Marcus Foster and what KSU could have been...
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Boy oh boy is this guy a college stud. 18.6 ppg for the #8 Ranked Creighton Jays.
Imagine what KSU could have been if Weber kept this guy in check. We are talking KSU as a top 15 possibly top 10 team with a guy that can score like Foster.
This is why Weber will never be able to get to that top 10 level again. 33% of the job is being able to properly manage ego’s. Losing a 1st team all Big XII guard because he doesn’t follow team rules and you guys can’t get along is not something great coaches do.
The funny thing is that I really like Foster and the way he played against KU. I had respect for the type of gritty player he was on the court. I wish Bruce could have kept him… That would have made this year a lot more fun.
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Foster is a great example of why Bruce Weber struggles as a coach. He’s not really a player’s coach (though he tries to be) and he’s not a disciplinarian. He hasn’t had enough success to rein in players.
For instance, let’s imagine that Weber had someone like Josh Jackson on his squad. Jackson has a strong personality. Would Weber be able to channel that, or would Jackson be barking at teammates in practice and during games, or grow frustrated that Weber wasn’t pushing his teammates enough?
That’s the issue for Weber. He doesn’t have enough credibility to be a player’s coach or a disciplinarian, but he also lacks the coaching chops to just be a great X and O guy that people respect for his knowledge alone, and he hasn’t had enough success to just say that guy wins wherever he goes.
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@justanotherfan Oh exactly. I think Foster wasn’t a problem guy until everyone around him was letting him down. Then he went off the rails. It has to be frustrating to be a 15 ppg guy and everyone around you can’t get it done. You are carrying the team as far as you can and they still let you down.
I do like Weber’s squad right now. I think that he is learning how to recruit to Manhattan. It is very different than to Illinois. The lifestyle is very different and so the type of kids you bring in need to be different. Find good players is important. Finding players that mesh personality-wise with each other and the coach are even more important though. And after all this kicking players off of the team, I think he finally has a group that like each other and play for each other.
With that being said, I hope he figures it out a little bit and KSU becomes an annual game we are look forward to. Much like the 2nd game of this season will be.
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Foster would have been at KU if he received an offer. That was the Wiggs mega class so there wasn’t room of course. Would have been MUCH better than Frankamp in hindsight though.
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@BShark Agreed, I actually liked Tharpe better than Frankamp, actually won a couple of games for us. But ultimately GroinRash had to go as well. I think it escapes most KU fans to realize how little chance CF actually had at KU, especially after his disastrous 1st season at KU. He & his dad needed to go as well. Just like CJ Henry needed to take his dad & git on down the road!
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Foster got into a lot of trouble at KSU because of bad behavior and piss poor attitude and was suspended because of it, perhaps more than once? You have to respect a coach that chooses good behavior and team over winning at all or any cost. I will guess that most of us followed KSU closer so we have more information on what went on. I personally do not follow Creighton that close or hardly at all so I don’t know if he finally grew up and decided to be a team player or if he is doing the same thing and just getting away with it. Maybe someone with inside info into that program can chime in…
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Here is a story that says quite a bit about Bruce and his blunders with players… primarily on recruiting mishaps.
When Bruce Weber Failed The Illini
“There have been a few recruiting mishaps during Weber’s time in Illinois. During the great run in the early years, Charlie Villanueva verbally committed to the Illini under Bill Self but then signed with UConn.”
Was I the only one that noticed the handshake line last week in AFH? It didn’t really look like Bill and Bruce were in love.
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In all fairness Charlie Villanueva has always been a head case.
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@drgnslayr said:
Was I the only one that noticed the handshake line last week in AFH? It didn’t really look like Bill and Bruce were in love.
Guessing that Bill really doesn’t care for Bruce based on lots of evidence and interactions.
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@Kcmatt7 said:
I wish Bruce could have kept him… That would have made this year a lot more fun.
I’m not sure that losing to KState at AFH would be “fun”
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also the Nigel Johnson kid that transfered with Foster is the leading scorer for Rutgers, and Angel Rod was damn good at Miami the last few years. They are hands down the best B12 team this year with Foster and Johnson.
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@kjayhawks next to us
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Not necessarily the best, but they make that top group of three a quartet for sure.
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@kjayhawks said:
also the Nigel Johnson kid that transfered with Foster is the leading scorer for Rutgers, and Angel Rod was damn good at Miami the last few years. They are hands doen the best B12 team this year with Foster and Johnson.
Enh Rutgers is atrocious. I think that was a good transfer for the kid and KSU.
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@BShark agreed but hes averaging 12 points a game.
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On 11 shots a game shooting 27% from three. They could definitely use him for depth though.
As KSU players go I’d take Dean Wade in a heartbeat despite how I make fun of the Larry Bird comp.
