Just gave Rutgers and Coach Pikiell major props during the UNC-UVA game.
Dick Vitale....
- Thread starter Jim_from_RU
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Yeah came after talking about Nigel Johnson who has been running the point the last 8 minutes or so that I have been watching. I can’t believe they are number 8 in the country with Nigel getting so many minutes when he is such a cancer. We couldn’t use him. Great call by Pike. Losing confidence by the day.
You really think Nigel had no say in looking to transfer? He had one year left to make the tourney and he took it with a good program. We aren't there yet and he knew it.
First of all, Nigel does not start and if have watched any of the game , you will see he mostly passes and defers and has been reined in by Bennett. If he gets reckless , he will on the bench in a minute . Yes we miss him over Souf, but Geo has taken up the slack for his offensive production . I wish he was still here so we would have 4 competent guards and another three point shooter but his attitude here compared to Virginia is Night and Day.
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.
You might be the one and only person here who is down on Pike. Congrats.
You do not know that with Nigel , we beat Stony Brook Or Hartford , as someone snatched our mojo, our intensity, our defense and our rebounding for 3 games including Purdue. We did not need Nigel to beat Stony Brook or Hartford, we needed our team that played last night and against Seton Hall, FSU, and Michigan State to show up.
Believe me , I was disappointed when I heard Nigel was leaving, thinking Corey would have no help scoring but Geo has taken up some of that slack. Yes , I would have preferred him here but not sure the loss is as great as you are making it out to be. I stood up with repeated posts for Nigel, last year as well as the year he sat out. You have to let it go.
Dude, it may be against board policy, but your posts almost always SUCK.
You are “negative energy.”
He wants RU to succeed, even though we should have given him the HC job back in the day and passed.
Watch the BTN show about the 1976 team. Dickie V was crying that he was passed over for the HC position.
Would love to see him honored at RU for something and/or call one of our games when we are consistently good.
If it is preceded by “take it to the bank” then you know that it will not happen....lol
What did dick V say, I was playing PUBG and wasn’t paying attention as I was taking artillery fire from the north ?
I think it was quite clear Nigel and Pikiell didn't mesh. Not saying that Nigel was a problem kid or anything, but I'm not sure he wanted to do what Pikiell wanted him too. The Iowa game at home last year sticks out. That said, he has to know at UVA that this is his last chance and he's buying what Bennett is selling too. That said, the way UVA score, Bennett needs Nigel just as much. Rutgers and UVA are in totally different positions.
Dickie V has always had a soft spot for RU--but we have not always given him occasion to express it. Not sure what RickB113's point is--he sounds like he is saying Nigel was a valuable guy who was encouraged to leave strongly by Pike, thus costing us wins against Hartford and Stony Brook. Which means Pike was incapable of coaching someone like Nigel. Appears Nigel saw that we were in rebuild, which would take a few years, so he signed on with a good UVA team that beat UNC today. Good for him--he will make the NCAA's, which appears to be the primary reason for the transfer. Why are some posters knocking him? He had some nice games for us last season, and was our best player in a number of games. Yet for some reason, with no evidence, he is a cancer? If the Giants draft Darnold or Rosen and let Eli go where he wants, are you guys going to boo Eli and call him a cancer?
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Vitale was obviously a logical candidate for the job when Lloyd left, but A. we got a pretty good guy who only managed to be one win shy of averaging 20 for 12 years and B. Dickie V. would have burned out in a few years.
But his first book reveals just how little power Uncle Freddy had. Vitale talks about going into his office and practically begging for the job, and all Gruninger could say was he could pass his name on to "the committee."
We were so small time back then ... and really only totally escaped that mindset a short time ago.
But his first book reveals just how little power Uncle Freddy had. Vitale talks about going into his office and practically begging for the job, and all Gruninger could say was he could pass his name on to "the committee."
We were so small time back then ... and really only totally escaped that mindset a short time ago.
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.
You lost confidence after yesterday?
If it is true that Pikiell encouraged Nigel to leave he made a mistake, particularly with Souf as the replacement. But this is small in the big picture. After Eddie Jordan, Pikiell is a god send
Not gonna lie: I completely forgot about Nigel.
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.
"Letting" Nigel go? He was a grad transfer. He could go anywhere there was mutual interest. And he wanted to go somewhere to make the NCAA's. We took in a grad transfer last year--CJ Gettys, a fan favorite. Mensah and Sa have not panned out; that happens with a program emerging from the depths. But you act as though swapping Nigel for Mensah is on Pike. It is not.
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two things......
1) I would agree totally that we should have given the job to Vitale when the RU job became available.... Maybe we don't go undefeated in 76, because some games are won and lost by coaching, that would have been fortunate good luck to have it happen with either coach....but the team would have had a dynamic season with either Tom or Dick.
we would have done better recruiting from the 76 season on, with Vitale.... IMO
Most importantly, I would wager that Vitale would have been all over the administration to join the new big east when it was formed....He was no dummy in regards to the new leagues potential..... I doubt he could have swung the decision.... but he might have had some influence....who knows?
2) as a former E Rutherford person, I could tell you that I don't believe he would have held up as a coach long term..... He was just such an overzealous person, he would have burned out, some of it being from a physical standpoint, and some of it stress...
I think the new reality of NCAA basketball is coaches need to treat some kids like recruits throughout their careers. The good ones like Douby, Sanders re-evaluate their options every year and the specter of the NBA constantly looms. Others are going to be second guessing their decision or asking “what if” and there are 300 teams looking for players every year.
All Pike can do is coach the kids who want to be here and build a culture that reflects his philosophy. We have very little insight into what happens in the locker room or off the court but there’s no way of knowing what kind of impact these older guys have. For all we know, Gio’s success is in part due to Souf’s mentorship that might not have been there with Nigel. I like to give our coach the benefit of the doubt for the first few years, but maybe I’m just naive or old fashioned that we need to trust the professionals we bring in.
+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.
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