There is a lot of KNEE JERKING, and a lot of either not knowing, forgetting facts, info, injuries, CONTEXT, perspective.
A lot of that has been covered, thru some good reminder comments
1. WSU lost 7,8,9 KEY players from last year's 23 WIN NIT FINAL FOUR TEAM BETWEEN, graduation, transfers, NBA D League, INJURIES to Jaki, Rice, Jackson.
Now a lot of that was replaced with awesome pieces, but it was going to take time for those pieces to jell, develop chemistry, play together, learn to win, etc, EVEN IF THEY WERE TO BE HEALTHY, UNINJURED.
All the injuries either slowed down, prevented that process.
2. Only Smith, Bennet, Sampson, Raveling, have had A. 4,5 seasons of 500, winning seasons, combined with B. 2 back to back 500, winning conference records(Smith was 11-9 back to back), C. 2 Straight BACK TO BACK NIT+ tournaments.
The Goal post for on Smith have constantly been moved, when Smith met the goal post. 1st, after E Kent's DUMPSTER fire, and almost losing whole team, when Smith went 500 with that dumpster fire, the goal post was moved.
Then Smith went, had back to back 500 record. Still not enough. Goal post moved to 500 conference record, PAC 12 tourny wins, NIT, NCAA's. Smith gets 23 total wins, 11-9 record, PAC 12 tourny wins, NIT FINAL FOUR, goal post moved to NCAA's. Smith despite losing 7,8,9 KEY players from NIT team, despite INJURIES, etc, Smith MIRACULOUSLY wins 17 games, 11-9 conference, A PAC 12 tourny win, NIT, BUT that got INVALIDATED by a EWU team that SHOULD have won their conference, gotten a NCAA bid, that beat WSU by a CLOSE score in a CLOSE game. And the goal post gets moved to NCAA tourny, and when Smith gets that by getting 24 wins, 13-7 in conference, 1,2,3 PAC 12 tourny wins, NCAA bid. And when Smith loses by 1 point in quadruple overtime in first round to a team that shouldn't be in NCAA tourny, then all the NEGA COUGS will KNEE JERK again, and they will move the goal post again, and in their eyes, no matter what Smith does, it will never be enough, and held to a higher standard then all other WSU coaches.
3. Gueye is 50/50 on whether he comes back or not. Gueye not doing much in post season, is NOT going to help Gueye move up draft boards. At best Gueye is about 37 to 40 to 43 in 2nd round. And he is not NBA ready yet, and needs 1 more season.
Next year if he is part of a NIT championship, deep NCAA run, he would probably have semi good chance to go somewhere between #14 pick of FIRST round to last pick of FIRST round, and get a guaranteed contract, and BIG TIME LIFE CHANGING MONEY.
Also since Gueye, WSU had a semi bad end to season, instead of a AWESOME ending of season, then that COMBINED, with the above factors, could factor into Gueye returning.
If Gueye, WSU had had a AWESOME end to the season, then Gueye would, might probably not return.
4. WSU's Frontline is a lot better then people think, even if Gueye were to not stay.
Without Gueye WSU would have.
1 Jackson 2. Jaki. 3. Diongue or Chinyelu. 4. JC Transfer CLUFF, 5. Hamon Crespin, 6. Jack Wilson.
That's still a pretty AWESOME, DEEP, FRONT COURT.
IF Gueye stays, WSU would have the BEST Frontcourt in PAC 12, and one of the BEST frontcourts in AMERICA.
Also some of you are low balling Chinyelu.
Chinyelu is a HIGHEST ENDED 4 STAR, and lowest ended 5 star, according to a couple, few recruit ranking services, and is a 4.5 star.
In ALL of WSU history, only Parade All American #2 ranked recruit Stuart House under Raveling, is the ONLY WSU recruit rated higher then Chinyelu.
Chinyelu is considered one of the TOP 10 BEST INTERNATIONAL BIG MAN recruits in the nation, and either the best or one of the best 1,2,3,4 recruits, players to come out of Africa, and the NBA Global Academy system.
The last player to come out of NBA Global Academy Africa, as highly ranked as Chinyelu, was a NBA LOTTERY PICK.
CHINYELU is about 7-1+ with a 7-7 wingspan, that 250 pounds
He is comparable to how Shaq, Tim Duncan, Minute Bol, Shawn Bradley, etc, were coming out of High Highschool.
He Chinyelu has NBA ATHLETICISM. He has NBA upside, potential.
The only thing stopping Chinyelu from doing a Kevin Garnet, etc, is he is SEMI SOMEWHAT SEMI RAW, and needs development.
The only way Chinyelu doesn't go NBA after his SOPHMORE, Junior Season, senior season is if he PISSES his ON PAPER POTENTIAL down the toilet.
And because of all the above, almost all the blue bloods like Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina, etc, wanted Chinyelu, and Smith BEAT OUT them, for Chinyelu
So with all that in mind it is LOW BALLING Chinyelu to say, question his impact, say he is not going to do much his freshman year, not get very many minutes, say he is not ready.
That could be true IF HE PISSES DOWN the toilet.
But until, if that happens then can assume that Chinyelu will do somewhere between ok to really good.
As such he is probably the 3rd best WSU big , behind only Jackson, Jaki, if Gueye doesn't stay.
If Gueye Stays, then Chinyelu is 4th best behind Gueye, Jackson, Jaki.
5. WSU should win about 19-23 games in regular season, 12-8 in conference, 1,2 PAC 12 tourny wins, NCAA 2nd Round, 23,24,25,26 total wins after season over, IF Gueye does not stay.
If Gueye stays, then WSU should win about 21, 22,23,24,25 games in regular season, 13-7, 14-6, 15-5 in conference, 2nd, 3rd in conference, 2,3,4 PAC 12 tourny wins, NCAA Sweet 16, Elite 8, Final 4, 25, 26, 27, 28 total wins, after season over.
If Injuries, and Gueye does not stay, then WSU gets 18+ wins, 11-9, 12-8 in conference. 1 PAC 12 win, NCAA/NIT bubble, If NCAA, 1st round elimination, 2nd round at best, if NIT, then NIT final 2.
If Injuries and if Gueye stays, then 19,20,21,22 wins, 12-8,13-7, in conference, 1,2 PAC 12 tourny wins, NCAA bubble into NCAA, 2nd Round, Sweet 16, 23,24,25 total wins after season over.
If Injuries, an or if Gueye doesn't stay, then Knee Jerker Nega COUGS will whine, complain over a 1st round elimination in NCAA to team that shouldn't be in NCAA.
6. Smith is WSU bball's version of Mike Leach as far as both Leach, Smith, both win games they probably shouldn't, and lose games they shouldn't. And like Leach usually won 7,8 games, and only once won 11+ games, Smith is a 17,18,19,20 win, 11-9,12-8, NCAA, NIT BUBBLE TEAM(Like winning 7,8 in football), and Smith's high point, ceiling is 20,21,22,23 wins, 12-8,13-7,14-6, NCAA bid(going 11-2 Alamo bowl like Leach), which Smith will probably hit, get, achieve that ceiling next season.
While what Smith, Leach do is ok,good, there are some NEGA COUGS that not ok with Smith, Leach.
The thing they don't understand, is that the only WSU coaches to have done as good as Smith, Leach, is Bennet, Raveling, Sampson, Price.
Smith's, Leach's, Bennet's, Raveling's, Sampson's, Price's, those kind of coaches are not a regular occurrence at WSU.
And as such, Nega COUGS shouldn't bitch, whine, complain, knee jerk over such coaches having the occasional bad games.
Even good coaches have bad games, especially when their best players like Gueye are injured, and playing against NCAA tourny level teams like EWU in the NIT.
