I know they play in a weak conference but they haven't really even been challenged this year except a couple of games.

And this appears to not be an anomaly. They have averaged 28 wins per year over the past five years running and they're not even close to being done yet this season.

I can understand some of the big city schools going on a run like this, but how in the world is a school like Wichita St pulling this off??

And maybe even a bigger question how in the hell have they held on to Marshall. I've seen some questionable hires over the last two or three years while Marshall has put up some unreal numbers and seemingly is passed over.

Up until Mark Turgeon got there Wichita was pretty much just like us pre-Kermit's turnaround, which is average to below average. Is what's happening at Wichita as simple as just hiring the right coach proving that you can win anywhere with the right person running the show??

He makes $1.75M per year base

(02-24-2014 02:15 PM)mufanatehc Wrote:  He makes $1.75M per year base

I'm sure a school like Tennessee or Auburn can afford that.

By the way, more on Marshall. He averaged 21.5 wins per season at Winthrop over nine years. Since he left, Winthrop has only had two winning seasons. Gives some credence that the head coach is by far and away the single most important factor in your program above and beyond attendance, fundraising, facilities, recruiting budget, etc.

I remember when Marshall referred to Charlotte as his dream job.

What could have been...

(not saying he would have done the exact same here, but he has been successful at both Winthrop and WSU, so I'm confident that he is a really good coach and would do well wherever he is).

I'm not sure he can maintain a high level of success at WSU long term though. Can't imagine it is easy to recruit there. Not a lot of local talent and it has to be difficult to convince city kids from the east or west coasts to live there. Someone is eventually going to throw a pile of money at him. Maybe Tennessee? Would be ironic if that happened because if our former coach hadn't gotten passed over to the Tennessee job, Marshall would probably be our head coach right now.

Still wish we could grab them and an eastern non FB member.

(02-24-2014 02:50 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  Still wish we could grab them and an eastern non FB member.

This.

Well, Its an unfair advantage.

The have the upper hand in recruiting all the talent in the entire state of Wichita.

(02-24-2014 03:07 PM)gs_pirate Wrote:  Well, Its an unfair advantage.

The have the upper hand in recruiting all the talent in the entire state of Wichita.

Not sure if you're being serious. No emoticons to clarify.

(02-24-2014 03:10 PM)Funslinger Wrote:  

(02-24-2014 03:07 PM)gs_pirate Wrote:  Well, Its an unfair advantage.

The have the upper hand in recruiting all the talent in the entire state of Wichita.

Not sure if you're being serious. No emoticons to clarify.

Not sure if you're being serious. No emoticons to clarify.

Three by L, I think your view of Wichita State is incomplete. WSU has an excellent athletic department, and is successful in just about all their sports. They have top notch facilities, and as Greg Marshall states, they have all the bells and whistles of any major conference school. WSU has unbelievable support from the community which provides great attendance at their various venues, and money when they need it. Koch Arena is always a sellout, even in bad years. Wichita State has a significant history of success in basketball and baseball. It did not start with Mark Turgeon. Far from it. Greg Marshall has had opportunities to leave, but he doesn't want to leave. He gets paid well, has great facilities and support, and he has shone he can be successful at WSU. He doesn't see anything better than what he has.
(I live in Wichita which is the largest city in Kansas.)

Simple they dont have football just like VCU, Creighton, Gonzaga, St Louis and are able to pay their coach top dollars and are really invested into their basketball program...Wichita St. has always drawn well too with them being in a pretty big city like Wichita..When the perfect job comes open I am sure Marshall, and SHaka Smart will leave just like Brad Stevens did when it will be tough to match their sucess...Theme being no football, a pretty big city where you can draw equals sucessful coaches who stay longer than most would anywhere else or doenst matter thier conf...ANd just like we saw with VCU and Creighton, I am sure Wichita will be headed to a top basketball conf. only soon....

I think Brad Stevens probably could see the writing on the wall of taking Butler the highest they could possibly go and could never duplicate that sucess and got out....

Grabbing a combination of Wichita State, VCU or St. Louis would be a coup.

The MVC is having a down year, but is usually a pretty good conference. A lot of the teams have talented, but young players. Expect to see the conference rise as these young players mature. I do think WSU has an eye out for another conference now that Creighton is gone. I believe the success of their overall athletics would make them attractive.

(02-24-2014 03:59 PM)MUsince96 Wrote:  Grabbing a combination of Wichita State, VCU or St. Louis would be a coup.

VCU doesn't have football so they are a good fit in the A-10, the 6th best RPI conference. They are not coming to C-USA.

St Louis doesn't have football so they are a good fit in the A-10, the 6th best RPI conference. They would love to go to the Big East and that could happen. They are not coming to C-USA.

(02-24-2014 04:06 PM)Nugget49er Wrote:  

(02-24-2014 03:59 PM)MUsince96 Wrote:  Grabbing a combination of Wichita State, VCU or St. Louis would be a coup.

VCU doesn't have football so they are a good fit in the A-10, the 6th best RPI conference. They are not coming to C-USA.

St Louis doesn't have football so they are a good fit in the A-10, the 6th best RPI conference. They would love to go to the Big East and that could happen. They are not coming to C-USA.

Whether they would or wouldn't isn't completely known. I'm just saying if we wanted to have a hybrid conference again, adding those teams would be a coup.

Hybrid conferences are part what caused this mess, why would want to go back to that?

Makes for a better hoops conference which makes for more teams in the NCAA tournament. Which ultimately nets the conference more money and possibly a much better TV deal.

And if I'm remembering correctly (which I may not be), it was only really a mess for the Big East. Not so much for C-USA, they just made the choice to no longer be hybrid in 2005.

(02-24-2014 04:38 PM)MUsince96 Wrote:  And if I'm remembering correctly (which I may not be), it was only really a mess for the Big East. Not so much for C-USA, they just made the choice to no longer be hybrid in 2005.

Huge mess for Charlotte. There's a reason we left CUSA 1.0.

(02-24-2014 02:13 PM)ThreeifbyLightning Wrote:  I know they play in a weak conference but they haven't really even been challenged this year except a couple of games.

And this appears to not be an anomaly. They have averaged 28 wins per year over the past five years running and they're not even close to being done yet this season.

I can understand some of the big city schools going on a run like this, but how in the world is a school like Wichita St pulling this off??

And maybe even a bigger question how in the hell have they held on to Marshall. I've seen some questionable hires over the last two or three years while Marshall has put up some unreal numbers and seemingly is passed over.

Up until Mark Turgeon got there Wichita was pretty much just like us pre-Kermit's turnaround, which is average to below average. Is what's happening at Wichita as simple as just hiring the right coach proving that you can win anywhere with the right person running the show??

Wichita does not play in a "weak conference". They are in the Missouri Valley which has a higher conference RPI then does CUSA. Former teams of the Missouri include: Oklahoma State, Tulsa, Cincinnati, Louisville and Memphis