Omoruyi

[rtabachk]

Is he regressing? His reaction time on rebounds seems worse than it was at the start of the year. He reacts to rebounds late seems a bit lost in relation to the ball sometimes. Tends to lose position sometimes on defense and offensively has no game. At the start of the year he looked much better than he does now. I'm sure he's in a bit of a slump after the knee injury but his movement doesn't look smooth overall.

 

[ouchmyknee]

He lost a lot of time and we always see freshman regress through the year.

 

[ClassOf02]

He’s getting valuable experience right now that will pay off. His hands look like they were dipped in cement, but Myles used to look like that too. He just needs to soak up the minutes and put in the effort and he’ll be fine.

 

[IMARUFAN]

He was a little off tonight. But he's a freshman. It happens.

No big deal the way I see it. With his size and athleticism, I think he's going to be really good eventually.

 

[Lawboy]

You are watching a child learn to turn over, then crawl, walk and finally run. He had a really good game against Indiana and not such a great one tonight. Calm down and enjoy the moment. Big men usually progress slowly. Remember Myles as a freshman?

 

[scarlet4life]

No big deal. Thats what happens vs B10 competition instead of the OOC schedule the beginning of the year.

 

[knights1212]

Cliff will be fine.

 

[DaveSNJ]

I guess some folks have never played HS or college sports or coached.

Progress is not a linear ascending line, there are many peaks and troughs along the way. And the projected trendlines are not always 45 degrees.

An Injury the kind that Cliff had is not only about getting physically back into the swing of things but also mentally - you have to trust your body. Sometimes easier said than done.

Then couple that with being a Frosh and typically hitting a wall sometime around the Jan/Feb timeframe. Look the guy is extremely talented given time he will be a force.

 

[richthedentist]

Just his return to action has transformed Myles back to Myles the Monster so even though he has had some his issues his presence has just helped Myles play like we know he can without having to worry about committing a foul every play

 

[RUBOB72]

Cliff is probably hitting a psychological wall especially after suffering the injury. I am sure it still weighs on his mind realizing he could have suffered a season ending injury. Think we should allow him to work his way back under this staff.

 

[RutgersDom]

Is he regressing? His reaction time on rebounds seems worse than it was at the start of the year. He reacts to rebounds late seems a bit lost in relation to the ball sometimes. Tends to lose position sometimes on defense and offensively has no game. At the start of the year he looked much better than he does now. I'm sure he's in a bit of a slump after the knee injury but his movement doesn't look smooth overall.

I'm thinking the BIG10 games have something to do with it :-)

 

[rufeelinit]

You are watching a child learn to turn over, then crawl, walk and finally run. He had a really good game against Indiana and not such a great one tonight. Calm down and enjoy the moment. Big men usually progress slowly. Remember Myles as a freshman?

Didn't Myles RS his freshman year? He was less ready to play than Cliff.

 

[carmenst]

Just his return to action has transformed Myles back to Myles the Monster so even though he has had some his issues his presence has just helped Myles play like we know he can without having to worry about committing a foul every play

Spot on with this analysis.

 

[rudad02]

Is he regressing? His reaction time on rebounds seems worse than it was at the start of the year. He reacts to rebounds late seems a bit lost in relation to the ball sometimes. Tends to lose position sometimes on defense and offensively has no game. At the start of the year he looked much better than he does now. I'm sure he's in a bit of a slump after the knee injury but his movement doesn't look smooth overall.

His hands aren't as sure either. Will come around.

 

[zappaa]

His hands aren't as sure either. Will come around.

I’d do an old time drill with him everyday for 15 minutes, stand 10 feet from him and throw him the ball everywhere but perfect for 15 minutes.
He needs to snatch it, and use his footwork to not drop one, or he starts all over again.

 

[AreYouNUTS]

Oh brother lol....

 

[RUBOB72]

I’d do an old time drill with him everyday for 15 minutes, stand 10 feet from him and throw him the ball everywhere but perfect for 15 minutes.
He needs to snatch it, and use his footwork to not drop one, or he starts all over again.

Remember the last time some one filmed a player getting a ball thrown at him from Rutgers Zap? I agree with what you suggest. A guy like Cliff needs to work overtime on securing the ball.

 

[mildone]

I guess some folks have never played HS or college sports or coached.
Progress is not a linear ascending line, there are many peaks and troughs along the way. And the projected trendlines are not always 45 degrees.

This. You saved me the trouble of posting it.

I'll add that younger players, even really good ones, often have technique problems that need to be coached up. That can cause a player's performance to visibly suffer in the short term. Because they have to first unlearn the old way, then learn the new way, then practice the new way until it's instinctive.

But it pays off in higher peak performance than could be achieved without it and just about all good coaches will make that trade-off, albeit as much in the off-season as possible.

It's entirely possible that's happening with Cliff right now. And if he's still growing some, that's going to cause some minor, momentary, coordination loss. Not sure how old he is, but a lot of tall kids keep growing their first couple years in college.

As others have said, he looks to me like he's not only going to be fine, but he'll be really good when everything comes together. He has all the raw talent and just needs refinement and experience.

 

[wheezer]

pretty much all the big 10 teams have solid inside defenders, and, are prepared in that regard.

Cliff would have been well served to have the first 7 or 8 games against the usual non conference teams to get his feet wet. But even with that, playing against the big 10 big men would have been a major adjustment....

right now it is not his skill level in question, it is learning to play against some of the best big men in the country....it will come in time

 

[jonS]

People are overlooking the fact that Cliff suffered a knee injury not much more than a month ago. It takes time to heal and even more time to get over the mental aspect. Just look at Geo and how long it's taken for him to shake the bad ankle. It's only now that he looks to be the "old" Geo.

 

[bethlehemfan]

Big men take time to develop. It seems like it should be easy but it’s not. Lots of reps with good coaching

 

[Devilsfan118]

Is this post honestly serious?

 

[AshCatchEm]

Is he regressing? His reaction time on rebounds seems worse than it was at the start of the year. He reacts to rebounds late seems a bit lost in relation to the ball sometimes. Tends to lose position sometimes on defense and offensively has no game. At the start of the year he looked much better than he does now. I'm sure he's in a bit of a slump after the knee injury but his movement doesn't look smooth overall.

Oh you mean he looked better playing sacred heart than msu? That's preposterous!

 

[knight82]

Hmm a freshman who missed a month with an injury and we expect perfection

 

[KnightTerrors]

We just beat a Tom Izzo coached MSU team by 30 led by an unbelievable effort from Myles and you’re worrying about the performance of a Freshman who is a week removed from being sidelined with a knee injury?

 

[Degaz-RU]

Cliff reminds me of a newborn stallion, who is just figuring out how to walk, and stumbling around a bit.

You can see all of the tools are there to be a really good player, but right now he’s a little awkward and unsure of himself. He just needs more experience, and yes, needs to feel more confident physically after having a scare with the knee injury.

 

[RUDieHard]

As said above, just having him give us 10 minutes is huge. He's obviously a step above Duke & Reiber. It allows Myles to play freely and not worry as much about fouls. He does need to stop pushing with his arms though to defend..He'll get called on that often if he extends his arms.

 

[ScarletDog]

I hate to say it, but Cliff isn’t going to get there. He is totally uncoordinated. He has trouble catching a chest pass at the top of the key. He’s totally awkward moving around the court. He has absolutely zero basketball IQ or instinct. He does not understand the game at all. I watched him play last year in a tournament against another high level HS team. I came away from that game wondering why he was so highly rated. Yes he’s physically impressive, but it stops there. He’s the same exact player he was one year ago. No offensive skills, uncoordinated, totally lost on both ends of the floor. I hope I’m way wrong, but I don’t think he will be an impact player here.

 

[YoucancallmeRay]

I hate to say it, but Cliff isn’t going to get there. He is totally uncoordinated. He has trouble catching a chest pass at the top of the key. He’s totally awkward moving around the court. He has absolutely zero basketball IQ or instinct. He does not understand the game at all. I watched him play last year in a tournament against another high level HS team. I came away from that game wondering why he was so highly rated. Yes he’s physically impressive, but it stops there. He’s the same exact player he was one year ago. No offensive skills, uncoordinated, totally lost on both ends of the floor. I hope I’m way wrong, but I don’t think he will be an impact player here.

Funny post. I'll take "physically impressive" as a starting point, but it doesn't "stop there". He's already shown that he can intimidate under the boards and can block shots. I wouldn't be surprised if he changed your mind by the end of conference play, if not sooner.

 

[mikeyo]

People are overlooking the fact that Cliff suffered a knee injury not much more than a month ago. It takes time to heal and even more time to get over the mental aspect. Just look at Geo and how long it's taken for him to shake the bad ankle. It's only now that he looks to be the "old" Geo.

Yep. Normal healing time for a moderate knee sprain for everyday
humans is 8-12 weeks. Chances are he's not 100 percent healthy

 

[Classof93CS]

I hate to say it, but Cliff isn’t going to get there. He is totally uncoordinated. He has trouble catching a chest pass at the top of the key. He’s totally awkward moving around the court. He has absolutely zero basketball IQ or instinct. He does not understand the game at all. I watched him play last year in a tournament against another high level HS team. I came away from that game wondering why he was so highly rated. Yes he’s physically impressive, but it stops there. He’s the same exact player he was one year ago. No offensive skills, uncoordinated, totally lost on both ends of the floor. I hope I’m way wrong, but I don’t think he will be an impact player here.

You do realize that he was offered by a number of high profile coaches including Coach Cal at Kentucky.. a proven talent evaluator. Is Cliff raw, especially on the offensive side of the ball, yeah - but give him some time. The game will slow down and he'll look better.

 

[seneca ave]

I hate to say it, but Cliff isn’t going to get there. He is totally uncoordinated. He has trouble catching a chest pass at the top of the key. He’s totally awkward moving around the court. He has absolutely zero basketball IQ or instinct. He does not understand the game at all. I watched him play last year in a tournament against another high level HS team. I came away from that game wondering why he was so highly rated. Yes he’s physically impressive, but it stops there. He’s the same exact player he was one year ago. No offensive skills, uncoordinated, totally lost on both ends of the floor. I hope I’m way wrong, but I don’t think he will be an impact player here.

He is already an impact player, his knee injury has set him back. I hope for a lot of improvement towards the end of season...

 

[Knight Owl]

I hate to say it, but Cliff isn’t going to get there. He is totally uncoordinated. He has trouble catching a chest pass at the top of the key. He’s totally awkward moving around the court. He has absolutely zero basketball IQ or instinct. He does not understand the game at all. I watched him play last year in a tournament against another high level HS team. I came away from that game wondering why he was so highly rated. Yes he’s physically impressive, but it stops there. He’s the same exact player he was one year ago. No offensive skills, uncoordinated, totally lost on both ends of the floor. I hope I’m way wrong, but I don’t think he will be an impact player here.

Monster Myles had to redshirt because he was so raw. Now he’s the best defensive 5 in the conference, and is a solid passer and is developing a bit of a low post offensive game. Cliff is still getting used to not being the biggest and/or the most athletic forward on the floor.

 

[jakeknight]

Ball, you, man, its the basic cornerstone of defending, he will learn and become a very good post presence. People forget that he didn't have the 10 games of pre league play this year. The transition from HS BB to the Big is a giant step, sheers athletic talent overcomes so much at the HS level not so much in our league where all the big Men are talented and well coached. It's a learning process if he puts in the work and is coachable he will be fine give him some time to adjust there's a lot to learn

 

[Westcoast]

I hate to say it, but Cliff isn’t going to get there. He is totally uncoordinated. He has trouble catching a chest pass at the top of the key. He’s totally awkward moving around the court. He has absolutely zero basketball IQ or instinct. He does not understand the game at all. I watched him play last year in a tournament against another high level HS team. I came away from that game wondering why he was so highly rated. Yes he’s physically impressive, but it stops there. He’s the same exact player he was one year ago. No offensive skills, uncoordinated, totally lost on both ends of the floor. I hope I’m way wrong, but I don’t think he will be an impact player here.

OMG. Hes not going to get there. Hes played in what, 8 or 9 games as a true frosh in the best conf in the country? Lol. This post had to be a troll, right?. No way anyone really thinks this way.

 

[hiwater]

As said above, just having him give us 10 minutes is huge. He's obviously a step above Duke & Reiber. It allows Myles to play freely and not worry as much about fouls. He does need to stop pushing with his arms though to defend..He'll get called on that often if he extends his arms.

He did that a lot yesterday. I was surprised that he only got call for it once.

 

[Night Man]

I think there are some things worth discussing... despite the thread being full of people insisting there's nothing to discuss.

But the nonlinear progress post had the right idea. I have no idea why Cliff struggles to grasp a basketball now when he could do so earlier in the season. But little regressions here and there are part and parcel to growth. He came and it seemed like what we expected: great athleticism, adequate hands and feet, and a lot of room to grow skillwise, but enough to avoid the "project" label. Lately he looks like a very gifted project. But I honestly do expect he'll get through this, and not just in the long run, but this year.

 

[CranfordKnight]

As I said in another thread, he reminds me of Hamady N'Diaye as an underclassman. Couldn't catch the ball to save his life. Steady improvement to DPOY in the Big East senior year. CO will be fine.

 

[ouchmyknee]

As I said in another thread, he reminds me of Hamady N'Diaye as an underclassman. Couldn't catch the ball to save his life. Steady improvement to DPOY in the Big East senior year. CO will be fine.

I was gonna say, does anyone remember Hamady’s first few years? That dude was terrible. Cliff is prob 10x where Hamady was.

 

[ScarletKid2008]

I think its worth discussion. My RU bball group chat discussed it after the MSU game as well.

The oddest thing is that he went from having really solid hands and grabbing everything to seemingly not catching the ball as well in traffic now.

In the first few games our guys were just lobbing/floating the ball near the rim to Cliff and he was getting 2-3 easy alleyoops a game. We can easily point to the level of competition those were against as the reason there.

Defensively I get concerned because teams seem to really want to go after him. Although hes athletic and does have a pretty developed body for a freshmen. He doesnt seem to have the weight or know how to use his weight to keep the bigger and more experienced bigs from really going to work against him. If he's in the game for extended periods of time hes going to pick up fouls really quickly and teams are going to run their offense through the post.

I'm confident Cliff will improve in every aspect and rather quickly. But where he stands right now - I don't see him picking up a freshmen of the week type honors this season. (vs after the first 3 games I was certain he would)