My thoughts on 2022, 2023, and beyond

[RUby RED]

I agree. aside from turning into a bit of a head case (or maybe related to it?) I have no doubt that Pauls had some lingering injuries.

regarding Paul - I also think its time to move on from him as point guard. but if he does stay AND we get a quality point guard (not Simpson) - I wonder if there is some new role he could play. For example - kind of a point forward type position where he sets up at the top of the key and distributes or shots/ drives when the opportunity is presented. under this scenario there is a quicker / more traditional point guard running it but Paul is out there as a second guy who can distribute. crazy thought?

I’m all for Paul in more of a Tyler Wahl type role

 

[new jersey1]

Does he look like a guy who wants to play another year lately?

Will be listening to his senior day interview which PSAL referenced. But from what Paul seemed to indicate in that interview, I do think he wants to play another year. I see him up close from where I sit at JMA.
Unsure what specifically you are alluding to… perhaps the quality of his play which may be a factor of his shoulder injury?

 

[MiloTalon13]

Will be listening to his senior day interview which PSAL referenced. But from what Paul seemed to indicate in that interview, I do think he wants to play another year. I see him up close from where I sit at JMA.
Unsure what specifically you are alluding to… perhaps the quality of his play which may be a factor of his shoulder injury?

Body language on the court
Seems to get down on himself and blame teammates
Does not seem the same as he was earlier this season

 

[bac2therac]

It is hypothetical. I would less believe in it if I didn’t see it in my own house. Different sport and HS frosh and not a college frosh.

Would you rather Hyatt

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Would you rather Hyatt

Huh

 

[S_Janowski]

I agree with 95% of it, but neither Hyatt or Mag is a B1G caliber 3 or 4.

Dude can you just stop posting about Mag?

Like please do us all a favor and stop.

Your takes on him are all-time horrific, and that’s saying a lot for you.

 

[new jersey1]

Body language on the court
Seems to get down on himself and blame teammates
Does not seem the same as he was earlier this season

Super Competitive. Had high expectations for this season. Has taken a physical beating this season.
He and the team have not played well over the last month.
That will do it.
We’ll see once the season ends.

 

[S_Janowski]

Everyone else is making a thread so why not? I've specifically steered away from the kneejerk game to game reactions mainly for my own sanity but now that the season is basically over I might as well get my thoughts down.

I think the team is clearly beat up, significantly worse than the normal wear-and-tear of a regular season. Mag is out, obviously. McConnell, fairly obviously, is nowhere close to 100%. Remember how awkward he looked coming back from the knee injury? And then he played 33 minutes a game. I'm certain that was an issue all season long and that's before we get to his back. For Mulcahy, I'll be shocked if 72 hours pass from the end of the season without a "Paul was playing with a significant shoulder injury" announcement. Labrum, rotator cuff... something. And I wouldn't be surprised if something also came out about Cliff, though his is closer to normal wear and tear. So with that context here's my rundown of the roster.

Group 1 - The Core

Paul Mulcahy - Would love for him to come back next year but it can't be as the main point guard. That's just not working and will not magically start working in Year 5. He needs to be a glue guy on the wing akin to Connor McCaffrey's role on Iowa. Connor has the luxury of not needing to put up shots for Iowa's offense to work. It's on Pikiell to bring in the right players so that the offense is not dependent on Mulcahy but rather is enhanced by what he can do.

Cliff Omoruyi - Really hope he comes back too. He hasn't progressed the way we all hoped but a big man can only do so much without the threat of anyone else getting into the paint and scoring. He was so good last year because Geo and Ron could both make things happen inside the arc and draw help defenders to free him up. It's also not correct to say he didn't get better at all. His rebounding numbers and block rate were both up.

Cam Spencer - A home run in the transfer portal. Anyone hoping for more than what he gave us is delusional. No, he's not going to carry an offense but a guy shooting 43% on 4.5 threes a game is what we've been missing forever. The goal next year should be to open things up for him to get 5+ attempts a game. He gets what he can out of his limited athleticism on defense. Absolutely thrilled with him. Just please knock off the 17 foot fadeaway next season.

Mawot Mag - It's not really shocking the season took such a turn when our only two-way player went down. Everyone else on the roster is way better on one side of the ball or the other and it made us too easy to scout and exploit. He was blossoming on both sides of the ball and we need him healthy.

I think this group is a solid starting base for a tournament team. You've got shooting in Spencer (and Mulcahy isn't a bad shooter, just very low volume). You've got passing in Mulcahy. You've got a big man in Cliff. You've got defense in Mag. All four are a good size for their position and they'll all have multiple years in Pikiell's system. Certainly pieces will need to be added and we'll get to that.

Group 2 - The Freshmen

Derek Simpson - I admit I got a bit suckered into the Geo comparison. But when I watched Geo play in the exhibition against St. John's before his freshman year even began, I tweeted the following: "Geo Baker is already the best passer Rutgers basketball has had in years." Admittedly it was a low bar coming off the Eddie Jordan era but it was clear that the way he saw the court and got the right spot to make a pass was going to make the team better. I saw that in game 1 with Geo. I didn't see that all year with Simpson. That's not to say he can't be a positive contributor to the team but anyone talking about Simpson as a point guard is not worth taking seriously. He did not show the playmaking or distributing attributes necessary. At best he's a combo guard but he's got to shore those things up.

Now he did show some promise. He can drive both ways, but he's got to tighten up his handle. He's got enough quickness, but he's got to stronger with his finishes. His shooting form isn't bad but obviously 10 for 48 is unacceptable from a guard. I'm not saying he can't or won't get better... Wade Taylor on Texas A&M shot 39% on twos and 28% on threes as a freshman and now as a sophomore he's first team All SEC. (Simpson shot 42% and 21% for reference, but on a lower volume. A&M handed Taylor the keys from day 1). Simpson isn't going to morph into Wade Taylor as a sophomore, but he's also not going to be the same player we saw as a freshman. We'll circle back to this uncertainty.

Antwone Woolfolk - Wasn't ready for Big Ten minutes.

Antonio Chol - Wasn't even ready for NEC minutes.

There's some potential here but anybody penciling in average Big Ten level play from these three is wishcasting. If they get there next season it will be a pleasant surprise (or in Chol's case a total shock). If you were talking with a fan of any other Big Ten team about their roster for next year and they were writing in someone with Simpson's stats (and lack of recruiting pedigree) as a starter for 2023-24 your reaction would be: yeah, good luck with that. His numbers are close to Kanye Clary (Penn State) and Joshua Ola-Joseph (Minnesota)... ask yourself if you're expecting big things from those two next year.

Group 3 - Thanks

Aundre Hyatt - Somebody had to take shots on this team so I do appreciate that Hyatt was at least a willing shooter. Unfortunately we're talking about a guy who is now a 28.5% three point shooter on 274 attempts. You know how many high major players attempted at least 140 three pointers and shot a worse percentage than Hyatt? Just two. The ideal version of Hyatt never materialized and it's not going to pop up in his 6th year of college. When our big four game run happened last season he played 31 minutes total. Playing him 31 minutes a night is way too big an ask. Rooting for you wherever you end up.

Jalen Miller - Thanks for the defensive energy last season -- it was sorely needed. Rooting for you in the CAA.

Oskar Palmquist - Thanks for the offense against Wisconsin and Penn State. Rooting for you in the MAAC.... maybe.

Dean Reiber - Thanks for the lift against Penn State last year when Cliff picked up the early fouls. Rooting for you in C-USA... maybe

I suspect Hyatt is going to the controversial one here. He's obviously a more capable high-major player than the other ones listed. But like I said off the top in order for Rutgers to get better, Mulcahy has to find a different role. And Mag is getting major wing minutes. And we're going to need to get Gavin Griffiths in there. That leaves Hyatt as the odd man out.

So What Does 2023-24 Look Like?
Let's say the roster breaks down like that. Seven returnees plus three incoming freshmen leaves two scholarships available (I do not expect Pikiell to start using the 13th scholarship on a real body... it will be saved for a walk-on).

In that case priority 1, 2, and 3 is finding a point guard in the portal. No messing around. We cannot rely on the enigmatic or uncertain combination of Paul Mulcahy, Derek Simpson, and JaMichael Davis. If Pikiell had landed Kyle Lofton or been able to get Sam Sessoms here (grades may have been an issue) we'd be safely in the field. I wanted Cam Wynter... the guy who just made back to back game winners for Penn State. I don't want to hear that guys don't want to come here because we have Mulcahy and Simpson when Penn State got Wynter to come and play with Jalen Pickett.

I'm picturing a starting lineup of:
Transfer PG
Mulcahy
Griffiths
Mag
Omoruyi

And a bench of Simpson, Spencer, Davis, Ndongo, Woolfolk. I do write in Davis and Ndongo with the assumption that they're at or ahead of where Simpson and Woolfolk were this year. Ndongo is a top 150 guy and Davis has been playing with and against elite players (like Ace Bailey) unlike Simpson who was playing against South Jersey public schoolers. Between the four of them we should have two players able to give capable rotation minutes.

So that gets us to 10. Chol is 11... I'm not really expecting anything out of him. He's incredibly raw and 2023-24 would be his true freshman season if not for the late reclassification. Anything we get from him is gravy. And one scholarship will go to a walk-on. Do we get another transfer...?

This is where I come back to Reiber and Palmquist. I think one will be back. Pikiell likes them and they know the system. We need frontcourt depth especially early on as Mag is coming back from the injury. We know Pikiell values chemistry and it's going to be a lot easier to send one of those guys to the bench once Mag is back as opposed to a transfer who might be unhappy with it. (Or Hyatt, to whom that would also apply I think)

The way this doesn't happen is if Pikiell lands a big fish 4 in the portal and then uses Mag as the ultimate versatile 6th man. This would be a terrific outcome but the portal tends to be very guard heavy and the 4s and 5s tend to outkick their coverage, so to speak. See: Pete Nance ending up at UNC. If he goes this route it has to be a slam dunk that the guy is an upgrade... like whoever this year's version of Matthew Mayer is in the portal.

I give this a low probability. So if Mag is out to start the year we could go small with Spencer in there, or play Palmquist. Will that lineup get destroyed on the boards? Probably, but you'd at least like to think there would be a lot more made shots than the usual Rutgers lineup and thus fewer rebounds to try and grab anyway.

Been typing too long and don't have a good way to end this but I'll probably just spam this thread with my random thoughts and transfer portal targets as we go.

Good points overall. Few thoughts in response:

- Hyatt: I wish him well but hope moves on. Hyatt could be an 6th/7th guy but he’s just too inconsistent on both ends to get starting minutes and I don’t think he’ll be happy with going back to the bench with his experience.
- Oscar/Dean/Miller: Also wish them well. I think Dean moves on. I actually thought Dean could give us a handful of solid minutes this year, seems like he’s regressed. I could see Oscar and Miller back, especially Oscar who seems to be a Pikiell favorite. I’m okay with this as long as he gets no more than 6-8 minutes a game and is used sparingly, we can use his shot.
- Paul: He will be back unless he hangs it up (which I doubt). Definitely want him back as long as we bring in a PG and he has better body language on the court next year.
- Cliff: Please be back. Please. Cliff’s decision will have huge implications on our potential success next year imo.
- Mag: I can see a late January return, easing him back. Hopefully by March he’s almost back to 22/23 Mag.
- Spencer: I see him in the starting lineup, with Gavin Griffiths as the 6th man. Need to find more ways to get him more consistently involved game over game.
- Simpson: Looking forward to his progression and growth. I think we see more consistent flashes next year, and he will really take off Junior year. Some folks need to temper expectations - don’t think he’s a true PG.
- Woolfolk: He’s got the BIG10 body. Not quite sure he will ever be a starter (unless Cliff leaves or he really improves his offense), but that’s okay. He will be a valuable contributor for 3 more years and provide much needed size/defense.
- Chol: No idea

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I think there will be games next year where Dean will help us win.

 

[RU_DIO]

Does he look like a guy who wants to play another year lately?

He looks like a guy who is playing hurt. That's what he looks like.

He isn't playing like shit because he doesn't want to finish out the year strong.

 

[RU_DIO]

Dude can you just stop posting about Mag?

Like please do us all a favor and stop.

Your takes on him are all-time horrific, and that’s saying a lot for you.

Mag had turned into a difference maker and quality Big 10 player. Not sure how anyone who writes 2000 word message board posts not be able to see that.

 

[RU_DIO]

Just talked to a friend of mine who sits close to our bench. He said when Paul is sitting on the bench he sees him rubbing his shoulder a lot.

 

[fluoxetine]

Part of Connor McCaffery's value in that role is that he can and will shoot the open 3, so guys have to guard him
McCaffery also turns the ball over about half as much as Paul while playing at a much greater pace.
I see your point though - IF Pike could get guys moving like that it would be fun to watch.

To be fair Paul might also turn the ball over less if he played at a greater pace.

Does he look like a guy who wants to play another year lately?

Kinda doubt he wants to go out like this.

 

[BigEastPhil]

He looks like a guy who is playing hurt. That's what he looks like.

He isn't playing like shit because he doesn't want to finish out the year strong.

Completely agree. His shoulder must be severely banged once again unfortunately. You don’t go from a meaningful pivotal efficient player to a zero overnight. I feel terrible for him . . He’s a class kid who comes from a class family and bleeds scarlet. I , for one , hopes Paul comes back next year !

 

[MiloTalon13]

To be fair Paul might also turn the ball over less if he played at a greater pace.

I can't tell if that's a joke about him being slow or if it's serious! 😀

I agree, I'm sure Paul doesn't want to go out like this. What I was trying to say about him not looking like he'd want to come back for another year is that he looks miserable.

 

[bethlehemfan]

Just talked to a friend of mine who sits close to our bench. He said when Paul is sitting on the bench he sees him rubbing his shoulder a lot.

He’s not the same player imo. I hope he can be healthy to be more of his normal self Thursday

 

[fluoxetine]

I can't tell if that's a joke about him being slow or if it's serious! 😀

Well, a little of both. Not about him being slow in the sense of footspeed but more in the sense that a lot of his turnovers seem to result from getting in trouble on the plays where he methodically dribbles around.

I agree, I'm sure Paul doesn't want to go out like this. What I was trying to say about him not looking like he'd want to come back for another year is that he looks miserable.

He probably is miserable now but I still bet once he's removed from the grind of the season he will want to come back. Obviously complete speculation though.

 

[MiloTalon13]

He probably is miserable now but I still bet once he's removed from the grind of the season he will want to come back. Obviously complete speculation though.

Maybe - speculation by me too

We could get young real quick with Caleb gone and possibly Paul, Hyatt, Dean, Miller and Oskar gone we'd have Cliff, Cam and Mag as upperclassmen and a bunch of young guys (plus transfers).

Could go either with way with Paul - maybe he will not want to be around that many young guys or maybe he would want to be the leader of that group?

 

[urbanecane]

Knee injuries can be tricky, but if it was just an ACl mag should absolutely be back and close to 100% by the start of the season.

 

[RutgersDom]

Everyone else is making a thread so why not? I've specifically steered away from the kneejerk game to game reactions mainly for my own sanity but now that the season is basically over I might as well get my thoughts down.

I think the team is clearly beat up, significantly worse than the normal wear-and-tear of a regular season. Mag is out, obviously. McConnell, fairly obviously, is nowhere close to 100%. Remember how awkward he looked coming back from the knee injury? And then he played 33 minutes a game. I'm certain that was an issue all season long and that's before we get to his back. For Mulcahy, I'll be shocked if 72 hours pass from the end of the season without a "Paul was playing with a significant shoulder injury" announcement. Labrum, rotator cuff... something. And I wouldn't be surprised if something also came out about Cliff, though his is closer to normal wear and tear. So with that context here's my rundown of the roster.

Group 1 - The Core

Paul Mulcahy - Would love for him to come back next year but it can't be as the main point guard. That's just not working and will not magically start working in Year 5. He needs to be a glue guy on the wing akin to Connor McCaffrey's role on Iowa. Connor has the luxury of not needing to put up shots for Iowa's offense to work. It's on Pikiell to bring in the right players so that the offense is not dependent on Mulcahy but rather is enhanced by what he can do.

Cliff Omoruyi - Really hope he comes back too. He hasn't progressed the way we all hoped but a big man can only do so much without the threat of anyone else getting into the paint and scoring. He was so good last year because Geo and Ron could both make things happen inside the arc and draw help defenders to free him up. It's also not correct to say he didn't get better at all. His rebounding numbers and block rate were both up.

Cam Spencer - A home run in the transfer portal. Anyone hoping for more than what he gave us is delusional. No, he's not going to carry an offense but a guy shooting 43% on 4.5 threes a game is what we've been missing forever. The goal next year should be to open things up for him to get 5+ attempts a game. He gets what he can out of his limited athleticism on defense. Absolutely thrilled with him. Just please knock off the 17 foot fadeaway next season.

Mawot Mag - It's not really shocking the season took such a turn when our only two-way player went down. Everyone else on the roster is way better on one side of the ball or the other and it made us too easy to scout and exploit. He was blossoming on both sides of the ball and we need him healthy.

I think this group is a solid starting base for a tournament team. You've got shooting in Spencer (and Mulcahy isn't a bad shooter, just very low volume). You've got passing in Mulcahy. You've got a big man in Cliff. You've got defense in Mag. All four are a good size for their position and they'll all have multiple years in Pikiell's system. Certainly pieces will need to be added and we'll get to that.

Group 2 - The Freshmen

Derek Simpson - I admit I got a bit suckered into the Geo comparison. But when I watched Geo play in the exhibition against St. John's before his freshman year even began, I tweeted the following: "Geo Baker is already the best passer Rutgers basketball has had in years." Admittedly it was a low bar coming off the Eddie Jordan era but it was clear that the way he saw the court and got the right spot to make a pass was going to make the team better. I saw that in game 1 with Geo. I didn't see that all year with Simpson. That's not to say he can't be a positive contributor to the team but anyone talking about Simpson as a point guard is not worth taking seriously. He did not show the playmaking or distributing attributes necessary. At best he's a combo guard but he's got to shore those things up.

Now he did show some promise. He can drive both ways, but he's got to tighten up his handle. He's got enough quickness, but he's got to stronger with his finishes. His shooting form isn't bad but obviously 10 for 48 is unacceptable from a guard. I'm not saying he can't or won't get better... Wade Taylor on Texas A&M shot 39% on twos and 28% on threes as a freshman and now as a sophomore he's first team All SEC. (Simpson shot 42% and 21% for reference, but on a lower volume. A&M handed Taylor the keys from day 1). Simpson isn't going to morph into Wade Taylor as a sophomore, but he's also not going to be the same player we saw as a freshman. We'll circle back to this uncertainty.

Antwone Woolfolk - Wasn't ready for Big Ten minutes.

Antonio Chol - Wasn't even ready for NEC minutes.

There's some potential here but anybody penciling in average Big Ten level play from these three is wishcasting. If they get there next season it will be a pleasant surprise (or in Chol's case a total shock). If you were talking with a fan of any other Big Ten team about their roster for next year and they were writing in someone with Simpson's stats (and lack of recruiting pedigree) as a starter for 2023-24 your reaction would be: yeah, good luck with that. His numbers are close to Kanye Clary (Penn State) and Joshua Ola-Joseph (Minnesota)... ask yourself if you're expecting big things from those two next year.

Group 3 - Thanks

Aundre Hyatt - Somebody had to take shots on this team so I do appreciate that Hyatt was at least a willing shooter. Unfortunately we're talking about a guy who is now a 28.5% three point shooter on 274 attempts. You know how many high major players attempted at least 140 three pointers and shot a worse percentage than Hyatt? Just two. The ideal version of Hyatt never materialized and it's not going to pop up in his 6th year of college. When our big four game run happened last season he played 31 minutes total. Playing him 31 minutes a night is way too big an ask. Rooting for you wherever you end up.

Jalen Miller - Thanks for the defensive energy last season -- it was sorely needed. Rooting for you in the CAA.

Oskar Palmquist - Thanks for the offense against Wisconsin and Penn State. Rooting for you in the MAAC.... maybe.

Dean Reiber - Thanks for the lift against Penn State last year when Cliff picked up the early fouls. Rooting for you in C-USA... maybe

I suspect Hyatt is going to the controversial one here. He's obviously a more capable high-major player than the other ones listed. But like I said off the top in order for Rutgers to get better, Mulcahy has to find a different role. And Mag is getting major wing minutes. And we're going to need to get Gavin Griffiths in there. That leaves Hyatt as the odd man out.

So What Does 2023-24 Look Like?
Let's say the roster breaks down like that. Seven returnees plus three incoming freshmen leaves two scholarships available (I do not expect Pikiell to start using the 13th scholarship on a real body... it will be saved for a walk-on).

In that case priority 1, 2, and 3 is finding a point guard in the portal. No messing around. We cannot rely on the enigmatic or uncertain combination of Paul Mulcahy, Derek Simpson, and JaMichael Davis. If Pikiell had landed Kyle Lofton or been able to get Sam Sessoms here (grades may have been an issue) we'd be safely in the field. I wanted Cam Wynter... the guy who just made back to back game winners for Penn State. I don't want to hear that guys don't want to come here because we have Mulcahy and Simpson when Penn State got Wynter to come and play with Jalen Pickett.

I'm picturing a starting lineup of:
Transfer PG
Mulcahy
Griffiths
Mag
Omoruyi

And a bench of Simpson, Spencer, Davis, Ndongo, Woolfolk. I do write in Davis and Ndongo with the assumption that they're at or ahead of where Simpson and Woolfolk were this year. Ndongo is a top 150 guy and Davis has been playing with and against elite players (like Ace Bailey) unlike Simpson who was playing against South Jersey public schoolers. Between the four of them we should have two players able to give capable rotation minutes.

So that gets us to 10. Chol is 11... I'm not really expecting anything out of him. He's incredibly raw and 2023-24 would be his true freshman season if not for the late reclassification. Anything we get from him is gravy. And one scholarship will go to a walk-on. Do we get another transfer...?

This is where I come back to Reiber and Palmquist. I think one will be back. Pikiell likes them and they know the system. We need frontcourt depth especially early on as Mag is coming back from the injury. We know Pikiell values chemistry and it's going to be a lot easier to send one of those guys to the bench once Mag is back as opposed to a transfer who might be unhappy with it. (Or Hyatt, to whom that would also apply I think)

The way this doesn't happen is if Pikiell lands a big fish 4 in the portal and then uses Mag as the ultimate versatile 6th man. This would be a terrific outcome but the portal tends to be very guard heavy and the 4s and 5s tend to outkick their coverage, so to speak. See: Pete Nance ending up at UNC. If he goes this route it has to be a slam dunk that the guy is an upgrade... like whoever this year's version of Matthew Mayer is in the portal.

I give this a low probability. So if Mag is out to start the year we could go small with Spencer in there, or play Palmquist. Will that lineup get destroyed on the boards? Probably, but you'd at least like to think there would be a lot more made shots than the usual Rutgers lineup and thus fewer rebounds to try and grab anyway.

Been typing too long and don't have a good way to end this but I'll probably just spam this thread with my random thoughts and transfer portal targets as we go.

So if Paul is not a pt guard (Don't disagree that we cna use an upgrade - But not sure if JMD & Simpson can't be it) why would he start over Cam?

 

[MiloTalon13]

So if Paul is not a pt guard (Don't disagree that we cna use an upgrade - But not sure if JMD & Simpson can't be it) why would he start over Cam?

Cam is a better player than Paul. The only reason Paul would start is if he's playing PG and we got a transfer who is better than Cam. Seems unlikely.

 

[Duff366]

Does Mag have 2 years left due to Covid rules?

 

[MiloTalon13]

Does Mag have 2 years left due to Covid rules?

Yes, and so does Cliff.

 

[kcg88]

So if Paul is not a pt guard (Don't disagree that we cna use an upgrade - But not sure if JMD & Simpson can't be it) why would he start over Cam?

Because it's helpful to have two guys who are threats to create offense on the floor. Unless the PG transfer we get is a true high level dude we're gonna want flexibility and options.

 

[Lawboy12007]

You guys are going to love Jamichael Davis. Played against better competition than Derek did and can create and take it to the hole with either hand. Would love Air Bailey to reclassify to 2023 but have no idea how far along he is with his academics.

 

[MiloTalon13]

You guys are going to love Jamichael Davis. Played against better competition than Derek did and can create and take it to the hole with either hand. Would love Air Bailey to reclassify to 2023 but have no idea how far along he is with his academics.

Excited to see Davis.
Playing better AAU is huge in adjusting to the next level. I think you see it with Simpson driving into traffic and thinking he can finish when it's a very low percentage even this late in the season. I think/hope he can adjust but guys who played high level AAU have already made those kinds of adjustments.

 

[Loyal_2RU]

I was a skeptic on your hammering on about the team being fatigued and running out of gas. I still don't believe it's quite as impactful as you but it is absolutely a bigger factor than I thought it would be.

I think mental exhaustion and tightness coupled with injuries had brought us here.

 

[GRU23]

Excited to see Davis.
Playing better AAU is huge in adjusting to the next level. I think you see it with Simpson driving into traffic and thinking he can finish when it's a very low percentage even this late in the season. I think/hope he can adjust but guys who played high level AAU have already made those kinds of adjustments.

Davis didn’t really play high level AAU, but played high level high school.

 

[MiloTalon13]

Davis didn’t really play high level AAU, but played high level high school.

Thanks - for some reason I thought he was an EYBL kid
Seems like you know what you're getting with EYBL players more than anything else

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

GTFO off the boars...go back to SHU where you belong

If Paul doesn’t return to RU next year you should self ban

 

[kcg88]

Well, I said I was going to use this as my catch-all thread for transfers so here goes.

PG Hysier Miller from Temple is in the portal. When I was scouting Temple once that game was announced I tabbed him as a guy to watch out for in the portal after his sophomore year... he didn't take quite the step forward I thought he might but had an okay season. From February 1 until the end of the year he averaged 4.4 assists per game. Temple was a poorly-coached mess for most of the season so I think there's upside.

 

[kcg88]

Their big man who killed us (Jamille Reynolds) also entered the portal but he's a Florida kid, not local like Hysier Miller.

 

[GRU23]

We don’t have any sort of regional tie but Kevin Miller out of Central Michigan was someone who entered the portal last year that I did a quick scout on and now is seemingly in to truly transfer. He’s lightning quick, great passer and decent scorer. Only problem is he is fairly small. I think we should get a grad transfer PG more considering the types of players were bringing in this year and next, but this guy is a player. Jammer Nelson jr is interesting too, but he doesn’t have great stats against actual competition.

 

[kcg88]

We don’t have any sort of regional tie but Kevin Miller out of Central Michigan was someone who entered the portal last year that I did a quick scout on and now is seemingly in to truly transfer. He’s lightning quick, great passer and decent scorer. Only problem is he is fairly small. I think we should get a grad transfer PG more considering the types of players were bringing in this year and next, but this guy is a player. Jammer Nelson jr is interesting too, but he doesn’t have great stats against actual competition.

He committed to Wake Forest, so we'll see him next year.

Central Michigan transfer guard Boopie Miller commits to Wake Forest

A Sunday trip to Mt. Pleasant, Michigan bore immediate fruit for Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes and his staff, as Central Michigan guard Kevin “Boopie”

247sports.com

 

[GRU23]

He committed to Wake Forest, so we'll see him next year.

Central Michigan transfer guard Boopie Miller commits to Wake Forest

A Sunday trip to Mt. Pleasant, Michigan bore immediate fruit for Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes and his staff, as Central Michigan guard Kevin “Boopie”

247sports.com

Wake forest got another transfer guard that everyone is going to wonder why they didn’t get them

 

[NewJerseyHawk]

Mag had turned into a difference maker and quality Big 10 player. Not sure how anyone who writes 2000 word message board posts not be able to see that.

Let's revisit this, now that the emotions have subsided for some people and we now have the 1st 2 rounds of both the NCAAs and NIT out of the way.....and let's debunk anything that stated I said Mag wasn't a B1G player, that's never been said by me...if anything, I am probably too "Pro RU player" so let's stop with the BS.

We have 1 recruit in the last 4 recruiting classes of 2019 to 2022, that was a 4* player (Cliff Omoyuri). Whether fans want to believe this or not, Cliff is probably at worse the 3rd best big in the B1G.

It is the following beyond that we somehow have fans blinded by emotion or fandom, instead of taking off their Scarlet glasses and looking at the entire landscape of the B1G OR a national level.

Beyond that, we had a PG at 33 MPG average around 8 PPG.....that's lowest by 2 full points per game vs the 13th PG in the B1G. That's not a rumor, it's what we watched over 30+ games.

We had another transfer guard in, who averaged 13PPG and is a excellent 3 point shooter and 90% FT shooter.

But Spencer shot 58.5% from 3 in 10 games that were not good opponents (Q4 games, plus 2 vs Minnesota and 1 NIT game vs Hofstra).....in those 10 games, Spencer averaged 17.3 PPG.

In the other 24 games against decent OOC opponents (Temple, SHU, Wake and Miami and the rest of the B1G except Minnesota)....the 3 PT% drops 20 points from 58.3% to 38.5%..... and the PPG drops from 17.3 PPG against softer, slower (not good competition), all the way down to 11.4PPG. Is that a concern or do we put our heads in the sand and ignore it?? 6PPG is a huge dropoff if you just look at overall stats for the entire year.

Mag, somehow evolved into the sole reason RU wasn't good after his injury, or became the 2nd coming of Ron Harper Jr.....he averaged 7PPG in his 1st 15 games of the year...which is good for a 1st time starter and developmental player.

In Mags last 8 games, that production jumped from 7PPG to just under 9PPG.

In either case, the injury or not, as a starting SF in the B1G, it is below average for our competition in terms of production, even if I take the trend UP to 9PPG. Is that the standard some fans are looking and asking for as unbeatable??

Our other forward is also at around 9PPG and is the co-defensive player of the year, but I have a duplicate player in that type of player with Mag as a defense-1st glue guy, who is not a player that gets his own offense or a volume shooter from 3. You simply could not or should not have both players as starters and I would not have taken out the defensive player of the year, for Mawot Mag, under any circumstances.

These are the items that we are looking to upgrade or improve upon, yet fans are still wondering if 8PPG is the standard for 33MPG from our Point guard and 7 to 8PPG is what fans are in love with from 1 forward, while mixing that with another defensive 1st guard forward??

Add the SG who absolutely must be left wide open to shoot and cannot generate his own shot.....aren't ALL of these things on the table to consider as needing improvements??

Or are we just looking for fans to say "they were right" when the numbers and watching the games that matter the most, tells or shows something else??

 

[rubaseball78]

Let's revisit this, now that the emotions have subsided for some people and we now have the 1st 2 rounds of both the NCAAs and NIT out of the way.....and let's debunk anything that stated I said Mag wasn't a B1G player, that's never been said by me...if anything, I am probably too "Pro RU player" so let's stop with the BS.

We have 1 recruit in the last 4 recruiting classes of 2019 to 2022, that was a 4* player (Cliff Omoyuri). Whether fans want to believe this or not, Cliff is probably at worse the 3rd best big in the B1G.

It is the following beyond that we somehow have fans blinded by emotion or fandom, instead of taking off their Scarlet glasses and looking at the entire landscape of the B1G OR a national level.

Beyond that, we had a PG at 33 MPG average around 8 PPG.....that's lowest by 2 full points per game vs the 13th PG in the B1G. That's not a rumor, it's what we watched over 30+ games.

We had another transfer guard in, who averaged 13PPG and is a excellent 3 point shooter and 90% FT shooter.

But Spencer shot 58.5% from 3 in 10 games that were not good opponents (Q4 games, plus 2 vs Minnesota and 1 NIT game vs Hofstra).....in those 10 games, Spencer averaged 17.3 PPG.

In the other 24 games against decent OOC opponents (Temple, SHU, Wake and Miami and the rest of the B1G except Minnesota)....the 3 PT% drops 20 points from 58.3% to 38.5%..... and the PPG drops from 17.3 PPG against softer, slower (not good competition), all the way down to 11.4PPG. Is that a concern or do we put our heads in the sand and ignore it?? 6PPG is a huge dropoff if you just look at overall stats for the entire year.

Mag, somehow evolved into the sole reason RU wasn't good after his injury, or became the 2nd coming of Ron Harper Jr.....he averaged 7PPG in his 1st 15 games of the year...which is good for a 1st time starter and developmental player.

In Mags last 8 games, that production jumped from 7PPG to just under 9PPG.

In either case, the injury or not, as a starting SF in the B1G, it is below average for our competition in terms of production, even if I take the trend UP to 9PPG. Is that the standard some fans are looking and asking for as unbeatable??

Our other forward is also at around 9PPG and is the co-defensive player of the year, but I have a duplicate player in that type of player with Mag as a defense-1st glue guy, who is not a player that gets his own offense or a volume shooter from 3. You simply could not or should not have both players as starters and I would not have taken out the defensive player of the year, for Mawot Mag, under any circumstances.

These are the items that we are looking to upgrade or improve upon, yet fans are still wondering if 8PPG is the standard for 33MPG from our Point guard and 7 to 8PPG is what fans are in love with from 1 forward, while mixing that with another defensive 1st guard forward??

Add the SG who absolutely must be left wide open to shoot and cannot generate his own shot.....aren't ALL of these things on the table to consider as needing improvements??

Or are we just looking for fans to say "they were right" when the numbers and watching the games that matter the most, tells or shows something else??

You are overlooking Mag's defensive presence. When he got hurt we went from an elite defense with an offense just good enough to win to a good defense with an offense that wasn't good enough to win.

 

[dpwhite]

 

[urbanecane]

Let's revisit this, now that the emotions have subsided for some people and we now have the 1st 2 rounds of both the NCAAs and NIT out of the way.....and let's debunk anything that stated I said Mag wasn't a B1G player, that's never been said by me...if anything, I am probably too "Pro RU player" so let's stop with the BS.

We have 1 recruit in the last 4 recruiting classes of 2019 to 2022, that was a 4* player (Cliff Omoyuri). Whether fans want to believe this or not, Cliff is probably at worse the 3rd best big in the B1G.

It is the following beyond that we somehow have fans blinded by emotion or fandom, instead of taking off their Scarlet glasses and looking at the entire landscape of the B1G OR a national level.

Beyond that, we had a PG at 33 MPG average around 8 PPG.....that's lowest by 2 full points per game vs the 13th PG in the B1G. That's not a rumor, it's what we watched over 30+ games.

We had another transfer guard in, who averaged 13PPG and is a excellent 3 point shooter and 90% FT shooter.

But Spencer shot 58.5% from 3 in 10 games that were not good opponents (Q4 games, plus 2 vs Minnesota and 1 NIT game vs Hofstra).....in those 10 games, Spencer averaged 17.3 PPG.

In the other 24 games against decent OOC opponents (Temple, SHU, Wake and Miami and the rest of the B1G except Minnesota)....the 3 PT% drops 20 points from 58.3% to 38.5%..... and the PPG drops from 17.3 PPG against softer, slower (not good competition), all the way down to 11.4PPG. Is that a concern or do we put our heads in the sand and ignore it?? 6PPG is a huge dropoff if you just look at overall stats for the entire year.

Mag, somehow evolved into the sole reason RU wasn't good after his injury, or became the 2nd coming of Ron Harper Jr.....he averaged 7PPG in his 1st 15 games of the year...which is good for a 1st time starter and developmental player.

In Mags last 8 games, that production jumped from 7PPG to just under 9PPG.

In either case, the injury or not, as a starting SF in the B1G, it is below average for our competition in terms of production, even if I take the trend UP to 9PPG. Is that the standard some fans are looking and asking for as unbeatable??

Our other forward is also at around 9PPG and is the co-defensive player of the year, but I have a duplicate player in that type of player with Mag as a defense-1st glue guy, who is not a player that gets his own offense or a volume shooter from 3. You simply could not or should not have both players as starters and I would not have taken out the defensive player of the year, for Mawot Mag, under any circumstances.

These are the items that we are looking to upgrade or improve upon, yet fans are still wondering if 8PPG is the standard for 33MPG from our Point guard and 7 to 8PPG is what fans are in love with from 1 forward, while mixing that with another defensive 1st guard forward??

Add the SG who absolutely must be left wide open to shoot and cannot generate his own shot.....aren't ALL of these things on the table to consider as needing improvements??

Or are we just looking for fans to say "they were right" when the numbers and watching the games that matter the most, tells or shows something else??

You literally said in this very thread that mag is not a BIG caliber 3 or 4. He’s clearly not a SG so I don’t know how else that statement could be interpreted.

 

[RUsojo]

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