Basketball Myles Johnson is in the transfer portal

[bac2therac]

Supposedly this Myles quote:

“I've thought about the idea of leaving but I'm still thinking about the possibility of staying here,” he said. “I've been accepted into Rutgers already so it's definitely an option. I've been here the whole time so it's always on the table. If I were to leave, the Pac-12 is by my house with good engineering schools, so those would be the top locations. I was looking at UCLA, Stanford, and USC, which are the top engineering schools in the PAC-12 that are around me and are competitive.”



“I'm just going to need to hear those schools' pitch, what they say, what their plans are, how I would be implicated into the team, and if I just like the coach and stuff like that. I don't know the situation with visits, so it's all up in the air.”

Is post entering the portal? So it sounds like he's not 100% to leave?

I think you have to enter the portal to entertain the other offers. Pike can do all he can to try and woo him back if Myles is not enthralled by his Pac 12 visits

 

[bac2therac]

Wow. People are really underestimating Johnson’s value when he was on the court. He changed team’s game plans when he was lurking defensively in the paint. He’s actually the only guy that i felt was imperative to return. Guards are way easier to replace. I think we would have won half as many games this year if we didn’t have Johnson....and there is no way Cliff will be ready to replace him next year. Unless pike can pull a couple of rabbits out of his hat, I think we may be in for a significant step back next year.

I think offensively it limited our ceiling. Personally I dont think he was going to develop a consistent offensive game, make foul shots or get good hands with another year. RU will alter their offense and I am actually excited to see a different kind of offense that will actually have guards looking to involve the post

 

[bac2therac]

I disagree. Our season will live or die on whether Oskar, mag,and jaden are ready to play. Ron, Paul, Caleb, Cliff, and Montez all started at times this year. There is no reason why this cot of upper class men can’t step up and get better getting breathers from the first 3 mentioned.

With a normal non conference season ahead everyone is going to get an opportunity to prove themselves...and even though I have been a proponent of tough scheduling and complain about Pike avoiding a tough schedule...of course the 2020 one would have been brutal, I think this is the year you scale things back and dont schedule the big national game. I want these kids getting a ton of experience and court time.

 

[RUsojo]

I think offensively it limited our ceiling. Personally I dont think he was going to develop a consistent offensive game, make foul shots or get good hands with another year. RU will alter their offense and I am actually excited to see a different kind of offense that will actually have guards looking to involve the post

this is the sensible next step but we have seen a rigid offensive value system so I will be hopeful it happens but not positive it will

 

[RUDead]

I think offensively it limited our ceiling. Personally I dont think he was going to develop a consistent offensive game, make foul shots or get good hands with another year. RU will alter their offense and I am actually excited to see a different kind of offense that will actually have guards looking to involve the post

Myles wasn't used correctly on offense. He could have done a lot more f they kept him closer to the basket.

 

[RUChoppin]

Wow. People are really underestimating Johnson’s value when he was on the court. He changed team’s game plans when he was lurking defensively in the paint. He’s actually the only guy that i felt was imperative to return. Guards are way easier to replace. I think we would have won half as many games this year if we didn’t have Johnson....and there is no way Cliff will be ready to replace him next year. Unless pike can pull a couple of rabbits out of his hat, I think we may be in for a significant step back next year.

Omoruyi will bring something new - he's a special player, too, and in different ways. He has the athleticism to grow into a strong shot blocker, but maybe not next year - sophomore bigs who go for a lot of blocks also tend to end up with a lot of fouls. Omoruyi already led our rotational players in fouls per 40 at 5.2 (for comparison, Johnson was at 4.2).

What he does bring, though, is a jumper - which I don't know if Johnson ever really attempted. If he can start shooting the ball from 8-10 feet, or even from the arc, that brings an entirely different set of offensive options for us. He's also faster up and down the court than Johnson is, which may help with runouts in transition, where he can trail and clean up misses or be an option to pass back to for dunks.

He's not really an offensive rebounder yet, averaging just 2.2/40 min (to Johnson's 4.7) - but that will also come with more reps.

We'll be a different team with Omoruyi getting 25+ min, especially so because it means someone has to come in and fill Omoruyi's minutes as the 2nd center - which will also change what we can do offensively and defensively. I'm hoping he takes a jump next year - but I'm really expecting a big jump from him from sophomore to junior year.

 

[RUChoppin]

Myles wasn't used correctly on offense. He could have done a lot more f they kept him closer to the basket.

Johnson at the top, setting the screen for the handoff, was important for our dribble penetration offense. It allowed guys like Young and Baker to take the handoff, get a step on their man, and not have to worry about a shot blocker waiting for them in the lane. He also rolled to the hoop for alley-oop dunks from that position, and set Harper up for a couple dunks, too.

Our offense was much better overall with him on the floor, enabling other players to score. If he'd stayed in the paint and gotten an additional 4-6 ppg, we'd have also had to change the entire complexion of what our guards were doing.

 

[RUDead]

Johnson at the top, setting the screen for the handoff, was important for our dribble penetration offense. It allowed guys like Young and Baker to take the handoff, get a step on their man, and not have to worry about a shot blocker waiting for them in the lane. He also rolled to the hoop for alley-oop dunks from that position, and set Harper up for a couple dunks, too.

Our offense was much better overall with him on the floor, enabling other players to score. If he'd stayed in the paint and gotten an additional 4-6 ppg, we'd have also had to change the entire complexion of what our guards were doing.

I get the concept but for a player like him I never thought it was a good strategy. I would have preferred an old school inside/out game to get him more productive touches in the paint and shooters better looks from the outside. He was good down low, had good court vision and was a good passer.

Also, last year we took advantage of the open lane you talk about, I don't think we did a very good job of it this year. The team was out of sync offensively the second half of the season.

 

[NiTeKnight]

Gonna miss you Myles! You represented Rutgers well.
I think we would have beaten Houston if you didn't get hurt in the Clemson game.
Tough to replace your defense. Best of luck for the future.
Was really hoping you would play another year at RU!

 

[cyrock3]

I think you have to enter the portal to entertain the other offers. Pike can do all he can to try and woo him back if Myles is not enthralled by his Pac 12 visits

Looking at the titles of threads on the UCLA board, I think we can put two & two together on this one.

 

[Mr Magoo]

He also finished 8th in career blocks (after 3 years, one of them truncated... and everyone ahead of him played 4). He's easily the best center we've seen in a decade, since N'Diaye was here, and had a much better junior year than Hamady did - and you have to go back many many years to find a center as good as he was in just his 3rd year on the collegiate court. I would have expected big things from him next year, and the idea of "legend" wouldn't have even been a question. With another year, he'd have been pushing for Top 3 in career rebounds, too, just behind Sellers and Bailey.

Not to mention the strength of his character, his academic successes, his foundation - all definitely contributes to his overall legacy.

I just wish we'd have been able to see him reach his peak, which I still think is ahead of him.

I know this seems final, but there's nothing saying that a player won't end up returning after testing the transfer portal waters. If UCLA, USC, and Stanford want him to focus more on athletics than academics, or feel that a graduate engineering program would demand too much of his time... the door to the RAC will still be open for him.

I agree with everything you’ve said except the last paragraph. Myles is gone and Pike needs to be scouring the portal for another big man ASAP. I’m not saying that Cliff can’t step up, but if Reiber is his backup, we’re in for a long season ahead.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I think offensively it limited our ceiling. Personally I dont think he was going to develop a consistent offensive game, make foul shots or get good hands with another year. RU will alter their offense and I am actually excited to see a different kind of offense that will actually have guards looking to involve the post

Wait until Myles lands at a school where he is used properly. His low post moves are developing, but his passing and willingness to pass is very good.

he will be 1st team all conference in the PAC 10 next year. Fans will realize it was mistake for not giving him the ball more.

 

[shields]

His O left a lot to be desired. Remember end of first half versus Clemson? Could not finish around basket too many times. Wish him well.

 

[Plum Street]

I really don’t get some of the responses . I want us to win at all costs , but also realize there is more to life than rutgers basketball . The kid gave his all here and is probably moving on to get a graduate degree at one of the best schools in the world . Pretty damn impressive . Good luck to him

 

[Plum Street]

I see a lot of Harrar. Does he want to come here or is that just message board speak ?

 

[Pancho1939]

Wait until Myles lands at a school where he is used properly. His low post moves are developing, but his passing and willingness to pass is very good.

he will be 1st team all conference in the PAC 10 next year. Fans will realize it was mistake for not giving him the ball more.

Maybe but I won’t forget the missed layups, atrocious mid range and missed free throws. Sure he may get better and be great out let’s not pretend he was a consistent go to scorer for us...

also hard to be first team all conference with guys like cockburn,graza, trace Jackson Davis, hunter Dickinson, etc...there guys were all better than Myles and it was obvious.

 

[koko2315]

I think you have to enter the portal to entertain the other offers. Pike can do all he can to try and woo him back if Myles is not enthralled by his Pac 12 visits

correct...you can't speak with other programs before entering the portal.

 

[DHajekRC84]

Correct. Still impressive though. RU’s engineering programs usually take 5 years to graduate. He did it in 4 while playing basketball, starting a nonprofit and interning at IBM.

Hey, I totally impressed by the young man. I was hoping he stuck around. Love his personality.

 

[ImBadRU]

Myles is a great person and a good BB player. He will be missed for sure. He will have an impact on our society.

 

[NickKnight 1]

McConnell and Mathis are outstanding defensive players. Which is why Pike puts up with their shenanigans on offense

that is what u get when you recruit defense
now he should recruit offense. he should not
have to teach free throws.