I was talking to a friend who is pretty dialed into things about the lack of success Rutgers is having getting a big man from the portal and he had some interesting things to say about it. First, he said that Rutgers has done everything they possibly could be doing except for wildly overspending. RU has a decent NIL amount budgeted to build the roster this offseason. Some has been used, but there's still a decent amount for the right type of player. They've also been pitching a starting role and exposure to NBA scouts on a nightly basis. So why haven't they been able to pull anyone in? For one, RU is not willing to overspend on a player who they feel is not a major upgrade from what they already have on the roster (Sommerville and Ogbole). As I mentioned, they have a budget and they will not go above it for a player who doesn't deserve it. The feeling around the program is that Sommerville will be asked to carry a little of the offensive load with Ogbole mostly being in for D.
Source also said he's heard from at least one "mentor" that there was some concern over the number of touches that would be available. They basically said that based on what RU has on the roster, they were afraid that their guy wouldn't be a focal point of the offense and most likely wouldn't get the minutes they'd get elsewhere. He mentioned that RU is looking for someone to do the dirty work on the boards and set screens.
Now I'm sure that none of the above would matter if RU was dropping a major bag, but the reality is that it's not just what you're paying one player, it's also what you're not paying another. Managing the expectations of what everyone is worth on the roster and what they're getting is extremely complicated and if you're going to dump a boatload to a player who is just meh you better expect that those with lesser deals aren't going to be very happy.
Source also said he's heard from at least one "mentor" that there was some concern over the number of touches that would be available. They basically said that based on what RU has on the roster, they were afraid that their guy wouldn't be a focal point of the offense and most likely wouldn't get the minutes they'd get elsewhere. He mentioned that RU is looking for someone to do the dirty work on the boards and set screens.
Now I'm sure that none of the above would matter if RU was dropping a major bag, but the reality is that it's not just what you're paying one player, it's also what you're not paying another. Managing the expectations of what everyone is worth on the roster and what they're getting is extremely complicated and if you're going to dump a boatload to a player who is just meh you better expect that those with lesser deals aren't going to be very happy.
