Pikiell needs another 2 years

[Night Man]

Let's see where he is after year 5. He's not a bad coach. It's not a guarantee that a program like RU could replace him with an upgrade -- we've failed to do so multiple times.

Not to open up the argument of my youth, but I like that we gave Gary Waters five years and took stock of things (though it did not appear that Mulcahy really waited until the end of year 5 to make a call). After five years, it was his program and we had seen the good and the bad from him, as well as his second wave of recruits**. If Pike's still toiling in the bottom quarter of the conference and replacing Baker, Mathis, Johnson, etc with less talented guys than those, I'd be comfortable letting him go. If he's trending up, around .500 and reloading with solid recruits, fine with keeping him.

** The FHJ-as-assistant situation muddied this though

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

[QUOTE="goru7, post: 3664300, member: 2194"

The freshman, plus Carter are all Big 10 type players[/QUOTE]

The reality is in this conference and all over college basketball freshman make big contributions. It is possible that our freshman and sophomores make big strides, but............

If you are really honest and look at the last 2 classes we have and multiply that by 2 you have a bottom quartile B1G team (and that is being kind).

 

[goru7]

[QUOTE="goru7, post: 3664300, member: 2194"

The freshman, plus Carter are all Big 10 type players

The reality is in this conference and all over college basketball freshman make big contributions. It is possible that our freshman and sophomores make big strides, but............

If you are really honest and look at the last 2 classes we have and multiply that by 2 you have a bottom quartile B1G team (and that is being kind).[/QUOTE]
If you are comparing to Maryland maybe since 4 of their 5 guys can play, can dribble, can shoot and defend and Jaylen Smith is a 5 star stud. Maybe Indiana as well this year but no other teams freshman are heads and tails ahead of ours.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I hope I am wrong about our last 2 classes, but I disagree.

 

[RUsojo]

Of the true Freshman only Mathis has shown to me he can play for a good team in the big ten. Again too many people have fallen into the age old tradition of over-rating our talent. Are talent is really really bad. There is no quick fix on the horizon. Not only is they talent really bad but the roster as constructed is borderline inexcusable in a coaches third season.

The only way this thing turns out the way we all want it is if Pikiell can leverage the facility, which is the first real weapon any coach at RU actually has in their recruiting arsenal, to produce a class that’s around middle of the conference. That’s really it. And as I’ve said from the beginning of the season til now that’s going to be really tough coming off three straight last place conference finishes. But the facility is good enough to give him a shot.

 

[GoFish2]

Agree with Michstfr, Penn State is the team I have written about.

It took Chambers 7 years just to make the NIT. You think that's a reasonable goal? Serious question.

 

[phriar10]

I like pike! My worry is the fan base becomes impatient and we end up with another EJ...or worse! Let's give coach pike some time to build a program and reassess after year 5.

He will never be another EJ . Pike never stops working or recruiting unlike EJ who just collected a paycheck. Give this man some time it may take a little longer then expected but he will get it done.

 

[Mr Magoo]

He will never be another EJ . Pike never stops working or recruiting unlike EJ who just collected a paycheck. Give this man some time it may take a little longer then expected but he will get it done.

This is true. Jordan was in a league all his own.