Practice yesterday August 1 and on August 7,2024

[goru7]

I was lucky to be invited to watch practice yesterday.
Here are some observations :
1) Dylan looked healthy , he moved well in full court fastbreak drills and some zone defense work. He was held out of the full court scrimmage that was only about 5-10 minutes. He will be a stud .
2 ) Pleasantly suprised by Jordan Derdack who got the run with JWill in Dylan’s absence. Fluid ball handler, driver and his shot from 3 was on as well. Real good transfer pickup ;
3 ) Although scrimmage was short and hard to get a complete feel of a full game , ACE is just so incredibly athletically gifted. He is almost automatic from 10-15 feet. His Three looks pure and did not shoot a lot on scrimmage but his passing was outstanding as he got Grant and Dorsch layups and PJ an open 3 . He made one move getting the ball on the wing , dribbled left and then flew for a thunderous slam. He was God like.
4 ) Practiced a lot of zone defense as the staff clearly feels they will be seeing a lot of it because few teams will be able to stay with Dylan and Ace one on one.
5) PJ and Martini are flat out shooters. Will hit threes at a high rate. I am convinced they both will shoot 40% from 3 as both have great quick releases, great form and it appears like it is going in every time .
6 ) JWill and JMike ran the show on their respective teams and JWill looked great and will be a captain and leader of the team .
7 ) Big E has slimmed down and looks good and will get some dunks from all the passers in the team. Lathan is a big dude and can bang inside. Did not see any 5 out from him so did not see his three point shooting
8) Grant and Dorsch know their roles and cut for dunks when ACE or anyone else is doubled in the paint. Very athletic and will get a few minutes this year.
9 ) They practiced a half court offensive set with 3,variations. Simple stuff but Pike ran it . They also practiced out of bounds plays again with 2-3 variations. Pike ran that as well. So the idiots that say Pike doesn’t run offense can take a seat.

Again , no long full scrimmage but this is a deep team that has tremendous pieces besides Dylan and Ace. Three point shooting from PJ and Martini will get a lot of looks and will knock them down. Others can shoot threes , Derdack , Dylan , and Ace and did not see Latham shooting them.
The team is incredibly long and will get a ton of deflections and the defense will be okay.
Acuff was still in a boot riding a scooter but involved watching and interacting .
They ran sprints in between drills and will be in great shape looking to get out on the break. ACE out on the break is a highlight reel. This will be a fun team to watch and root for .

 

[rubigtimenow]

Oh yeah! Thanks much for the info. Great to hear as many details as possible from different sources.
Every game has the potential to be an event!

 

[richthedentist]

I was lucky to be invited to watch practice yesterday.
Here are some observations :
1) Dylan looked healthy , he moved well in full court fastbreak drills and some zone defense work. He was held out of the full court scrimmage that was only about 5-10 minutes. He will be a stud .
2 ) Pleasantly suprised by Jordan Derdack who got the run with JWill in Dylan’s absence. Fluid ball handler, driver and his shot from 3 was on as well. Real good transfer pickup ;
3 ) Although scrimmage was short and hard to get a complete feel of a full game , ACE is just so incredibly athletically gifted. He is almost automatic from 10-15 feet. His Three looks pure and did not shoot a lot on scrimmage but his passing was outstanding as he got Grant and Dorsch layups and PJ an open 3 . He made one move getting the ball on the wing , dribbled left and then flew for a thunderous slam. He was God like.
4 ) Practiced a lot of zone defense as the staff clearly feels they will be seeing a lot of it because few teams will be able to stay with Dylan and Ace one on one.
5) PJ and Martini are flat out shooters. Will hit threes at a high rate. I am convinced they both will shoot 40% from 3 as both have great quick releases, great form and it appears like it is going in every time .
6 ) JWill and JMike ran the show on their respective teams and JWill looked great and will be a captain and leader of the team .
7 ) Big E has slimmed down and looks good and will get some dunks from all the passers in the team. Lathan is a big dude and can bang inside. Did not see any 5 out from him so did not see his three point shooting
8) Grant and Dorsch know their roles and cut for dunks when ACE or anyone else is doubled in the paint. Very athletic and will get a few minutes this year.
9 ) They practiced a half court offensive set with 3,variations. Simple stuff but Pike ran it . They also practiced out of bounds plays again with 2-3 variations. Pike ran that as well. So the idiots that say Pike doesn’t run offense can take a seat.

Again , no long full scrimmage but this is a deep team that has tremendous pieces besides Dylan and Ace. Three point shooting from PJ and Martini will get a lot of looks and will knock them down. Others can shoot threes , Derdack , Dylan , and Ace and did not see Latham shooting them.
The team is incredibly long and will get a ton of deflections and the defense will be okay.
Acuff was still in a boot riding a scooter but involved watching and interacting .
They ran sprints in between drills and will be in great shape looking to get out on the break. ACE out on the break is a highlight reel. This will be a fun team to watch and root for .

Not that I want to rush it but boy I can't wait for this season to begin!!!

 

[PiscatawayMike]

The team is incredibly long and will get a ton of deflections and the defense will be okay.

This is a great point! I've noticed their length on all the videos I've watched. We're going to see a lot of fast-break buckets off those deflections.

 

[RU82]

Not that I want to rush it but boy I can't wait for this season to begin!!!

Me too. But this is also the first time in forever that I’ve really been looking forward to football season as well. A banner year for both sports is a distinct possibility this year.

 

[RUGiddy777]

I was lucky to be invited to watch practice yesterday.
Here are some observations :
1) Dylan looked healthy , he moved well in full court fastbreak drills and some zone defense work. He was held out of the full court scrimmage that was only about 5-10 minutes. He will be a stud .
2 ) Pleasantly suprised by Jordan Derdack who got the run with JWill in Dylan’s absence. Fluid ball handler, driver and his shot from 3 was on as well. Real good transfer pickup ;
3 ) Although scrimmage was short and hard to get a complete feel of a full game , ACE is just so incredibly athletically gifted. He is almost automatic from 10-15 feet. His Three looks pure and did not shoot a lot on scrimmage but his passing was outstanding as he got Grant and Dorsch layups and PJ an open 3 . He made one move getting the ball on the wing , dribbled left and then flew for a thunderous slam. He was God like.
4 ) Practiced a lot of zone defense as the staff clearly feels they will be seeing a lot of it because few teams will be able to stay with Dylan and Ace one on one.
5) PJ and Martini are flat out shooters. Will hit threes at a high rate. I am convinced they both will shoot 40% from 3 as both have great quick releases, great form and it appears like it is going in every time .
6 ) JWill and JMike ran the show on their respective teams and JWill looked great and will be a captain and leader of the team .
7 ) Big E has slimmed down and looks good and will get some dunks from all the passers in the team. Lathan is a big dude and can bang inside. Did not see any 5 out from him so did not see his three point shooting
8) Grant and Dorsch know their roles and cut for dunks when ACE or anyone else is doubled in the paint. Very athletic and will get a few minutes this year.
9 ) They practiced a half court offensive set with 3,variations. Simple stuff but Pike ran it . They also practiced out of bounds plays again with 2-3 variations. Pike ran that as well. So the idiots that say Pike doesn’t run offense can take a seat.

Again , no long full scrimmage but this is a deep team that has tremendous pieces besides Dylan and Ace. Three point shooting from PJ and Martini will get a lot of looks and will knock them down. Others can shoot threes , Derdack , Dylan , and Ace and did not see Latham shooting them.
The team is incredibly long and will get a ton of deflections and the defense will be okay.
Acuff was still in a boot riding a scooter but involved watching and interacting .
They ran sprints in between drills and will be in great shape looking to get out on the break. ACE out on the break is a highlight reel. This will be a fun team to watch and root for .

 

[BillyC80]

Great report goru, much appreciated.

So psyched for this season.

 

[fatsam98]

Thanks for sharing

 

[PaKnight]

Thanks for the report. My favorite part was “God like”.

 

[Rhuarc]

Great report. Very excited for the season.

Just to throw this out there, but if Coach Pike, any assistant coach, players, floor mopper, ball rack person or security guard would like to invite me to a practice I'm available for the next 2 weeks at any time. Thank you.

 

[knights1212]

I was there as well and I was really impressed with all 11 scholarship guys who practiced with Acuff still out. Hopefully we can stay healthy and we should be so much fun to watch this coming season. All 11 guys seem very good.

 

[NewJerseyHawk]

I think with better players who are willing to play through contact, makes a difference.

If we have 2 cutting forwards who can catch and finish, through contact in traffic (Dortch and Grant), it will diversify the offense and impact the defense.

Let's assume that PJ Hayes is just a flat out better shooter than Gavin Griffiths (shooting threat, but not a cutter or finisher at the rim) ......and a better shooter from 3 than Aundre Hyatt (31.6 from 3 last year).

And let's assume Dortch and Grant are willing cutters and can elevate and dunk, but are not as good from 3 as Hyatt (maybe close to 30%???).......but no worse than Mag, who was just not a 3 point shooter (sub 25%) OR a finisher at the rim (not a dunker, quick leaper).

Small subtle details, but if Grant and Dortch are 24% shooters from 3 and capable of blocking shots and defending, that combo should be a level of play we saw flashes from Mag, when he was a sophomore.

If Hayes shoots it better than Hyatt last year from 3, then we should be more effective.....if Hayes isn't a cutter or slasher, we didn't get that from Mag or Griffiths, who just didn't appear capable as a frosh, to show the willingness to cut and use his height to play in the paint.

Gotta figure the guards 1 to 5 are better than last years backcourt and certainly better than the backcourt 2 years ago. This backcourt should match or exceed the Geo Baker, Caleb, Jacob Young, Mulcahy group in 2020-21.

Lots to be encouraged about, if Martini can play 6 to 8 minutes at center a game and create some matchups where he pulls an opposing 5 away from the paint. Lathan will be able to do it, just not sure it will be Day 1/Game 1.

 

[RuSnp]

I think with better players who are willing to play through contact, makes a difference.

If we have 2 cutting forwards who can catch and finish, through contact in traffic (Dortch and Grant), it will diversify the offense and impact the defense.

Let's assume that PJ Hayes is just a flat out better shooter than Gavin Griffiths (shooting threat, but not a cutter or finisher at the rim) ......and a better shooter from 3 than Aundre Hyatt (31.6 from 3 last year).

And let's assume Dortch and Grant are willing cutters and can elevate and dunk, but are not as good from 3 as Hyatt (maybe close to 30%???).......but no worse than Mag, who was just not a 3 point shooter (sub 25%) OR a finisher at the rim (not a dunker, quick leaper).

Small subtle details, but if Grant and Dortch are 24% shooters from 3 and capable of blocking shots and defending, that combo should be a level of play we saw flashes from Mag, when he was a sophomore.

If Hayes shoots it better than Hyatt last year from 3, then we should be more effective.....if Hayes isn't a cutter or slasher, we didn't get that from Mag or Griffiths, who just didn't appear capable as a frosh, to show the willingness to cut and use his height to play in the paint.

Gotta figure the guards 1 to 5 are better than last years backcourt and certainly better than the backcourt 2 years ago. This backcourt should match or exceed the Geo Baker, Caleb, Jacob Young, Mulcahy group in 2020-21.

Lots to be encouraged about, if Martini can play 6 to 8 minutes at center a game and create some matchups where he pulls an opposing 5 away from the paint. Lathan will be able to do it, just not sure it will be Day 1/Game 1.

Griffiths shot 28% on 110 attempts. PJ is a vastly better shooter. And Derkack is a vastly better player than GG overall. He's tougher, defends better, handles the ball better, and is probably a better shooter himself. We are better across the board IRO talent (sans Cliff O), beyond the super frosh.

 

[GRU23]

I feel bad for Acuff but I do wonder if he’s going to be the one left out of the rotation. Combining both the injury and type of player he is, if Derkack figures out the shooting I don’t see Acuff getting minutes over him and then if JMike takes the leap many have said and appears on the footage they’ve released, going to be hard to get Acuff on the floor. Still, it’s good depth anyways for the team. Good problem as long as it doesn’t lead to resentment

 

[JayDogSmooth]

I feel bad for Acuff but I do wonder if he’s going to be the one left out of the rotation. Combining both the injury and type of player he is, if Derkack figures out the shooting I don’t see Acuff getting minutes over him and then if JMike takes the leap many have said and appears on the footage they’ve released, going to be hard to get Acuff on the floor. Still, it’s good depth anyways for the team. Good problem as long as it doesn’t lead to resentment

When is Acuff scheduled to return?

 

[RUHouston]

I feel bad for Acuff but I do wonder if he’s going to be the one left out of the rotation. Combining both the injury and type of player he is, if Derkack figures out the shooting I don’t see Acuff getting minutes over him and then if JMike takes the leap many have said and appears on the footage they’ve released, going to be hard to get Acuff on the floor. Still, it’s good depth anyways for the team. Good problem as long as it doesn’t lead to resentment

I think it’s the opposite. IIRC, before he got dinged, it seemed from reports that Acuff was a flat out scoring threat, inside and out. The others you mentioned would be fighting for the minutes leftover from Acuff, not the other way around. As you said, a good problem to have.

 

[RAC93]

I think it’s the opposite. IIRC, before he got dinged, it seemed from reports that Acuff was a flat out scoring threat, inside and out. The others you mentioned would be fighting for the minutes leftover from Acuff, not the other way around. As you said, a good problem to have.

Agreed, RU brought in a guy with experience who can also score. He was the 8th leading scorer in the country last year. They are going to find minutes for him, that won’t be an issue. I think many may see less minutes compared to what each of them received last year on their previous teams because we have so many to work into the rotation and minutes are not unlimited, there are a fixed total amount to work with each game (200). However, I don’t believe Tyson Acuff will be the odd man out waving a towel down the end of the bench, he will be a key piece.

 

[PaKnight]

Za

When is Acuff scheduled to return?

The expectation is that he will be back the beginning of September.

 

[seansherm]

I think with better players who are willing to play through contact, makes a difference.

If we have 2 cutting forwards who can catch and finish, through contact in traffic (Dortch and Grant), it will diversify the offense and impact the defense.

Let's assume that PJ Hayes is just a flat out better shooter than Gavin Griffiths (shooting threat, but not a cutter or finisher at the rim) ......and a better shooter from 3 than Aundre Hyatt (31.6 from 3 last year).

And let's assume Dortch and Grant are willing cutters and can elevate and dunk, but are not as good from 3 as Hyatt (maybe close to 30%???).......but no worse than Mag, who was just not a 3 point shooter (sub 25%) OR a finisher at the rim (not a dunker, quick leaper).

Small subtle details, but if Grant and Dortch are 24% shooters from 3 and capable of blocking shots and defending, that combo should be a level of play we saw flashes from Mag, when he was a sophomore.

If Hayes shoots it better than Hyatt last year from 3, then we should be more effective.....if Hayes isn't a cutter or slasher, we didn't get that from Mag or Griffiths, who just didn't appear capable as a frosh, to show the willingness to cut and use his height to play in the paint.

Gotta figure the guards 1 to 5 are better than last years backcourt and certainly better than the backcourt 2 years ago. This backcourt should match or exceed the Geo Baker, Caleb, Jacob Young, Mulcahy group in 2020-21.

Lots to be encouraged about, if Martini can play 6 to 8 minutes at center a game and create some matchups where he pulls an opposing 5 away from the paint. Lathan will be able to do it, just not sure it will be Day 1/Game 1.

Hayes needs to be a better shooter than Griffiths this year, not last years Griffiths. You and I could be better than most of last years squad. Your freshman need to be better than this years Mag, not last years. Its this years version of those guys we lost.

 

[Degaz-RU]

Hayes needs to be a better shooter than Griffiths this year, not last years Griffiths. You and I could be better than most of last years squad. Your freshman need to be better than this years Mag, not last years. Its this years version of those guys we lost.

Even if Hayes (and Martini) only shoot 35-36% on high volume, that’s the best we had last year (other than low volume Oskar).

Now I’m hoping for 38-40+% from both of them, but even 35-36% would be a big improvement over last year (and frankly probably better than what GG could’ve given us this year).

 

[NickRU714]

It's been a very interesting offaeason.

Every transfer commit (Derkack, Acuff, Martini, Hayes) was heralded as a game changer and likely starter.
Outstanding transfer class.

Now just a couple months later most (Derkack, Acuff, Hayes) are going to be battling for sparce minutes with JWill and JMike starting and playing most of the game.


Even Martini would be pushed to bench with the Ace, Harper, JWill, JMike lineup that some seem to think will be on the court very often. Unless Martini (or Ace) plays center.

 

[fatsam98]

It's been a very interesting offaeason.

Every transfer commit (Derkack, Acuff, Martini, Hayes) was heralded as a game changer and likely starter.
Outstanding transfer class.

Now just a couple months later most (Derkack, Acuff, Hayes) are going to be battling for sparce minutes with JWill and JMike starting and playing most of the game.


Even Martini would be pushed to bench with the Ace, Harper, JWill, JMike lineup that some seem to think will be on the court very often. Unless Martini (or Ace) plays center.

It won't be sparse minutes. Pike will ride the hot hands. To your last point I think we see Martini at the 5 a lot...

 

[lion1983]

Every transfer commit (Derkack, Acuff, Martini, Hayes) was heralded as a game changer and likely starter.
Outstanding transfer class.

Now just a couple months later most (Derkack, Acuff, Hayes) are going to be battling for sparce minutes with JWill and JMike starting and playing most of the game.

No Offense, but this was not true.

From the very beginning, the few "knowns" were that Bailey, Harper and Williams would start (Bailey at the WF, Harper and Williams at Guard). Which meant, from the beginning, no one thought Derkack, Acuff or Hayes would start - and in fact, if they did that was a problem (since it would mean a major injury to one of the expected 3 best players).

And from the start, it appeared Martini WOULD start - he was Pike's 1st priority get from the portal, it appeared.

Even though J. Davis looks to be much improved, and can earn more playing time than the 10-12 mpg I had projected (and some on this Board projected to fewer minutes), it would seem unlikely to me he would Start, barring an injury to Harper or Williams.

To the poster who immediately followed your post, who suggested we are going to see a lot of minutes with Martini at the Center ... I hope not. I do expect to see Martini at the center position at times - maybe 4-6 mpg - as a different look, as situational, as a change of pace to get an extra shooter on the court, or when RU chooses to go "small ball", or if Ogbole and Sommerville both have foul trouble. But more than that means Ogbole and Sommerville, combined are much worse than I hope for (and no, I am not expecting "greatness" from that combo, but rather combined, perhaps 35 mpg, 10-12 ppg, 8-9 rpg).

 

[seansherm]

Even if Hayes (and Martini) only shoot 35-36% on high volume, that’s the best we had last year (other than low volume Oskar).

Now I’m hoping for 38-40+% from both of them, but even 35-36% would be a big improvement over last year (and frankly probably better than what GG could’ve given us this year).

Very possible, all I'm saying is last years shooting has zero to do with this years. Doesn't matter if someone is better than Hyatt was. Is our shooting this year good enough to win games? All that matters.

 

[RUSCFORMERLYRULOU]

I was lucky to be invited to watch practice yesterday.
Here are some observations :
1) Dylan looked healthy , he moved well in full court fastbreak drills and some zone defense work. He was held out of the full court scrimmage that was only about 5-10 minutes. He will be a stud .
2 ) Pleasantly suprised by Jordan Derdack who got the run with JWill in Dylan’s absence. Fluid ball handler, driver and his shot from 3 was on as well. Real good transfer pickup ;
3 ) Although scrimmage was short and hard to get a complete feel of a full game , ACE is just so incredibly athletically gifted. He is almost automatic from 10-15 feet. His Three looks pure and did not shoot a lot on scrimmage but his passing was outstanding as he got Grant and Dorsch layups and PJ an open 3 . He made one move getting the ball on the wing , dribbled left and then flew for a thunderous slam. He was God like.
4 ) Practiced a lot of zone defense as the staff clearly feels they will be seeing a lot of it because few teams will be able to stay with Dylan and Ace one on one.
5) PJ and Martini are flat out shooters. Will hit threes at a high rate. I am convinced they both will shoot 40% from 3 as both have great quick releases, great form and it appears like it is going in every time .
6 ) JWill and JMike ran the show on their respective teams and JWill looked great and will be a captain and leader of the team .
7 ) Big E has slimmed down and looks good and will get some dunks from all the passers in the team. Lathan is a big dude and can bang inside. Did not see any 5 out from him so did not see his three point shooting
8) Grant and Dorsch know their roles and cut for dunks when ACE or anyone else is doubled in the paint. Very athletic and will get a few minutes this year.
9 ) They practiced a half court offensive set with 3,variations. Simple stuff but Pike ran it . They also practiced out of bounds plays again with 2-3 variations. Pike ran that as well. So the idiots that say Pike doesn’t run offense can take a seat.

Again , no long full scrimmage but this is a deep team that has tremendous pieces besides Dylan and Ace. Three point shooting from PJ and Martini will get a lot of looks and will knock them down. Others can shoot threes , Derdack , Dylan , and Ace and did not see Latham shooting them.
The team is incredibly long and will get a ton of deflections and the defense will be okay.
Acuff was still in a boot riding a scooter but involved watching and interacting .
They ran sprints in between drills and will be in great shape looking to get out on the break. ACE out on the break is a highlight reel. This will be a fun team to watch and root for .

per the three point shooting -
IF indeed martini and Hayes hit 40 percent
IF Dylan and Ace are around 36
And the other are around 30
This team will go DEEP in the tourney.

 

[-RUFAN4LIFE-]

I feel bad for Acuff but I do wonder if he’s going to be the one left out of the rotation. Combining both the injury and type of player he is, if Derkack figures out the shooting I don’t see Acuff getting minutes over him and then if JMike takes the leap many have said and appears on the footage they’ve released, going to be hard to get Acuff on the floor. Still, it’s good depth anyways for the team. Good problem as long as it doesn’t lead to resentment

Acuff is the first guy off the bench every game unless the starting big gets in early foul trouble. He's not losing minutes to anyone...lol.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

No Offense, but this was not true.

From the very beginning, the few "knowns" were that Bailey, Harper and Williams would start (Bailey at the WF, Harper and Williams at Guard). Which meant, from the beginning, no one thought Derkack, Acuff or Hayes would start - and in fact, if they did that was a problem (since it would mean a major injury to one of the expected 3 best players).

And from the start, it appeared Martini WOULD start - he was Pike's 1st priority get from the portal, it appeared.

Even though J. Davis looks to be much improved, and can earn more playing time than the 10-12 mpg I had projected (and some on this Board projected to fewer minutes), it would seem unlikely to me he would Start, barring an injury to Harper or Williams.

To the poster who immediately followed your post, who suggested we are going to see a lot of minutes with Martini at the Center ... I hope not. I do expect to see Martini at the center position at times - maybe 4-6 mpg - as a different look, as situational, as a change of pace to get an extra shooter on the court, or when RU chooses to go "small ball", or if Ogbole and Sommerville both have foul trouble. But more than that means Ogbole and Sommerville, combined are much worse than I hope for (and no, I am not expecting "greatness" from that combo, but rather combined, perhaps 35 mpg, 10-12 ppg, 8-9 rpg).

this is ALL GUESSING......

I am taking the over with Martini minutes at the center.

Too many people are directly and indirectly saying Sommerville may not be ready Day 1
I saw what ogobole was last year...i totally get the upside potential, but...
that leaves Martini

I have been saying all along....dont be surprised if Ace is the longest guy on the court for 5-10 minutes.

Again this is all guessing....we have really no known quantities on this roster. JaMik and JWill are the closest and they have played limited minutes.

 

[365Poster24Seven]

Great recap of the practice really appreciate the real insight.

 

[RutgHoops]

this is ALL GUESSING......

I am taking the over with Martini minutes at the center.

Too many people are directly and indirectly saying Sommerville may not be ready Day 1
I saw what ogobole was last year...i totally get the upside potential, but...
that leaves Martini

I have been saying all along....dont be surprised if Ace is the longest guy on the court for 5-10 minutes.

Again this is all guessing....we have really no known quantities on this roster. JaMik and JWill are the closest and they have played limited minutes.

I agree with your position on Martini. As it relates to minutes on this team I see only four (4) "givens";

Ace and Harper will play +/- 30mpg
Martini will play +/- 25 mpg
J Will will play +/- 23 mpg

If my math is correct that leaves +/- 92 mpg for the other 5, 6 or 7 players depending on how Coach P settles on a rotation. If you use six (6) as the number that comes out to slightly over 15mpg for those 6 players. Those minutes clearly won't be distributed evenly but there are minutes available for what I see as our "non-core four"

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

If we truly have as many playable pieces that we have on paper. Obviously I am in wait and see mode........

It becomes very hard not to play your 5 best (or better) players.

I am not giving up on the concept of Ogobole continuing what Myles and Cliff have brought OR Sommerville being a huge weapon.

 

[RutgHoops]

If we truly have as many playable pieces that we have on paper. Obviously I am in wait and see mode........

It becomes very hard not to play your 5 best (or better) players.

I am not giving up on the concept of Ogobole continuing what Myles and Cliff have brought OR Sommerville being a huge weapon.

Agree.

To add on to your "Martini as Center" point: besides Ballo (IU) who are the Centers folks feel Martini can't match up with in conference? Kaufmann-Renn (PU)? Bradshaw (OSU)? Queen (MD)? Crowl (WISC)? Unlike these past few years where you played against terrific college Centers almost every day like Edey, Ware, Jackson-Davis, Hunter Dickinson, etc. etc., I just don't see that same level of ability at Center this year in the league.

In short I do think Martini will play some (7-10 mpg) and maybe more minutes at center. I think league makeup allows that to happen this season. Especially if we can get rebounding out of the other players on the court.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Even if there is an Edey......they don't have endless supplies of energy PLUS exploiting matchups often times get offenses out of flow.

 

[RutgHoops]

Even if there is an Edey......they don't have endless supplies of energy PLUS exploiting matchups often times get offenses out of flow.

Bad example (imo). Edey averaged 25/12 in what was one of the most dominating college seasons I have ever witnessed. Edey seemingly had an endless supply of energy and exploited every matchup in the flow of Purdue's offense. But I do understand your point; force feeding a kid like Bradshaw or Queen or Kaufmann-Renn is likely not how those teams want to play. That only furthers the point on what we may be able to do at the Center position this season.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

He did completely run out of gas vs UCONN.

Having said that...throw Edey's last year out. How many centers can dominate for 30 minutes in a game....NONE

 

[goru7]

this is ALL GUESSING......

I am taking the over with Martini minutes at the center.

Too many people are directly and indirectly saying Sommerville may not be ready Day 1
I saw what ogobole was last year...i totally get the upside potential, but...
that leaves Martini

I have been saying all along....dont be surprised if Ace is the longest guy on the court for 5-10 minutes.

Again this is all guessing....we have really no known quantities on this roster. JaMik and JWill are the closest and they have played limited minutes.

Your point about Martini playing some 5 and Ace being the longest guy on the floor is likely to happen. My guess is Pike with Ace at 6’10 and growing is not too concerned about the 5 position . Egbole and Lathan will do just fine against the nation’s centers this year. Egbole has trimmed down , is in great shape and gotten to the point of being serviceable. I will be going to practice again on Wednesday and hopefully get a better feel for Latham.

 

[goru7]

lucky to be invited back to practice on August 7,2024. Pike was not there and his assistants especially Brandon Knight ran practice. Met Jay Young who is happy to be back and very anxious to work with this talent. He will help our defense a lot as we were discussing our tremendous length.

Mostly drills , half court offense and defense . Lucky that the 5-10 minute scrimmage was tied so they put 1 minute on the clock and did that 5 times because it was tied so got 15-20 minutes out o scrimmage.
Again PJ Hayes and Martini will be really good 3 point shooters. Martini is tough and will rebound as well.
Latham was really good yesterday as he hit 3 -3 shots from 15-20 feet on a pick and pop. He is a huge dude, all 6’10 and 270 lbs. Egbole will be a dunker only. Interested to see what Jay Young can do with him.
JMike was much better today than the other day . He even hit his foul shots on the scrimmage. He harassed JWill bringing the ball up all scrimmage.
Pleasant suprise will be Dylan Grant . Kid can shoot , finds the dunking spot when Ace is doubled and finds him , can finish on drives as he had 2 and ones . He also hit 4-4 foul shots. He will see some time and above Dorsch , who is long as heck but needs time.
Dylan did all the drills but held out of scrimmage. During scrimmage he was running sprints with the Strength guy Campbell for at least 7-15 minutes getting himself in basketball shape. His knee will be fine as he did full court and half court drills without an issue and with a number of dunks.
Watched from above as practice was at APC and then came down to the court after practice. Our team is incredibly long and big. JMike is 6’2 and everyone else is at least 6’4 JWill , but most 6’6 and taller. We look the part and will have more depth than we have ever had and Pike will be mixing and matching the 5 on the court at any 1 time.

Acuff still in the cast and roller. Unfortunately did not get an update from him.
Practice without Pike was run the same as August 1. Fast efficient for an hour and 20 to 30 minutes. Then guys did their three point shooting.
Excited about this team but without seeing Dylan running the show it is hard to gauge but we will be the most athletic team on the court every night. We have the shooters to make a run. Something we haven’t had since Douby and Shields.

 

[seansherm]

lucky to be invited back to practice on August 7,2024. Pike was not there and his assistants especially Brandon Knight ran practice. Met Jay Young who is happy to be back and very anxious to work with this talent. He will help our defense a lot as we were discussing our tremendous length.

Mostly drills , half court offense and defense . Lucky that the 5-10 minute scrimmage was tied so they put 1 minute on the clock and did that 5 times because it was tied so got 15-20 minutes out o scrimmage.
Again PJ Hayes and Martini will be really good 3 point shooters. Martini is tough and will rebound as well.
Latham was really good yesterday as he hit 3 -3 shots from 15-20 feet on a pick and pop. He is a huge dude, all 6’10 and 270 lbs. Egbole will be a dunker only. Interested to see what Jay Young can do with him.
JMike was much better today than the other day . He even hit his foul shots on the scrimmage. He harassed JWill bringing the ball up all scrimmage.
Pleasant suprise will be Dylan Grant . Kid can shoot , finds the dunking spot when Ace is doubled and finds him , can finish on drives as he had 2 and ones . He also hit 4-4 foul shots. He will see some time and above Dorsch , who is long as heck but needs time.
Dylan did all the drills but held out of scrimmage. During scrimmage he was running sprints with the Strength guy Campbell for at least 7-15 minutes getting himself in basketball shape. His knee will be fine as he did full court and half court drills without an issue and with a number of dunks.
Watched from above as practice was at APC and then came down to the court after practice. Our team is incredibly long and big. JMike is 6’2 and everyone else is at least 6’4 JWill , but most 6’6 and taller. We look the part and will have more depth than we have ever had and Pike will be mixing and matching the 5 on the court at any 1 time.

Acuff still in the cast and roller. Unfortunately did not get an update from him.
Practice without Pike was run the same as August 1. Fast efficient for an hour and 20 to 30 minutes. Then guys did their three point shooting.
Excited about this team but without seeing Dylan running the show it is hard to gauge but we will be the most athletic team on the court every night. We have the shooters to make a run. Something we haven’t had since Douby and Shields.

Some great opinion here, thanks for sharing.

 

[GRU23]

lucky to be invited back to practice on August 7,2024. Pike was not there and his assistants especially Brandon Knight ran practice. Met Jay Young who is happy to be back and very anxious to work with this talent. He will help our defense a lot as we were discussing our tremendous length.

Mostly drills , half court offense and defense . Lucky that the 5-10 minute scrimmage was tied so they put 1 minute on the clock and did that 5 times because it was tied so got 15-20 minutes out o scrimmage.
Again PJ Hayes and Martini will be really good 3 point shooters. Martini is tough and will rebound as well.
Latham was really good yesterday as he hit 3 -3 shots from 15-20 feet on a pick and pop. He is a huge dude, all 6’10 and 270 lbs. Egbole will be a dunker only. Interested to see what Jay Young can do with him.
JMike was much better today than the other day . He even hit his foul shots on the scrimmage. He harassed JWill bringing the ball up all scrimmage.
Pleasant suprise will be Dylan Grant . Kid can shoot , finds the dunking spot when Ace is doubled and finds him , can finish on drives as he had 2 and ones . He also hit 4-4 foul shots. He will see some time and above Dorsch , who is long as heck but needs time.
Dylan did all the drills but held out of scrimmage. During scrimmage he was running sprints with the Strength guy Campbell for at least 7-15 minutes getting himself in basketball shape. His knee will be fine as he did full court and half court drills without an issue and with a number of dunks.
Watched from above as practice was at APC and then came down to the court after practice. Our team is incredibly long and big. JMike is 6’2 and everyone else is at least 6’4 JWill , but most 6’6 and taller. We look the part and will have more depth than we have ever had and Pike will be mixing and matching the 5 on the court at any 1 time.

Acuff still in the cast and roller. Unfortunately did not get an update from him.
Practice without Pike was run the same as August 1. Fast efficient for an hour and 20 to 30 minutes. Then guys did their three point shooting.
Excited about this team but without seeing Dylan running the show it is hard to gauge but we will be the most athletic team on the court every night. We have the shooters to make a run. Something we haven’t had since Douby and Shields.

Glad to hear that it sounds like Lathan is figuring it out. If he gets to a point where hes decent enough defensively, it definitely opens the team up

 

[PaKnight]

lucky to be invited back to practice on August 7,2024. Pike was not there and his assistants especially Brandon Knight ran practice. Met Jay Young who is happy to be back and very anxious to work with this talent. He will help our defense a lot as we were discussing our tremendous length.

Mostly drills , half court offense and defense . Lucky that the 5-10 minute scrimmage was tied so they put 1 minute on the clock and did that 5 times because it was tied so got 15-20 minutes out o scrimmage.
Again PJ Hayes and Martini will be really good 3 point shooters. Martini is tough and will rebound as well.
Latham was really good yesterday as he hit 3 -3 shots from 15-20 feet on a pick and pop. He is a huge dude, all 6’10 and 270 lbs. Egbole will be a dunker only. Interested to see what Jay Young can do with him.
JMike was much better today than the other day . He even hit his foul shots on the scrimmage. He harassed JWill bringing the ball up all scrimmage.
Pleasant suprise will be Dylan Grant . Kid can shoot , finds the dunking spot when Ace is doubled and finds him , can finish on drives as he had 2 and ones . He also hit 4-4 foul shots. He will see some time and above Dorsch , who is long as heck but needs time.
Dylan did all the drills but held out of scrimmage. During scrimmage he was running sprints with the Strength guy Campbell for at least 7-15 minutes getting himself in basketball shape. His knee will be fine as he did full court and half court drills without an issue and with a number of dunks.
Watched from above as practice was at APC and then came down to the court after practice. Our team is incredibly long and big. JMike is 6’2 and everyone else is at least 6’4 JWill , but most 6’6 and taller. We look the part and will have more depth than we have ever had and Pike will be mixing and matching the 5 on the court at any 1 time.

Acuff still in the cast and roller. Unfortunately did not get an update from him.
Practice without Pike was run the same as August 1. Fast efficient for an hour and 20 to 30 minutes. Then guys did their three point shooting.
Excited about this team but without seeing Dylan running the show it is hard to gauge but we will be the most athletic team on the court every night. We have the shooters to make a run. Something we haven’t had since Douby and Shields.

Thanks for the update, it Ogbole.

 

[Degaz-RU]

lucky to be invited back to practice on August 7,2024. Pike was not there and his assistants especially Brandon Knight ran practice. Met Jay Young who is happy to be back and very anxious to work with this talent. He will help our defense a lot as we were discussing our tremendous length.

Mostly drills , half court offense and defense . Lucky that the 5-10 minute scrimmage was tied so they put 1 minute on the clock and did that 5 times because it was tied so got 15-20 minutes out o scrimmage.
Again PJ Hayes and Martini will be really good 3 point shooters. Martini is tough and will rebound as well.
Latham was really good yesterday as he hit 3 -3 shots from 15-20 feet on a pick and pop. He is a huge dude, all 6’10 and 270 lbs. Egbole will be a dunker only. Interested to see what Jay Young can do with him.
JMike was much better today than the other day . He even hit his foul shots on the scrimmage. He harassed JWill bringing the ball up all scrimmage.
Pleasant suprise will be Dylan Grant . Kid can shoot , finds the dunking spot when Ace is doubled and finds him , can finish on drives as he had 2 and ones . He also hit 4-4 foul shots. He will see some time and above Dorsch , who is long as heck but needs time.
Dylan did all the drills but held out of scrimmage. During scrimmage he was running sprints with the Strength guy Campbell for at least 7-15 minutes getting himself in basketball shape. His knee will be fine as he did full court and half court drills without an issue and with a number of dunks.
Watched from above as practice was at APC and then came down to the court after practice. Our team is incredibly long and big. JMike is 6’2 and everyone else is at least 6’4 JWill , but most 6’6 and taller. We look the part and will have more depth than we have ever had and Pike will be mixing and matching the 5 on the court at any 1 time.

Acuff still in the cast and roller. Unfortunately did not get an update from him.
Practice without Pike was run the same as August 1. Fast efficient for an hour and 20 to 30 minutes. Then guys did their three point shooting.
Excited about this team but without seeing Dylan running the show it is hard to gauge but we will be the most athletic team on the court every night. We have the shooters to make a run. Something we haven’t had since Douby and Shields.

Trying to "like" this post 100 times, but Rivals not cooperating. 😁

Anyway, good stuff here.