My conclusion from tonight? This team is desperately missing a guy who can penetrate and make the defense move. In the endless Jacob Young thread last year I was pretty adamant that last year's team would not have been better with him. But that type of player is exactly what this year's team is missing.
March 22: Rutgers is reportedly in contact in Sam Sessoms (source: Twitter)
March 24: Rutgers is in contact with Ethan Wright. (source: Twitter)
March 25: Rutgers is in contact with Marcus Hammond (source is TOS, I won't link it)
April 1: Sam Sessoms releases top 6 that features UTEP, Coppin State, George Mason, Minnesota, Michigan, and Mississippi State. I'd like to believe that if Rutgers was truly serious they'd have been able to crack that top 6.
April 9: Ethan Wright commits to Colorado.
April 15: Marcus Hammond and Cam Spencer have visits planned to Rutgers (source: https://rutgers.forums.rivals.com/threads/cam-spencer-and-marcus-hammond-visiting-next-week.239557/)
April 19: Cam Spencer commits (https://www.onthebanks.com/2022/4/1...ts-rutgers-basketball-big-ten-loyola-maryland)
April 20: Marcus Hammond commits to Notre Dame, it's reported that he no longer considered Rutgers, or Rutgers no longer considered him, after the Spencer commitment (https://www.zagsblog.com/2022/04/20/marcus-hammond-no-longer-considering-rutgers-notre-dame-up-next/)
April 28: Kyle Lofton enters the portal (https://buffalonews.com/sports/coll...cle_370d5cbe-c736-11ec-84e8-4f8427540716.html)
May 9: Kyle Lofton visits Rutgers (Twitter)
May 13: Kyle Lofton commits to Florida (https://www.si.com/college/florida/...-bonaventure-transfer-guard-kyle-lofton-signs)
My question is this:
At the very beginning of the portal period, Pikiell is in contact with Sam Sessoms. This suggests to me that he thinks he needs to add a point guard. But he evidently cools on Sessoms (or Sessoms cools on him, it doesn't matter) and instead turns his attention to a trio of 2 guards in Wright, Hammond, and Spencer. It seems kinda clear Wright was target #1 and then Hammond and Spencer were basically equal and whoever was willing to commit first was the one we'd take.
Now someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I don't remember Rutgers being linked to any PGs between Sessoms and Lofton. Meanwhile Cam Wynter committed to Penn State on April 14. Dashawn Davis committed to Mississippi State on April 11. Jao Ituka committed to Wake Forest on April 25. Tyree Appleby committed to WF on May 4. Al-Amir Dawes committed to Seton Hall on May 4.
How come Pikiell was apparently interested in a PG in March (Sessoms) and May (Lofton) but not in between? If we thought we needed a PG, why weren't we in on Cam Wynter? Or Dashawn Davis? Both of those guys are from NY originally. Shit, we'd be helped by Andre Curbelo.
March 22: Rutgers is reportedly in contact in Sam Sessoms (source: Twitter)
March 24: Rutgers is in contact with Ethan Wright. (source: Twitter)
March 25: Rutgers is in contact with Marcus Hammond (source is TOS, I won't link it)
April 1: Sam Sessoms releases top 6 that features UTEP, Coppin State, George Mason, Minnesota, Michigan, and Mississippi State. I'd like to believe that if Rutgers was truly serious they'd have been able to crack that top 6.
April 9: Ethan Wright commits to Colorado.
April 15: Marcus Hammond and Cam Spencer have visits planned to Rutgers (source: https://rutgers.forums.rivals.com/threads/cam-spencer-and-marcus-hammond-visiting-next-week.239557/)
April 19: Cam Spencer commits (https://www.onthebanks.com/2022/4/1...ts-rutgers-basketball-big-ten-loyola-maryland)
April 20: Marcus Hammond commits to Notre Dame, it's reported that he no longer considered Rutgers, or Rutgers no longer considered him, after the Spencer commitment (https://www.zagsblog.com/2022/04/20/marcus-hammond-no-longer-considering-rutgers-notre-dame-up-next/)
April 28: Kyle Lofton enters the portal (https://buffalonews.com/sports/coll...cle_370d5cbe-c736-11ec-84e8-4f8427540716.html)
May 9: Kyle Lofton visits Rutgers (Twitter)
May 13: Kyle Lofton commits to Florida (https://www.si.com/college/florida/...-bonaventure-transfer-guard-kyle-lofton-signs)
My question is this:
At the very beginning of the portal period, Pikiell is in contact with Sam Sessoms. This suggests to me that he thinks he needs to add a point guard. But he evidently cools on Sessoms (or Sessoms cools on him, it doesn't matter) and instead turns his attention to a trio of 2 guards in Wright, Hammond, and Spencer. It seems kinda clear Wright was target #1 and then Hammond and Spencer were basically equal and whoever was willing to commit first was the one we'd take.
Now someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I don't remember Rutgers being linked to any PGs between Sessoms and Lofton. Meanwhile Cam Wynter committed to Penn State on April 14. Dashawn Davis committed to Mississippi State on April 11. Jao Ituka committed to Wake Forest on April 25. Tyree Appleby committed to WF on May 4. Al-Amir Dawes committed to Seton Hall on May 4.
How come Pikiell was apparently interested in a PG in March (Sessoms) and May (Lofton) but not in between? If we thought we needed a PG, why weren't we in on Cam Wynter? Or Dashawn Davis? Both of those guys are from NY originally. Shit, we'd be helped by Andre Curbelo.