With this season winding down and with our results looking very similar to last year, it makes me wonder what would have been the results this season if we didn't burn down the roster after last season? Much of what transferred or was kicked off of last years team is what this years team desperately needed, OFFENSE.
This year's team:
#284 in effective fg%
#336 in 3 pt fg%
#212 in points/game
Many of the players that transferred or were dismissed from the team were some of our best offensive players.
Tre Harris was a sniper. He was not a great player or a complete player, but he was a shooter. He went 20-44 from three point range last season knocking down over 45% of his 3 point attempts. He is a player that can make your zone offense look a lot better in a hurry. Transferred home to SIU-Edwardsville.
Nigel Johnson never really had a chance to completely shine last season due to splitting time with Jevon Thomas. When Johnson had his chance he looked pretty darn effective. He went for 20 points against KU last season and had several other double digit scoring days. His shooting numbers are as good or better than any of our guards this season. On a team that struggled to score another upperclassmen scorer could have meant a lot this season. Transferred to the Big 10, Rutgers.
Marcus Foster was a team cancer, scapegoat, and Freshman All-American. This young man is a big time natural talent. He can slam it home or fill it up from deep. He is an All Big 12 type of player and a "go to guy". He wanted to take the game winning shot. He averaged nearly 17 points per game in Big 12 play as a Freshman, Last season only half interested (maybe less) he averaged 12 (slightly more than anyone on this years team).
Transferred to the Big East, Creighton.
Malek Harris didn't show much last season, but we lacked depth in the paint this season and he would have been another body with a year of Big 12 experience under his belt. He would have gave us another option other than 6'6" walk on Austin Budke. Went to JUCO for a bounce back but then tore his Achilles over the summer.
Jevon Thomas might have been addition by subtraction. He was not developing and did not appear to be a good fit for Weber's system. He was probably addition by subtraction. Transferred home to the Big East, Seton Hall.
With another subpar year nearly complete in hindsight I wonder what would have happened if we kept the players and sent the coach walking. Would a new coach have been able to get their heads on straight and improve the locker room dysfunction? Would many of these players still have had to be dismissed or asked to transfer? Would the new coach likely have struggled to get to .500 overall this season with only 5 conference wins? In hindsight would we have been better off trying to keep the players and drop the coach?
This year's team:
#284 in effective fg%
#336 in 3 pt fg%
#212 in points/game
Many of the players that transferred or were dismissed from the team were some of our best offensive players.
Tre Harris was a sniper. He was not a great player or a complete player, but he was a shooter. He went 20-44 from three point range last season knocking down over 45% of his 3 point attempts. He is a player that can make your zone offense look a lot better in a hurry. Transferred home to SIU-Edwardsville.
Nigel Johnson never really had a chance to completely shine last season due to splitting time with Jevon Thomas. When Johnson had his chance he looked pretty darn effective. He went for 20 points against KU last season and had several other double digit scoring days. His shooting numbers are as good or better than any of our guards this season. On a team that struggled to score another upperclassmen scorer could have meant a lot this season. Transferred to the Big 10, Rutgers.
Marcus Foster was a team cancer, scapegoat, and Freshman All-American. This young man is a big time natural talent. He can slam it home or fill it up from deep. He is an All Big 12 type of player and a "go to guy". He wanted to take the game winning shot. He averaged nearly 17 points per game in Big 12 play as a Freshman, Last season only half interested (maybe less) he averaged 12 (slightly more than anyone on this years team).
Transferred to the Big East, Creighton.
Malek Harris didn't show much last season, but we lacked depth in the paint this season and he would have been another body with a year of Big 12 experience under his belt. He would have gave us another option other than 6'6" walk on Austin Budke. Went to JUCO for a bounce back but then tore his Achilles over the summer.
Jevon Thomas might have been addition by subtraction. He was not developing and did not appear to be a good fit for Weber's system. He was probably addition by subtraction. Transferred home to the Big East, Seton Hall.
With another subpar year nearly complete in hindsight I wonder what would have happened if we kept the players and sent the coach walking. Would a new coach have been able to get their heads on straight and improve the locker room dysfunction? Would many of these players still have had to be dismissed or asked to transfer? Would the new coach likely have struggled to get to .500 overall this season with only 5 conference wins? In hindsight would we have been better off trying to keep the players and drop the coach?
