Willard Postgame Press Conference Today
- Thread starter NiTeKnight
- Start date
You got it. You considered it a waste of time. So you read it (presumably? Since you have an opinion on it's content?). You responded as if it were serious. Multiple times. Somehow you did not consider that to be a waste of time.
Ok dude lol.
I am not wrong, sorry that you don't agree. If I ranked Mag across the B1G or Power 5 conferences and placed his numbers next to others, you would be shocked or somewhat upset. RU fans are in this bubble of only watching or wanting to believe what suits them.
Do I think Kevin Willard believes what he said last night about JWill and Mag.....?? Yes I do.....BUT
I also know that he's correct AND he has to explain away losing a home game to a RU team that is currently in the bottom 4 of the B1G. It's a game that looks "bad", because like many fanbases, fans only look at their teams and believe everyone else's rosters are inept. No Maryland fan expects to see a 3-7 B1G record or RU, going into their gym and winning.
Willard is the king of excuse making, going all the way back to his Seton Hall days. It is who he is at his core. So while Mag played lights out, I have to be "objective " about his game, his entire body or work and ask myself, "is he the only player in college basketball, that can do what he does from a defensive perspective "?? The answer is NO.
Is Mag the only player on this current roster that can do what he does?? Absolutely, 1000% but it is NOT my place to immediately elevate a player to "essential" or over-inflate what they are as a basketball player.
Cliff is "essential " to what RU does and there are far fewer kids at 6'11 and can do what Cliff does. I don't think there is a shortage of 6"6 to 6'7 wings, who are willing defenders and are "inconsistent", or players who can generate their own offense. Mag did make some individual offensive plays last night, which he has not done all season. To act as if Mags game last night has happened 15 to 20 times in his career, is just not the case.
I hope you are willing to accept this explanation..... I could be like the Simpson detractors, who continue to talk about shooting percentages, instead of considering the players ability to "make plays", not just "what did they shoot tonight "??
Mag made great defensive plays. In the last 5 games I have 3 no-shows vs Illinois, Purdue and Penn State and 2 extremely effective, high level games.
If fans want to hold Simpson to a higher standard and knock him for missing too many shots, congrats....I'm not going to sit there and argue how great Simpson is. He has to play better, especially as a guard who handles the ball and is responsible for that aspect. If we are going to do that for Simpson, when do we do the same for Mag??
Fans can't ignore certain things to suit their needs. We have to base things on the entire schedule of 30+ games, not 6 or 8.
I’m starting to believe NewJersey doesn’t understand what he’s looking at. His tales are so obviously off base.
The man things eFG% is a nonsense statistic, that ship sailed a long time ago.
Mag laid an egg 3x in a row - TRUE. I wonder if he was hurting.
In the other seven games in 2024, he has averaged 15.1 ppg and scored at least 11 per game on 39-83 FG (.470). His 3pt shooting has really dropped off after going 8-23 in the first five games of 2024. Even with the three clunkers, he is averaging 10.8 per game in January. That's really good for a top defensive F. There are only 24 players averaging 13+ in conference-only play this year, so 10.8 cannot be too far down the rankings.
Heck - you know how many guys on our team are AVERAGING more ppg than Mag this season (in B1G play)? One - Jeremiah Williams.
In the other seven games in 2024, he has averaged 15.1 ppg and scored at least 11 per game on 39-83 FG (.470). His 3pt shooting has really dropped off after going 8-23 in the first five games of 2024. Even with the three clunkers, he is averaging 10.8 per game in January. That's really good for a top defensive F. There are only 24 players averaging 13+ in conference-only play this year, so 10.8 cannot be too far down the rankings.
Heck - you know how many guys on our team are AVERAGING more ppg than Mag this season (in B1G play)? One - Jeremiah Williams.
This actually sounds like one of those math problems that I was assigned back in the day.
So in this 10 paragraph post from Hawk he has accomplished the following:
1) Admitted that Willard is correct (although Hawk is still trying to argue he’s not correct)
2) Limited his thoughts on Mag to the last 5 games (while immediately following this with telling us that we have to base things on an entire 30 games, not 6 or 8)
3) Labeled Mag as just a “willing defender”
4) Asked us all to place Mag’s numbers next to others (although in previous threads Hawk dismisses almost every other statistic that goes against his points…now he wants to talk numbers??).
5) Brought Simpson and his shooting % into the discussion (although this has nothing to do with this thread or the discussion of Mag)
This is just 5 lunatic points in 10 paragraphs written. That’s an average of 1 lunatic point for every 2 paragraph written.
Convinced Mag was hurt for those bad games. Maybe not even the knee again, could've been the ankle after he stepped on that guy's foot by accident.
He had no bounce, no energy. Unless he lost his passion for basketball overnight, something was physically wrong with him.
He could've also said "they would've gone to the NCAA tournament if they didn't blow a 10 point lead in the final minute against Minnesota."
Pike said as much by saying he had to sit out practices.
The whole travel thing with him going back to the BE and SHU is strange. It sounds like it affects him more than the players. We both played in the same state, same day around the same time. They got to go home and I'm assuming we traveled from NJ again unless we went straight there.
Willing defender made me chuckle. Mag is so good defensively and Williard didn’t say that to make excuses for his team. Mag can literally guard every player on the court. His value to our team is similar to Caleb except Mag is better offensively
Hawk, if you asked every B1G coach whether they would want Mawot Mag on their team, how many would say, “Nah, we’re good.” The answer is zero.
And, for how many of the other B1G teams would Mag be either a starter or their 6th man? The answer is all of them.
That is not only the definition of a Big Ten player, but a very important Big Ten player. Arguably a generational defender (we’ve been fortunate to have two of them).
Most would agree we were one win away from the tourney last year. Surely we would have won at least one more game had Mag not gotten hurt.
Does anyone under 40 know where the grasshopper reference comes from? Or should it be anyone under 50? Lol
Wait is he talking about our Coach Steve? Can’t be since the forums experts are always saying he sucks. Can’t recruit… did shit in the portal… 🪓
Yeah, I'm thinking there's no way we lose at Minn if Mag is playing. One more rebound or basket and we win. And if we won, we go dancing 3rd year in a row.
Wait, did you ever watch Kung Fu?? I haven't even seen it on TV since maybe the early 80s.
You're just seriously wrong on Mag and last year - there is zero doubt in anyone's mind (including Pike) that we make the tourney last year with Mag. Just give it up. 8 paragraphs don't save you here.
I don't think so. I think the reference must have slipped through into some newer stuff. Not sure where I heard it lol.
Hawk,
Just take the “L” on Mag and move on. You just had an opposing P5 Coach say there’s not too many Mags defensively out there.
GO RU
Oskar is a willing defender. Calling Mag a willing defender is extremely insulting and a word choice only used if you're trying to downplay his value and push an agenda
If he isn't a Big 10 player, explain why the NCAA tournament committee considered his injury and being out a major factor in deciding if RU got in the tourney or not.
His list starts and stops with USC's coach who accepted the job verbally prior to Willard being hired. He was going to sign the contracts after a game against UCLA in Westwood. The SC AD caught wind of it and hightailed it over to the hotel with a contract in hand that that Enfield couldn't refuse.
Wouldn't be surprised if that next go around Enfield officially accepts now that they are in the same conference. He covets that job being from Pa.
Willard definitely wasn't his first choice.
While Mawot Mag may not be considered a typical Big Ten player due to various factors such as playing style, athleticism, and experience, his absence due to injury still had a significant impact on the Rutgers University (RU) basketball team and its chances of making it into the NCAA tournament. Despite not fitting the mold of a traditional Big Ten player, Mag's role on the team and his absence highlighted his importance to RU's overall performance.
Firstly, Mag's injury likely affected the team's depth and rotation. Even if he may not have been a star player or a primary scorer, his presence on the court provided valuable minutes and versatility to the team. His absence forced the coaching staff to make adjustments to the lineup and rotations, potentially disrupting the team's chemistry and cohesion on the court.
Secondly, Mag's skill set and contributions, although not necessarily fitting the mold of a typical Big Ten player, were still valuable to RU's success. Whether it be his defensive intensity, rebounding ability, or energy off the bench, Mag brought something unique to the team that could have made a difference in crucial moments during games.
Furthermore, the NCAA tournament committee takes into account various factors when evaluating teams for tournament selection, including injuries and overall team performance throughout the season. Mag's absence may have been a factor in RU's overall performance during the season, especially if his injury coincided with a stretch of losses or decreased team productivity.
In summary, while Mawot Mag may not fit the traditional profile of a Big Ten player, his injury and subsequent absence still had a significant impact on the Rutgers University basketball team and its chances of making it into the NCAA tournament. His contributions, whether on the court or from the sidelines, were valued by the team and could have potentially influenced the committee's decision-making process when evaluating RU's tournament resume.
Next time ask them to write it with a mansplaining tone. And I need it to say somewhere "What fans don't realize is..."
The last defensive possession was a work of art. Really impressive design by pike and execution by mag and co.
I love seeing Mag get this type of recognition. He seems like such a great program guy. Especially considering his injuries and waiting his turn as an underclassman. I’ll trust Willard’s and pikes opinion on him.
I love seeing Mag get this type of recognition. He seems like such a great program guy. Especially considering his injuries and waiting his turn as an underclassman. I’ll trust Willard’s and pikes opinion on him.
To this point — Mag’s median offensive rating this year is 105 vs. an average of like 92.5. Really severe outliers in that potentially injured stretch, but otherwise 105 makes him a stellar player when paired with his defense.
I’m also not sure if per-game O Rating is adjusted for opponent on KenPom, if not that makes Mag even more impressive
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