Bishop Carroll walk-ons at Wichita State
July 19, 2008 @ 9:06 a.m. by Joannaby joanna
It’s obvious that I need to either talk to my co-worker Paul Suellentrop (WSU beat writer who sits right next to me — our chairs bump sometimes — but has been out quite a bit on vacation) or I need to read his blog, shockwaves, more or just read the WSU stories more that run in the paper. The reason: It looks as though Mason Felter, a Bishop Carroll grad, is going to be at WSU along with Brett Steven, as walk-ons.
Which means Brett follows Taylor and Craig to WSU, while Felter follows his dad.
I do want to point out a familiar lament for the City League - -why are there so few City League kids going to be Shockers? The top girls players from the area aren’t going - -Taylor Steven was one of the few, although Heights sent a couple, including Tenia Green and Kelsey Richardson. Kapaun’s Angela Buckner has had the best career there in my decade-plus of covering area high schools.
As for the boys, I still remember when I came to interview in 1996 and I believe it was Darin Williams who decided to head to WSU and it was huuuge news. Maurice Evans then signed as well — before moving on.
So why does WSU not draw the top players from the area? Is everyone really that anxious to get the heck out of here?
Your thoughts welcome.
July 19th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Some may think im crazy but NO FOOTBALL program kills WSU for some kids. WSU is looked upon as 1/2 a school because of this here and across the country.
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July 19th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
a student that attends w.s.u. does not get the same awesome experience as a student that attends a school that has football and that is what hurts w.s.u. in my opinion.
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July 19th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Have to disagree with the above posts. It’s not the lack of football, but the lack of recruiting the city league by previous coaches; perhaps Marshall will be different. Exactly how awesome is it to go to a Baylor football game? I’d like football at WSU as much as anyone, but in my opinion it’s not what’s keeping city league basketball players away….that’s a tired old crutch that needs to go out with the weekly garbage pickup.
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July 19th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
I’ve heard rumors about WSU bringing back the football program and i always assume that they arent true. anybody else heard this?
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July 19th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
a baylor football game is pretty awesome if they are playing texas or k.u. or some other powerhouse.i do agree that w.s.u coaches have not recruited the city well in the past.it seems like they just cant believe that a kid from kansas can play ball.too many good athletes have left town in the past.
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July 19th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
I can’t help but think football could play a factor here. There’s nothing like attending a college football game, and WSU loses out on that. But I really do not think that plays a part in Wichita State keeping its own city kids. These kids have grown up without football.
What I think it is, is the kids are looking to go somewhere else, experience the college life elsewhere. I can’t fault them that, but it is sad when you think about how cool it could be to turn around your hometown team’s program.
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July 19th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
I wonder if these kids worked out with potential players or if Butler had been promoting these kids if they would be receiving scholarships instead of having to walk-on.
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July 19th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
I agree with most of you. College Football brings an excitement to the school of choice. I was at one of the last games the Shockers played in football, dont remember much……..only that Valasco Smith was their RB and the stands were barren of fans! I finished reading your one of the other local sites, and was pleased to hear that several local BB players have sighned to play for Steve Eck at CCCC. While Marshall may do well, and we should give him more time, i will say it now as i said it way back then. WSU should have recruited Eck instead of Randy Smithson several years ago and maybe the coaching carousel WSU has experienced never would have happend and the Shocks BB program would be an annual feared Mid Major during the madness of March!
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July 20th, 2008 at 6:28 am
In the past the coaches at Wichita State would try to get local
(Wichita) Basketball Players to walk-on . Figuring they could use those Scholarships for out of state players.It’s a old trick that all colleges do to some degree.K.U and K.S.U do it in Football too.
Bottom line is that if you want the top players at your school give them the scholarships,done try to get something for nothing and feel they own it to the area to stay and pay for college when other schools
are offering them a free education.Football at a college does add to a college prestige but not the reason kids aren’t staying.It’s all about the money!!!
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July 20th, 2008 at 8:29 am
I think it is important if the coach is involved in local area high schools and encourages the top players in the area to play “pick up games” with the players. Bret Michael the walk on from Sunrise played often with the players and they would come to games with Sunrise and developed a relationship with the school. Coach Marshall seems to be taking that type of approach so that local players will already “feel” like part of the program making the possibility of “landing” local players increase.
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July 20th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
C.P. u are totally right about in state schools trying to get kids to walk on.that is alot of crap.if a kid is good enough no matter where he came from they should pay for his education.
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July 20th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
Thats exactly why Gene loses all the power hitters in the Wichita area and Kansas. He expects them to walk on cause he is Gene and WSU and they get 50-80 percent elsewhere. By by power hitters, hello Gene ball.
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July 21st, 2008 at 9:14 am
Wow! I called the Bret Steven deal way back before school was out. To all the people who said I was wrong, what do you say now? Congratulations, WSU is a good program.
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July 21st, 2008 at 9:19 am
Sports Gal, do you think anyone is going to give anyone props here? Well, let me be the first — nice job.
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July 21st, 2008 at 2:18 pm
I think Marshall did a nice job of recruiting in the city.
(hey sports gal, i called the bret steven deal at biddy)
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July 21st, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Maybe im on an island here , but does anyone see either of these dudes getting any playing time ever if Marshall get the program going the way i think most believe he will ? This may be as much about $$$ as anything or maybe im completely lost ??
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July 21st, 2008 at 3:15 pm
I think I may be on one of those “Islands” Fball, because I think there were about a dozen or so CL players that could play for WSU and improve their team.
I guess with all the “Texas Connections” WSU will choose to continue to recruit and educate a majority of their players from texas much as sturgeon did. But at least (or at last) in sturgeons case, Texans are paying for it.
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July 21st, 2008 at 5:07 pm
I don’t see either one getting much playing time….Steven possibly some; Felter none.
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July 21st, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Bret is much better than Craig was and if it was a different time he would get lots of pt (smithson or cohen era), but with all the guards they have coming in on scholarship he will play about as much as Ledford. Craig was a great football player, one of the toughest to play at Carroll and if he would have went to somewhere like Pitt State for football would have had a great career. Bret has got the game and I hope he gets some pt so he can prove himself. Feltner doesn’t make it off the bench but will be a great practice player, better than ryan bradley.
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July 21st, 2008 at 7:39 pm
I wonder if how many free western burgers Marshall gets if they do get some minutes. I heard Randy was almost eating them out of business. Just kidding.
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July 22nd, 2008 at 4:21 pm
FB might help in some ways with more name exposure (only if you are really competitive and win), while in other ways the BSB team uses it to their advantage in recruiting to tell players they are going to be the splash in the news paper and not get left behind by FB.
FYI, less than 25 athletic departments w/ FB in the country make money. It’s a drain on the departments across the board. If KSU doesn’t start winning, they will begin losing money overall due to FB. Ticket sales will slow, donors will dry up. Hope it doesn’t happen, but it will. FB has been GREAT for KSU and now KU is finally on board, but WSU will have a HUGE mountain to climb to make that kind of leap successfully and not lose money on an annual basis again.
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July 23rd, 2008 at 11:22 am
Brett is a good player but no way near D1 level same as his brother and sister there are sooo many more deserving players in the city league that never would get this chance, makes you wonder what gives. LOL besides Hamburgers and Shakes
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July 23rd, 2008 at 11:25 am
Crack, What makes you wonder what gives? He’s a walk-on. A walk-on. There’s no money there.
Brett’s a nice player, a smart player. Is he D-I? I don’t know. But he also hasn’t gotten a scholarship. Maybe he’ll earn one. How many City League kids are willing to walk on? And what other CL point guard would you want to have? Adonis Gantt was heading out of Wichita anyway, but didn’t qualify. So who else would you choose? Who’s getting left out here?
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July 23rd, 2008 at 4:38 pm
I said he was a good player, but not a D1 talent even if he is just a walk on which a coach has to ok not everyone gets to try to walk on with that being said mark my words after one year he will have a scholarship, now if that happens will that be fair?
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July 23rd, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Crack: Yes, it’s fair if he earns it. Obviously Marshall thinks he could potentially be a D1 player to allow him to walk on. He’s a very bright kid with tremendous court sense….why wouldn’t WSU take a chance on that? Or should they check with you on that first to make sure it’s fair?
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July 23rd, 2008 at 11:32 pm
He will not be on scholarship ever, heck he will never see the court. Marshall is playing to win and will play the guys he recruited who are alot better than Steven. Ledford was never on scholarship so why would they give steven a scholarship. Marshall looks at it like a chance to have a couple of decent practice players who are expendable. The guards he recruited are gooooood, and steven will get a chance to play against them in practice but will not see any time during a game. Definitely good enough to be an invited walk-on but I am sure it helps a little that the family is a big sponsor. There wasn’t any other pgs out of the city to look at and none of them could play d1 except for Gantt. Steven’s won’t be able to play point at WSU, his defense is not good enough or his ball handling, but he can shoot it pretty darn good and his best chance to get time would be as a shooter. I think it is a smart move by marshall to get both of these BODIES as walk-ons.
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July 24th, 2008 at 8:52 am
I’m saying Steven is a good player but he’s wasting his time at WSU he should be playing at a smaller school where he could enjoy alot of playing time. It’s his decision to walkon at WSU but being a player I don’t see him happy being a scrub player. MY OPINION SHOCKER528 but if YOU want to check in with me that’s fine. LOL
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July 24th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Well, looks like you’ve checked in and Steven is “wasting his time.” Thanks for your opinion. In case Steven doesn’t read this board, will somebody please let him know that Crack says he’s no good?
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July 25th, 2008 at 9:23 am
Dude, where did I ever say he wasn’t good, Im saying IDIOT he’s to good to be sitting around not playing. I hope by your title Shocker528 that your just a fan of the school and not a student because you need to know how to read before you write or maybe for you it’s ” no how to read befor you right” LOL
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July 25th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Crack, he might have gotten the idea that you didn’t think he was good when you wrote this “Brett is a good player but no way near D1 level same as his brother and sister there are sooo many more deserving players in the city league that never would get this chance, makes you wonder what gives. LOL besides Hamburgers and Shakes.”
If you want to back off that, no problem. We all do and say things that we might want to take back.
Um, and remember, ya’ll, that correcting someone else’s grammar and spelling will come back to bite you. We all tend to type too fast sometimes. I seem to remember a certain Goddard fan doing just that — I called him out. I’m evil. I know.
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July 25th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Joanna, I’m not backing off anything I said, Brett is a good player not D1 though, there are alot of great players at all levels D2, Juco,D3 he’ll do what he wants to do MY opinion is he should play D2 and have a good four years of quality ball. On the grammar your right I’m sure not the best speeler. LOL “PEACE” everyone.
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July 25th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Crack you are right however i dont thinks its about playing time with him its more about staying in town,,etc but im with ya on the “talent” level
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July 25th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Crack: you’re on crack. By saying “he’s wasting his time” you are saying he can’t play at the D1 level…in other words ‘he’s no good.’ I see that reasoning skills are a little beyond you. By the way “alot” is not a word and the contraction for “I am” is not “Im.” (Just thought you should know).
The bigger point is how can you know what is in Steven’s mind and heart to know what is best for him? If it is his dream or desire to walk on at WSU, who are you to tell him that it is not? I don’t see him getting much playing time either, but I’m not going to instruct anyone on where or how to chase their ambitions.
(Also, it’s “too good” and not “to good.” Just thought you should know).
I think you’re wrong.
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July 25th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
Hopefully coach Marshall and his staff establishes relationships with the up and coming city league kids. I was dissapointed that they chose to not have a team camp this summer. All that did was send the wichita kids to the Ku, Mu, and i personally sent my son to the Texas team camp. You guys can say all you want about Steve Eck, but he has a pipeline of city league connections that you wouldn’t believe. I will jumpstart the process for Wichita State so they will have a heads up: Deon Graham (southeast ‘10), Marcus Adams (east ‘09), Perry Ellis (heights ‘12), Brandon Walker (east ‘10), Ja’ln Williams (east ‘11), Gavin Thurman (heights ‘12), Craig Nicholson (northwest’12), Evan Wessel (heights’11), Randal Rogers (east ‘12)… Do your homework WSU.
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July 26th, 2008 at 1:15 am
While i agree WSU should go after local kids with talent i cant see a kid who has top level talent going to WSU i think the days of that are long gone. Maybe Coach Marshall will prove me wrong but if a kid like Perry Ellis went to WSU i would be shocked. You tell me if your a kid and have UNC,KU,UCLA in your living room your not going to WSU . I will also say if coach Eck was at WSU all bets are off that man OWNS the city league and could have his pick.
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July 28th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Brett Stevens will be a good practice player for WSU. I can think of at least 3 other point guards in the CL that was better than him. He didn’t play the point anyway….Kline did. Brett was the two guard which he won’t play in college. He can’t create his own shot off the dribble. As far as city league recruiting Marshall will probably do a better job then the previous coaches. He might want to smooze up to Eck right now. Because Eck owns the City. If you don’t believe that some money was involve your crazy. Not with the scholarship but maybe a donation. Just look at Felton’s stats from Dodge City….lol. This are just MY opinions. good luck to both!!
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August 6th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Alex Williams from Northwest, way better point guard. Better ball handler, quicker, better shooter. I see he got a full ride to college, but I doubt shockers even ever talked to the kid. Hopefully this trend does not continue at WSU. I know Stevens isn’t on scholarship (yet).
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