You mean having so many talented players that you have to push out a kid who would have started under Jordan, FHJ, Bannon, etc? Better than their issues of trying to find 5 kids on their roster who are even starter-worthy.
Next year's starting lineup needs to be...
- Thread starter soundcrib
- Start date
Remember…
Reversion to the mean means he will revert to “his” mean which is certainly over 30% and probably much higher if surrounded by dribble drive scoring threats.
Now maybe he can’t shoot after playing hard defensively at the other end but the jury is still out on that. Plus he’ll put on some pounds of muscle in the offseason if he doesn’t stay in the gym playing 3 hours of up and down basketball a day.
he doesn't really have a mean outside of what he has done this year.
I do 100% subscribe to the theory next year he will shoot it much better and getting "used" to playing both ends will be a big part of it.
We certainly do not need to push out JWill to improve this team. That would be a major major loss and make the team worse
The problem right now roster contruction wise is JWill Davis and Simpson all arent good 3 point shooters and you dont want a roster full of guards who can't shoot the 3. We need at least 1
Dylan isnt a lock to be a good 3 point shooter as a freshman either especially after Gavin being called the best shooter in the class and not being able to hit from deep this year
JWill and Dylan are locked in guaranteed starters. Simpson and Davis are too similar as small, quick, great defense, hustle, energy guys off the bench. We would be better suited as a team with 1 of them and replacing the other with a shooter. Davis isnt going anywhere after a strong freshman year and his buddy Ace coming. I also think he woild embrace the role better as a defensive specialist ok with not having the ball in his hands constantly and not taking a bunch of shots. Not about hating simpson, but he makes more sense to leave out of the two IMO
Who is Tilly? Trilly's burner account?
Yes - that’s what I said - isn’t it?
The point was more that I don’t think we’ll bring in BOTH a projected 3 starter and a 5 starter regardless of what Cliff does. If Cliff leaves, I think we aim for more of a hybrid type of BIG. We’re not going to end up landing 2 major transfers in the portal. The second one would at best end up being Austin William’s type level. I think our focus will depend on what Cliff does.
Last edited:
hmmmm
Short list
Appalachian State
Charlotte
Cornell
He really wants to go to Mississippi but I doubt they want him
That’s not what I meant at all. He tried leaving once and decided to come back. I really don’t think he’s going to seek out more playing time elsewhere. He’s happy here and despite what some on here think, I don’t think it serves our interest for Pike to kick him out to “free up space” because I don’t think we will end up doing better. And I don’t think Pike will send him packing anyway. He needs bench players.
How about Gavin? I'm not a Rutgers guy, but I still think he will be an effective sharpshooter; just got off to a bad start...
If Mag leaves , you do not think we can get someone better than Oskar ? Did you really type that and on second thought actually think that ?
If Mag leaves, yes
I think the point is, who are we recruiting that will want to come here to be 11th 12th man type?
No one good. Oskar will bring vet leadership, familiarity with Pike's system to help the new guys, and by all reports is an excellent teammate
How about a legit 4 that can rebound and also stretch the floor and hit a three. Oskar cannot rebound . I just have a little feeling that that player if MAG leaves would love to play with Dylan , ACE and Lathan , as that veteran presence with toughness. You are talking deep deep tourney run . That is something to sell.
The Oskar roster spot and the Mag roster spot are two different things. You are talking about the Mag spot. A starter or significant rotation piece
Again, what good player is going to want to come here and not play as a an 11th 12th man?
A couple players on the roster are going to be out of the rotation at the end of the bench not playing. You need a couple players who would be OK with this. Players aren't entering the portal bc they want to sit on the end of the bench somewhere else
We do not need any player to be the 11th or 12th. If Egbole and Wolf are here next year , still uncertain , but if they are , I see no need for Oskar , who for some reason has achieved some legendary status as a player we have to bring back. Not .
I’m not saying that at all. Read what I wrote again.
If Mag leaves we would absolutely be replacing him with a portal player. I’m saying that realistically we have exactly one projected starter (or 6 role) to market to a portal candidate if Cliff or Mag leave. If they both leave, perhaps we have 2. but regardless, we will not be in a position where we are using Oskar’s scholarship to fill those positions. There’s no scenerio where we “upgrade” Oskar with a better option to come in to be a utility role player for 10ish min (if that including garbage time).
We do not need Oskar next year period. Not if Mag leaves , then get a decent 4 in the portal . If Cliff leaves , and Wolf and Egbole stay with Lathan , maybe or maybe not we go get another 5 for a 1 year rental. If they Mag and Cliff stay , whatever we might get out of Oskar is no longer needed. Oskar has gotten a little better this year but he was at such a low starting point. We need to upgrade roster not stay for mediocre talent on his best day.
Let’s use a different word than need. We “want” the best possible practice bodies to be available on the bench to fill the 11th and 12th scholarship spots and be available in the event of injuries. We WILL NOT field a roster with 13 better players than Oskar on scholarship if he leaves. If every single player on our roster outside of the 3 seniors, Chol and Wolf miraculously decided to stay, we would not secure a better option that Oskar to fill that last spot - Pike likely would end up giving it to a walk on. No good player wants to transfer into a log jam. What part of this are you missing?
What exactly are we getting from Oskar that you think there is not another player in the country younger that can give you the same thing. Oskar has averaged 2.9 points a game, 1.5 rebounds per game , has hit a total of 11 threes all year shooting 33% , has 2 blocks total , has 11 assists total all year. Surely , you really cannot be serious . Which is what you would expect from any 10th or 11 th player on a roster. But Oskar played as our 7th or 8th or 9th player and came up with those stats. Stats don’t always tell the story but there is nothing intangible Oskar gives us. He is a nice kid but expect one of our less heralded freshman to put up those numbers as they are likely are 9th through 11 players.
The realistic dream roster for next year is Williams Dylan and a transfer handling the 80 backcourt minutes, Davis on roster for emergency situations.
Wings ace transfer and Gavin handling those 80 minutes, with the two freshmen as depth/emergency.
Cliff playing 32 minutes and ogbole and sommerville the other 8.
That's already 12 man roster give your 13th ship to oskar if you want or a walk on.
Do you think Terry gives us more than him?
Oskar isn’t even 13th right now. He’s arguably 12th in front of Chol. Please point to another year in Rutgers history where the 13th best player (last scholarship) on our roster was better than Oskar. Has to be better and not the same because why on earth would we boot a 4 year Rutgers player to trade for a transfer of the same talent. You cannot possibly point to a year in all of RU history where we had 13 players materially better than Oskar. I’m near certain of it because we never have.
Oskar coming back makes so much sense. Next years team will have 5 freshmen, and 2 sophs. 2 of the freshman, likely won't be ready. Grant didn't even play basketball thjs year. Dortch.. Have you actually watched him? Palm gives us an older guy, who's fine with 10th man role.
He's already helped win us a big game vs Northwestern. Sparked the comeback vs Maryland. If this was an older team -- then yea no need for Palm. But for what we have, he is useful, and you won't get a transfer better - for that role we ask of him
He's already helped win us a big game vs Northwestern. Sparked the comeback vs Maryland. If this was an older team -- then yea no need for Palm. But for what we have, he is useful, and you won't get a transfer better - for that role we ask of him
Oskar will be further down the depth chart next year. His value would be off the court. Practice, locker room, etc. There are going to be so many young players. So many news faces. A veteran who knows the program and Pike's system is a valuable asset
Again.. who is this phantom younger player who will want to transfer here and be the 12th man who doesn't play and be happy with that role?
Trying to sell any portal transfer that there is an end of the roster spot where you won't play is not going to be an attractive landing spot
It's essentially the Chol roster spot this year
The only potential problems are (which may not even be problems because HC Pike has to worry about the team overall)
1. GG has talked a good game but is he going to be fine with sitting behind 2 new players? Or does that prompt him to look for minutes and "rehab" his career elsewhere?
2. Is Davis going to be fine sitting behind 2 new players and being the 4th guard after being a starter? He basically moves down a spot or two and becomes Noah this year. Does his friendship with Ace matter that much to potentially lower his role?
I can honestly take or leave Gavin in 2024. Not many guys on this team are good enough at this point in time to be counted on at all.
Hence why I think it’s so important to be willing to go out and give these guys minutes away. There is a big changing of the guard type situation here in 2023 to 2024 which makes me believe many of these guys may want to initiate finding a fresh start for either a minutes stand point or just see it as team chemistry resetting and less tied to RU and more open to start fresh somewhere.
Our guards have helped him disappear. I feel badly for him... he'd work hard on getting off holds and rolling to the hoop and guards looked like he was invisible. JW has shown some ability to see him. The rest seemed content to not get feet into shooting positions on passes at the 3-pt line and pass the ball around until Davis would shoot contested shots with 5 seconds on the clock.
If the new guys mean we will never get bogged down in half-court offense with no creativity until Davis decides to force a shot then his D could be very valuable.. but, IMO, he is a negative factor in our half-court offense this year. But its not like anyone else made us much better until JW started playing.
I agree with your use of helped, his own accountability can be attributed to noticeable levels of difference in effort. as demonstrated by some being concerned he may be injured some games vs others.
Oskar three inches longer and 10 pounds heavier would be a solid stretch 5 or 4 and would get plenty of minutes.
Need players like Oskar. If he wants back he should stay. This year he earned the PT and when his shot is on….
1. The talk is Gavin isn't going anywhere. He should have a very important role next season if he makes a sophomore jump and then it could be his team the following year
2. JMike is a lock. He's not leaving. Him and Ace want to play together. I think he will be fine in a lesser role off the bench. He doesn't give off selfish vibes at all. The following year, he would very likely be a starter
Conifer, I would love to have Gavin as that guy, but as of now he's too inconsistent. I think Pikiell needs to go into the portal a pluck someone like what we had last year in Cam Spencer.
you could’ve made your point, without the unnecessary diss to one of our players.
