Dick Vitale....

[wheezer]

+1. What the Tom Young fans don’t realize is that Vitale would have recruited Sellers and Dabney type players every year to RU. While Young had some recruiting successes at RU he was not nearly the recruiter that Vitale was.

Just look at players he recruited to a small program like Detroit. Guys like John Long and Terry Tyler had good NBA careers after playing for Vitale at Detroit. As soon as he got to Detroit he was taking recruits from Michigan and Michigan State. A huge blunder by Fred Grunninger and the RU selection committee.

-----
back in the early 70's, RU would routinely get a couple of the first team all state basketball players....the hall might have garnered a few also...

after the big east got rolling, it was harder and harder to get the really good player..... the hall found it easier, after they got in the big east a few years in

I think that was part of the reason Tom left, he could see that the ability of RU to stay as an eastern power was diminishing.

 

[satnom]

Not gonna lie: I completely forgot about Nigel.

No disrespect to him and wish the best but I have to say I agree with this. I'm more than happy with the high bball IQ, scoring capability, athleticism, court awareness, and leadership of Geo.

Who we talking about again?

GO RU

 

[RUPete]

I understand the angst but I forgive Nigel. He loves his team mates, but he wanted to make the NCAAs. He had the talent. He knew he had the talent. And he knew we weren’t quite there yet. Call him “selfish” but you wanting him to stay at RU when he would be happier close to home and in the tourney at UVA is actually YOU being selfish. Not aiming at anyone in particular but those who harp on Nigel. He was at midknight madness this year. I’m sure if he could play on both teams he would. But can’t blame him for wanting to be his happiest.

This is spot on. The move made tremendous sense for him as a grad transfer. We all should be happy for him and thank him for helping get that conference tournament win and leave it at that.

 

[King of S]

Didn't know Dickie V. was a Seton Hall grad.

 

[Section114]

Nigel is 6th in minutes played and shooting 39% from field and 57% from FT line.

 

[xkiesterx]

Please that is such bull. Nobody talked about him being a cancer during the season. He seemed like a great kid on the court. Only after he left people started saying that. So Pike doesn’t have the skill set as a coach to handle Nigel? Then he won’t succeed. Wait until he has to manage 4 Star guys with real attitude.

It was posted on his board that pike encouraged Nigel to leave. It was an Enormous mistake. We win both Stony Brook and Hartford with Nigel and maybe beat FSU.

I didn't realize what we were missing in those games was getting more layups blocked.

 

[willisneverrana43]

What do you disagree with? Or anyone else above? You think Souf for Nigel was a good move? Our “insiders” all said it was Pikes call. I actually like Pike I just can’t believe those two moves. Letting Nigel go and bringing in Souf.

No need to justify yourself. It’s a legitimate comment on personnel. So is Bullock. And it’s certainly legit to question whether the redshirt of the freshman Center suggests that he may not be what we hoped. But there are lots of positives with Pike so far too, particularly coaching but also recruiting successes. I’m happy with him so far. But his ultimate success here is by no means a done deal. It’s WAY too early to say that. We have to wait and see. In the meantime, comments like yours are legitimate.

 

[cRURah]

+1. What the Tom Young fans don’t realize is that Vitale would have recruited Sellers and Dabney type players every year to RU. While Young had some recruiting successes at RU he was not nearly the recruiter that Vitale was.

Just look at players he recruited to a small program like Detroit. Guys like John Long and Terry Tyler had good NBA careers after playing for Vitale at Detroit. As soon as he got to Detroit he was taking recruits from Michigan and Michigan State. A huge blunder by Fred Grunninger and the RU selection committee.

-----
back in the early 70's, RU would routinely get a couple of the first team all state basketball players....the hall might have garnered a few also...

after the big east got rolling, it was harder and harder to get the really good player..... the hall found it easier, after they got in the big east a few years in

I think that was part of the reason Tom left, he could see that the ability of RU to stay as an eastern power was diminishing.

It was maddening to watch schools like Seton hall, Villanova, Pitt, Georgetown and UConn rise to national.prominence in the hyped (deserving so) Big East while Rutgers melted away. Most of those schools had not been major players in MBB previously. Declining the invite has to be the biggest gaff in RU athletics history. Oh my, what could have been. How many national titles would we have won?

 

[willisneverrana43]

It was maddening to watch schools like Seton hall, Villanova, Pitt, Georgetown and UConn rise to national.prominence in the hyped (deserving so) Big East while Rutgers melted away. Most of those schools had not been major players in MBB previously. Declining the invite has to be the biggest gaff in RU athletics history. Oh my, what could have been. How many national titles would we have won?

So maybe it was TWO bad Grunnnger decisions.

Was he even a good golfer?

 

[mikefla]

I LOVE that we are getting props on other games

I forget what the matchup was on TV but on an FSU game it was mentioned that the RU/FSU game was close & Rutgers is no pushover.

All true.
All good
And
[cheers]all earned since :boom:Pike:boom: arrived[cheers]

 

[Knightmoves]

So maybe it was TWO bad Grunnnger decisions.

Was he even a good golfer?

Actually he was a good golfer. I played with him at a RU Booster function years ago and he carried an 11 handicap when he was in his 70’s. Hit the ball pretty well and was very pleasant to be around. His wife also played and she was a very pleasant woman. They had retired to NC at that time.

IMHO Fred made his greatest mistake when he continued to hold out for the Paterno strategy on an Eastern Sports Conference. Fred should have bailed on that plan after others left for the Big East. Think about it. When Syracuse joined the BE why not join in as well?

 

[TobyTyler1]

Not gonna lie: I completely forgot about Nigel.

You seen Souf play in person?

 

[ScarletLongIsland]

You seen Souf play in person?

It has nothing to do with Souf. It's all about Baker > Nigel.

 

[ScarletLongIsland]

Just saw that. Both guys from NJ. Dicky V loves Rutgers.

Watch the BTN show about the 1976 team. Dickie V was crying that he was passed over for the HC position.

Here is the clip

 

[Knightmoves]

Here is the clip

View embedded media

Great clip. I see Dickie V once in awhile in Sarasota, FL where he lives and he told my wife and I the same story last year about offering to work as HC of RU for $11K the first season, the same amount he made as an assistant under Lloyd. He never mentioned meeting with a committee, just that he made the offer to Fred and didn’t get the job.

He told RU he wanted to compete against Kentucky and the other top programs at RU, instead of the Lehigh and Lafayettes.

After bringing in Dabney and Sellers why didn’t RU give him a shot at a budget rate the first season instead of hiring the HC from American Univ? A mystery still to this day.