Of the newcomers:

[zebnatto]

A lot of new guys and for sure we're gonna over-rate some, under-rate others.But (other than saying all of them) do you have one whom you're most intrigued by?

For me it would have to be Shaq C. Not sure if or how much he'll be able to contribute.

 

[MadRU]

Caleb McConnell, his point guard skills are very important to the team. If he proves ready to play at this level it could mean a lot.

 

[Degaz-RU]

I can't decide which one intrigues me the most. This is a very intriguing group, and I include the two redshirts in this too.

- Mathis - can he live up to his 4-star billing right away?

- McConnell - can this under-recruited combo guard provide 10-12 minutes (or more) off the bench at the PG position?

- Carter - is he a "plus" player at PF/C, or just filler/depth?

- Harper - is he worthy of his late 4-star rating, and is he a legit "scorer" this year?

- Johnson - was he really the best "big" we had on the roster toward the end of last season? Can he provide a scoring punch in the paint?

- Kiss - is he a low-major kid who had a good freshman year at a low-major against bad competition? or can he actually help our backcourt in a real way?

Can't wait for the start of hoops.

 

[whofrewdatmataRU13]

Ron Harper Jr.

 

[4theknights]

Ron Harper Jr made huge strides in his senior season and projects to be a bonafide scorer. Expect an impactful season from him!

 

[RUChoppin]

I think Harper, Johnson and Mathis are the ones I'm most interested in seeing.

 

[SJScarlet]

They are all important, the only one that we can afford to have disappoint a bit without it necessarily affecting the win/loss column is Carter.

 

[richthedentist]

They are all important, the only one that we can afford to have disappoint a bit without it necessarily affecting the win/loss column is Carter.

The way football is going I can’t wait to see them all and soon!!

 

[KnightTerrors]

I’m very intrigued by Kiss.

The kid had some monster games at the D1 level. Two of his best performances were against Gonzaga and SHU as a true freshman. Now he’s a RS junior with a full year of s&c and coaching by this staff. I’m very excited to see what he can do.

 

[RUMassAlum]

A lot of new guys and for sure we're gonna over-rate some, under-rate others.But (other than saying all of them) do you have one whom you're most intrigued by?

For me it would have to be Shaq C. Not sure if or how much he'll be able to contribute.

Agree. Most intriguing. If he plays well, it could offset Freeman's loss.

 

[RUsojo]

I have no idea. Confident that Pikiell finds that right line up combinations to bring the best out in all of them. They all have some skills to work with.

 

[Degaz-RU]

I’m very intrigued by Kiss.

The kid had some monster games at the D1 level. Two of his best performances were against Gonzaga and SHU as a true freshman. Now he’s a RS junior with a full year of s&c and coaching by this staff. I’m very excited to see what he can do.

Kiss is actually a redshirt sophomore. He played his true freshman year at Quinnipiac, sat out last year at Rutgers, and now has three more years of eligibility starting this year.

 

[KnightTerrors]

Kiss is actually a redshirt sophomore. He played his true freshman year at Quinnipiac, sat out last year at Rutgers, and now has three more years of eligibility starting this year.

Correct. My mistake! But going into season age of a junior. The experience and body development was what I was trying to get at there. Kind of an upperclassman feel with experience and conditioning.

 

[MV9000]

Kiss will be an important role player.

Mathis will live upto his four star rating

Harper will be streaky i think but ultimately a good player

No idea what to think about Mcconell but i love his size and how pike is trending towards wirey long guards.

 

[seels2662]

There are so many new faces. This is what I want:

Johnson/Doucoure/Doorson: combined 12 pts, 8 rb

Omoyuri 10 pts, 7 rbs

Mathis 11pts, same as Baker last year

Kiss/Thiam 3+ threes a game, 11 pts total

Geo 14pts a game

Harper/Mconnell/The other Shaq have a few big games this year when the others are cold

I feel that the combination of these numbers will get us north of.500, maybe even NIT

 

[RU23]

Personally I’m most intrigued by the bigs, only because I really have no clue what to expect. To be honest, I don’t expect much only because it’s rare that I’m pleasantly surprised by a young big.

Kiss is the most sure thing of the bunch. I’m fairly certain he’ll contribute about 10 ppg either as a starter or one of the first off the bench.

Mathis, Mcconell and Harper are wildcards. It’ll be interesting to see who puts things together the most because they definitely all have potential to be great players. So I’m very intrigued by them too.

As you can probably tell, I’m intrigued.

 

[FELONIOUSMONK]

I always go with a genetic trail of success. Harper .

 

[zebnatto]

There are so many new faces. This is what I want:

Johnson/Doucoure/Doorson: combined 12 pts, 8 rb

Omoyuri 10 pts, 7 rbs

Mathis 11pts, same as Baker last year

Kiss/Thiam 3+ threes a game, 11 pts total

Geo 14pts a game

Harper/Mconnell/The other Shaq have a few big games this year when the others are cold

I feel that the combination of these numbers will get us north of.500, maybe even NIT

 

[dpwhite]

There are so many new faces. This is what I want:

Johnson/Doucoure/Doorson: combined 12 pts, 8 rb

Omoyuri 10 pts, 7 rbs

Mathis 11pts, same as Baker last year

Kiss/Thiam 3+ threes a game, 11 pts total

Geo 14pts a game

Harper/Mconnell/The other Shaq have a few big games this year when the others are cold

I feel that the combination of these numbers will get us north of.500, maybe even NIT

I'm gonna say your expectations might be a hair too high for year one of a lot of these guys. NIT, over even over .500, is going to take a lot of gelling and adjusting to the college game at a quicker than normal speed.

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

I’m very intrigued by Kiss.

The kid had some monster games at the D1 level. Two of his best performances were against Gonzaga and SHU as a true freshman. Now he’s a RS junior with a full year of s&c and coaching by this staff. I’m very excited to see what he can do.

He is my surprise player for the year.

 

[linzalonic]

Caleb McConnell, his point guard skills are very important to the team. If he proves ready to play at this level it could mean a lot.

I cannot believe how tall McConnell is in recent photos. He must be 6'6 1/2" / 6'7" at this point.

I'm most excited to see Mathis, but all the talk about Johnson's practice prowess (yes, we've been down this road before with mixed results) have me very intrigued.

 

[mikefla]

These 3 players intrigue me...my 3 "hopes"

- Mathis - I am hoping he lives up to his 4-star billing right away.

- Harper - I am hoping he is worthy of his 4-star rating, and is a legit "scorer"

- Kiss - I am hoping he can help our backcourt right away

 

[seels2662]

I'm gonna say your expectations might be a hair too high for year one of a lot of these guys. NIT, over even over .500, is going to take a lot of gelling and adjusting to the college game at a quicker than normal speed.

Under normal circumstances I would agree but two of our players redshirted last year and a third is a JUCO. In reality the only true freshman I am expecting something from is Mathis.

 

[higgins3]

Lots of good post.

I would say McConnell as he helps the teams biggest need at the moment, primary ball responsibilities. I think all of the newcomers bring a lot of skill.

 

[Goku]

I just want all of the guys to show improvement, embrace Pike's style (defense and rebounding), enjoy the growth the team will make with them this year, keep the faith during the tough times (because there will be some this year) and stick with the program for years to come.

 

[Scarlet83]

I’m very intrigued by Kiss.

The kid had some monster games at the D1 level. Two of his best performances were against Gonzaga and SHU as a true freshman. Now he’s a RS sophomore with a full year of s&c and coaching by this staff. I’m very excited to see what he can do.

yes, I wonder how much Kiss can produce for this team. While a newcomer, his experience is going to be important to this team.

And I hope Harper Jr can be a outside shooter and scorer that we desperately need.

Can’t wait!

 

[koko2315]

Harper for sure...i think he will be a sneaky big contributor and scoring threat

 

[zebnatto]

I’m curious what guys who seem to have more info than most (Russ, DP, Hawk, etc) would do with Shaq C., Peter’s K., and Myles J. If were giving value stars (you know the stars used to rate incoming recruits) if we weren’t assigning stars to incoming freshmen.

 

[OntheBanks]

The way football is going I can’t wait to see them all and soon!!

With the way football is going I don't want to see any freshmen playing until maybe February.

 

[RU-ROCS]

I can't decide which one intrigues me the most. This is a very intriguing group, and I include the two redshirts in this too.

- Mathis - can he live up to his 4-star billing right away?

- McConnell - can this under-recruited combo guard provide 10-12 minutes (or more) off the bench at the PG position?

- Carter - is he a "plus" player at PF/C, or just filler/depth?

- Harper - is he worthy of his late 4-star rating, and is he a legit "scorer" this year?

- Johnson - was he really the best "big" we had on the roster toward the end of last season? Can he provide a scoring punch in the paint?

- Kiss - is he a low-major kid who had a good freshman year at a low-major against bad competition? or can he actually help our backcourt in a real way?

Can't wait for the start of hoops.

Great rundown. I feel the same way about each of them.

 

[jonS]

I'm most interested in seeing Kiss. If he's the outside shooter we've needed for years , it will have an enormous impact on the team. An outside shot frees up the rim and down low, allows for Rutgers to reduce deficits quickly, and maybe most of all psychs up the crowd and builds momentum.