One of the key issues that we are currently dealing with is a lack of experience/muscle mass/etc. in the frontcourt and it brings to mind the attrition that we have had in the frontcourt.
For whatever reason, Shyatt has had a much tougher time retaining frontcourt players than perimeter players during his tenure. I wouldn't say Shyatt has had a high attrition rate by any means in the current college basketball climate, but it has seemingly been concentrated on the frontcourt. Here are the frontcourt recruits since Shyatt returned:
Class of 2011:
Larry Nance - I think this one worked out
Lekan Ajayi - Left before he even got started. Had a long college odyssey (FIU, Collin County CC, EMU) but was never much of a factor at the D-1 level. Provided some defense/rebounding in a bench role for a decent EMU team. Probably could have helped the Pokes in that kind of role, but not worth the attitude.
Tyrone Marshall - Left after one year. Went JC and then D2 CSU-Pueblo. Had a solid career at CSUP. Not a great athlete (reflected in modest rebounding numbers even at the D2 level) but good size and became a legitimate post scorer at CSUP
Class of 2012:
Matt Sellers - Left UW during the season last year. Never had much impact.
Austin Haldorson - Never had much impact at UW, role player at D2 level
Derek Cooke - Solid MWC starter as upperclassman.
Class of 2013:
Alan Herndon - Current Poke
Keonta Vernon - Left during freshman year, bounced to JC ranks (CSI) and now at Grand Canyon (more on that later)
Class of 2014:
Diontae Jones - Left during freshman year, bounced to JC ranks. Currently plays at Garden City CC. Averaging 6 ppg/5 rpg.
Jonathan Barnes - Current Poke
Tyrell Williams - Left during freshman year, bounced to JC ranks. Currently plays at Western Nebraska CC. Averaging 13.5 ppg/6.9 rpg but those numbers understate his impact as he hasn't played big minutes in some of the typical laughable early season JC games. In key games he is a major contributor including a 19/10 stat line against CSI.
Class of 2015:
Naughton/Dalton/Moemeka - Current Pokes
In general, there are a lot of misses on that list. Partially was a function of talent level being up to snuff, but partially an attrition issue (some not basketball related). How much could we use either Williams or Vernon right now? As I noted Williams is having a great start to his RFr. year in the JC ranks. He will almost certainly end up signing at a pretty high D1 level assuming he takes care of classroom requirements and earns his AA at WNCC. Vernon is a contributor (6 ppg, 4.8 rpg in only 13 mpg) for a good GCU team (4-0 with blowout wins over low major D1 competition). He doesn't play enough to qualify for the stat, but he would be among the Top 30 players in the country in Offensive Rebounding %. Obviously that stat wouldn't translate to UW, but still.
The other interesting thing about GCU is the guy that Keonta Vernon is backing up: Grandy Glaze. I wish we could have signed him. I was very high on bringing him in because I felt like he fit a gap that we had as he had always demonstrated a very high rebounding percentage at SLU and was known as a quality defender. It's early, but he is averaging a double-double (13.3 ppg, 10.0 rpg) in only 22 minutes for GCU. His defensive rebounding rate (27.2%) is among the top in the country and better than even Nance in his Jr. season. It's not a fluke either as Glaze had the exact same defensive rebounding percentage in his last year at SLU before getting hurt.
It doesn't do any good to lament what could have been, but any of those three guys (Williams, Vernon, Glaze) manning the 4 spot for the Pokes right now would sure help us out on the glass.
For whatever reason, Shyatt has had a much tougher time retaining frontcourt players than perimeter players during his tenure. I wouldn't say Shyatt has had a high attrition rate by any means in the current college basketball climate, but it has seemingly been concentrated on the frontcourt. Here are the frontcourt recruits since Shyatt returned:
Class of 2011:
Larry Nance - I think this one worked out
Lekan Ajayi - Left before he even got started. Had a long college odyssey (FIU, Collin County CC, EMU) but was never much of a factor at the D-1 level. Provided some defense/rebounding in a bench role for a decent EMU team. Probably could have helped the Pokes in that kind of role, but not worth the attitude.
Tyrone Marshall - Left after one year. Went JC and then D2 CSU-Pueblo. Had a solid career at CSUP. Not a great athlete (reflected in modest rebounding numbers even at the D2 level) but good size and became a legitimate post scorer at CSUP
Class of 2012:
Matt Sellers - Left UW during the season last year. Never had much impact.
Austin Haldorson - Never had much impact at UW, role player at D2 level
Derek Cooke - Solid MWC starter as upperclassman.
Class of 2013:
Alan Herndon - Current Poke
Keonta Vernon - Left during freshman year, bounced to JC ranks (CSI) and now at Grand Canyon (more on that later)
Class of 2014:
Diontae Jones - Left during freshman year, bounced to JC ranks. Currently plays at Garden City CC. Averaging 6 ppg/5 rpg.
Jonathan Barnes - Current Poke
Tyrell Williams - Left during freshman year, bounced to JC ranks. Currently plays at Western Nebraska CC. Averaging 13.5 ppg/6.9 rpg but those numbers understate his impact as he hasn't played big minutes in some of the typical laughable early season JC games. In key games he is a major contributor including a 19/10 stat line against CSI.
Class of 2015:
Naughton/Dalton/Moemeka - Current Pokes
In general, there are a lot of misses on that list. Partially was a function of talent level being up to snuff, but partially an attrition issue (some not basketball related). How much could we use either Williams or Vernon right now? As I noted Williams is having a great start to his RFr. year in the JC ranks. He will almost certainly end up signing at a pretty high D1 level assuming he takes care of classroom requirements and earns his AA at WNCC. Vernon is a contributor (6 ppg, 4.8 rpg in only 13 mpg) for a good GCU team (4-0 with blowout wins over low major D1 competition). He doesn't play enough to qualify for the stat, but he would be among the Top 30 players in the country in Offensive Rebounding %. Obviously that stat wouldn't translate to UW, but still.
The other interesting thing about GCU is the guy that Keonta Vernon is backing up: Grandy Glaze. I wish we could have signed him. I was very high on bringing him in because I felt like he fit a gap that we had as he had always demonstrated a very high rebounding percentage at SLU and was known as a quality defender. It's early, but he is averaging a double-double (13.3 ppg, 10.0 rpg) in only 22 minutes for GCU. His defensive rebounding rate (27.2%) is among the top in the country and better than even Nance in his Jr. season. It's not a fluke either as Glaze had the exact same defensive rebounding percentage in his last year at SLU before getting hurt.
It doesn't do any good to lament what could have been, but any of those three guys (Williams, Vernon, Glaze) manning the 4 spot for the Pokes right now would sure help us out on the glass.
