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Smith's Comments

Recruiting took on a whole new meaning now that a coach has to re-recruit his entire roster every year.
Corporations pay people a lot of money to maximize engagement and keep turnover low. This is how colleges are going to need to start approaching their student athletes and wouldn’t be surprised to see positions popping up on staffs or within athletic administrations that are “talent management” focused. This is part of the game now, got to make adjustments in your strategy.
 
Not holding my breath but at least the door is slightly ajar on players returning from the portal. Would like to see Efe and Gueye return the most, but we still need someone or 2 at the point and who can score. Efe tweeted something about letting the process play out with a turtle. Haven't seen much on Gueye or Roberts.
 
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Most interesting thing to me in the Spokesman report from Coach Smith is that there is no mention of Carlos Rosario who will be a third year player next season. He was a medical redshirt for essentially the second full year and you would think would be either cured or moved off of basketball scholarship unto medical scholarship which I know has been done in the past.

I think that with the lack of action by Ghost in the portal he will be back and probably shortly. Seems to be little to no interest.
 
If WSU can get at least 1 who entered the portal to come back, return, AND at least 1 more either Diongue level guard an or Big that is either HS or Transfer(In other words a 3.5 star, 4 star, 4.5 star HS or Transfer Guard or Transfer), then WSU would probably be ok, and that would probably trigger a POSITIVE Snowball going in the right direction, that would make WSU even more semi ok to ok.

But if that, those things don't happen, then other WSU players might portal out, an or would probably cause a 12,13,14,15 win season, until if Solomon Ominu still comes, and if WSU didn't have too many portal out after next season.

At least Smith seems to get things, and is trying to get some to return and still doing best to recruit at such a extreme high level, even if such were to transfer, portal out.

So we will see in what, which direction Smith/WSU goes.

But at least there is a semi possible, semi probably a semi chance, semi hope that WSU be semi ok.

But will see what happens.
 
Most interesting thing to me in the Spokesman report from Coach Smith is that there is no mention of Carlos Rosario who will be a third year player next season. He was a medical redshirt for essentially the second full year and you would think would be either cured or moved off of basketball scholarship unto medical scholarship which I know has been done in the past.

I think that with the lack of action by Ghost in the portal he will be back and probably shortly. Seems to be little to no interest.
Roberts was the only one that surprised me (and I wasn't all that surprised). Rosario is definitely an enigma. He's apparently still here and still on scholarship so they must see something in him.
 
Corporations pay people a lot of money to maximize engagement and keep turnover low. This is how colleges are going to need to start approaching their student athletes and wouldn’t be surprised to see positions popping up on staffs or within athletic administrations that are “talent management” focused. This is part of the game now, got to make adjustments in your strategy.
interesting...how does this work?
 
Roberts was the only one that surprised me (and I wasn't all that surprised). Rosario is definitely an enigma. He's apparently still here and still on scholarship so they must see something in him.
It'll be very interesting to see where he lands. As some level, I understand his desire to move to another program and get some different perspective from a new coach...and maybe a chance to play on a team that goes to the Big Dance. I doubt he'll find more playing time though on an equivalent team, if that is what he wants. I liked his playing ability and tenacity on defense.
 
Roberts was the only one that surprised me (and I wasn't all that surprised). Rosario is definitely an enigma. He's apparently still here and still on scholarship so they must see something in him.

Rosario COULD be a X factor, IF he is, ends up a X factor.

The reason why he could be a X factor, if he is ready, developed, develops, is, etc, is that maybe Rosario could semi probably play Rosario at the 2 spot, with Bamba at PG, with Jaki, Rodman at 3 spot, with Diongue, Jaki at the 4, and Jackson, Diongue at the 5 spot, IF Rice is not ready to be PG, or SG, or Dylan not ready to be SG, PG, and if don't get a transfer that can be a PG.

In other words moving Rosario to the SG, 2 spot, if ready, able, if no other option then Bamba at PG, would be a last resort thing, unorthodox, because Rosario is a proto 3 and is too thin, light to play 4 spot.

But Rosario is a big unknown, enigma about if he is developed, ready, would develop, etc, as haven't heard anything about him, except that he redshirted his soph year, because of freshman injury, causing him not to be ready his Sophmore year, thus needing a Redshirt.
 
Khalil Shabazz decided tomorrow so guess he isn't going pro. I see Jeff has an offer from SMU so he will get a chance perhaps to play us in Hawaii.
 
Any idea who Khalil Shabazz is looking at or down to? Haven't seen much out there on him.
 
Nope, my guess is he will go back to the Don's. Actually I think a fair number of lookers will return home to their former teams. Of course that could include going to his former Coach. But from comments yesterday I think Don's.
 
I like Smith's take on this, coaches can leave, players can leave, and he has left the door open for them to return. These young kids are hearing these dollar signs all over the place, they enter the portal looking for the big pay day, then in reality the offers are not nearly at the level that lured them away to begin with. So Smith is open to welcoming them back, I think you have to have an open mind with these kids. I heard the Football coaches say once they enter the portal they are done, that is one way to deal with it, which I get, the rosters in football are over 80 and basket ball it is about 12-14. However, with all that is going on, keeping an open mind and an open dialog with the players is probably a better approach until this whole NIL thing established some guidelines.
 
Jabe Mullins has announced via instagram that he will be transferring from St Marys to WSU. A 6'5" shooting guard out of Mount Si High School where he was Seattle Time's state player of the year. Played about 10 minutes per game for the Gaels last year. He also had offers from WSU, OSU and Stanford out of Mount SI. Has three years to play. I see him as a 3 pt shooter off the bench for us.
 
Looks like he had his role reduced last year so looking for a new start. His brother played baseball for WSU.
 
Jabe Mullins has announced via instagram that he will be transferring from St Marys to WSU. A 6'5" shooting guard out of Mount Si High School where he was Seattle Time's state player of the year. Played about 10 minutes per game for the Gaels last year. He also had offers from WSU, OSU and Stanford out of Mount SI. Has three years to play. I see him as a 3 pt shooter off the bench for us.

The good:

Has 3 years to play. Could develop. Had good offers out of HS.

The bad:

Only had 10 minutes per game, but that is maybe caveated that maybe there was a lot of awesome talent in front of him, and maybe he wasn't ready yet, and maybe he will develop.

Probably won't help WSU that much THIS coming season, which probably won't help WSU replace what lost, this coming season, and probably won't help WSU avoid maybe semi probably only getting about 9,10,11,12,13 wins, this coming season.

Might semi probably be good tho for the future, in future seasons, after this coming season.

From that perspective pretty the same as getting a HS recruit, instead of a transfer.
 
The good:

Has 3 years to play. Could develop. Had good offers out of HS.

The bad:

Only had 10 minutes per game, but that is maybe caveated that maybe there was a lot of awesome talent in front of him, and maybe he wasn't ready yet, and maybe he will develop.

Probably won't help WSU that much THIS coming season, which probably won't help WSU replace what lost, this coming season, and probably won't help WSU avoid maybe semi probably only getting about 9,10,11,12,13 wins, this coming season.

Might semi probably be good tho for the future, in future seasons, after this coming season.

From that perspective pretty the same as getting a HS recruit, instead of a transfer.

WSU needs better then this to replace what lost for this coming season.

Diongue was a awesome Start.

WSU needs at least 1 to return to WSU from portal(Not Ryan Rapp),

An Or WSU needs more IMMEDIATE GOOD GREAT IMPACT good, great Transfer players to replace what WSU lost thru portal, or WSU will not only miss postseason, but only get about 8,9,10,11,12,13 wins.
 
Nope, my guess is he will go back to the Don's. Actually I think a fair number of lookers will return home to their former teams. Of course that could include going to his former Coach. But from comments yesterday I think Don's.
Nailed it. Shabazz goes back to USF.

 
Jabe Mullin was the Seattle times player of the year, here is the all state list that came out in March of 2020, from the times.

POY: G Jabe Mullins, Mt. Si, 6-6, jr,, Mt. Si (Saint Mary’s). First team: PF Paolo Banchero, O’Dea, 6-9, jr.; F Tari Eason, Garfield, 6-8, sr. (Cincinnati); G/F Tanner Toolson, Union, 6-5, sr.; PG Nolan Hickman, Eastside Catholic, 6-3, jr.; P Kaden Perry, Battle Ground, 6-9, jr. (Gonzaga).

Banchero went to Duke and could be a lottery pick, Tari Eason, went to Cincinnati, then transfered to LSU and was 6th man of the year in the SEC, Toolson went to BYU offers from Utah, Utah St and BSU, on a mission right now, both Hickman and Perry ended up at Gonzaga.

That is a talented bunch, we are lucky to end up him. Mullin maybe a better fit in Smith's system than he was with Randy Bennett's, I think Mullin is a positive addition. Is he an upgrade over one of the six that hit the portal? I think so.
 
I agree rose04 he might not be the final piece that makes everybody forget what we MIGHT be loosing, but if you go tit for tat or player for player he is probably an improvement over Rapp.
 
I agree rose04 he might not be the final piece that makes everybody forget what we MIGHT be loosing, but if you go tit for tat or player for player he is probably an improvement over Rapp.

I agree that Rapp is almost equal to him, and or Jabe a little tiny bit better then Rapp, so a tit for tat exchange replacement for Rapp.

Problem is, getting a equivalent to Ryan Rapp, in Jabe, probably wouldn't help WSU avoid a 8,9,10,11,12,13 win season.

But he might semi probably semi help WSU have a winning, successful, postseason, etc, season, the next season, after this coming season, if he develops.
 
I suspect he is and will be a lot better than Rapp. He was the Washington 4-A player of the year a couple of years ago.
 
Seems to be pretty positive. I feel a lot better when he lays out what they have. Noticed he said DJ twice when naming players at the end. Wonder if they expect Jefferson to sign.
 
I thought Smith's comments on Efe, Gueye, and Roberts were interesting if not encouraging. I'm not holding my breath, but this offseason has been more about letting things play out than most. I'm confident the staff will figure it out no matter what the portal players decide to do.

I think the 2 "DJs" are Dishon Jackson and DJ Rodman. From what's out there it sounds like we are in decent shape with DJ Jefferson, but I believe he was expected to trip to Tennessee this week/weekend. There's apparently another player in play that appears closer to making a decision.

Rosario probably is a bit of an unknown. The injury issues obviously don't help with development on the court or in the weight room.
 
Very interesting stuff. I was going to add that the two DJ's were most probably Jackson & Rodman, but you beat me to it, Save. The other "nugget" from the interview, if I heard it correctly, was that Smith seemed to indicate that if the NBA doesn't work out for Gueye and he decides to come back to college, it's very likely that he would return to Pullman. Somebody correct me if I'm off base or misunderstood. But if that's true, that would be a huge development.

Glad Cougar
 
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I hope Jefferson's visit here is after Tennessee. Competing with Barnes is tough especially when he has the last word.
 
Could be wrong but I think someone posted we are Jefferson's last visit.

If Jefferson were to sign maybe Jackson becomes DJack?
 
Could be wrong but I think someone posted we are Jefferson's last visit.

If Jefferson were to sign maybe Jackson becomes DJack?
That was in my memory too but couldn't find it. Maybe 7I posted it. If he were to sign there would be a lot of DJ's running around Friel court.
 
Well I guess we'll know sometime. The final signing date for HS players is May 18th but as far as I can tell that doesn't mean crap anymore. I have no idea what the singing date (if any) for the portals is.
 
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