RAPID REACTION - Wagner
- By RUDivision
- Men's Basketball
- 172 Replies
Great summary ! As I said have not seen very much at all of Acuff was basing it on his shooting ability and scoring.Yeah .,.. not going to happen. I would expect it to be extremely rare, like maybe never, that Harper will be the only guard on the court (your "big" line-up). Not going to happen.
Also, you really do not understand the difference in ability and talent between Acuff and Williams. I have looked at this closely, and have looked at both players, both highlights and stats. Williams has always been, and is, the far better prospect and player than Acuff. Do not let last season's 21.7 ppg scoring average by Acuff deceive you. Let's be serious and look at this:
1) Williams was a STARTING PG for a mid-level team in a high level mid-major conference (Temple) as both a freshman and a sophomore. And he played well ... averaged about 9-9.5 ppg and 4+ assists/game in each season, 2.0 ass/TO ratio those 2 years, 1.3 stl/game, 48% 2-pt FG% ... and though not a great 3-point shooter (in fact poor his sophomore year and for RU last year), he was respectable as a frosh at 32+%, plus 3+ reb/game. He then was recruited as a transfer UP A LEVEL OR TWO to an top team in an elite conference, in Iowa State - where he never played because of an injury ... then transferred to Rutgers, another P6 team in a top conference. At RU between his injury recovery, followed by the suspension, eventually over-turned, limited him to just 12 games - during which he was the best player on the team (albeit a limited team), averaging 12+ ppg, 50% 2-point FG%, 1.2 stl/game, 3.4 rpg and 2.8 ass/g - with players who could not make a basket around him. And is an excellent defensive player.
2) Acuff is nowhere near the prospect or as good, generally, last season notwithstanding. He played for a weaker team (Duquesne) in a weaker conference to start his career - and played just 14 mpg as a frosh as a bench player, (3.7 ppg) and 23 mpg as a part-time starter as a soph (5.7 ppg). He was a better shooter (better 3-point FG% and better 2-point FG %) in those 2 years, with many fewer minutes and shots. Less than 1 ass/g, maybe a 1.2 ass/TO rate - a okay rebounder ... not known as a good defender. He then transferred DOWN a level, from a poor team in the A-10 to a worse team in the weaker MAC. He did start (34 mpg) at Eastern Michigan as a junior, shooting 34% from 3 and 55% from 2, averaging 14 ppg as their 2nd or 3rd leading scorer as a Junior. And as a Senior averaged 37 mpg for an awful Eastern Michigan team, but did average 21.7 ppg - his 3-point FG% and his 2-point FG% both dropped significantly (to 34% and 50%), for an eFG% of 48% vs 54% the year before ... went from 11 FG att per game to 19 FG att per game. Then transferred UP to RU.
Quite simply, though Acuff has the potential to be an offensive spark, he has NEVER played at even a high mid-major level, and has played for 4 awful teams. Williams has started since he was a freshman, and has played for an above average team in a mid-to higher level mid-major conference, and part of a season starting for RU - a team in a high major top conference. Williams is a much better defender, a better play-maker for his teammates, and a reasonably efficient 2-poin FG shooter, though true, not a strong 3-point shooter.
Also ... no way Davis only gets minutes based on match-ups only, and is NOT in the regular rotation: Pikiell has basically stated Davis is the primary back-up PG ... and his elite defensive skills will earn him regular minutes ... whether that is 8 mpg, 10 mpg or 12-15 or more mpg probably depends on whether his FT and 3-point shooting improve ... but he WILL be in the regular rotation somehow.
I also agree with your summary on Jwill BUT he is a ball dominant guard who CANNOT shoot at all! Both factors contribute why it makes zero % logic to play alongside Ace and Dylan who will have the ball 95% of the time. Jwill gets lazy on D when he’s not scoring and he can only slash . Bad roster utilization plying him alongside Dylan and Ace. Dylan better creator and decision maker so Jwill becomes a counter productive to the lineup.
Pikes going to play his favorites but I know Ace and Dylan are going to score 60% plus of our points. I know they will be both doubled and triple teamed. I know they will find wide open shooters all game long. Who do you want shooting them? Jwill and Jmike???? Absolutely not they are probably the last 2 you want shooting.
So why start or play them big minutes alongside the 2 stud freshman?
That’s just bad utilization of talent IMO
