Interesting article....

[Glad Cougar]

....on Brand X about the challenges Smith faced in putting together the roster, largely due to a limited number of visits allowed to Pullman. He needed to fill 9 roster spots and only had 7 official visits to use. He ended up retaining a few guys but also signed Miller, Rapp, Rodman, and Markovetskyy without those players ever visiting Pullman. NCAA was willing to grant more official visits, but they would taken from next year's allocation, which Smith did not want to do. Given those hurdles, I think he did a great job building the roster.

Does anyone know how many official visits a school is allowed? Did Ernie burn a lot of them on non-worthy or realistic recruits? Smith points out that urban schools are obviously much easier to take unofficial visits, which leaves Pullman at a disadvantage.

Glad Cougar

 

[avabob1]

I also thought it was interesting. I remember hearing about the official visit limit when Smith came in, but never knew what the limit was. I didn't think about the implications for a school so far away from metro recruiting areas where unofficial visits are more problematic.

This team could be interesting. Reminds me a bit of Dick Bennetts first team, except there is actually more returning talent than Dick inherited. Especially so if Kunc can have any kind of break out year

 

[SaveFerris]

Smith seems to thrive on challenges and there are a lot to work through in Pullman. Every article or interview says he's a great fit for us. That doesn't mean he's the next Tony or will even end up above average but it's a start.

Definitely more talent than what Graham left and the couple of players they were able to pick up in the spring. It's nice to have Elleby, Cannon, and Kunc back as long as they embrace things and no reason to think they won't at this point. Smith seemed to like everybody but called out Kunc for his work-ethic. If he can get strong enough he could do some really good things.

 

[avabob1]

Kunc is pretty wiry. I dont think he needs to put on a lot of weight. Looks like one of those skinny guys with sharp elbows. He has a nice easy stroke from distance that is another good indicator.

 

[Rich Lewis]

He might be slight but he's not afraid to mix it up. If he gets enough consecutive minutes to get into the grove I think we'll be happy with his production.

 

[avabob1]

From a pure mechanics view, he is our best returning shooter.

 

[SaveFerris]

I really like his shooting potential and I agree that he's our best returning shooter. Getting stronger doesn't necessarily mean putting on a lot of size and bulk. That doesn't fit his frame or body type. He's a lot like Cowgill in this respect and Cowgill was able to get strong enough and also learn how to play with contact.

Also agree with Rich. He definitely wasn't afraid to mix it up even against much bigger and stronger players.

 

[avabob1]

I was thinking Cowgill too.

 

[Rich Lewis]

Ditto