I know there has been some debate on here about Geo not being a real PG. Watched a bunch of old highlights from before his growth spurt and he sure seems like a pg to me, despite the combo label. This Carino article seals it for me... going out of his way to be the coach on the court.
Geo Baker as a PG - Carino article
- Thread starter dkostus
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I feel confident in what people told me last fall when we were concerned about losing Nigel Johnson and we would be OK with Geo as his replacement for last year. I think the last 4 to 5 games of last season were invaluable for Baker to start to overcome the slump and flu-weight loss and fight through that.
That's why this team will exceed any and all predictions by so called experts. Geo sounds like a player-coach, unquestionably the leader of this team and he's only a sophomore. That kid will be special by his senior year. He has a very high ceiling, last player like him might be Quincy Douby, Fr- 12.5 ppg, So.-15.4 ppg, Jr- 25.4 ppg. The difference is Geo is a better all around player than Quincy was, Geo just doesn't have Quincy range though.
Geo will never score like Douby did his jr year, and will never need to. I think he’ll cap off around 15 ppg (if that) his last couple years.
Quincy was a first round NBA pick. Geo is good but I doubt he is better than Quincy.
Geo may score 15/ppg this year, but I agree he will likely never average more than that but may just keep getting more efficient as he progresses.
Bob Lloyd scored over 20+ each of his 3 years after torching on the frosh team.
Game has changed...yet I think it will change again.
Everyone trying to emulate Curry on the 3 ball. IMO there's room for rebounding, assists, FT's and the old fashioned 2.
Don't cap ANYONE ...until they CAP themselves.
MO
PS Riggins scored 51 ? tying Lloyd for most points ever scored by a Rutgers player. If you look at Riggins his frosh / soph year no one would have
predicted that.
Damn! I forgot all about that game! My soph year and was in the Pep Band so had a pretty good view...Riggins was a big wirey kid who could score and made the funniest faces when he got whistled for fouls....
Lloyd probably would have had more or there was a three point line back then
And I don't remember him lasting very long nor playing much D. Geo will be better all around, plus Douby was pretty much a long range shooter from what I remember. Geo can get into the lane and shoot over opposing guards.
In his junior year, Quincy could do it all on O. You don't average 25/ppg in D1 just shooting from range.
That being said, I agree Geo could be a better defender, leader and distributor.
Biggest knock on Douby as an NBA player was his height. Tough to make it as a 6-3 shooting guard
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IMO Lloyd wasn't athletic (whatever that is)….he could just plain out shoot everyone!
MO
PS Believe at one point he held the record for most FT's made consecutively : 60 (someone else can verify or set it straight).
That's quite a complement. IMO, Q was a darn good all around college player with other parts of his game overlooked because of his ability to score. One thing I'd like to see is a bit of improvement in Geo's already decent FT%. Seems to me that's very important to have in a PG in tight games.
We can only hope Geo plays as well as Q. Q was last player we have had that the defense could not defend from anywhere on the court, but was long, played defense and could rebound. I absolutely love Geo and think he is going to leave here as one of the all time greats, but his scoring average will go up next year because I think Mulcahy comes in as a true point next year and we play with a true pass first point guard that will get Geo another 5-10 points a game and will allow him not to get worn out at the point. Excitement for this year is really great but next year the excitement will be off the charts and Geo will be at the center of it all, to get us over the hump .
It took Littlepage a long time to figure out the only way he was going to win any games that year was to just feed Riggins over and over and over.
Regardless of whether or not he could play PG, it's probably not in his own best interests to play PG. Bringing the ball up all the time against pressuring PGs and trying to get everyone else involved is taxing and in my experience tends to cause a loss of efficiency for PGs that are also leading scorers for their team. Baker would probably be more efficient if he didn't have to expend the energy necessary to run everything with the ball in his hands.
Next year I'd guess you'll have a lot of people bringing the ball up the court, not just one guy. Especially at the end of games you'll see Geo, young, Kiss, Mulcahy... anyone with handle that can reliably hit a free throw
I can see Mulcahy playing the point plenty with Geo. He will make Geo better , get him more shots, and let him slide over to the shooting guard where he doesn’t have to set up the team and score, which he will be doing more of this year .
I am going to wait to give my opinion. Kid was a freshman last year. He already looks bigger and stronger in photos. He strikes me as the type of kid who will continuously develop.
Baker has proper size, and wingspan. Most importantly, he loves basketball and is always working his game.I could see him in the NBA one day.
So many guards next year. Not a bad problem to have. I could really see next year being the year Rutgers can dance. They will have to schedule harder, and make a BIG tourny run.
So many guards next year. Not a bad problem to have. I could really see next year being the year Rutgers can dance. They will have to schedule harder, and make a BIG tourny run.
He will be guarding the other team’s point guard just like he did a good deal last year trading off with Corey. His length should bother and deflect a number of passes.
He won't need to. Another guard can and will. He will likely match up with the least explosive or worst offensive perimeter player. Pike isn't a fool
I was there in the Barn when Lloyd's streak (I think it was up to 63) was broken. It was deadly silent when he stepped to the line. As he prepared to release some jerk yelled "SHOOT," and it bounced off the front of the rim. How that guy got out of the gym alive I'll never know!
Point guard, schmoint guard.
Geo will lead the team, have the ball in his hands, and run the offense.
Geo will lead the team, have the ball in his hands, and run the offense.
Quincy had a great floater too, he was the best we have had in 20 years. Love Geo and his potential, but to downgrade a first round pick and to project Gio ahead of that (a top 10 pick?!?!?!?) is waaaaaaay premature. And unlikely.
