Mags v. Hyatt v. Woolfolk v. Chol

[Good-Knight]

Obviously Mags has the lead. He is tougher than tough and, unlike a lot of tough guys, he's smart. That and his high motor make him Pikes kind of guy. Shocker of the Fairfield exhibition was Mawot looking to score. I suspect he'll revert to old form when games count. He's a little small (listed at 6'7") and a little light. He gets more than his fair share of rebounds away from the basket but is not much of presence on interior rebounds except for when he can take two steps in. He figures to be the starter with the lowest ppg average, which makes him vulnerable to being displaced on a team that needs offense.

Hyatt came here from LSU to start and to score. He is such a polished player. Yet without a boost of athleticism, Hyatt's mediocre rebounding and mediocre shooting put him at the bottom of my chart. Shame because he plays a very solid team D and makes almost no mistakes. Opponents in his vicinity almost never get clean rebounds.

Woolfolk has size and strength in abundance. 6'9," 250 lbs is what the Strong Forward job description says and it is what Antwone brings. B1G is a physical league and having Woolfolk on the team means we have an answer when we're getting pushed around. Lot of potential here. I'll be watching to see if Pike makes a November investment in Woolfolks minutes. Surely there will be growing pains.

Chol would win a 1 on 1 tourney between these 4. We need points and Chol figures to be the best combination of points and rebounds. But, he is so skinny and so young. As far as who makes Cliff a better player, Chol comes in 4th so this might not be his ideal situation to thrive.

Prediction: Mags holds his spot into B1G play but by February Woolfolk is getting the most and most important minutes. Hyatt is a forgotten man. Chol shows promise but Pike doesn't really have enough minutes for him.

 

[gregkoko]

Mag is definitely the breakout player of the year. Finding his offensive game, plays great D, brings energy on the court.

Hyatt looks mildly improved. I didn't see much yesterday. He averaged 4 ppg and 3 rpg in 13 mpg last year. Maybe with more minutes he gets up to 6-7 ppg and 5 rpg? He'll be a role player coming off the bench.

Woolfolk looks strong as hell. The offense will come, but I am not expecting a ton of minutes from him or Chol this season.

Paul, Caleb, and Cliff are all going to get 30-35 mpg (Cliff on the lower end)
Cam and Mag probably around 25 mpg

There just are not a ton of minutes to go around.

Hopefully Simpson gets 10-15 minutes, Hyatt 10-15, Miller gonna get 5-10, Reiber in the 5-10 range.

 

[ouchmyknee]

That’s an interesting take 🤷‍♂️

I disagree with everything the OP said, but that’s what makes message boards fun.

 

[BillyC80]

Despite his flaws, I like Hyatt a lot. His demeanor on offense reminds me of Jacob Young, where he is super confident, aggressive, and more than willing to take the shots that others pass up. Also has ice in his veins in pressure situations.

Yes, his perimeter defense needs work, however he’s a good rebounder when he’s focused. And I believe he’ll make a positive contribution even with his defensive lapses, plus he’ll make some key plays for us in crunch time. My bet is that we will win games we otherwise would have lost without his performance.

So Mag gets the well-deserved start due to his defense and scoring, and Hyatt comes off the bench, but both will see plenty of minutes.

 

[Scangg]

I also disagree with a lot of the OP 🤣. His description of "Mags" is wayyy off base... starting at the word "shocker" everything he said was wrong IMO

Mag will be a scorer. He's not small at all. He rebounds well.

Hyatt OP said was a mediocre rebounder then seemed to praise his rebounding? Hyatt is a strong rebounder. He struggles guarding the perimeter but plays strong interior defense with his strength and strong base. It's why he defended the 4 much better than the 3 last season

Woolfolk take is interesting. He's athletic enough to guard the 4, but he really has no outside shooting game to space the floor on offense

Chol is a wildcard. He came late so he's still adjusting. Hoping we can blow some teams out early to get him some minutes to develop and get comfortable out there

My prediction is this is Mag's job. He will play the most minutes at the 4 and fill up the stat sheet with points rebounds assists steals blocks. He is a stat stuffer that brings length athleticism speed strength. He can score in the mid range and is tough to handle attacking the basket and around the rim

The Mag breakout is here people. He is very very good. Get on board the Mag hype train if you are not already. It's going to be one hell of a ride

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

Haven't followed much this preseason but am quite encouraged by an argument over a single position with so many options being discussed. great posts all.

 

[richthedentist]

Mag is definitely the breakout player of the year. Finding his offensive game, plays great D, brings energy on the court.

Hyatt looks mildly improved. I didn't see much yesterday. He averaged 4 ppg and 3 rpg in 13 mpg last year. Maybe with more minutes he gets up to 6-7 ppg and 5 rpg? He'll be a role player coming off the bench.

Woolfolk looks strong as hell. The offense will come, but I am not expecting a ton of minutes from him or Chol this season.

Paul, Caleb, and Cliff are all going to get 30-35 mpg (Cliff on the lower end)
Cam and Mag probably around 25 mpg

There just are not a ton of minutes to go around.

Hopefully Simpson gets 10-15 minutes, Hyatt 10-15, Miller gonna get 5-10, Reiber in the 5-10 range.

Judging by yesterday Simpson needs 15 Miller 5 and Reiber at least 15 as I still think we will go big sometimes with Cliff and Dean in the game at the same time; I really think Reibers athleticism is still totally under estimated and Pikell always says how athletic it is as he played only 3 minutes yesterday but he had a block of one of their 3 point shots and of course his 3 point shooting is not a fluke

 

[richthedentist]

Haven't followed much this preseason but am quite encouraged by an argument over a single position with so many options being discussed. great posts all.

Yeah I believe this team has more depth than any team in a long time

 

[gregkoko]

Judging by yesterday Simpson needs 15 Miller 5 and Reiber at least 15 as I still think we will go big sometimes with Cliff and Dean in the game at the same time; I really think Reibers athleticism is still totally under estimated and Pikell always says how athletic it is as he played only 3 minutes yesterday but he had a block of one of their 3 point shots and of course his 3 point shooting is not a fluke

I'm high on Simpson, but I want to see him do it against B1G competition. Also freshman wall and all that. Would love to see slow and steady progress over the course of the season and be able to lean on him more later in the year if he's the player we're hoping he is.

 

[Scangg]

Judging by yesterday Simpson needs 15 Miller 5 and Reiber at least 15 as I still think we will go big sometimes with Cliff and Dean in the game at the same time; I really think Reibers athleticism is still totally under estimated and Pikell always says how athletic it is as he played only 3 minutes yesterday but he had a block of one of their 3 point shots and of course his 3 point shooting is not a fluke

Woolfolk also played minutes at the 4 yesterday. One thing to keep in mind is that Pike wanted to be a much better rebounding team and better defensively.

Any minutes Dean or Woolfolk get at the 4 should make us a very very strong rebounding lineup. If they are also athletic enough to guard the 4 on the perimeter, the height length and strength should make us a tougher unit defensively as well.

Woolfolk moved extremely well defending the perimeter. It was kind of shocking. He can guard the 4. Can he space the floor and does he have enough of a perimeter game on the other end of the court? Maybe we see some high low post action with Dean/Wolf and Cliff

It's really nothing but options for Pike. Hopefully he can find the right lineup combinations at the right times this season. He has almost too many options where it can be tough to find the right one

 

[RU at the shore]

Mag will be a scorer. He's not small at all. He rebounds well.

My prediction is this is Mag's job. He will play the most minutes at the 4 and fill up the stat sheet with points rebounds assists steals blocks. He is a stat stuffer that brings length athleticism speed strength. He can score in the mid range and is tough to handle attacking the basket and around the rim

The Mag breakout is here people. He is very very good. Get on board the Mag hype train if you are not already. It's going to be one hell of a ride

If Mag is going to be as good as you think , and we can stay in front of quick guards, this will be a helluva season.

 

[Scangg]

If Mag is going to be as good as you think , and we can stay in front of quick guards, this will be a helluva season.

 

[CranfordKnight]

If I knew nothing about the Rutgers players and didn't watch or read about the practices and the exhibition, this is probably what my assessment would look like. Like a book report from someone who didn't read the book.

 

[darkcheck]

I know it’s one outing but I don’t know I’m sold on Cam at 25 mins with all I saw out of Mawot, Andre, Derek and Antwone

 

[Scangg]

I know it’s one outing but I don’t know I’m sold on Cam at 25 mins with all I saw out of Mawot, Andre, Derek and Antwone

Cam just didn't shoot well. He looked good in every other area. If he's having a bad night, Pike should play him less that day, just like everyone else on the roster

 

[Degaz-RU]

Not sure why Reiber isn’t in this conversation. He has just as much chance of playing minutes at the 4 as do all of them except Mag (who probably is the leader in the clubhouse to seize the spot).

 

[Good-Knight]

Hyatt OP said was a mediocre rebounder then seemed to praise his rebounding?

I didn't praise Hyatt's rebounding. It's okay. I like his effort to prevent others from grabbing rebounds. He too often taps at a defensive rebound instead of grabbing it with two hands, but that activity is way better than letting them get uncontested rebounds inside.

As for Mags, I've heard about players about to have offensive break-out seasons and how player X is going to flourish now that he no longer in the shadow of player Y, too often to readily believe it on faith alone. Mags high was 13 pts against Nebraska. He had 8 games where he had over 5 mins in PT and scored ZERO points. THAT IS TERRIBLE. He averaged 2.9 pts, 1.9 rebounds in 11.7 minutes. That's why I see him as our weakest starter. Doubling his numbers is still very short of what we need from the starter at the 4 spot. I see the four who play the 4 as being pretty even to start with so I wouldn't be surprized is a youngin' steps forward. Mags has guts to spare but the score board only shows points.

Personally, I prefer Omoruyi, Reiber then Woolfork at the 5 and Mags, Woolfolk, Hyatt at the 4 ...for now until we get a better feel for what the new comers have to offer.

 

[Scangg]

I didn't praise Hyatt's rebounding. It's okay. I like his effort to prevent others from grabbing rebounds. He too often taps at a defensive rebound instead of grabbing it with two hands, but that activity is way better than letting them get uncontested rebounds inside.

As for Mags, I've heard about players about to have offensive break-out seasons and how player X is going to flourish now that he no longer in the shadow of player Y, too often to readily believe it on faith alone. Mags high was 13 pts against Nebraska. He had 8 games where he had over 5 mins in PT and scored ZERO points. THAT IS TERRIBLE. He averaged 2.9 pts, 1.9 rebounds in 11.7 minutes. That's why I see him as our weakest starter. Doubling his numbers is still very short of what we need from the starter at the 4 spot. I see the four who play the 4 as being pretty even to start with so I wouldn't be surprized is a youngin' steps forward. Mags has guts to spare but the score board only shows points.

Personally, I prefer Omoruyi, Reiber then Woolfork at the 5 and Mags, Woolfolk, Hyatt at the 4 ...for now until we get a better feel for what the new comers have to offer.

1. His role wasn't to score last year
2. He is clearly oozing with potential
3. He has clearly improved
4. It's Mag. There is no s unless he goes by Mags as a nickname?

 

[Geo_Baker_1]

It’s Mawot’s spot to lose by a wide margin right now. Dre did play really well though. I think Antwon playing at the 4 is similar to what i said earlier about Dean at the 4. I don’t think they’re going to do it very often. Todays game is about spacing and being able to attack from the perimeter. There’s a reason we beat Indiana every game 😂 the two big combo just doesn’t work great. I was surprised they had Antwon and Cliff in together for that short sequence yesterday. There’s probably a better chance at Dean and Cliff playing together because Dean can space the floor with his jump shot better than twon.

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

I didn't praise Hyatt's rebounding. It's okay. I like his effort to prevent others from grabbing rebounds. He too often taps at a defensive rebound instead of grabbing it with two hands, but that activity is way better than letting them get uncontested rebounds inside.

As for Mags, I've heard about players about to have offensive break-out seasons and how player X is going to flourish now that he no longer in the shadow of player Y, too often to readily believe it on faith alone. Mags high was 13 pts against Nebraska. He had 8 games where he had over 5 mins in PT and scored ZERO points. THAT IS TERRIBLE. He averaged 2.9 pts, 1.9 rebounds in 11.7 minutes. That's why I see him as our weakest starter. Doubling his numbers is still very short of what we need from the starter at the 4 spot. I see the four who play the 4 as being pretty even to start with so I wouldn't be surprized is a youngin' steps forward. Mags has guts to spare but the score board only shows points.

Personally, I prefer Omoruyi, Reiber then Woolfork at the 5 and Mags, Woolfolk, Hyatt at the 4 ...for now until we get a better feel for what the new comers have to offer.

Lotta wrong here about Mag. The ALL CAPS just highlight just how off base the statements are about Mag. 😂 😂

 

[BillyC80]

It’s Mawot’s spot to lose by a wide margin right now. Dre did play really well though. I think Antwon playing at the 4 is similar to what i said earlier about Dean at the 4. I don’t think they’re going to do it very often. Todays game is about spacing and being able to attack from the perimeter. There’s a reason we beat Indiana every game 😂 the two big combo just doesn’t work great. I was surprised they had Antwon and Cliff in together for that short sequence yesterday. There’s probably a better chance at Dean and Cliff playing together because Dean can space the floor with his jump shot better than twon.

Mawot looks ready to start, for sure. Do you think Dre will take up most of Caleb’s minutes if he has to nurse his injury for a few more games?

Also, we know what Miller brings on defense. Do you think he’ll have a green light to shoot when left open this year?

 

[jakeknight]

Assigning minutes at this point in time is silly, we won’t know who will get what until we get to the Big schedule. Too many possible variables, people will earn there minutes in the pre big schedule.
Plus other teams personnel will also dictate how minutes are distributed, actually it not a bad thing to have options
Caleb, Paul and cliff are set Cam and Simpson will get good minutes and the balance is TBD

 

[Geo_Baker_1]

Mawot looks ready to start, for sure. Do you think Dre will take up most of Caleb’s minutes if he has to nurse his injury for a few more games?

Also, we know what Miller brings on defense. Do you think he’ll have a green light to shoot when left open this year?

Yeah i do. I think pikes approached the Fairfield game like how he’s going to approach a real game in terms of minutes. Obviously no game looks exactly the same but that rotation seems to be what it’ll look like until Caleb is back.

jalen was shooting with a lot more confidence in the practices i saw. But Derek and cam just happen to be really good and smart offensive players. And the more you play Derek now the more he’ll be ready to defend later.

just like last year, there will be games where pikes is gonna want jalen on the floor simply because of defense. Long long season

 

[Scangg]

Assigning minutes at this point in time is silly, we won’t know who will get what until we get to the Big schedule. Too many possible variables, people will earn there minutes in the pre big schedule.
Plus other teams personnel will also dictate how minutes are distributed, actually it not a bad thing to have options
Caleb, Paul and cliff are set Cam and Simpson will get good minutes and the balance is TBD

Mag is also locked in to a lot of minutes

 

[BillyC80]

Yeah i do. I think pikes approached the Fairfield game like how he’s going to approach a real game in terms of minutes. Obviously no game looks exactly the same but that rotation seems to be what it’ll look like until Caleb is back.

jalen was shooting with a lot more confidence in the practices i saw. But Derek and cam just happen to be really good and smart offensive players. And the more you play Derek now the more he’ll be ready to defend later.

just like last year, there will be games where pikes is gonna want jalen on the floor simply because of defense. Long long season

Appreciate the response, Geo. Really looking forward to this season and your commentary along the way… Let’s go!

 

[BellyFullOfWhiteDogCrap]

Some are painting Mag as an offensive juggernaut. I don't see it.
Can he create his own shot? Put it on the deck and take a defender to the basket? No. That's not his game. You don't all of a sudden find those skills against B1G competition.
His points will come on offensive rebounds, finishing off of a pass, transition buckets, or knocking down the occasional open jumper.

 

[Scangg]

Some are painting Mag as an offensive juggernaut. I don't see it.
Can he create his own shot? Put it on the deck and take a defender to the basket? No. That's not his game. You don't all of a sudden find those skills against B1G competition.
His points will come on offensive rebounds, finishing off of a pass, transition buckets, or knocking down the occasional open jumper.

Can Mag create his own shot? Yes
Put it on the deck and get to the basket? Of course lol

Mag can definitely create his own shot. He has a very tough mid range game to defend. He's not going to cross someone up at the 3 point line, but he doesn't need to

From the post he can face up and hit a mid range jumper, take it to his man and score with floaters in the lane / little jump hooks, we have seen a nice looking spin move

Mag will also score in transition, cutting to basket, clean up with some buckets on offensive rebounds. He is tall, long, bouncy, and stronger than some seem to think. He will draw fouls and get to the line

Mag will score in a variety of ways. He needs to finish better around the rim or he would have went for about 25 points last game

 

[jrm75]

This is an extremely deep and versatile group. Just need enough players each game to come through.

 

[runrutgersrun]

This is an extremely deep and versatile group. Just need enough players each game to come through.

Agree with this...lots of parts here on this team. I sat under the basket at the game. Interesting to see the guys from that close up. Strange group of things made big impressions on me, mostly intangibles, I guess. Very impressed by Hyatt...makes a fan feel comfortable when he has the ball...he just seemed to know what he was looking at all game long. For some reason I've been infatuated with Woolfolk since he committed...I was very thrilled because he just looked like he belonged. Young Mr. Simpson...what a joy and surprise to see him play so well...he can't possibly be that good lol. I really liked Cam...I felt sorry for him, there was not much on a score sheet to like yesterday. I swore I could actually see him pulling the string on everything he put up. But, I think he's a pretty smart fellow, never hung his head and, other than his shooting, usually seemed to be doing what he was supposed to be doing all the time. His time will come...he didn't look nervous but, you could almost feel that he was very nervous. Absolutely loved the game, haven't been to too many live events since Covid, so I may be really easy to please. However, Coach wasn't too far away from our seats, and I don't think he was as thrilled as I was with the team, lol. Go RU!

 

[Scangg]

Very impressed by Hyatt...makes a fan feel comfortable when he has the ball...

I'll take things no Rutgers fan said last season for $100, Alex

 

[jordkap]

I'll take things no Rutgers fan said last season for $100, Alex

Except in weirdly high pressure situations, he was money

 

[fatsam98]

Agree with this...lots of parts here on this team. I sat under the basket at the game. Interesting to see the guys from that close up. Strange group of things made big impressions on me, mostly intangibles, I guess. Very impressed by Hyatt...makes a fan feel comfortable when he has the ball...he just seemed to know what he was looking at all game long. For some reason I've been infatuated with Woolfolk since he committed...I was very thrilled because he just looked like he belonged. Young Mr. Simpson...what a joy and surprise to see him play so well...he can't possibly be that good lol. I really liked Cam...I felt sorry for him, there was not much on a score sheet to like yesterday. I swore I could actually see him pulling the string on everything he put up. But, I think he's a pretty smart fellow, never hung his head and, other than his shooting, usually seemed to be doing what he was supposed to be doing all the time. His time will come...he didn't look nervous but, you could almost feel that he was very nervous. Absolutely loved the game, haven't been to too many live events since Covid, so I may be really easy to please. However, Coach wasn't too far away from our seats, and I don't think he was as thrilled as I was with the team, lol. Go RU!

Good post. Given how everyone this off-season has said Cam is the most competitive person they've ever met, I was concerned he'd let the missed shots get to him -- but his body language was solid all game.

 

[Scangg]

Except in weirdly high pressure situations, he was money

Super clutch FTs but overall when he had the ball last season I'd say most fans felt uncomfortable. He forced it a lot and turned it over

 

[fatsam98]

Super clutch FTs but overall when he had the ball last season I'd say most fans felt uncomfortable. He forced it a lot and turned it over

Exhibit A from last season... We can laugh now but it wasn't funny at the time

Rutgers at Indiana game thread

 

[BKIn118]

Pikiell will play his veteran guys when it matters. That means Mag and Hyatt....

Doesn't mean there is any less upside with the others, but trust needs to be developed for talent to translate to production

 

[ejgonz]

Yeah i do. I think pikes approached the Fairfield game like how he’s going to approach a real game in terms of minutes. Obviously no game looks exactly the same but that rotation seems to be what it’ll look like until Caleb is back.

jalen was shooting with a lot more confidence in the practices i saw. But Derek and cam just happen to be really good and smart offensive players. And the more you play Derek now the more he’ll be ready to defend later.

just like last year, there will be games where pikes is gonna want jalen on the floor simply because of defense. Long long season

LOVE the insight Geo. You’ve been an amazing addition to the fan community.

 

[Scangg]

Exhibit A from last season... We can laugh now but it wasn't funny at the time

Rutgers at Indiana game thread

Oh man that was good for a nice laugh 🤣

You're right though. It was not funny at the time

 

[Scarlet83]

I didn't praise Hyatt's rebounding. It's okay. I like his effort to prevent others from grabbing rebounds. He too often taps at a defensive rebound instead of grabbing it with two hands, but that activity is way better than letting them get uncontested rebounds inside.

As for Mags, I've heard about players about to have offensive break-out seasons and how player X is going to flourish now that he no longer in the shadow of player Y, too often to readily believe it on faith alone. Mags high was 13 pts against Nebraska. He had 8 games where he had over 5 mins in PT and scored ZERO points. THAT IS TERRIBLE. He averaged 2.9 pts, 1.9 rebounds in 11.7 minutes. That's why I see him as our weakest starter. Doubling his numbers is still very short of what we need from the starter at the 4 spot. I see the four who play the 4 as being pretty even to start with so I wouldn't be surprized is a youngin' steps forward. Mags has guts to spare but the score board only shows points.

Personally, I prefer Omoruyi, Reiber then Woolfork at the 5 and Mags, Woolfolk, Hyatt at the 4 ...for now until we get a better feel for what the new comers have to offer.

We’re you physically at the Fairfield exhibit game at Jersey Mike’s?

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

Obviously Mags has the lead. He is tougher than tough and, unlike a lot of tough guys, he's smart. That and his high motor make him Pikes kind of guy. Shocker of the Fairfield exhibition was Mawot looking to score. I suspect he'll revert to old form when games count. He's a little small (listed at 6'7") and a little light. He gets more than his fair share of rebounds away from the basket but is not much of presence on interior rebounds except for when he can take two steps in. He figures to be the starter with the lowest ppg average, which makes him vulnerable to being displaced on a team that needs offense.

Hyatt came here from LSU to start and to score. He is such a polished player. Yet without a boost of athleticism, Hyatt's mediocre rebounding and mediocre shooting put him at the bottom of my chart. Shame because he plays a very solid team D and makes almost no mistakes. Opponents in his vicinity almost never get clean rebounds.

Woolfolk has size and strength in abundance. 6'9," 250 lbs is what the Strong Forward job description says and it is what Antwone brings. B1G is a physical league and having Woolfolk on the team means we have an answer when we're getting pushed around. Lot of potential here. I'll be watching to see if Pike makes a November investment in Woolfolks minutes. Surely there will be growing pains.

Chol would win a 1 on 1 tourney between these 4. We need points and Chol figures to be the best combination of points and rebounds. But, he is so skinny and so young. As far as who makes Cliff a better player, Chol comes in 4th so this might not be his ideal situation to thrive.

Prediction: Mags holds his spot into B1G play but by February Woolfolk is getting the most and most important minutes. Hyatt is a forgotten man. Chol shows promise but Pike doesn't really have enough minutes for him.

So, in 2022 you think a 6'9", 250 lb player is what the Power Forward job description says ?

Please stop it. You are living so far in the past it's ridiculous.

 

[Scangg]

So, in 2022 you think a 6'9", 250 lb player is what the Power Forward job description says ?

Please stop it. You are living so far in the past it's ridiculous.

In today's world, you ideally want a long athletic 4 who has perimeter skills dribbling and passing and can shoot the 3

His ideal 4 is Charles Oakley