ACC Teams Passed On Shocker's Marshall

A few years ago, every time there was speculation about an ACC job, Winthrop's Gregg Marshall's name came up.

And then was dropped.

This despite the fact that Winthrop never had a losing season under Marshall and he averaged 21.5 wins, topping out at 29 in 2006-07, his final year.

At Wichita State, his first season was a loser (his only one) at 11-20. His second year moved up to .500 at 17-17.

Since then, he's averaged 29 wins per season.

That's pretty much Krzyzewskian.

So why didn't an ACC school take him on? Wake Forest, for instance? This is a guy who was born in South Carolina and went to high school in Virginia - at J.J. Redick's high school, actually

Partly because the Deacs were trying to keep a team and a great recruiting class together after Skip Prosser's tragic death. Assistant Dino Gaudio was the logical choice and since Prosser died in August, Marshall had already moved to Wichita.

But three years later? In retrospect, what would have happen if Wake had gone hard after Marshall in 2010? He had turned around Wichita State in three years; Wake still seemed like a better job and certainly in a better conference.

But still, no one seriously went after him.

State could have probably gotten Marshall instead of Sidney Lowe.

Clemson could have taken a chance in 2003 when the Tigers hired Oliver Purnell. Think things might have gone differently for the Tigers?

Things don't happen randomly, though, and we remember wondering at the time why Marshall never seemed to be a serious candidate. And certainly there's a lot we don't know.

The story at the time was that his personality was difficult, that he came across as arrogant.

Well, if so, he's backing it up. Wichita State enters the NCAA tourney at 34-0 and undefeated.

It wouldn't shock us if the Shockers won six more, nor would it surprise us if Marshall's team fell short.

But what is clear is this: he's built a very solid program and unless he's after a bigger check or a bigger conference, there's no reason for him to move. If Wake fans think the Deacs can draw him now, as some have suggested, they're probably deluding themselves.

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