RPI #36 UA-Little Rock @ RPI #282 App State 7:30 PM HCC

[mtnjax]

Shabazz could be our first NBA player in a very long time, if we've even had one. Can't wait to see how he progresses over the next 3 years.

I think Logan will be a good PG going forward. Glad to see him getting more PT

Wow...our last NBA player was Belus Smawley in 1947 according to one website

[EastHallApp]

Ronshad is definitely gonna be the best player to ever play for us by a wide margin. Please, somehow find 4 more players to put around him for the next few years that aren't complete garbage.

I notice you've said that a few times. Who would you say holds that distinction now?

I'd say either Darryl Robinson or Tyson Patterson if we're only talking 4 year guys.

I am somewhat familiar with Robinson, but otherwise my historical knowledge only goes back to the late '90s. I would say Patterson, Marshall Phillips, Donald Sims and DJ Thompson would be the best I've seen.

[asu66]

It's way, way too early to crown Shad as the best ever. He's talented; and doesn't know yet just how good he can become. I hope he does rise like he's on an express elevator. Time will tell.

So far, he's no Steve Spurlock and no Donald Sims or Darryl Robinson or Boo Lawrence or Billy Ross or D.J. Thompson or Rodney Peel or Kareem Livingston or Junior Braswell or Stan Davis or Marshall Phillips. He most reminds me of former Cremins recruit Wade Capehart; and that's paying a compliment to Ronshad. Capehart was the real deal 'til he got undercut and seriously injured on a flying windmill dunk at NC State by Valvano's hatchet squad--Dereck Whittenburg and Sidney Lowe.

[hapapp]

It's way, way too early to crown Shad as the best ever. He's talented; and doesn't know yet just how good he can become. I hope he does rise like he's on an express elevator. Time will tell.

So far, he's no Steve Spurlock and no Donald Sims or Darryl Robinson or Boo Lawrence or Billy Ross or D.J. Thompson or Rodney Peel or Kareem Livingston or Junior Braswell or Stan Davis or Marshall Phillips. He most reminds me of former Cremins recruit Wade Capehart; and that's paying a compliment to Ronshad. Capehart was the real deal 'til he got undercut and seriously injured on a flying windmill dunk at NC State by Valvano's hatchet squad--Dereck Whittenburg and Sidney Lowe.

Thank you. I think he has the potential to be one of the best and it will be fun to watch him develop but I think it way too premature to declare someone the best to ever play here after his first season in Boone.

[bigCasu]

Ronshad's success will be determined by the contributions of others. In Fox's offense, any one player isn't really designated as the leading scorer, or shooter, etc. Its pretty simple, if you are open, and your body is ready to shoot, fire at will. Before its all said and done, he'll be a 1,000 point scorer, and perhaps a 1,500 pt scorer. That'll put him in the conversation.

[appst89]

Since we're talking about the best we've seen at App, I'm going to put in an honorable mention for the late Rufus Leach. I've been around App basketball since '85 and I've never seen anyone who could energize a gym like he could.

[3rd]

Since we're talking about the best we've seen at App, I'm going to put in an honorable mention for the late Rufus Leach. I've been around App basketball since '85 and I've never seen anyone who could energize a gym like he could.

He had the last basket in Varsity Gym and first in the Holmes.

[appgrouch]

Since we're talking about the best we've seen at App, I'm going to put in an honorable mention for the late Rufus Leach. I've been around App basketball since '85 and I've never seen anyone who could energize a gym like he could.

He had the last basket in Varsity Gym and first in the Holmes.

I would have loved for him to have had the first basket on HCC, but he died the June before it opened.

[asu66]

Unfortunately correct! Rufus died as the Buzzard was job shopping at Missouri State and at Tulsa. He never got a minute in HCC as a player.

[EastHallApp]

Unfortunately correct! Rufus died as the Buzzard was job shopping at Missouri State and at Tulsa. He never got a minute in HCC as a player.

The Missouri State flirtation was actually the year before. In fact, Buzz actually accepted that job, then backed out at the last minute. Years ago I had a brief stint as a reporter at the Watauga Democrat, and Steve Behr had on his wall the unpublished front page of the paper with the story of Buzz leaving for Missouri State. He said he actually got to run into the printing room and yell "stop the presses!"

[asu66]

Thanks for the timeline fix. Buzz was so actively shopping that it has become hard to keep straight (in my mind--15+ years later). And most of the time he was flying on an ASU Athletics credit card...and looking us in the eye and telling us he wanted to stay at ASU a long, long time because he and Jan loved it there! Not!

[EastHallApp]

I was in school during his first stint. I never faulted him for leaving when he did. He could have left earlier. Staying four years, taking a 20-loss program before he arrived to three straight 20-win seasons, finally getting the NCAA bid and then moving on - that's pretty much the blueprint for a young coach at the low-major level. Always pulled for him after that.

If he was using ASU funds inappropriately or lying to people, that's not cool obviously. But I never had any illusions that he was going to be spending his career in Boone.

The second time... that's the one that burns me.

[Appersrule]

The second time the egg is on the face of Cobb & certain well to do donors who thought a change was needed from Fancher. Hindsight is 20-20, and it looks to be one that has doomed basketball at App ever since.

[EastHallApp]

The second time the egg is on the face of Cobb & certain well to do donors who thought a change was needed from Fancher. Hindsight is 20-20, and it looks to be one that has doomed basketball at App ever since.

We did need a change from Fancher IMO. Nine seasons, never even played for the SoCon title, only once had consecutive winning seasons. He had some success but not enough.

Letting Fancher go wasn't what doomed App basketball. Neither was hiring Buzz again. Replacing Buzz with Capel was.

[Appersrule]

I would take Fanchers teams x100 vs what we have had since him and Buzz left.

[appgrouch]

The second time the egg is on the face of Cobb & certain well to do donors who thought a change was needed from Fancher. Hindsight is 20-20, and it looks to be one that has doomed basketball at App ever since.

We did need a change from Fancher IMO. Nine seasons, never even played for the SoCon title, only once had consecutive winning seasons. He had some success but not enough.

Letting Fancher go wasn't what doomed App basketball. Neither was hiring Buzz again. Replacing Buzz with Capel was.

Buying out Fancher's last year was the moment that changed things. If Fancher wasn't bought out expressly so that Buzz would come in, Buzz might have gone directly to the coast. If Buzz hand not brought Capel in as an assistant, he would never have been considered as a candidate for head coach.

Maybe Matt would have got a look after Fancher's contract expired, maybe not, but there would have been an understanding of if X did not happen, then after the last game a national search would be announced. It is somewhat debatable if we even had a full search when Fox was hired, but, not being around during the run up to Buzz 1, our last real search was 95-96 or maybe around 83 when Apke was hired.

(The Fox question was in regard to the reported "target-lock" that Cobb and others had on Bobby Lutz during the process)

[eggers76]

I may be in the minority but I don't think Buzz should have been brought back and I felt this way, before he was hired. He did a very good job that year but afterwards a diaster happened and his track record for moving is well documented and was contributory.

[AppDawg]

I may be in the minority but I don't think Buzz should have been brought back and I felt this way, before he was hired. He did a very good job that year but afterwards a diaster happened and his track record for moving is well documented and was contributory.

I was OK with bringing him back. He said all of the right things. He wanted to be the "jerry moore" of basketball & he brought results. What I was not Ok with was the lack of foresight by CC and his administration in opting to exclude a significant buyout clause in his contract. In my opinion the buyout should have been large enough that only a Basketball powerhouse with significant revenues could have pulled him away, which would have allowed us to payoff Fancher & left enough over to adequately compensate a capable coach. Unfortunately, we were left in financial straights and opted for unCapable.

I am glad CC is georia states problem now.

[EastHallApp]

I may be in the minority but I don't think Buzz should have been brought back and I felt this way, before he was hired. He did a very good job that year but afterwards a diaster happened and his track record for moving is well documented and was contributory.

I don't know that you're in the minority among this board. I disagree but understand the viewpoint. My view is that, even though he lied through his teeth about wanting to "put down roots" or whatever he said, Buzz improved the program in his one year here and left behind a roster that was among the SoCon favorites the following year. No matter how bad our finances were, I can't imagine McMahon would have turned the job down if we'd offered it.