From Jerry C...on Eugene O

[SirScarlet]

Love reading this. I admit that part of the reason I like this is I (and several others) defended Eugene as a kid who was a smart bball player with his best ball in front of him. You could see the glimpses.

lots of reports suggesting it's starting to come out more consistently.

not there yet - and we won't know until the games that count - but this is very encouraging.

if he steps up his game, that will be very important towards this team taking the next step

 

[eja92]

The staff has loved EO since the first time they saw him play. His upside is off the charts.

 

[ScarletLongIsland]

Been a big fan of Eugene from Day 1. Has the frame, grit, hustle and court awareness. Really could become a nice piece in this puzzle.

 

[Scangg]

Good to hear about EO. He was oozing with potential but that doesn't always translate. Seems like he is really improved from last season

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

Good to hear about EO. He was oozing with potential but that doesn't always translate. Seems like he is really improved from last season

IMO, the biggest issue with Eugene was his body. He had the weight, but, not a powerful looking body.

 

[shields]

Don;t tell that to KYK.

 

[SirScarlet]

Don;t tell that to KYK.

you kidding? This thread is mostly for him

:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:[roll]

 

[AshCatchEm]

Throw him out! Waste of a scholarship

 

[BigEastPhil]

Eugene looked like he grew an inch or 2 and he is in much better shape than last year.

 

[knight82]

For those of you who go back to the Wenzel days, I remember how people bashed Damon Santiago up until his senior year. Then he blossomed into an all Big East player. Good things happen to people who stay the course and work hard.

 

[Russ Wood]

I think Eugene will be fine. Kid just started playing basketball 4-5 years ago. Be patient

 

[BKIn118]

JC very much echoes my thoughts on the team thus far in the preseason with his reporting...

We are going to be a physically imposing team that will not be outworked. That is something that every Rutgers Basketball fan can count on.

 

[Scarlet Knut]

Love hearing this.

 

[anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy]

If he's most improved its not a shocker because he certainly had to most areas to improve! Couldnt have gotten worse quite frankly haha.

I'll believe it when i see it on the court. With that said as i do for all RU players, I root for the kid, I just call em like i see em and last season he was abysmal. He struggled dribbling.

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

If he's most improved its not a shocker because he certainly had to most areas to improve! Couldnt have gotten worse quite frankly haha.

I'll believe it when i see it on the court. With that said as i do for all RU players, I root for the kid, I just call em like i see em and last season he was abysmal. He struggled dribbling.

Stupid response ...haha

 

[Rutgers25]

If he's most improved its not a shocker because he certainly had to most areas to improve! Couldnt have gotten worse quite frankly haha.

I'll believe it when i see it on the court. With that said as i do for all RU players, I root for the kid, I just call em like i see em and last season he was abysmal. He struggled dribbling.

You're way over the top on Eugene. Every team needs glue guys and he looks like he could be a good one

 

[SirScarlet]

Here is the article from Jerry. This certainly got my juices going this morning!

 

[SirScarlet]

If he's most improved its not a shocker because he certainly had to most areas to improve! Couldnt have gotten worse quite frankly haha.

I'll believe it when i see it on the court. With that said as i do for all RU players, I root for the kid, I just call em like i see em and last season he was abysmal. He struggled dribbling.

Come on...that wasn't very classy.

You were wrong. Man up.

 

[RUChoppin]

Here is the article from Jerry. This certainly got my juices going this morning!

View embedded media

That was a great read - excited for the season to start.

 

[anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy]

Come on...that wasn't very classy.

You were wrong. Man up.

Im not wrong haha i mean i havent seen him produce yet in his career. Could he have improved in the off-season? Sure. But Carinos article basically states what i was saying, he was awful last year. Pike is quote saying "hes more comfortable with the ball now" aka dude couldnt even dribble last year. Hes finishing around the room (he shot 35% from field last year and that was mostly shots with 5 feet of the basketball). He was abysmal last year and to say otherwise is insane

 

[SirScarlet]

Im not wrong haha i mean i havent seen him produce yet in his career. Could he have improved in the off-season? Sure. But Carinos article basically states what i was saying, he was awful last year. Pike is quote saying "hes more comfortable with the ball now" aka dude couldnt even dribble last year. Hes finishing around the room (he shot 35% from field last year and that was mostly shots with 5 feet of the basketball). He was abysmal last year and to say otherwise is insane

1) he wasn't as bad as you made him out to be. ever. was he great? no. and nobody said he was. but he was never as bad as you say. and you're still doing it with your BS about him not being to dribble.
2) you also said (numerous times and in quite emphatic ways) that he should be run off and he would never amount to anything. now you have the head coach and a writer who has always been a "tough grader" saying he's the most improved. so, you gave up on the kid.

yet your posts continue to 'smear' the kid.

and we're the insane ones? ok.

 

[anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy]

1) he wasn't as bad as you made him out to be. ever. was he great? no. and nobody said he was. but he was never as bad as you say. and you're still doing it with your BS about him not being to dribble.
2) you also said (numerous times and in quite emphatic ways) that he should be run off and he would never amount to anything. now you have the head coach and a writer who has always been a "tough grader" saying he's the most improved. so, you gave up on the kid.

yet your posts continue to 'smear' the kid.

and we're the insane ones? ok.

He averaged 2.2 points while shooting 35% from the field, most of which were within 5 feet of the tin. You know what they say, men lie, women lie, numbers dont. He was AWFUL last year. He literally struggled dribbling

 

[Rutgers25]

He averaged 2.2 points while shooting 35% from the field, most of which were within 5 feet of the tin. You know what they say, men lie, women lie, numbers dont. He was AWFUL last year. He literally struggled dribbling

Stick to football. Not every freshmen comes in and produces. Some guys need to develop. Moreover, not every guys needs to be a stud scorer. There is something called intangibles.

He has the size/frame, athleticism, hustle and work ethic to be useful role player. Those qualities in Eugene should have been enough for you to withhold judgment, but instead you mouth off in a obnoxious way.

 

[RUDead]

I liked Eugene last year. KYK obviously knows nothing about basketball, he can only see if he scores or not. Eugene is big, strong, fast and aggresive. He just needed to settle down. Probably wouldn't have played on most teams as a freshman but we needed him. We also need that size and toughness in the Big10. i think he will turn out to be pretty good.

 

[Shell21]

Like Russ said too, he's only been playing about 4-5 years so he was and is still very raw and growing into his body as well. It is possible to improve one year to the next; with more coaching and getting used to the speed of the game

 

[jellyman]

He averaged 2.2 points while shooting 35% from the field, most of which were within 5 feet of the tin. You know what they say, men lie, women lie, numbers dont. He was AWFUL last year. He literally struggled dribbling

Omoruyi's offense WAS poor last year - and damaging to the team. His inability to finish around the basket, and how often he missed open and easy 4 to 6 footers was painful to watch. He also did turn the ball over too much dribbling.

On the other hand, he was a VERY good rebounder, an excellent defender, and in MY opinion showed a very high basketball IQ. He seemed to have a nose for the ball, and made a lot of very good passes, especially on the fast break.

He was clearly raw, but showed good athleticism, good defensive and rebounding potential, and good passing potential, despite flaws in other areas of his game.

Pikiell stated on at least 2 occasions last year that both Omoruyi and Thiam could have used a red-shirt season last year in order to develop and advance their games, but that RU needed them on the court.

In other words, you were (and remain) WAY over the top on your opinion here. You absolutely wanted the coaches to essentially run off Omoruyi. But Omoruyi was NEVER as bad in his overall (combination of offensive, defensive, rebounding, etc.) game ability as you have made him out to be. And you have NEVER admitted that he MIGHT be able to improve enough to be part of RU's rotation ... never. Even now, the best you can offer is that you will wait and see.

Good luck parenting, as apparently in your view, the BEST someone has to offer is their worst ability at a single moment, and that worst ability will never improve.

 

[Russ Wood]

He averaged 2.2 points while shooting 35% from the field, most of which were within 5 feet of the tin. You know what they say, men lie, women lie, numbers dont. He was AWFUL last year. He literally struggled dribbling

Like I posted yesterday, I think Eugene will be fine. Kid just started playing basketball 4-5 years ago. Be patient.

This kid is a project. If he continues to improve the team gets better AND it helps recruiting because the staff can point to this kid as a glittering jewel of player development.

The speed of the game and the strength and talent of opponents were, quite possibly, a big shock to a kid who was able to make plays in Canada because of his size, athleticism and strength. Last season he learned that won't get him by at the D1 level, might have lost some confidence. He's added strength, committed to working hard and is showing improvement.

 

[anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy]

Haha i see basically everybody just agreeing with what I said now, that he stunk last year. Defense and rebounding are great and all but putting the ball in the bucket is what wins games. If kids play with effort pretty much any decent athlete can be a good defender and rebounder. For example, andre patton from the football team is a good athlete and bball player, ive played with him before, he wouldve been a better player on the bball team than eugene last year. Simply because hes a goos athlete, hed defend, rebound and has a better touch and handle than eugene.

I hope eugene has improved drastically i really do because he was not a d1 player last yr

 

[SirScarlet]

Haha i see basically everybody just agreeing with what I said now, that he stunk last year. Defense and rebounding are great and all but putting the ball in the bucket is what wins games. If kids play with effort pretty much any decent athlete can be a good defender and rebounder. For example, andre patton from the football team is a good athlete and bball player, ive played with him before, he wouldve been a better player on the bball team than eugene last year. Simply because hes a goos athlete, hed defend, rebound and has a better touch and handle than eugene.

I hope eugene has improved drastically i really do because he was not a d1 player last yr

Nobody is agreeing with you. You literally campaigned to have him run off the team. People are agreeing with that? I don't think so.

What people are saying is that he was a true freshman playing in the Big Ten. And that any normal person would expect growing pains. And most people here saw the potential in him that you clearly did not see.

Quit while you are behind.

 

[seels2662]

Although I am not quite over the top as kyk on Eugene, I am also in a wait and see mode. We are throwing him at the four and I don't like it. He can lift all the weights he wants he still is going to struggle there. People forget that most teams in the B1G have either a seven footer at the four (see Purdue) or a wing that can jump out of the gym and run circles around most other fours. Look at Freeman he struggles at times and there is no way Omoyuri took that big a leap that he is as good as Freeman now. I always thought his role would be that he could be that defensive stopper at the three when we want a big lineup for 5-10 minutes a game and the emergency four when we are in foul trouble.

 

[SirScarlet]

Although I am not quite over the top as kyk on Eugene, I am also in a wait and see mode. We are throwing him at the four and I don't like it. He can lift all the weights he wants he still is going to struggle there. People forget that most teams in the B1G have either a seven footer at the four (see Purdue) or a wing that can jump out of the gym and run circles around most other fours. Look at Freeman he struggles at times and there is no way Omoyuri took that big a leap that he is as good as Freeman now. I always thought his role would be that he could be that defensive stopper at the three when we want a big lineup for 5-10 minutes a game and the emergency four when we are in foul trouble.

I think this post is very reasonable.

To be clear, I am not expecting an all B1G player. I see Eugene as a kid who can develop into a "glue kid"...the kind of kid every team that wins needs. I am excited to see what he can do. From day 1, he struck me as a very smart player whose technical abilities hadn't quite caught up with his Bball IQ.

I am excited to see what he can do this year.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Jelly sees it exactly like I do. I think his vision and willingness to pass is a huge asset. The fact that he hasn't been playing basketball for a long time and has high IQ says something about him and the coaching he has received.

 

[Rutgers25]

Haha i see basically everybody just agreeing with what I said now, that he stunk last year. Defense and rebounding are great and all but putting the ball in the bucket is what wins games. If kids play with effort pretty much any decent athlete can be a good defender and rebounder. For example, andre patton from the football team is a good athlete and bball player, ive played with him before, he wouldve been a better player on the bball team than eugene last year. Simply because hes a goos athlete, hed defend, rebound and has a better touch and handle than eugene.

I hope eugene has improved drastically i really do because he was not a d1 player last yr

Lol....clueless

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

As for him moving to 4.....

No different that a HS QB being recruited for college being told he needs to put on weight and play TE OR
A college CB being told he is being looked at to play safety in the NFL.

You either are that person that is destined to stay in the position and fight to be relevant or have enough extras to be relevant used in a different way.

 

[rubaseball78]

Im not wrong haha i mean i havent seen him produce yet in his career. Could he have improved in the off-season? Sure. But Carinos article basically states what i was saying, he was awful last year. Pike is quote saying "hes more comfortable with the ball now" aka dude couldnt even dribble last year. Hes finishing around the room (he shot 35% from field last year and that was mostly shots with 5 feet of the basketball). He was abysmal last year and to say otherwise is insane

Just stop.

 

[RutgHoops]

Although I am not quite over the top as kyk on Eugene, I am also in a wait and see mode. We are throwing him at the four and I don't like it. He can lift all the weights he wants he still is going to struggle there. People forget that most teams in the B1G have either a seven footer at the four (see Purdue) or a wing that can jump out of the gym and run circles around most other fours. Look at Freeman he struggles at times and there is no way Omoyuri took that big a leap that he is as good as Freeman now. I always thought his role would be that he could be that defensive stopper at the three when we want a big lineup for 5-10 minutes a game and the emergency four when we are in foul trouble.

CBB is not the NBA. There is not as much "size" at the PF spot as one might think. Michigan, Purdue and Michigan State all had size at the "4". Here are some other of last years "4"'s in the Big Ten:

Leron Black- Illinois- 6'7"
Ahmad Wagmer- Iowa- 6'7"
Juwan Morgan- 6'8" Indiana
Justin Jackson-6'7"- Maryland
Amir Coffey- 6'8"- Minnesota
Sanjay Lumpkin- 6'6" Northwestern
Lamar Stevens- 6'8" Penn State
Marc Loving-6'8" Ohio State
Ed Morrow- 6'7" Nebraska

...you get the idea. Even in a league with as much size as the Big Ten, on most nights the opposing "4" is between 6'6" and 6'8". It's why a team like Rutgers, without what one would consider "prototypical size", was one of the better rebounding teams in the league.

 

[Russ Wood]

Haha i see basically everybody just agreeing with what I said now, that he stunk last year. Defense and rebounding are great and all but putting the ball in the bucket is what wins games. If kids play with effort pretty much any decent athlete can be a good defender and rebounder. For example, andre patton from the football team is a good athlete and bball player, ive played with him before, he wouldve been a better player on the bball team than eugene last year. Simply because hes a goos athlete, hed defend, rebound and has a better touch and handle than eugene.

I hope eugene has improved drastically i really do because he was not a d1 player last yr

Put me in the group of people who don't agree with you.

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

Although I am not quite over the top as kyk on Eugene, I am also in a wait and see mode. We are throwing him at the four and I don't like it. He can lift all the weights he wants he still is going to struggle there. People forget that most teams in the B1G have either a seven footer at the four (see Purdue) or a wing that can jump out of the gym and run circles around most other fours. Look at Freeman he struggles at times and there is no way Omoyuri took that big a leap that he is as good as Freeman now. I always thought his role would be that he could be that defensive stopper at the three when we want a big lineup for 5-10 minutes a game and the emergency four when we are in foul trouble.

CBB is not the NBA. There is not as much "size" at the PF spot as one might think. Michigan, Purdue and Michigan State all had size at the "4". Here are some other of last years "4"'s in the Big Ten:

Leron Black- Illinois- 6'7"
Ahmad Wagmer- Iowa- 6'7"
Juwan Morgan- 6'8" Indiana
Justin Jackson-6'7"- Maryland
Amir Coffey- 6'8"- Minnesota
Sanjay Lumpkin- 6'6" Northwestern
Lamar Stevens- 6'8" Penn State
Marc Loving-6'8" Ohio State
Ed Morrow- 6'7" Nebraska

...you get the idea. Even in a league with as much size as the Big Ten, on most nights the opposing "4" is between 6'6" and 6'8". It's why a team like Rutgers, without what one would consider "prototypical size", was one of the better rebounding teams in the league.

People have that misconception for a long time, that the B1G is this league with these huge frontcourts......it's just not the case. It's guard driven like most of CBB.

 

[RU82]

Eugene was playing better at the end of last season than he was at the beginning. If he's made a big jump from where he was then we can look to him to be a solid contributor this year IMO.