. Could become Xavier McDaniel or P'Allen Stinnet.

Markis McDuffie (top-100 Fr) - taller version of Cleanthony Early with a little better shooting range.

Peyton Allen - 1" shorter version of Zach Bush, who is a walk-on.

Anton Grady (5th yr graduated Sr. trfr from Cleveland State)- great post moves, beautiful baby hook, lots of scoring potential, was on Horizon League All-Defense team last year. Reported as being pouty - probably because of ...

Wamukota - incredibly improved. The guy who was able to shut Tuttle down now has an offensive game to go along with his D.

That's just summer scrimmage reporting. It may or may not be demonstrated in games, but we don't have much to discuss for another 6 weeks or so.

This is probably the best WSU team during the Marshall era.

[glm38]

Nice report. Thanks for posting. Kudos for admitting you were probably wrong about Frankamp.

If Grady stays healthy and is the real deal and Wamukota is truly that much improved - then the sky is the limit for WSU.

I was able to catch most of the Shockers games on tv last year. I hope that's possible again this year.

[Wufan]

Regardless of actual finish in the conference and national standings this year, WSU has an extremely deep, and skilled roster and one hell of a coach. The buzz around the program is at a ridiculous level (as it should be). If half the pre-season reports are accurate, then WSU will be back in the final four. Unfortunately, these things have been traditionally over-stated.

What I feel comfortable taking away from the various reports (reading between the lines) is the following:

Frankamp is at or above the level of play of Fred and Ron offensively. He does not play Shocker defense.

The sophomores (Zach Brown, Rashard Kelly, Shaq Morris, Rauno Nurger) have all done the right things in terms of effort to develop their individual games for more impact this year.

The freshman (Tyrone Taylor, Landry Shamet, Markis McDuffie, Eric Hamilton) are collectively better than any freshmen we've had in three years and are much further along than last year's class at this point.

Anton Grady, Bush Wamukota, and Shaq Morris will be the core of the front court and the battle for minutes is on.

[Wufan]

The WSU freshman class from left to right:

Brett Barney, 6-9 invited walk-on
Landry Shamet, 6-4 combo guard
Tyrone Taylor, 6-1 PG
Markis McDuffie, 6-8 wing
Eric Hamilton, 6-9 forward

[BCPanther]

Those are really terrible uniforms. I get going retro, but those are awful.

[Born2Shock]

Look a little past the uniforms, and youll see the next wave of dynasty.

[C0|db|00ded]

[quote="Aargh"]Summer scrimmage evaluations are opinions of observers and don't always indicate how players will perform in game systems and game situations, but they're all we've got this time of year. I'll try to be brief.

Conner Fannkamp - Frankamp's biggest doubter among WSU fans is now gushing with praise and reporting that Frankamp is looking like the top-40 guy where he was ranked out of HS - and he's doing that playing PG, which wasn't his HS position.

VanVleet - Quicker, faster, and better vertical. Look for him to finish an alley-oop from one of the other perimeter guys sometime this year.

Rashard Kelly/Shaq Morris - both are leaner and have worked on their O.

Ron Baker/Zach Brown/Evan Wessel - Baker is Baker. Brown is the guy who clowned a lottery pick in the NCAA's last year. Nothing new to report. Wessel still doesn't look like a starter among the talent on the team, but will be.

This is probably the best team at WSU in the Masrshall era.

Eric Hamilton (Fr) Unlimited ceiling, but has attitude. Could become Xavier McDaniel or P'Allen Stinnet.

Markis McDuffie (top-100 Fr) - taller version of Cleanthony Early with a little better shooting range.

Peyton Allen - 1" shorter version of Zach Bush, who is a walk-on.

Anton Grady (5th yr graduated Sr. trfr from Cleveland State)- great post moves, beautiful baby hook, lots of scoring potential, was on Horizon League All-Defense team last year. Reported as being pouty - probably because of ...

Wamukota - incredibly improved. The guy who was able to shut Tuttle down now has an offensive game to go along with his D.

That's just summer scrimmage reporting. It may or may not be demonstrated in games, but we don't have much to discuss for another 6 weeks or so.

This is probably the best WSU team during the Marshall era.[/quote]

Pretty good recap of a recap but I wouldn't say I was CF's biggest "doubter", more like biggest antagonist. And as always, there's a method to my madness. You don't come into one of the nation's cleanest top 10 programs and take a shat right in the middle of the hardwood by driving drunk before you've even played your first game. He deserved a measure of ridicule and I gave him the full measure. I still ridicule him some. Had I just swept it under the carpet, I wouldn't be C0|db|00ded, I would be a ChicKUnhawk fan.

There is no doubt though that CF is the real deal and has skills that nobody has seen of him yet. He is an excellent distributor of the ball, he can dribble into, out of, and around traffic without anyone getting even close to a steal (we have another player who can do that, you may know his name), and he can get open with anybody guarding him. Depending on how much PG he plays, he could be leading the team in fewest turnovers by year end.

While his offense is legendary in Wichita (he holds pretty much all city league scoring records for all time), his defense will be the ? It's a good thing he will be surrounded by defensive-minded animals. Conner will become as good of a defensive player as Conner can be while at WSU. How good that is remains to be seen but I'm not expecting too much. His job will be to put up points and distribute, this is clear.

Couple other points:

-I don't think McDuffie is taller than Early but he is all of 6'8" and might still be growing.

-While Peyton Allen "looks" like a shorter version of Zach Bush, that doesn't mean he is the same caliber of player. He looked a bit weak the other day but that is fairly normal for a guy transferring from a mid-major like A&M into Wichita State. Imagine how you would feel out on the hardwood playing with a bunch of All-Americans and blood-thirsty-for-a-championship Shockers for the first time in your life? He's just lucky he got out with all his parts intact. A Shocker practice/scrimmage/pick-up is not a place for non-men.

-Hamilton is a beast. I have a pretty good hunch he will be the one fans want to tangle with when he visits your barn. Think Jamar Howard but twice the size. Then again, I don't know if he'll be as bad as Jamar Howard... that guy was classic.

- I'll just let you guys find out about Bush Wamukota when he comes to a court near you. *giggles*

-Zach Brown is taller than Rashard Kelly (who is listed at 6'7") and he will be fighting for the starting 3 spot.

-Landry Shamet... better have the Fixodent in extra heavy for this kid as you don't want the added embarrassment of having your teeth roll out of your mouth when your jaw hits the floor. He's a human highlight reel waiting to happen.

-There's a few other guys on the team you might know that I haven't mentioned, they'll be there on game night too with smiles on their faces...

The bottom line is this: the Shockers vs. whoever in the Valley this year is going to be fun to watch (for us) and painful to watch (for the rest of you). Buy your tickets now because you are getting a helluva deal with regards to the quality of entertainment for dollar spent. Heck, some of you guys don't even have to pay for tickets, or you at least get free food for coming to the Shocker game. Think of it like an NBA exhibition on your home court.

If you would like to read my full report on the Shockers, you can access it here: http://wheatshockers.com/Thread-Bonus-R ... 3#pid21983

Thanks and goodnight.


T


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[Rollbird5]

ColdBlooded- U predicting a championship?

[Championz]

Those are really terrible uniforms. I get going retro, but those are awful.

That's kind of a contradiction. You get it but you don't?


It's something different. I don't mind it. More importantly, I care for the bodies in those uniforms. It's been pretty terrible for Valley opponents for the last several years.

[wgslaw]

Championship-Yep. WSU will win the MVC regular season championship, go to the final four and maybe win it all-but only after having lost the MVC tournament. Strange isn't it, to think you feel more confident about the final four than you do about winning the Valley tournament.