Program issues start with recruting and player renention …..

[Scarlet Shack]

Let’s just get simple

1.) we get to the ncaa tournament …(yes covid.cancelled it) ….amd the follow up after cliff signing we sign these three classes

Class of 2021-Jones and miller
Class of 2022-sinpson., wolfolk and chol
Class of 2023-Griftths ans davis

2.) Everyone gets an extra covid year . We make the ncaa tournment and should have beaten the 2 seed and made the sweet 16. We had a chance to run it back with the ENTIREteam. The entire team . Shoukd have come in the preseason ranked 15. Instead , we start a trend that only Ron , geo and Caleb stick around and we lose key pieces yesr after year to the portal

After 2020-2021…lose Jacob young , Myles Johnson , and Montez Mathis

2021-2022….we didn’t lose anyone , but we do convince Caleb to return….but we could not convince Ron to stay either (and to be fair , at the time is was the Right move for Ron based on where things were…but if this situation happens 2 years later…he either stays at RU for a Big NIL pay day, or goes somewhere else for A big pay day …..it’s not like we actually set the trend and made it happen when the opportunity presented itself)

2023-2023…..we lose Spenser and Mulchay

2023-2024…..we lose cliff

This is reality….we didn’t recruit . And we didn’t retain our best pieces

Now …we sign the class of 2024, and we have a solid follow up class of 2025.. We look very in the game for the class of 2026. Did we solve our recruting issues ? Do we retain Sommervile , grant and Dortch and stsrt a rebuild areoind recruting , player development …and this. requires retention and the backing to do so????

Make no mistake about it. This year with Dylan and ace was damaged because we didn’t recruit the last three years to have progrsm,mature upperclassman around then to share the load….amd what pieces could have been here …we didn’t retain

if you don’t think a cliff and a proper attituded mag as 5th year guys could have helped on the boards and defensively ….(and while we don’t know the story on mag, the issues had lack of NIL origins as part of the issues )……with a frosh front court …..especially with what we replaced them with up front in the portal……and thsr wirh both of them having sone serious offensive limitations , these guys really could have been a major factor.

I just Know what we have next to the frosh….is inadquwte and 10-10 says it all. The frosh don’t have anyone to learn from ….and are being asked to carry a real load

One that the above rant lays it out ……..

 

[RutgersClassof2004]

Criminal that we had and lost Jacob Young, Cam Spencer, Johnson, Cliff...even Mulcahy to lesser extent. At least this COVID 5th year stuff is ending. But unfortunately it's been replaced with NIL. Honestly if I didn't live in such a cold climate in winter I would be tempted to stop watching. College basketball is a shell of what it used to be.

 

[soundcrib]

This +1000000. That '21 tournament team was the best team of the recent and Pikiell era. Losing that many impactful and important bodies began a terrible trend for this program.

Losing Cam made me sad.

Losing Paul was a shocker. Steve's original "wow" recruit. Jersey. Loved Rutgers, etc.

You should include the rest of the castaways from 2023-2024 beyond Cliff: Mag, Simpson, Griffiths, Woolfolk. Really shows how poor Steve is at this.

If Schiano gets praise for important retention, Steve gets an F for his roster retention.

 

[Goku]

great post. There was no foundation of “veterans” that established a culture for the freshman to walk into. It’s been a total mess this year

 

[bleachersown]

This +1000000. That '21 tournament team was the best team of the recent and Pikiell era. Losing that many impactful and important bodies began a terrible trend for this program.

Losing Cam made me sad.

Losing Paul was a shocker. Steve's original "wow" recruit. Jersey. Loved Rutgers, etc.

You should include the rest of the castaways from 2023-2024 beyond Cliff: Mag, Simpson, Griffiths, Woolfolk. Really shows how poor Steve is at this.

If Schiano gets praise for important retention, Steve gets an F for his roster retention.

Funny enough, I saw Paul in the concourse during halftime yesterday.

 

[kt124]

program issues start with the head coach

 

[darkcheck]

Love this post! Dare I say, we didn’t “retain” Ndongo either. I know the situation is different, and maybe that comes with not “retaining” Hobbs, but still….

 

[biazza38]

Bingo!!! Thank you. Finally someone spelled it out. The lack of B1G players on this team is unacceptable. We pushed out Derek Simpson and brought in someone worse.
We pushed out Wolf and didn’t even replace him. No clue what our NIL situation is, but it can’t be so bad that we couldn’t bring in some B1G quality type players

 

[willisneverrana43]

All that to say that the problem has been getting and keeping the right personnel. That’s usually the problem.

 

[darkcheck]

All that to say that the problem has been getting and keeping the right personnel. That’s usually the problem.

Yes but some on this board just dismiss it by saying it’s only one or two misses. It’s nice to have it laid out to show that it’s a full roster worth of misses and losses.

 

[willisneverrana43]

Yes but some on this board just dismiss it by saying it’s only one or two misses. It’s nice to have it laid out to show that it’s a full roster worth of misses and losses.

I guess for some. But it’s usually easy to see the forest, even without remembering how you walked there.

 

[RUDivision]

great post. There was no foundation of “veterans” that established a culture for the freshman to walk into. It’s been a total mess this year

Agreed! Pike had a good team but has not built program which is glaring and after 9 years very unfortunate.

 

[darkcheck]

I guess for some. But it’s usually easy to see the forest, even without remembering how you walked there.

Usually, but some are looking up at the sky with rose colored glasses

 

[bac2therac]

Been saying it for years that Pikiell recruiting was subpar and his roster construction was always forcing a thread the needle situation..see why 2023 season collapsed

 

[darkcheck]

Let’s just get simple

1.) we get to the ncaa tournament …(yes covid.cancelled it) ….amd the follow up after cliff signing we sign these three classes

Class of 2021-Jones and miller
Class of 2022-sinpson., wolfolk and chol
Class of 2023-Griftths ans davis

2.) Everyone gets an extra covid year . We make the ncaa tournment and should have beaten the 2 seed and made the sweet 16. We had a chance to run it back with the ENTIREteam. The entire team . Shoukd have come in the preseason ranked 15. Instead , we start a trend that only Ron , geo and Caleb stick around and we lose key pieces yesr after year to the portal

After 2020-2021…lose Jacob young , Myles Johnson , and Montez Mathis

2021-2022….we didn’t lose anyone , but we do convince Caleb to return….but we could not convince Ron to stay either (and to be fair , at the time is was the Right move for Ron based on where things were…but if this situation happens 2 years later…he either stays at RU for a Big NIL pay day, or goes somewhere else for A big pay day …..it’s not like we actually set the trend and made it happen when the opportunity presented itself)

2023-2023…..we lose Spenser and Mulchay

2023-2024…..we lose cliff

This is reality….we didn’t recruit . And we didn’t retain our best pieces

Now …we sign the class of 2024, and we have a solid follow up class of 2025.. We look very in the game for the class of 2026. Did we solve our recruting issues ? Do we retain Sommervile , grant and Dortch and stsrt a rebuild areoind recruting , player development …and this. requires retention and the backing to do so????

Make no mistake about it. This year with Dylan and ace was damaged because we didn’t recruit the last three years to have progrsm,mature upperclassman around then to share the load….amd what pieces could have been here …we didn’t retain

if you don’t think a cliff and a proper attituded mag as 5th year guys could have helped on the boards and defensively ….(and while we don’t know the story on mag, the issues had lack of NIL origins as part of the issues )……with a frosh front court …..especially with what we replaced them with up front in the portal……and thsr wirh both of them having sone serious offensive limitations , these guys really could have been a major factor.

I just Know what we have next to the frosh….is inadquwte and 10-10 says it all. The frosh don’t have anyone to learn from ….and are being asked to carry a real load

One that the above rant lays it out ……..

Wasn’t Jones in the 2020 class along with Reiber and Palmquist? Memory could be failing me with this but supports your case more.

 

[RUisB1Gtime]

Cliff, Mag and one Legit transfer and this is a big time tourney team.....Pike blew this on such a monumental level. He had 1.5 years to sell big time players and donors what this could be....it's all on him

 

[PhillyRU]

Criminal that we had and lost Jacob Young, Cam Spencer, Johnson, Cliff...even Mulcahy to lesser extent. At least this COVID 5th year stuff is ending. But unfortunately it's been replaced with NIL. Honestly if I didn't live in such a cold climate in winter I would be tempted to stop watching. College basketball is a shell of what it used to be.

I mean Jacob Young and Cam Spencer come in as transfers, particularly in cam’s case as a one-year rental, hard to call that criminal. Johnson was obviously a unique circumstance.

I think we didn’t start to see any significant attrition until the last two seasons (Cliff, Spencer, Mulcahy, Mag etc), and imo it’s less that Rutgers has been uniquely impacted by transfers and more that pike has been completely ineffective in leveraging the transfer portal to find adequate replacements

 

[RUSCFORMERLYRULOU]

Cliff, Mag and one Legit transfer and this is a big time tourney team.....Pike blew this on such a monumental level. He had 1.5 years to sell big time players and donors what this could be....it's all on him

You actually brought up a point I hadn’t thought of. He shoukd have been relentlessly been soliciting money for NIL the moment ace committed. But that’s not his style.

 

[Scarlet Shack]

Wasn’t Jones in the 2020 class along with Reiber and Palmquist? Memory could be failing me with this but supports your case more.

He was class of 2021 that reclassified to 2020
For the second semster and sat on the bench. Was a warning sign

 

[ScarletKid2008]

Cliff Mag and Simpson on this team with the freshmen would’ve been light years better than the transfers. LIGHT YEARS.

Yes each individual had their own flaws - especially on offense.
And Mag earned a kick out the door.

But the experience , defense , intensity and age those 3 would’ve brought with Ace Dylan Grant Somerville. That would’ve worked. This portal class was a complete diaster.

 

[NewJerseyHawk]

Recruiting is based on the assistant coaches not coming up with the better players.....not stars like Dylan or Ace, but we have only 1 ranked recruit out of HS from 2021 to 2023, if we use TOS and their rankings and that was Gavin Griffiths who is ultimately a miss.

Pike appears to have made the corrections by moving on from Karl Hobbs and the staff bringing on Smoke Williamson. As much as we complain about things today, the 2024 class (to me) has met expectations......the 2025 class isn't here yet, but has to be better than 2021 to 2023 and likely looks productive like Grant and Sommerville have been so far.

Lathan Sommerville is averaging 7PPG in around 20 minutes per game. That's in line with other RU players that were Top 100 to 150 players like Montez Mathis, Paul Mulcahy and golden pickups like Geo Baker. Even Cliff Omoyuri was just around 4PPG as a freshman with better defense, but no true offensive game.

Dylan Grant since getting consistent minutes since entering the Wisconsin game, is averaging 8PPG in 20 minutes per game. I will maintain that the lack of planning or path of development for Grant when Martini struggled at Kennesaw State and Vegas, was a big issue.

I know it's very difficult to determine anything from Bryce Dortch in 3 to 4 minutes of play yesterday, but I'm certain the rim defense and paint would have been tougher against MSU, if we didn't try to ask PJ Hayes to play post defense against a 6'10 MSU big and didn't ask Zach Martini to keep up with the athletes and size of MSU. Dortch didn't score and neither did Martini, but in 3 minutes, I got a rebound and a blocked shot/tie-up from Dortch in the paint. Add in a block from Grant and that's 2 stops we get from 2 very green freshman.

The only other player from 2021 to 2023 that could claim the ability to put up 8PPG with solid defense was Derek Simpson. And Simpson was much better than Jalen Miller, JaMicheal Davis and Gavin Griffiths as a guard on both ends of the court and could hit a FT.

It only takes one of two misses in a couple of classes to have the lack of depth.

Retaining marginal players like Mawot Mag could have helped, but it would have been 40 minutes split with Mag and Grant.

Having Mag and Dylan Grant would likely have helped....but fans wanted 3 point shooting from a Martini type player and Mag was never a 3 point shooter and sulked his way through most of last season, he needed to leave the program. Dylan Grant in the early stages of consistent minutes, has shown a willingness to take and make 3s. We just have to acknowledge the misses via the portal like Martini, are anchors to the season.

iI's rare that a program winds up going O-fer, via the portal, but outside of Derkack in a couple of games and yesterday vs MSU and Martini vs Nebraska, we have essentially come up injured (Acuff) or woefully inconsistent (Martini and Derkack)....PJ Hayes was really not a piece expected to be a major contributing piece, so I am not including him or against the staff.

My guess or hope is we see a more consistent version of Derkack the rest of this season, so hopefully it's not a complete washout for 2024-25 via the portal.

 

[RC1978]

We can sit here and throw the blame game at everyone and everybody. For years the excuse and somewhat factual facts were "who would want to play for RU and their musical chairs of coaches". We finally get a little consistency in coaching and the whole game changes to "how much will you pay me to stay or come to your school" .

We want to blame someone for lack of NIL money and put that on the coach or others but don't realize Rutgers as a whole sucks in getting financial support from its fanbase or Alums. Just look at IU in football this year, got some big time boosters to come up with $20 mil and had a great year. Meanwhile we have 20 page rants on here that parking is more expensive.

Pike might be bad at identifying the right talent but he also might be looking at his wallet and can not get who he really wants.

 

[RUBlackout]

We can sit here and throw the blame game at everyone and everybody. For years the excuse and somewhat factual facts were "who would want to play for RU and their musical chairs of coaches". We finally get a little consistency in coaching and the whole game changes to "how much will you pay me to stay or come to your school" .

We want to blame someone for lack of NIL money and put that on the coach or others but don't realize Rutgers as a whole sucks in getting financial support from its fanbase or Alums. Just look at IU in football this year, got some big time boosters to come up with $20 mil and had a great year. Meanwhile we have 20 page rants on here that parking is more expensive.

Pike might be bad at identifying the right talent but he also might be looking at his wallet and can not get who he really wants.

While I know we are in an arms race now with NIL against other schools in attracting talent, its hard to have that convo when we sit with Harper and Bailey on our team right now. I would even throw Lathan and Grant into that mix because they seem like they have talent albeit still learning as freshman.
The surrounding cast from the portal gets called into question but on paper when they came here many had good accolades.

My biggest concern is the gameday coaching. I have seen coaches outperform with much less talent on the roster and get more from their players. Just because NIL is out in the open now do not think that players were not getting paid before to go to certain schools.

It TRULY comes down to coaching these kids and forming a team to understand what it takes to win. For anyone watching yesterday and thinking back over the years just needs to look at our inbounds plays. I remember a time where certain players wouldn't get playing time because they didn't know our inbounds plays. I cringe every time we have to take the ball out of bounds especially in crunch time situations. It is HORRENDOUS and this falls on the coaches more than anyone. Small sample size

 

[goru7]

Shack, you are right that the freshman were not left with upperclassmen that could have helped them . But Pike has struck out on the portal with the exception of maybe 1 player a year except this year. Jacob Young , Cam Spencer were critical pickups . Everyone else no.
Look at Vanderbilt . Jerry Stackhouse coached there 5 years and recruited higher ranked recruits but he couldn’t coach on offense or defense and Vandy after being good thru 2013-2015 struggled. This year they bring in Mark Byington from James Madison and he did the same thing he did there. He brought in 7-8 portal guys who could all dribble , shoot and rebound and play a little defense. He identified talented guys that were under the radar and did not cost much. The only name you guys might have heard of was Hogarth , the former Michigan State point guard , who has been good but not great for them. But 8 guys can all play and he correctly found 3 point shooters and his scheme allows three point shooters to get open looks. He did it at James Madison last year the same way and they made it all the way to the NCAA where they won a game and then fanned out because they shot 4-30 from three.
Byington has Vandy at 16-4 in the rugged SEC and has taken out 2 top 10 teams in back to back weeks , Tennessee and Kentucky.
Pike picked flawed players , Acuff , Martini , PJ and Jordan and didn’t get a bruising 4 rebounder or a 5. He failed in the portal , Some bad luck with Acuff but the other others can not dribble , shoot , rebound and play a little defense . They are not good all around basketball players.
The failure of the returnees Jeremiah , JMike and Manny coupled with the portal failure has torpedoed this year along with Dylan’s health which is more bad luck.

 

[Scarlet Shack]

Shack, you are right that the freshman were not left with upperclassmen that could have helped them . But Pike has struck out on the portal with the exception of maybe 1 player a year except this year. Jacob Young , Cam Spencer were critical pickups . Everyone else no.
Look at Vanderbilt . Jerry Stackhouse coached there 5 years and recruited higher ranked recruits but he couldn’t coach on offense or defense and Vandy after being good thru 2013-2015 struggled. This year they bring in Mark Byington from James Madison and he did the same thing he did there. He brought in 7-8 portal guys who could all dribble , shoot and rebound and play a little defense. He identified talented guys that were under the radar and did not cost much. The only name you guys might have heard of was Hogarth , the former Michigan State point guard , who has been good but not great for them. But 8 guys can all play and he correctly found 3 point shooters and his scheme allows three point shooters to get open looks. He did it at James Madison last year the same way and they made it all the way to the NCAA where they won a game and then fanned out because they shot 4-30 from three.
Byington has Vandy at 16-4 in the rugged SEC and has taken out 2 top 10 teams in back to back weeks , Tennessee and Kentucky.
Pike picked flawed players , Acuff , Martini , PJ and Jordan and didn’t get a bruising 4 rebounder or a 5. He failed in the portal , Some bad luck with Acuff but the other others can not dribble , shoot , rebound and play a little defense . They are not good all around basketball players.
The failure of the returnees Jeremiah , JMike and Manny coupled with the portal failure has torpedoed this year along with Dylan’s health which is more bad luck.

So here is the questions going forward

-do we retain Somerville, grant and Dortch.

-do we are to Add class of 2025 …one legit two guard in the portal next year …one player (prefer a 2 year guard ). I would also like a frosh swingman, but other than fisher , I’m not seeing it.

Then retain these 8 -9 guys and to add the class of 2026 to it ?

If we don’t start retaining players …this coaching run is over

Lot of people were here last year banging that we needed to clear house and start over ….well, this is what you get when you start over and bring back three guys, and two of them didn’t play the first half of last year

And pike and staff going to need to recruit the class of 2026….off a losing season and a real disappointing season, if not a second a losing season

 

[goru7]

So here is the questions going forward

-do we retain Somerville, grant and Dortch.

-do we are to Add class of 2025 …one legit two guard in the portal next year …one player (prefer a 2 year guard ). I would also like a frosh swingman, but other than fisher , I’m not seeing it.

Then retain these 8 -9 guys and to add the class of 2026 to it ?

If we don’t start retaining players …this coaching run is over

Lot of people were here last year banging that we needed to clear house and start over ….well, this is what you get when you start over and bring back three guys, and two of them didn’t play the first half of last year

And pike and staff going to need to recruit the class of 2026….off a losing season and a real disappointing season, if not a second a losing season

We retain the 3 freshman as both Lathan and Grant have shown they are capable offensively but need work defensively which is what freshmen usually need help with. Dortch we have not seen enough but he has length and at a minimum can give you some rebounding , some defense , and will accept a lesser role. You also likely bring back Jordan and Manny so that is 5. The four freshman will help and a few will help offensively . But we need 5-6 transfers. Need a strong rebounding tough 4 man who can play defense and get you junk points . Need a 5 to help Lathan , Manny and Ware. Preferably a 5 out center who can shoot. Mark and Caden will handle the ball and score a little but need the best 2 guard scorer from the portal and maybe 2. I think JMike is gone after this year and we will not miss him. So Pike cannot fail the portal again. It is crucial to winning again.

 

[RUSCFORMERLYRULOU]

We retain the 3 freshman as both Lathan and Grant have shown they are capable offensively but need work defensively which is what freshmen usually need help with. Dortch we have not seen enough but he has length and at a minimum can give you some rebounding , some defense , and will accept a lesser role. You also likely bring back Jordan and Manny so that is 5. The four freshman will help and a few will help offensively . But we need 5-6 transfers. Need a strong rebounding tough 4 man who can play defense and get you junk points . Need a 5 to help Lathan , Manny and Ware. Preferably a 5 out center who can shoot. Mark and Caden will handle the ball and score a little but need the best 2 guard scorer from the portal and maybe 2. I think JMike is gone after this year and we will not miss him. So Pike cannot fail the portal again. It is crucial to winning again.

I honestly think there’s a chance we don’t retain anyone save Dercack.

 

[goru7]

I honestly think there’s a chance we don’t retain anyone save Dercack.

Your opinion is worthless as Numbers has said.

 

[RUSCFORMERLYRULOU]

Your opinion is worthless as Numbers has said.

Let’s see what happens. Thanks!

 

[Degaz-RU]

I don't want another offseason of adding 9 or 10 players. I would rather retain Derkack, Ogbole, and either JWill OR JMike (and Sommerville, Grant, and Dortch) just to have some continuity and guys that know the system, if they're willing to accept supporting roles. Note I said JWill "OR" JMike -- I don't think we need or want both.

Add the four freshmen for 2025 (Mark, Powers, Nwuli, and Ware), so that would be 10 guys.

But we ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, must add the following portal players:

1. A starting PG -- not willing to bank on Lino Mark or JWill as my starting PG next year.
2. A starting 2G
3. A starting-caliber WF -- a 6-5 to 6-7 guard/wing who can do everything
4. A rugged PF/C who can rebound and play defense and get putbacks.

The lineup next year should look like this:

1 - PORTAL#1, Mark (JWill OR JMike)
2 - PORTAL#2, Derkack, Powers
3 - PORTAL#3, Nwuli
4 - Grant (30 minutes), PORTAL#4, Dortch
5 - Sommerville, PORTAL#4, Ware, Ogbole

 

[goru7]

I don't want another offseason of adding 9 or 10 players. I would rather retain Derkack, Ogbole, and either JWill OR JMike (and Sommerville, Grant, and Dortch) just to have some continuity and guys that know the system, if they're willing to accept supporting roles. Note I said JWill "OR" JMike -- I don't think we need or want both.

Add the four freshmen for 2025 (Mark, Powers, Nwuli, and Ware), so that would be 10 guys.

But we ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, must add the following portal players:

1. A starting PG -- not willing to bank on Lino Mark or JWill as my starting PG next year.
2. A starting 2G
3. A starting-caliber WF -- a 6-5 to 6-7 guard/wing who can do everything
4. A rugged PF/C who can rebound and play defense and get putbacks.

The lineup next year should look like this:

1 - PORTAL#1, Mark (JWill OR JMike)
2 - PORTAL#2, Derkack, Powers
3 - PORTAL#3, Nwuli
4 - Grant (30 minutes), PORTAL#4, Dortch
5 - Sommerville, PORTAL#4, Ware, Ogbole

You are pretty much in agreement but do not think JWill or JMike are needed as they have shown absolutely no improvement this year , when they have been counted on , and arguably have gotten worse. Cannot afford their bad play next year and start fresh with Jordan and Mark in the backcourt with 2 portal impact guards.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

The most important guy to retain (if his injury doesn't impact next year) is Ogbole.

 

[RUJMM78]

I don't want another offseason of adding 9 or 10 players. I would rather retain Derkack, Ogbole, and either JWill OR JMike (and Sommerville, Grant, and Dortch) just to have some continuity and guys that know the system, if they're willing to accept supporting roles. Note I said JWill "OR" JMike -- I don't think we need or want both.

Add the four freshmen for 2025 (Mark, Powers, Nwuli, and Ware), so that would be 10 guys.

But we ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, must add the following portal players:

1. A starting PG -- not willing to bank on Lino Mark or JWill as my starting PG next year.
2. A starting 2G
3. A starting-caliber WF -- a 6-5 to 6-7 guard/wing who can do everything
4. A rugged PF/C who can rebound and play defense and get putbacks.

The lineup next year should look like this:

1 - PORTAL#1, Mark (JWill OR JMike)
2 - PORTAL#2, Derkack, Powers
3 - PORTAL#3, Nwuli
4 - Grant (30 minutes), PORTAL#4, Dortch
5 - Sommerville, PORTAL#4, Ware, Ogbole

i doubt the lineup will come close to 70 points.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Things have changed and retention is a 2 sided question.

Does a player want to return?
Is a player worth the amount the market and the player are asking for?

1 thing to say let's retain Somerville, but another thing if the asking price impacts the ability to get the other needed pieces in the portal.

Given the many needs we will have and the limited NIL money we will have I doubt retaining Somerville will be in the cards.

 

[Scarlet Shack]

I don't want another offseason of adding 9 or 10 players. I would rather retain Derkack, Ogbole, and either JWill OR JMike (and Sommerville, Grant, and Dortch) just to have some continuity and guys that know the system, if they're willing to accept supporting roles. Note I said JWill "OR" JMike -- I don't think we need or want both.

Add the four freshmen for 2025 (Mark, Powers, Nwuli, and Ware), so that would be 10 guys.

But we ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, must add the following portal players:

1. A starting PG -- not willing to bank on Lino Mark or JWill as my starting PG next year.
2. A starting 2G
3. A starting-caliber WF -- a 6-5 to 6-7 guard/wing who can do everything
4. A rugged PF/C who can rebound and play defense and get putbacks.

The lineup next year should look like this:

1 - PORTAL#1, Mark (JWill OR JMike)
2 - PORTAL#2, Derkack, Powers
3 - PORTAL#3, Nwuli
4 - Grant (30 minutes), PORTAL#4, Dortch
5 - Sommerville, PORTAL#4, Ware, Ogbole

If you go out to pick up a portal 1,2, and 3 starters …and grow up the class of 2025 correctly …we are not affording them AND keeping Jwill, Jmike as depth who won’t play much without a lot of money and more then they will command on the open market for the risk of not pkayinf and improving, in their eyes, their career stock .

Ditto a portal center and orgobke

It’s a portal point guard OR Jwill/Jkike
It’s a portal center OR orgobke

Getting a two and three …I’m all in agreement.

 

[RU84]

Let’s just get simple

1.) we get to the ncaa tournament …(yes covid.cancelled it) ….amd the follow up after cliff signing we sign these three classes

Class of 2021-Jones and miller
Class of 2022-sinpson., wolfolk and chol
Class of 2023-Griftths ans davis

2.) Everyone gets an extra covid year . We make the ncaa tournment and should have beaten the 2 seed and made the sweet 16. We had a chance to run it back with the ENTIREteam. The entire team . Shoukd have come in the preseason ranked 15. Instead , we start a trend that only Ron , geo and Caleb stick around and we lose key pieces yesr after year to the portal

After 2020-2021…lose Jacob young , Myles Johnson , and Montez Mathis

2021-2022….we didn’t lose anyone , but we do convince Caleb to return….but we could not convince Ron to stay either (and to be fair , at the time is was the Right move for Ron based on where things were…but if this situation happens 2 years later…he either stays at RU for a Big NIL pay day, or goes somewhere else for A big pay day …..it’s not like we actually set the trend and made it happen when the opportunity presented itself)

2023-2023…..we lose Spenser and Mulchay

2023-2024…..we lose cliff

This is reality….we didn’t recruit . And we didn’t retain our best pieces

Now …we sign the class of 2024, and we have a solid follow up class of 2025.. We look very in the game for the class of 2026. Did we solve our recruting issues ? Do we retain Sommervile , grant and Dortch and stsrt a rebuild areoind recruting , player development …and this. requires retention and the backing to do so????

Make no mistake about it. This year with Dylan and ace was damaged because we didn’t recruit the last three years to have progrsm,mature upperclassman around then to share the load….amd what pieces could have been here …we didn’t retain

if you don’t think a cliff and a proper attituded mag as 5th year guys could have helped on the boards and defensively ….(and while we don’t know the story on mag, the issues had lack of NIL origins as part of the issues )……with a frosh front court …..especially with what we replaced them with up front in the portal……and thsr wirh both of them having sone serious offensive limitations , these guys really could have been a major factor.

I just Know what we have next to the frosh….is inadquwte and 10-10 says it all. The frosh don’t have anyone to learn from ….and are being asked to carry a real load

One that the above rant lays it out ……..

Completely agree with you on the lack of recruiting being an issue on why we're underperforming this year. We wouldn't have been able to retain Cliff and Mag. Doubt Mag would have made a real difference this year. Grant's basically giving you the same production sans the attitude.

 

[Roy_Faulker]

Bring back “Shoes”.

 

[seansherm]

On the player retention front, Wolf went for 21 and 10 last night while Mag is suddenly playing over 30 minutes for BYU in a win over Baylor. This team could use 30 minutes of Mag D next to Ace.

 

[goru7]

On the player retention front, Wolf went for 21 and 10 last night while Mag is suddenly playing over 30 minutes for BYU in a win over Baylor. This team could use 30 minutes of Mag D next to Ace.

Yeah. Really screwed up on both fronts. I would have preferred Wolf starting and Lathan next and Manny afterward and depending on matchups. Mag has always been a defensive first guy and the only remnant of the Caleb defensive tree. I did not watch a lot of the game but last 10 minutes and OT and Mag was almost exclusively defense and seemed to be playing it well. Mag was in the corner on their offensive sets and would come up to set a screen but I did not actually see him get the ball on offense. Edgecombe went off for 27 points and not sure Mag was covering him early but he was all over him late. A couple of subtle differences that likely make a difference this year.

 

[FAT MOON]

On the player retention front, Wolf went for 21 and 10 last night while Mag is suddenly playing over 30 minutes for BYU in a win over Baylor. This team could use 30 minutes of Mag D next to Ace.

I'd love to have Wolff back currently. Esp if he put back on a bit of that weight he lost between frosh/soph year he was physical his Frosh year.

Mag I think it's a bit tougher to get on Pike or anyone at RU for. He quit on the team. You can't take a guy like that back. But if that's not involved in this and he was playing defense like he was before the injury then for sure I agree he'd help a lot.