The Shockers are making strides. Second-half aside, Gregg Marshall had a long list of positive takeaways from Saturday's win over Baylor. Read on for highlights from his weekly press conference:
 

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HEAD COACH GREGG MARSHALL ON..

....teaching moments from Baylor game:
"We stopped doing what had gotten us the huge lead. We stopped defending at a high level. We took some questionable shots and we started turning the ball over more than we had in the first half. It was a complete reversal of some of the best basketball we've played around here in quite awhile. You saw the best and some of the worst in one game. Obviously the 30-point lead, or whatever it was, was too much for them to overcome. They (Baylor) certainly played much better in the second half. Give them some credit too. They came out and made it a basketball game."

...improved pick-and-roll defense, compared to last year:
"We've got some depth at the post position, as we have in the past. Jaime (Echenique) when his motor's revving -- and even the other three centers as well as Markis (McDuffie) at the four -- give us some mobile big guys that can change directions. I would say Mo (Udeze) can do it pretty well - -Asbjørn (Midtgaard), as big as he is, can change directions pretty well, and then (Isaiah) Poor-Bear Chandler. I love how he went after the basketball in the game the other night. He got us several open threes with his pursuit and effort to procure the basketball and get us a second or third shot."

...Poor Bear-Chandler's extended playing time:
"He had a great week of practice last week. We kept noticing, 'Wow, when he gets his chance, look what he's doing'. Moving a little quicker.' That's what I've been asking all of our post players to do...play a little quicker, faster, stronger - - more explosive. All of those things at once. Those are the things that he did. He got several nice rebounds in the game against Baylor and had one post move the first time he touched it. He made an assertive post move and finished closer than he caught the ball. Those are the things we are looking for. When he got his opportunity  -- when Morris (Udeze) got two quick fouls in maybe 20 seconds -- that gave Isaiah the opportunity to get those minutes, and he proved that he could handle it. Now he will get more minutes. That's all good. This part of the season you want more guys to develop into guys that you can trust to throw in there and it's not just mop up duty."

...a more-confident Samajae Haynes-Jones:
"He's getting a chance, number one. Last year, because of some poor play at times - - but more importantly because of his physical ailment that he had -- he was unable to really play. There were some games -- a handful, maybe two early in the year where he was fine and played pretty well. I thought Baylor was his best game, and it wasn't just because he scored 21 points and made six threes. He was moving better defensively. He was attacking the rim. He did take a couple of bad shots, but he took a charge that should have been called a charge. He was being a nuisance defensively and caused some havoc for the guy that had the ball. Really proud of him.... He's quick-on-quick and he's trying to become the best player, the best teammate, the best leader that he can be."

....Erik Stevenson's continued strides:
"He doesn't lack confidence. That was never an issue. He's got to defend better and keep moving his feet. He can rebound, he can make baskets and he showed the ability to drive it a little bit the other day. He's a good player and he's going to get better. He's like a lot of these freshman. They are good players, but they are going to get better. This was a very important recruiting class that we put a lot of stock and energy and time into it. We knew that they were going to have to play right away. We were willing to go through the growing pains, and that's what we're doing."

....Stevenson's shooting:
" I like the ball when it comes out of his hands - - as long as he's on balance. When he's on balance and catching it on rhythm, I love to see it leave his hand...I think it's going to go in."

....Jaime Echenique emerging as a bona fide three-point weapon (after attempting just one three in junior college):
"We talked about it in the summer. We were hoping that he (Jaime) or (Isaiah) Poor-Bear could play a little four along with Rod Brown and give Markis (McDuffie) a blow from time-to-time. Both of them can shoot the three. They need to be good threes. They're not 'seek-a-three' type of shooters. They are left foot, right foot, heel-to-toe type deal. I noticed that in the summer Jaime could shoot the basketball. Every once in a while, pop out there and it looked good - - and it would go in. It's the same thing with Shaq Morris or Garrett Stutz or J.T. Durley, if you want to go back that far. If my big guys prove that they can make it in practice at the right percentage, then they have the ability to take it. Jaime has already helped us, and I think Isaiah will help us to shoot the three. The biggest thing for them is I have to make sure they continue practicing on it."

....Ricky Torres continuing to make contributions, despite struggling with his shot:
"Ricky is going to make a three, and when he starts making threes it's really going to make us better. He's doing a lot of good things. He had his first turnover, versus 15 assists. He saw Jaime wide open on an out-of-bounds play, but he just threw the ball about three feet to the right, instead of Jaime's hands. Ricky is defending pretty well. He made a big play getting on a loose ball which produced the dunk for Markis McDuffie, and he knows our system. He's getting better. When you have a 15:1 assist-to-turnover ratio and you are running the club and you are into the game and you're playing both ends and you're facilitating pretty well, getting in the lane and getting other people shots -- you can live with an oh-fer."

....Torres' ability to read a defense:
"Pretty good. All guards are different. Every player is different. I'm really liking the way Ricky probes the defense. He doesn't charge, but he gets in there and kind of leaves his feet, looks at the whole landscape and picks out the receiver that he wants to throw it to."

...learning from last year's loss to Oklahoma:
"Oh, yeah. They'll see a lot of it and hopefully get better. Hopefully we will have a better game. Hopefully Trae Young will stay in the NBA and not come back for the game. He was pretty good. They whipped us pretty good. "