Story: Robert Franks withdraws from NBA Draft, returns to Cougs for 2018-19

[ScottHood]

Today was the deadline for draft prospects that hadn't hired an agent to declare their intentions.

Story: https://washingtonstate.rivals.com/news/mbk-franks-will-return-to-cougs-for-2018-19-season

 

[ElComanche]

Good he used common sense . His experience will certainly help as well as his dependable rebounding

 

[acgcoug]

He was definitely testing the NBA waters with the hope of some team seeing his development and potential. Last year was all he had on his resume to show the NBA what he was capable of. A good Senior year with further improvement should get some NBA teams to give him some looks.

I would like to see him average 20+ this year, bump up his rebounding from 6.6 per game to 7.5-8.5, and improve on his inside game. He should get NBA looks from an improvement and stats like this.

 

[SaveFerris]

He was definitely testing the NBA waters with the hope of some team seeing his development and potential. Last year was all he had on his resume to show the NBA what he was capable of. A good Senior year with further improvement should get some NBA teams to give him some looks.

I would like to see him average 20+ this year, bump up his rebounding from 6.6 per game to 7.5-8.5, and improve on his inside game. He should get NBA looks from an improvement and stats like this.

I think Franks has to improve his ball handling and ability to penetrate. Improving his defense wouldn't hurt either but I don't know whether he has the feet to do it.

However, we get a lot of production back in the lineup for another year and hopefully he benefits from going through the workouts and receiving feedback from teams.

 

[jourdand]

I don’t see Franks ever playing in the NBA but if he does I would think it would be in the role of a spot up shooter, which he already has the ability to do. I would think to make the league he would have to add a strong defense and rebounding. I don’t see him being asked to put the balk on the floor.

 

[SaveFerris]

I don’t see Franks ever playing in the NBA but if he does I would think it would be in the role of a spot up shooter, which he already has the ability to do. I would think to make the league he would have to add a strong defense and rebounding. I don’t see him being asked to put the balk on the floor.

What's his position in the NBA? I don't really see one but certainly would have to improve in a number of areas. Carlos Daniels was a totally different player but similar issue. Wasn't a 4 in the NBA and didn't have the skill for the wing.

 

[ElComanche]

I would like to see Franks production go down a little with a less minutes.I hope that Chidom and Kunc can develop and get more positive minutes.It would help to have a deeper bench and fresh troops in the game.

 

[acgcoug]

I would like to see Franks production go down a little with a less minutes.I hope that Chidom and Kunc can develop and get more positive minutes.It would help to have a deeper bench and fresh troops in the game.

I agree, but for the sake of Frank's NBA potential, he needs to bump up his production a bit, as well as improve in a couple areas (ball handling, quickness, inside game). Wishful thinking has me hoping that his personal development, and those you mentioned have the opportunity to do the same.

 

[ElComanche]

I care more about the team s success than Frank s NBA potential. Franks is a long shot at best to ever be drafted. However,he needs to improve his inside game as well as his defense to have a chance. If he shows improvement that will boost his chances more than gaudy statistics.It also helps to play on a winning team.

 

[7ICoug]

Most important thing for Franks is to complete his degree.

 

[acgcoug]

I was looking over our recruiting class again, and I like this group on paper. With Franks coming back, I really don't see us taking a step back this coming year. Btw, Franks was the 5th most offensively efficient player in the Pac-12 last year. Not bad considering the league had some great players last year.

The only position I'm really concerned about is center, and we more than likely won't have a big down low presence again. I expect Isaiah Wade to eventually get the bulk of the minutes at Center/PF. He's a perfect replacement for Bernstine with his strength/physical play, and high energy. He had 16 double doubles last year at his JC. If he can do half that, we should be in pretty good shape. A healthy Pollard should be solid help here too. I am still unsure with Cooper and Chidom.

The two PG's coming in sound like good replacements for Flynn and Acquaah. A nice balance to what we lost in those two. Robinson is a good distributor with a solid offensive game, athletic/good at driving, 40% from 3 last year, and an excellent Assist to turnover ratio that far exceeds any of our players from last year. Ali is a very good scorer, potentially being a good offensive replacement for Flynn, also 40% from 3 last year.

Wing/SF - Skaggs, Daniels, Hinson. They should only be better this coming year. With Elleby 6'7', Kunc 6'8", Cannon 6'5" all bringing in good length and athleticism (something we really need), they all should help a bit with rebounding, slashing, and a presence in the paint. I'm really intriqued by Kunc, but he will probably need a year or two.

 

[ElComanche]

Yes Kunc may turn out to be a real sleeper.I see Elleby as being a starter before long. Cannon will be a defensive presence and can slash to the basket. The odd man out may indeed be Skaggs.One thing people overlook is that Chidom shot better than Franks from 3 pt land. The number of attempts and consistency over a season still needs to be proven.There are a lot of "if s " but the potential is there for a much better season.The revamped recruiting staff is to be congratulated for a good recruiting season

 

[avabob1]

Chidum has a nice stroke. No fluke that he shot the 3 well last year.

 

[SaveFerris]

Franks has more range but I think Chidom will continue to shoot a higher percentage from 3. Chidom needs just a little more strength and polish to his game.

There’s always minutes for a 6’5” guy that can shoot like Skaggs. Hopefully Elleby, Hinson, or maybe even Cannon show they are a better alternative for starter minutes but there will still be a role for Skaggs.

 

[acgcoug]

Chidum has a nice stroke. No fluke that he shot the 3 well last year.

He does. For some reason I was thinking he was older, as I had him mixed up as a JC recruit. With all the JC players coming/going, I've had a hard time keeping track.

With him only being a Sophomore, there is definitely some potential with his game.

Also, I wouldn't be surprised to see Ali and Robinson on the court at the same time a bit this coming year. Similar to Low/Rochestie, as both came in as PG's. Ali is more known for his scoring ability, which is something we will be needing with Flynn's loss.

 

[ElComanche]

Robert Franks is the second highest scorer in the PAC 12 coming back for next year. He averaged 17.4 pts and Tres Tinkle is the top returning scorer at 17. 6 pts per game.

 

[etowncoug]

He does. For some reason I was thinking he was older, as I had him mixed up as a JC recruit. With all the JC players coming/going, I've had a hard time keeping track.

With him only being a Sophomore, there is definitely some potential with his game.

Also, I wouldn't be surprised to see Ali and Robinson on the court at the same time a bit this coming year. Similar to Low/Rochestie, as both came in as PG's. Ali is more known for his scoring ability, which is something we will be needing with Flynn's loss.

I think we will be pleasantly surprised by Robinson as a scorer. He might not be looking to shoot first, but with Daniels/Franks/Skaggs on the floor with him he'll have plenty of opportunities to drive to the basket. If teams play off him, his jumper will prove deadly. This won't be a Milan Acquaah situation where teams will play off him and dare him to shoot. If they do, he'll score 20.

I'm interested to see what we do with the 5. Cooper will obviously get some minutes as a time protector. Wade looks like he could be an animal on the glass and Kent likes his shot. This type of player usually plays the 4 for Ernie, but Franks will gobble most of this minutes. Chidom doesn't have the size of a traditional Center (bulk not height). Pollard has struggled to stay healthy, but I could see him as a pretty opportunistic scorer down low. Lots of possibilities, but maybe a shortage of good options.

 

[avabob1]

Pollard was very productive during the early run last season.

 

[ElComanche]

Pollard is a well schooled and very fundamental player. It would be good if he would return healthy and give them depth,experience and productivity from the so called five position.

 

[jourdand]

At 6-7 215 (WSU official roster) Wade is not exactly taylor made for the 5 spot at the D1 level especially in power conference but he will more than likely be getting minutes there. I also think he is better suited to play the 4 spot and remember when he was recruited Franks was all but gone. If healthy I think Pollard starts at the five but there are minutes there to be won.

 

[ElComanche]

I still think that Skaggs will be the odd man out. Last year,Kent used him to try and produce offense. The coug point guards were just not making plays and if Flynn was off the offense bogged down. The team was hurting for offensive firepower.Skaggs played more than he did as a seldom used reserve on his juco team Think about that for a minute.Skaggs is really not a D 1 level talent.He tries hard but he is really limited as player. I hope that the influx of more talented and versatile players will reduce his role on the team. The team looked horrible at times as the other teams would put the game away in the first half. A team with a better defense and a more diversified offense may change that.

 

[jourdand]

I feel about Skaggs basically the same way I feel about this years JC players. There is a role they are suited for and a role they will be asked to play, I’m not convinced those roles are the same. Every year we talk about improved athleticism and improved defense pushing returning players out of the rotation but it hasn’t ever panned out. Usually we are more disappointed than impressed with first year player production. Remember how good Acquaah and Chidom were supposed to be? Remember the role Cooper was supposed to play? Let’s face it Ergas has athleticism on top of his athleticism but apparently something else was missing.

 

[etowncoug]

Skaggs is an excellent shooter, and while I expect his minutes to dwindle this year, he has a marketable skill which could be used a lot more than we expect next year. The rest of the potential wings need to show they can do something consistently to help the team win. Hinson has shown flashes, Elleby, Cannon, and Kunc have promise but none have shown above average defense or demand constant attention from opponents when we are on offense. Skaggs at least forces a defender to follow him out on the wing to deny him the ball.

 

[jourdand]

All very true!!

 

[ElComanche]

I did not realize that the season was underway and Kunc ,Elleby and Cannon were not playing well? All three of these guys have looked great playing HS and Juco ball .It is still be be seen how well they adapt to D 1 ball. Lets wait until the season is under way before leaping to conclusions about these three recruits .

 

[etowncoug]

I feel about Skaggs basically the same way I feel about this years JC players. There is a role they are suited for and a role they will be asked to play, I’m not convinced those roles are the same. Every year we talk about improved athleticism and improved defense pushing returning players out of the rotation but it hasn’t ever panned out. Usually we are more disappointed than impressed with first year player production. Remember how good Acquaah and Chidom were supposed to be? Remember the role Cooper was supposed to play? Let’s face it Ergas has athleticism on top of his athleticism but apparently something else was missing.

I feel more confident about this round of JC's because they have had more success on the court than the players you mention. Ali and Robinson have been high percentage shooters who haven't been turn over machines. Especially Robinson. Cannon dominated the national tournament. Wade's numbers haven't been especially impressive I'll grant you, but the other three have earned the optimism we have in them.

 

[jourdand]

That’s great advice! Except you have already anointed them as better athletes and better defenders and even to the point of being better leaders, without ever seeing them in anything other than a highlight video. I used to make those videos and now I watch a ton of them as an D3 assistant and they always seem to make every shot every block and every pass but reality is much different. They have earned optimism rights but those numbers are at the JC level which I’m sorry has not been very impressive for quite a few years. Which is one of the reasons our past JC recruit have struggled the speed is light years different.

 

[etowncoug]

I did not realize that the season was underway and Kunc ,Elleby and Cannon were not playing well? All three of these guys have looked great playing HS and Juco ball .It is still be be seen how well they adapt to D 1 ball. Lets wait until the season is under way before leaping to conclusions about these three recruits .

I didn't realize the season had started and the players you mentioned had relegated Skaggs to a bench player. He does some stuff pretty well and no one has pushed him out of his job. I'd be surprised if he sees a huge drop in minutes unless one of the 3 newcomers really impresses.

 

[ElComanche]

Skaggs is a proven product and defensive liability while the other players have yet to play a minute. I would be surprised if he averages 10 minutes a game. The only "stuff" Skaggs has done is his three point shooting.The practices and season has not yet started and they have not had a chance to "push him out of a job." These players were stars at other levels. Skaggs was never considered a star at any level of play.I would match any one of these players on a one one game with Skaggs and bet $1000 on each game and win some easy money.Of course team play and all around basketball ability come into play and i still like all three a lot more than Skaggs. The coaches will decide playing time and will have ample time to set up a top eight players.

 

[jourdand]

That’s fair enough. Let coach decide. However Skaggs was at least somewhat of a Star for WSU last year and that’s where it really counts. He was one of the only players on our roster who garnered special attention and planing. Imo his role should be instant offense off the bench but as you say let the coach decide. PS go back and watch last years games, the statements about Skaggs being terrible on defense just don’t play out anymore than any other player on WSU the last few years. He has liabilities for sure but he didn’t get blown by anywhere near as often as people like to think.

 

[ElComanche]

I saw enough of the games to see his defensive liabilities. Some time a zone defense can cover up individual liabilities. Look at his footwork on defense and then talk about his defensive abilities.Sure instant offense is sometimes needed. But there were games when his shooting was off and his presence on the court hurt the cougs. But again we will not decide who plays the coaches will and it is their butts on the line. So i hope they have enough talent and make the right decisions.One thing people need to realize is that Skaggs was fourth on the team in 3 pt shooting percentage. Franks. Daniels .and Chidom all shot better than Skaggs. The team needs defense,mid range scoring and players who can slash to the basket. They have enough 3 pt shooters and need more of the aforementioned abilities on the court.

 

[jourdand]

Again you are exactly right go back and look at his footwork if you can’t see its very good I don’t know what to say. He will always cover another shooter and his foot speed will always be an issue but foot speed and footwork are totally different. Your right one on one he would have trouble but he understands angles, forcing players into uncomfortable situations and using what’s around him sidelines baselines and other players to help cover up his liability. If you comepared minutes played to how many layups or blow bys were given up his numbers would be far superior to Franks who has zero basketball IQ.

 

[avabob1]

Its a shooters game today. And not many guys have as quick a release from long range as Skaggs. Not sure he will be a starter, but he could be a key contributor, and has upside.

Lots of talk about poor defense, and I am not saying the D was good, but here are things I thought hurt us worse last year. 1 was turnovers. Those 20 turnover games killed us. 2 was inability to finish inside. Bernstein and Pollard showed no ability to finish or even draw fouls at the rim. 3 was defensive rebounding.

On D I thought transition D was worse than half court D.

 

[ElComanche]

He is a smart basketball player and he does understand basketball. However one needs to be able to create their own shot and a quick release sometimes means a hurried shot. If a player know that scoring is the only thing keeping him on the court, A player may hurry shots.He will be a good coach one day. Again the coaches are going to be the ones making the decision on who to play, The turnovers hurt and that is usually due to poor guard play and a lack of leadership.Bernstein also contributed in this area and he is gone. The guard play has to improve and hopefully they will be the play makers. Transition D depends on hustle and team communication.The guards are usually the ones directing the flow on the court.When i played PG i would get on the big guys to hustle their behinds off. They would accept the encouragement and someone needs to fulfill this role on the team, The team needs to bond and a team leader has to emerge if this team will become a winning team

 

[jourdand]

Leadership roles will be interesting this year. The natural thought would be Franks and Daniels but neither one seems to have the personality for it at least not a vocal leader. Point guard is the natural position for leadership but both our point guards will be first year players and it very well might be point guard by committee which makes that difficult but not impossible.i could Skaggs as a leader but it depends on his role on the team which is still very much up in the air.

 

[avabob1]

Skaggs has a naturally quick release, but he certainly hurried some last year. Part of adjusting to D-1 is learning to get shots in the flow of the offense. You often see guys hurrying shots their first year.

 

[SaveFerris]

When you get into opponents game plan you are doing something right. Skaggs was shooting 50%+ when he was getting open looks but that dipped to 40% by the end of the year as he started to rush shots up and just seemed to get out of rhythm. Daniels shot better overall (45%) partially because he did not force shots. Problem for him is he would disappear for stretches because he wouldn't force shots and he is basically a spot up shooter. Hinson was pretty good at times from 3 but bad decisions and turnovers kept him on the bench. He had the same amount of turnovers in far less minutes compared to Skaggs. Not even close compared to Daniels.

Skaggs and Daniels shooting will keep them on the floor even if they become rotation guys. The 3 is just too big of a need for them not to demand decent minutes. We need others that can create and make them better. Hinson, Elleby, Ali, and Wade will get opportunities to step into the lineup. First year has typically been disappointing as pointed out. We need that to change in a big way this year.

 

[gazooks2]

Skaggs footwork also impacts his offensive abilities.The cougs will have several good 3 pt shooters this coming year.They also have the ability to create when the offense is sluggish. The opposing team started to go after Skaggs and he had to rush his shots to try and score. He was/is the consummate spot up shooter. Also Flynn was a good player who should have stayed.. However Ali and others are just as capable of matching his point production. He was allowed to shoot a lot of three pointers and his stats do look good on paper.. But i also think that the guard play has a good chance to be better this year.

 

[ElComanche]

It seems like there has been some interest generated for the next basketball season. That happened las tyear when the cougs started out the season with a 6-0 record. They returned and laid an egg in Pullman. the fan interst rapidly dwindled from there on.

 

[ElComanche]

It seems like there has been some interest generated for the next basketball season. That happened last year when the cougs started out the season with a 6-0 record. They returned home and laid an egg in Pullman. The fan interest rapidly dwindled from there on.The cougs need to start out fast and sustain thie momentum during the early part of the season