If the reports from trilly Donovan are true and we aren’t going to add a center then that is very concerning. That and adding shooters were our biggest priorities this offseason. Can’t help but feel like no center is a big swing and a miss and puts a ton of pressure on sommerville.
Not adding a center?
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Kind of seems like a silly report in the absence of any reveal of what we’re bringing in to fill those openings instead. I mean, think about it. Let’s assume it’s true that we haven’t found a center we think would be competitive enough to be worth signing. There is still time for a late pick up and no reason not to believe one will come unless Pike specifically said, no, we’re not looking for a center - going to look for X instead.
The longer we wait to find a center the more likely it is we end up with Ralph Agee 2.0. If Pike’s confident in the center spot as is, great — must think Ogbole will take a big leap (and avoid foul trouble) and Lathan is ready for legit Big Ten minutes from the time he steps on campus. But it’s a huge bet — Pike will be under the microscope now more than ever this upcoming season
Where probably waiting for the scraps because our funds to go get someone worth it are non existent. If only Rutgers fans really gave a shi$ we would have a great season coming up. Now there will be thread after thread on why when everyone knows why already.
When someone asked “why are we going after Acuff, Martini and Derkack when we have bigger needs?” there was push back.
I agreed with the pushback. Just because we didn’t fill priority #1 first, the staff can still multi task and fill lower priorities (guard bench depth).
Rutgers can’t dictate when higher priority players commit. So it made sense to fill other needs at the time.
However, it seems the filling of those other priorities may have impacted our available “cap space” (just using a pro term since it’s easier).
Perhaps if we saved cap space on the Acuff, Martini and Derkack spots, could have enticed a higher caliber center.
This is new skill coaches and programs will need to work on. It’s not just scholarship management.
Now it’s also cap space allocation.
Now - there are many professional teams that don’t allocate cap space appropriately. Hard to blame college programs who have little experience in this.
I agreed with the pushback. Just because we didn’t fill priority #1 first, the staff can still multi task and fill lower priorities (guard bench depth).
Rutgers can’t dictate when higher priority players commit. So it made sense to fill other needs at the time.
However, it seems the filling of those other priorities may have impacted our available “cap space” (just using a pro term since it’s easier).
Perhaps if we saved cap space on the Acuff, Martini and Derkack spots, could have enticed a higher caliber center.
This is new skill coaches and programs will need to work on. It’s not just scholarship management.
Now it’s also cap space allocation.
Now - there are many professional teams that don’t allocate cap space appropriately. Hard to blame college programs who have little experience in this.
Am I that ‘someone’ you refer to ? That’s exactly what I said. Money on reserves is better spent on a starter talent.
Don't remember. Just know someone (a couple?) people said it.
Kudos. I disagreed at the time. Appears I was wrong.
I didn't full consider the cap considerations.
Or maybe we'd have lost those guys by waiting. Who knows and we should all stop the sky is falling stuff-- time will tell.
I suspect we couldn’t afford any center who the staff believed would be more than marginally better than what we already have at the position. Saving $300K for a center is only beneficial if it’s enough money to buy someone decent. Weren’t there rumors that Dean got $100K or close to it from a midmajor? He turned out to be a bench player there so as you can see, centers aren’t cheap.
100%
We likely (guessing) don't get Acuff and them if we wait.
Or if we spend our money on a Center and don't have the money for Acuff and them.
That's why roster management is hard.
You need to weigh differing priorities with limited assets to spread around. It's all about trade-offs.
It's not just "do we have roster sports?" It's now "do we have roster spots and how much do we want to allocate to that roster spot?"
This is why I've been preaching for years that the Rutgers ADs needs to be smarter than our peers. We can't look to just mimic them and do what they do.
We'll never have the money to do that.
Pre-NIL/Post-NIL doesn't matter. We are likely always going to be at a monetary deficit (unless donor money to ADs is banned which would severely level the playing field within conference).
Get rid of NIL - we still don't have the same money as OSU, UM or PSU.
We can't just spend our way out of bad coaching hires or any mistakes (see Nebraska firing HC Frost).
Every decision and strategy by the AD and coaching staffs need to be about maximizing our potential and operating more efficiently than everyone else.
Maybe this is the right path though. Spending more on Acuff, Martini and Derkack.
And taking a perceived hit on Center production.
HC Pike may just luck out and this gamble works.
well, maybe the Trilly fellow is wrong and we will get someone decent. but if true, I have a hard time believing if we spent less in the portal already we wouldn't have enough extra, with remaining NIL bank, to get a decent 5.
Ogbole and Sommerville aren't likely legit starters yet, and this is the year we need one most.
My guess is that we'll bring in a third option for center, even if we don't strike gold, or silver. Maybe "center by committee" next year. That is, I'd assume the staff is going into the seasons with their best expectations, the strengths and weaknesses, of Ogbole (don't think that's too tough to do) and of Lathan (do think that's tough to do). Some opponents and schemes will give both guys loads of trouble. Given what "we" think we can get from the current two, what is the biggest missing ingredient at the 5. Look for the guy who can give you something that neither Ogbole nor Lathan can--even if that individual is from the "B" or "C" list. Or, perhaps there's a young Shaq out there waiting for a call from RU.
But you also can’t spend all your money on a center and have nothing left to fill out the rest of the roster. A nine man roster of 3 guards, 3 forwards and 3 centers does not work either. Plus, relatively speaking, the three guys we got were probably pretty cheap, with Acuff probably commanding the most.
one might look at in terms of minutes. if your decent portal 5 plays 25 minutes a game, and 2 of the 3 existing portal guys play a combined total of 15 minutes a game, then it's wasted money on those two.
And who said anything about a nine man roster ? You're forgetting we'd have Davis, Dortch, Grant, Ogbole and Sommerville as backups. Did we need two more for a total of 7 reserves? There'd be enough experienced depth with just one of the portal guys, an experienced center and Davis.
There are just too many variables we don't know to link one thing to the other as the main cause. For example, do we know how much Martini and Acuff are getting? If they are getting 50k each, would that have mattered in the pursuit of a center? How well are Somerville and Ogbole doing? Is it possible that a portal player we can afford, even with an extra 50 or 100k, isn't better?
To not bring in a proven center can be called very questionable . I suppose as someone pointed out maybe Pikiell believes that Somerville and Ogbole with help from the other players can somehow do the job? Naaaah that can’t be. Get a damn BiG already.
Donating money is for suckers. Congrats on being played like a sheep.
I didn't say don't recruit portal players. I said spending on two of them who won't start and who will probably play less than 15 min a game combined isn't money well spent (opportunity cost)
Starters (5):
Bailey, Harper, Williams, Portal Center, Acuff/Martini/Derkack
Bench (7): Ogbole, Sommerville, Dortch, Davis, Grant, Acuff/Martini/Derkack
Starters (5):
Bailey, Harper, Williams, Portal Center, Acuff/Martini/Derkack
Bench (7): Ogbole, Sommerville, Dortch, Davis, Grant, Acuff/Martini/Derkack
I have donated some but real tiresome real quick. I'm not interested in paying for college players. Fukk NIL.
We have not added shooters or a center. We added defensive minded ball dominant scorers and no shooters or center. Pike has a plan I don’t see it but let’s give him time and see where he takes us.
You are assuming about the limited playing time for two of the transfers. I think Acuff will be north of 20 mpg and Martini will be close to 20 mpg.
We probably spent no more than $400K combined on the 3 portal guys we brought in. Cliff cost Alabama $1.4 M. You realize that spending $750K would mean only spending half of what Cliff got. I don’t know how the market dips from star to star but at $750K there would be a considerable dip from Cliff’s talent level. Now picture the the dip at $400K. Maybe it just wasn’t worth it because if we put all our money into it, we’d still be getting a guy a step above Dean. In that case we’re better off focusing on other positions.
you're guessing we spent 'no more than $400K combined', but even if accurate: would you rather have a $400K starting center and one of our portal three or no center and all three of them ? With Dortch, Grant and Davis on the roster I'd prefer spending all we can on the center. JWill, Davis, one of the portal 3 and a portal 5 will be enough experience.
I dont buy it. They are looking everywhere for a center. Smoke screen, smart to leak that out like that.
What would be the advantage of leaking that if they are indeed looking ?
Agreed if we are going to have a big year like we all hope. Acuff and Martini or a combination of the transfers are going to need to play big minutes and at a high level.
Jwill and Davis will need to have their minutes taken down.
Dylan is our best play maker/pg and to give him space to operate he will need shooters. Shooters will help prevent the endless double teams that will be coming.
Except that as we’re currently constructed, half of the B1G will destroy us inside.
Somerville by years end will be the big Suprise..!
Plus it is rumored they are looking at 7 footer..
Shouldn’t the promised NIL payout from Vegas tournament be in play for bidding on some of these players?
What is this talk of it being spread over 3 years??
Plus it is rumored they are looking at 7 footer..
Shouldn’t the promised NIL payout from Vegas tournament be in play for bidding on some of these players?
What is this talk of it being spread over 3 years??
We’re still better off than if we landed another Agee instead. A MWC double digit scorer would probably cost us $200K plus. Even from a bad team.
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