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Gavin needs more touches…

Saying Chol never sees the court because of defense is not comparing him to Gavin. The only statement that is a comparison is they both don't play defense as freshman up to the standards that Pike normally sets.
 
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"Most players before him would never see the court with his defense. Ask Chol." Gavins offense, albeit not consistent yet, is heads and shoulders above Chol, and defense not withstanding. If you watch, and I know you do, putting Gavin in any comparison/equivalence to Chol is just silly.

He’s not comparing the two of them. He just threw the name Chol out as an example of a player whose defense keeps him off the court at Rutgers. Peter Kiss is another example. He played 18ish minutes in 2018-19 and shot a slightly higher percentage than Gavin but that ultimately wasn’t good enough to overcome his shortcomings on D. Whether it’s Gavin’s fault or not that he’s not shooting up to his recruiting ranking yet is besides the point. If he’s not contributing on either end eventually his minutes will get cut.
 
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He’s not comparing the two of them. He just threw the name Chol out as an example of a player whose defense keeps him off the court at Rutgers. Peter Kiss is another example. He played 18ish minutes in 2018-19 and shot a slightly higher percentage than Gavin but that ultimately wasn’t good enough to overcome his shortcomings on D. Whether it’s Gavin’s fault or not that he’s not shooting up to his recruiting ranking yet is besides the point. If he’s not contributing on either end eventually his minutes will get cut.
But Gavin has shown that with minutes he’s a better offensive weapon there’s no doubt than both of them. Not even close. Give him the minutes he needs to develop
 
But Gavin has shown that with minutes he’s a better offensive weapon there’s no doubt than both of them. Not even close. Give him the minutes he needs to develop

Just to play devil’s advocate here, to date, how has he “shown” he’s a better offensive weapon than 2018-19 Peter Kiss? High school performance does not trump a 13+ ppg low major college season and Peter had a whole sit out year beyond that to develop and practice with Rutgers. We’ve mostly played a low major schedule so far just like what Kiss saw in 2016-17. At the collegiate level, GG hasn’t come close (yet) to proving he’s a better offensive weapon than Kiss. That’s different from saying he doesn’t have the potential but until a kid executes their high school talent, you can’t know for sure. Playing time needs to be earned based on performance on the court in a game or at least in practice.
 
Gavin's performance so far has been surprising, but I honestly think that at least a few of his difficulties may be because of the type of goggles/sport glasses that he wears. Before I switched to contact lenses, I wore sports glasses similar to the type Gavin wears, and they definitely decreased peripheral vision, making it harder to be aware of what was happening on the court without turning my head to see, which slowed down reaction time and affected overall court awareness... Switching to contacts significantly improved peripheral vision which made a noticeable difference in my game.

I think Gavin wears the eyewear for protection, but there are other types of protective sports eyewear that are designed to allow better peripheral vision. I wonder if switching could make the game a little easier for Gavin. Peripheral vision is one reason that NBA players often choose to wear protective eyewear with wrap around lenses and no thick dark frames on the sides or bottoms... Just a thought based on my own personal experience.

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Can't believe we gave up 45 pts in the 2nd half.
Gavin really needs to pick up his bench defense. It's just not cutting it.

So....Gavin got his minutes cut like many said needed to happen.
What a great defensive effort.
Totally shut down Iowa without Gavin stinking it up on the court.
 
Need someone to show they can score in bunches … was hoping Gavin can be the guy hitting 3 shots in a row to ignite the team.
 
Can't believe we gave up 45 pts in the 2nd half.
Gavin really needs to pick up his bench defense. It's just not cutting it.

So....Gavin got his minutes cut like many said needed to happen.
What a great defensive effort.
Totally shut down Iowa without Gavin stinking it up on the court.
While watching that 2nd half I thought Gavin couldnt be as bad as Hyatt was defensively. I wanted Pike to put Gavin in over Hyatt.

Hyatt was REAL bad defensively. As bad or worse as he was the last 2 years. I thought he had made strides this year defensively, that was a stinker.

Maybe Cliff is wearing off on him.
 
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Guess he'll be lighting it up in the NBA next year.

Any talk of him being a potential one and done was based on "if he performs as people say he will".

Which was as an instant impact scorer, average double digits, likely All Big Ten Freshman Team and Big Ten Freshman Of The Year contender.
Seems those assessments appear to be very off.

The talk of one and done wasn't erroneous.
It was the underlying premise of his impact that was.
 
I don’t think anyone roots against him, but so far he’s playing at a level much lower than expectations.

Unfortunately ‘super talented’ seems the farthest thing from the truth.
 
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I support Gavin. He'll eventually figure it out. He could easily be averaging in double digits, if he would have found his shot in a couple of games or we had better ball movement, and it still wouldn't make him a one and done. The amount of discussion on this board before the season by a few posters was absurd (yes, arguing that he was a one and done). Pike will make him a better defensive player and he'll find his stroke. He cannot create his own shot at will like Dylan and Ace, who are both one and done.
 
for all the negativity about Gavin he has taken one more shot than Noah and made one more shot than Noah in 105 less minutes.
Noah is trying to be the playmaker this team desperately needs. Someone to create and get others going. Unfortunately, outside of a few games, he hasn’t been able to fulfill that role. Gavin’s job is to shoot. That why he has the same amount of shots in much less minutes.
 
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for all the negativity about Gavin he has taken one more shot than Noah and made one more shot than Noah in 105 less minutes.
Seeing IU’s 5-star recruit Reneau‘s exponential improvement from his freshman year last season to this year (from 6 ppg to 16 ppg and from 25% 3-pt shooting to 48%) gives me great hope for Gavin. Even with 4 and 5 stars it often takes a season to adjust to major conference hoops. The skills are there. Hopefully, the stats will follow.

 
for all the negativity about Gavin he has taken one more shot than Noah and made one more shot than Noah in 105 less minutes.
I'm not sure if that makes me feel better about Gavin or worse about Noah

Noah is trying to be the playmaker this team desperately needs. Someone to create and get others going.
is he though?
Think Tim Robinson GIF by NETFLIX
 
Seeing IU’s 5-star recruit Reneau‘s exponential improvement from his freshman year last season to this year (from 6 ppg to 16 ppg and from 25% 3-pt shooting to 48%) gives me great hope for Gavin. Even with 4 and 5 stars it often takes a season to adjust to major conference hoops. The skills are there. Hopefully, the stats will follow.

Think he’ll be fine with some strength training. Wonder about our strength program though.
 
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All I keep thinking is "where's Waldo"

Kid is a mess and needs a big change. Glasses? Kick in the ass? IDK..but something to wake his rear up. Mentally out of it and right now playing like a HS kid on a college team.

I'm rooting for him so somebody better fix him before he's damaged. (my 1.5 cents)
 
I think Gavin is going to have a big night tonight scoring over 15pts and leading us to a win
 
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It’s a huge hole on this team that no one on the current roster can fill. It’s going to be the Dylan and Ace show next year on offense and everyone else will have to play off of them.
One more thing to add… not to rub salt but… the PM haters didn’t understand what he meant to this team on offense. It was a recipe for disaster that a handful of fans saw coming. Everyone else thought this team was better and would be a fast paced offense. It doesn’t work like that.
 
One more thing to add… not to rub salt but… the PM haters didn’t understand what he meant to this team on offense. It was a recipe for disaster that a handful of fans saw coming. Everyone else thought this team was better and would be a fast paced offense. It doesn’t work like that.

That might be true. But what we know is true is that with better talent last year and Paul running the show the team went 3-8 down the stretch. I’m not sure how much more of a disaster we can have than that collapse. And no I’m not a Paul hater but it was obvious that changes needed to be made. The issue isn’t that they were made — it’s that Pike picked the wrong replacement(s).
 
That might be true. But what we know is true is that with better talent last year and Paul running the show the team went 3-8 down the stretch. I’m not sure how much more of a disaster we can have than that collapse. And no I’m not a Paul hater but it was obvious that changes needed to be made. The issue isn’t that they were made — it’s that Pike picked the wrong replacement(s).
I do want to have this conversation again… he was injured.
 
One more thing to add… not to rub salt but… the PM haters didn’t understand what he meant to this team on offense. It was a recipe for disaster that a handful of fans saw coming. Everyone else thought this team was better and would be a fast paced offense. It doesn’t work like that.
It could have worked better at least if replacement was someone better than Noah who was faster and a true distributor. Noah looks to drive to score like the rest of the guards and isn't that quick
 
I do want to have this conversation again… he was injured.

He was definitely banged up with the shoulder. And when he came back he went right back to playing huge minutes. He was great vs Purdue, Maryland, really good against NW, etc. And then he played the same minutes and the production fell off to the point that it was downright ugly late. If he was so injured that he couldn’t perform then Pike and/or Paul should’ve pulled the plug and sat him down. I’m not sold that it was injury. To me, he just looked so damn worn out.

But, what does it matter. Paul wanted to leave. Pike didn’t push him out. And maybe Paul wanted to come back thereafter and it was too late. That happens sometimes in life.

FWIW, Paul lost his starting job at Washington is now playing under 20 minutes per night. If he stayed he’d be playing a lot more here.
 
He was definitely banged up with the shoulder. And when he came back he went right back to playing huge minutes. He was great vs Purdue, Maryland, really good against NW, etc. And then he played the same minutes and the production fell off to the point that it was downright ugly late. If he was so injured that he couldn’t perform then Pike and/or Paul should’ve pulled the plug and sat him down. I’m not sold that it was injury. To me, he just looked so damn worn out.

But, what does it matter. Paul wanted to leave. Pike didn’t push him out. And maybe Paul wanted to come back thereafter and it was too late. That happens sometimes in life.

FWIW, Paul lost his starting job at Washington is now playing under 20 minutes per night. If he stayed he’d be playing a lot more here.
He was clearly and obviously injured. He was grabbing at the shoulder all season. You didn't notice?
 
FWIW, Paul lost his starting job at Washington is now playing under 20 minutes per night. If he stayed he’d be playing a lot more here.
Although Paul's minutes have decreased at Washington, if the Huskies' website is correct then he's only played under 20 minutes in two games this season, and in only one of their last five. And he's started in every game so far this season. Where did you learn that he lost his starting job? Did the coach announce that he's making a starting lineup change for their next game?
 
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He was clearly and obviously injured. He was grabbing at the shoulder all season. You didn't notice?
I acknowledged he was banged up/injured. But, are we also gong to ignore that Paul looked miserable for big portions of last season -- and not the type of miserable that is my shoulder hurts. Paul wanted out...of Rutgers and NJ. He said that he wanted out of NJ when he announced he was going to Washington. And, in the end, outside of Hawaii, Paul decided to transfer to the school just about as far away from here as he could. So, I'm not really sure why this is a topic anymore. Who cares what the fans wanted (stay/go) or Pike, who wanted him back. Paul wanted to leave and he did. The end.
 
Thought has crossed my mind a few times.. Are we sure that Gavin comes back next yr? Wouldn't surprise me if he didn't feel this was a good fit for him, and looked for a program that more suits his game. Maybe like a Creighton or Iowa, where shooters excel
 
Although Paul's minutes have decreased at Washington, if the Huskies' website is correct then he's only played under 20 minutes in two games this season, and in only one of their last five. And he's started in every game so far this season. Where did you learn that he lost his starting job? Did the coach announce that he's making a starting lineup change for their next game?
He has been 6th or 7th on the team in minutes for 5 out of the last 6 games, and 5th in the other game. And in the last 3 games (all league) he played 19, 20 and 21 minutes. I stand corrected -- he's playing 20 minutes per game (not under 20).

Again, I loved Paul when he was here. But, I am frustrated that fans seem to be ignoring that he wanted to leave. If fans thought we'd be better without Paul, which was not an unreasonable take, the issue isn't those fans; it's that you believe Pike should've found another player with a similar skill set. Because, again, Paul chose to leave.
 
I acknowledged he was banged up/injured. But, are we also gong to ignore that Paul looked miserable for big portions of last season -- and not the type of miserable that is my shoulder hurts. Paul wanted out...of Rutgers and NJ. He said that he wanted out of NJ when he announced he was going to Washington. And, in the end, outside of Hawaii, Paul decided to transfer to the school just about as far away from here as he could. So, I'm not really sure why this is a topic anymore. Who cares what the fans wanted (stay/go) or Pike, who wanted him back. Paul wanted to leave and he did. The end.
You are right, he was miserable. We now know why. Outside of Mag and Cliff, this roster is not very good. And to be honest, the winners all graduated. I believe he left because the young guy didn’t have what it takes and it frustrated the hell out of him. We have a bunch of guys who haven’t won anything and they play like it. Gavin will continue to develop but everyone else is a bench or depth player for average teams. The 2024 class will attempt to reset the skill level.
 
I acknowledged he was banged up/injured. But, are we also gong to ignore that Paul looked miserable for big portions of last season -- and not the type of miserable that is my shoulder hurts. Paul wanted out...of Rutgers and NJ. He said that he wanted out of NJ when he announced he was going to Washington. And, in the end, outside of Hawaii, Paul decided to transfer to the school just about as far away from here as he could. So, I'm not really sure why this is a topic anymore. Who cares what the fans wanted (stay/go) or Pike, who wanted him back. Paul wanted to leave and he did. The end.
You think Paul chose Washington bc it was geographically far from Rutgers?
 
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You are right, he was miserable. We now know why. Outside of Mag and Cliff, this roster is not very good. And to be honest, the winners all graduated. I believe he left because the young guy didn’t have what it takes and it frustrated the hell out of him. We have a bunch of guys who haven’t won anything and they play like it. Gavin will continue to develop but everyone else is a bench or depth player for average teams. The 2024 class will attempt to reset the skill level.

I’m good with alot of this.
 
He has been 6th or 7th on the team in minutes for 5 out of the last 6 games, and 5th in the other game. And in the last 3 games (all league) he played 19, 20 and 21 minutes. I stand corrected -- he's playing 20 minutes per game (not under 20).

Again, I loved Paul when he was here. But, I am frustrated that fans seem to be ignoring that he wanted to leave. If fans thought we'd be better without Paul, which was not an unreasonable take, the issue isn't those fans; it's that you believe Pike should've found another player with a similar skill set. Because, again, Paul chose to leave.
Point taken, but Paul has still started every game so far for Washington (except the UC San Diego game on Nov 28th that he sat out due to a finger injury), so I wondered why you posted that he lost his starting job there... You may be right soon, but so far he hasn't been out of the starting lineup despite getting less playing time.

He did miss a 3 pointer a few days ago with 5 seconds left vs Oregon, with Washington down 2, that could have won the game.. After the game his coach said this:

"“The great thing about Pauly is all he cares about is winning,” Hopkins said. “Obviously, he had an opportunity, but at the end of the day, a lot of these games, it’s not one play. It’s an accumulation."
 
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