Marcus Williams Returning to UofA

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Bayless has not committed to Texas, they were only rumored to be the favorite. Yeah, Washington has been brought up by myself and Russ as possible destinatations other than Texas. Romar plays an up tempo system, likes bringing in temporary solutions (Spencer Hawes, Martell Webster) and Cameron Dollar is not exactly the cleanest character aorund college basketball. He also will have the advantage of coaching Bayless for the US Under 18 squad coming up here pretty soon. I suppose they'd be getting us back for Jason Terry although I don't see UW winning it all during Bayless' one year in Seattle unless Spencer Hawes miraculously stays for more than one year.

 

[AZBALLER]

Interesting...I didn't remember hearing that earlier.

Do you have a gut feeling about where Bayless will end up?

I'd still like to think that ASU has a chance, but I'm certainly not holding my breath.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

As of right now, I'd say Texas has to be considered the favorite although you can obviously never tell with this kid. They were the only ones right there with Arizona at the end of his first recruitment and with UofA out of the picture that logically only leaves Texas. Washington will get an opportunity to make up ground but seeing in that he's never stpped foot on their campus as he did Texas then you have to give the Horns the advantage.

ASU and UCLA probably do not have a shot for reasons I mentioned earlier, their offenses are probably too structured for Bayless to showcase his athletic abilities and I don't see either of those coaches changing things systemically for a senior in high school regardless of his talent. Remember, Sendek booted the most talented player he ever recruited at NC State in Damien Wilkins because he wouldn't play within the system and Howland basically did the same thing with Trevor Ariza. Bayless also has been rumored to want to play for a player's coach instead of a structured disciplinarian which leaves out the two aforementioned programs as it did Lute and Arizona.

But as I said earlier, who knows with this kid? Bayless held a press conference and invited all sorts of media to listen to him gush over Lute Olson and declare his intention to go to Arizona a mere six months ago. There's no telling what will be on his mind whenever he commits somewhere.

 

[AZBALLER]

Thanks for the info.

I have heard that Sendek is planning on loosening(sp?) the ropes on his offense...I don't know if it's too late to help with Bayless' recruitment though.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Looks like Shakur is coming back to Arizona. I'm not too excited about it, hopefully the kid proves me wrong.

 

[Renz]

Looks like Shakur is coming back to Arizona. I'm not too excited about it, hopefully the kid proves me wrong.

Hopefully, he will play like he did in the NCAA tournament this year and become a team leader. He has a lot of incentive to do so.

 

[Lefty]

Shakur coming back only helps this team. Lute has said recently if he does come back he wants him to ditribute the ball more and shoot less. With Williams, Jawann, Chase and Ivan, they will only make him better. Plus, this will give Nic Wise and Prince more time to learn, especially Nic. They won't have to throw him into the wolves right away.

As for Bayless, I would be surprised if he does not go to Texas or Washington, maybe even UCLA. He will go to an offense that likes to push it up. The Cats are not out of it but Lute will probably look somewhere else. He has done this in the past. Also, I have read Bayless is a one and done guy so his decision will probably be based on what school has the best shot at the Final Four his freshman year.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

There certainly could be negatives associated with Shakur returning. For one, Mustafa has no grasp on how to effectively run Arizona's offense nor does he seem to have any interest in running it. Also don't underestimate what damage NBA auditioning can do to a team. The last thng this team needs with it's talent at wing is Shakur hoisting up a bunch of shots to prove to scouts that he can shoot.

I was ready for the MS era to end and still feel that way, but I've been wrong before on situations like this. I remember practically begging for Salim Stoudamire to go to the NBA after his junior year.

Bayless came out today and said the four schools he is looking at are Texas, Arizona, Kansas, and UNC. I'd be shocked if he became a Wildcat, Texas still looks to be the favorite.

 

[Lefty]

There certainly could be negatives associated with Shakur returning. For one, Mustafa has no grasp on how to effectively run Arizona's offense nor does he seem to have any interest in running it. Also don't underestimate what damage NBA auditioning can do to a team. The last thng this team needs with it's talent at wing is Shakur hoisting up a bunch of shots to prove to scouts that he can shoot.

I was ready for the MS era to end and still feel that way, but I've been wrong before on situations like this. I remember practically begging for Salim Stoudamire to go to the NBA after his junior year.

Bayless came out today and said the four schools he is looking at are Texas, Arizona, Kansas, and UNC. I'd be shocked if he became a Wildcat, Texas still looks to be the favorite.

I think Shakur nows knows what he needs to work on next year. If he can play like he did in the NCAA tournament, he will definitely help his stock in next year's draft. I think it's BS about the negative stuff with Shakur coming back. The guy is not a cancer like Rodgers and even Salim. I would rather see Shakur starting next year than Prince or Wise. This will benefit the Cats not only next year but for the following years also.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

There certainly could be negatives associated with Shakur returning. For one, Mustafa has no grasp on how to effectively run Arizona's offense nor does he seem to have any interest in running it. Also don't underestimate what damage NBA auditioning can do to a team. The last thng this team needs with it's talent at wing is Shakur hoisting up a bunch of shots to prove to scouts that he can shoot.

I was ready for the MS era to end and still feel that way, but I've been wrong before on situations like this. I remember practically begging for Salim Stoudamire to go to the NBA after his junior year.

Bayless came out today and said the four schools he is looking at are Texas, Arizona, Kansas, and UNC. I'd be shocked if he became a Wildcat, Texas still looks to be the favorite.

The bolded part is exactly right. I wanted him gone bad and then he ended up turning into this absolute stud his senior year that almost carried us to the final four. If Shakur can build on his play in the tournament, i think playing against this comp as intensly as he did this summer will help him become a effective player next year. It doesnt bother me at all if he is our fourth best player behind Williams, McCllellan and Budinger.

As for Bayless, i guess I am in the minority but I hope this whole thing turns around and he recommits to us down the road.....

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Two good games have not made me forget about three years of mediocrity. And while Shakur may not be a headcase in the same way as Rodgers and Salim were, the fact remains that there has always been chemistry issues with Shakur's backcourt mates. How many times have cameras caught Salim, Rodgers, or Marcus rolling their eyes in frustration after a Mustaf bonehead play? Not to mention his family is supposedly very intrusive when it comes to how they view Mustafa and how he fits in at Arizona.

My biggest concern is Lute staying with Shakur because he is senior instead of going with the best option, which could turn out to be Prince or Wise.

 

[Lefty]

Two good games have not made me forget about three years of mediocrity. And while Shakur may not be a headcase in the same way as Rodgers and Salim were, the fact remains that there has always been chemistry issues with Shakur's backcourt mates. How many times have cameras caught Salim, Rodgers, or Marcus rolling their eyes in frustration after a Mustaf bonehead play? Not to mention his family is supposedly very intrusive when it comes to how they view Mustafa and how he fits in at Arizona.

My biggest concern is Lute staying with Shakur because he is senior instead of going with the best option, which could turn out to be Prince or Wise.

I have seen every UofA game for the past 23 years and I have not seen players rolling their eyes in frustration because of Shakur. I have seen players like Frye and Adams get frustrated with Rodgers. I work at the UofA and have a friend in the athletic department and he has told me Shakur is not a problem. Lute has had no problems with Mustafa and with the offense around him this year, I see him being a top-10 point guard. I think you have been reading too many of the anti-Shakur posters at GOAZCATS.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

I have seen every UofA game for the past 23 years and I have not seen players rolling their eyes in frustration because of Shakur. I have seen players like Frye and Adams get frustrated with Rodgers. I work at the UofA and have a friend in the athletic department and he has told me Shakur is not a problem. Lute has had no problems with Mustafa and with the offense around him this year, I see him being a top-10 point guard. I think you have been reading too many of the anti-Shakur posters at GOAZCATS.

I think you've been reading too much of the kool-aid posters at Goazcats.

The two worst seasons in the last twenty years of Arizona basketball have come with Shakur at the helm and he played a big role in how the other season ended how it did. Shakur's been unable to develop chemistry with any of his backcourt teammates not to mention any sort of consistency as a player. The better PGs around the Pac-10 absolutely own him and his jumpshot is still awful. How does that make him a top ten PG?

 

[Lefty]

I think you've been reading too much of the kool-aid posters at Goazcats.

The two worst seasons in the last twenty years of Arizona basketball have come with Shakur at the helm and he played a big role in how the other season ended how it did. Shakur's been unable to develop chemistry with any of his backcourt teammates not to mention any sort of consistency as a player. The better PGs around the Pac-10 absolutely own him and his jumpshot is still awful. How does that make him a top ten PG?

Funny how Shakur was the point guard on the 2004-05 team that went to the Elite Eight and not many people were saying bad things about him. Mustafa did not play bad at all for that season. From what I was told, Salim was the problem. He never liked Mustafa and the two did not get along. Frye never really talked to Salim until their senior seson. For people to label Shakur as something like a cancer is ridiculous. Lute has never had any problems with him and he also is on course to graduate next spring.

If you look at last year, the main problem was Rodgers and Adams. Rodgers isolated himself from not only the team, but from the coaches. He thought he was bigger than the program. Hassan was playing for himself, not the team.

Sure Shakur can't shoot from the outside but if he plays the way Lute wants him to play next year, he will be a top-10 point guard. Last year's team had no one who could consistently hit the outside shot so Mustafa felt he needed to shoot more. This year he won't have to with Jawann, Marcus and Chase. I believe Shakur has come learned a lot this past month and we should see a improved player. If not, Prince and Wise will see more playing time.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

I certainly criticized Shakur during Frye and Salim's senior season. He regressed as a player that year and was wildly inconsistent. UNC won the championship that year with a team very similar to Arizona's except at the point guard position.

Zona, you know I really hope the kid proves me wrong. We saw last year in the Tournament how good last year's team could be with solid play from Mustafa and next season there will be even more talent. I just can't be optimistic about the kid considering how disappointing his career has been at Arizona.

 

[Lefty]

I certainly criticized Shakur during Frye and Salim's senior season. He regressed as a player that year and was wildly inconsistent. UNC won the championship that year with a team very similar to Arizona's except at the point guard position.

Zona, you know I really hope the kid proves me wrong. We saw last year in the Tournament how good last year's team could be with solid play from Mustafa and next season there will be even more talent. I just can't be optimistic about the kid considering how disappointing his career has been at Arizona.

And you would want Prince or Wise leading the team this upcoming year with that brutal schedule? JP's shooting is worse than Shakur and I would not start a freshman over the experience of Mustafa. I think I'll trust Lute, a Hall of Fame coach in his decision of starting Shakur over the others.

I like JP but I think he has a lot of growing up and you just never know what to expect from Nic. The point guard is the most important part of the starting five and Mustafa knows the guys better than the others. I think this team has a chance at going deep in the tournament but Mustafa is going to have to play within himself and not try and do everything by himself.

I guess I am in the minority when it comes to being happy that Shakur is coming back. I hope I am right and the majority is wrong.

 

[Russ Smith]

I have seen every UofA game for the past 23 years and I have not seen players rolling their eyes in frustration because of Shakur. I have seen players like Frye and Adams get frustrated with Rodgers. I work at the UofA and have a friend in the athletic department and he has told me Shakur is not a problem. Lute has had no problems with Mustafa and with the offense around him this year, I see him being a top-10 point guard. I think you have been reading too many of the anti-Shakur posters at GOAZCATS.

Interesting because several draft sites were reporting that Lute didn't want Shakur back after he found out Shakur had been badmouthing Lute to scouts. One said that one GM literally said it was ridiculous, how many PG's has that guy put in the NBA and here's this kid expecting us to feel sorry for him as he tells us all how the staff at Arizona is holding him back?

Who knows, I half expected from what I'd read that Lute wouldn't take him back, the fact that he did suggests they hashed that stuff out.

Everything I read on Shakur was he's got this posse of people from Philly that keeps telling him how great he is, and that's what persuaded him to file in the first place. I still say the problem with his game is and always has been he can't shoot the ball, so everyone lays off him and negates his considerable physical talents.

 

[Lefty]

Looks like Lute is happy he is back.

TUCSON, Ariz. – Arizona men’s basketball player Mustafa Shakur has withdrawn his name from consideration for the 2006 NBA Draft. Shakur, who did not sign with an agent, had kept his options open regarding his basketball future.

Shakur, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound guard from Philadelphia, Pa., who just completed his junior season, averaged 11.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game, while shooting 42.3 percent from the floor in 33 appearances (33 starts) in 2005-06. Shakur led the team with a 1.75 assist:turnover ratio and 80.6 free throw percentage, ranked third on the club in three-point field goals (24) and steals (48).

“I received great feedback about my skills and my future,” said Shakur. “Right now, most of the talk about me was as an early to middle second round pick. I feel that it is best for me to return to Arizona for my senior season because Coach Olson will help me to improve and become a first round pick.”

In three seasons at Arizona, Shakur averaged 9.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 100 career games (98 starts). He’s a 45.0 percent shooter for his career, including 36.6 percent from three-point range.

“We are happy to have Mustafa back,” said Arizona head coach Lute Olson. “I think he has a better idea of the things he needs to do to make it as a professional. When I spoke with him, he was excited about being back with his teammates and the possibilities for next season. Mustafa will provide a great deal of leadership for us.”
Shakur made himself available for the 2006 NBA Draft on April 12 and had until today to withdraw his name from the draft‑eligible list. By not signing with an agent and maintaining his coursework, he is eligible to return to college without losing eligibility.

The 2006 NBA Draft is scheduled for Wednesday, June 28, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

With Shakur’s return to Arizona, the Wildcats bring back 11 letterwinners from this season’s 20-13 club that advanced to the second round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament.