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Rapid Reaction — Wisconsin Pt. 2

Hmmm. 95% of this board rips Simpson when all the guards play poorly.

If you don’t see it?

Scapegoat much??

Just stop! Look in a mirror

Whataboutism, again.

Story of tonight's game was bad defense down the stretch, turnovers, and a scoring drought. None of our guards tonight could make a claim that they stepped up on defense in the last 10 minutes or helped avoid a drought. AWill/JWill/DS gave the ball away 13 times tonight.

Griffiths came to play. JWill played well offensively outside giving the ball away 5 times. That's pretty much the end of the superlatives.

Amazingly, this was our 6th best game for FG%, and we still only came away with 66 points because our guards had a collective 0.5 ast/tov ratio (JWill/Awill/DS had a collective 0.3 ast/tov ratio).
 
Just a couple notes tonight, because why bother?

1. Everything wrong with this team was on display tonight. Sloppy TOs. Bad shooting. Poor rebounding. Boneheaded plays. AWFUL GUARD PLAY.. DEATH DROUGHTS on offense that we have seen all year.

2. Gavin played very well tonight. AGAIN. I think the light bulb has gone on for him. Unfortunately it came in about game 27.

3. Jeremiah Williams needs new sneakers. WTF.
2 &3 spot on. This team this year self-sabotaged itself time and again. This game in a nutshell was a microcosm of the season. In both halves we were up and then sabotaged themselves and got away from what worked, crisp passing, team rebounding and smart shots. Then in the second half the typical Rutgers implosion. They allowed Wisconsin to go on a 19-2 run over 12 minutes and we panicked and started playing ME, ME, ME basketball, and playground garbage.

I hope Pikiell and staff learn from their mistakes this season and bring in a new coach for offense, work in getting a sharpshooter from the portal and not waste the three stars coming in.
 
Gavin getting better by the game.

JWilliams is a very good player. But don’t think he’s a point.

But bashing Simpson so old.
 
Gavin getting better by the game.

JWilliams is a very good player. But don’t think he’s a point.

But bashing Simpson so old.
someone find J Will come new sneakers......

Simpson played ok tonight...some rough patches but overall wasn't abysmal like usual

Davis while good on D provided nothing for us on offense and as a guard if you are shooting 50% from FT that is a massive issue and red flag. Yes a frosh but he is playing significant minutes now and not necessarily progressing
 
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Davis while good on D provided nothing for us on offense and as a guard if you are shooting 50% from FT that is a massive issue and red flag. Yes a frosh but he is playing significant minutes now and not necessarily progressing
Found the opposite tonight. He was somehow better offensively than defensively - an efficient 10 points, protected the ball with 0 tov, and grabbed 5 ORb to keep possessions alive.... but didn't play great defense, especially down the stretch.
 
Just a couple notes tonight, because why bother?

1. Everything wrong with this team was on display tonight. Sloppy TOs. Bad shooting. Poor rebounding. Boneheaded plays. AWFUL GUARD PLAY.. DEATH DROUGHTS on offense that we have seen all year.

2. Gavin played very well tonight. AGAIN. I think the light bulb has gone on for him. Unfortunately it came in about game 27.

3. Jeremiah Williams needs new sneakers. WTF.
100% agree with #3
 
Davis, with an offseason to work on his weaknesses, plus getting reunited with his buddy, I think a monster sophomore season for him is there for the taking if he puts in the extra work to make it happen. Griffiths, he's slowly getting better - sometimes, the best place to start is to work harder on defense and that way, the stress isn't as high on the offensive side. And making the head strength person his best friend will also help him a lot as his body fully becomes a man's body (he was clearly in that transition point, not uncommon for freshman, this year).
 
Williams Williams and Simpson combine for 13 TOs

Some hilarious shot attempts today not even close

Cliff - MIA but did hurt his shoulder immediately so who knows how much that was bothering him

Hyatt - *sigh*

Simpson - most coming around on him being a problem looking ahead to next year

Wolf - back to giving nothing

Griffiths - the lone bright spot. The defense has been much better using his length effectively. The confidence is there. 4-9 from 3 but 1 was a heave at the buzzer when Hyatt dribbled pointlessly and passed it to him with 1 sec left. Nice move to the rim and finish with the left in transition

Crowl fouled on their 6th attempt of the possession was embarrassing. You see stuff like that in little kid bball

Davis somehow lead the team in rebounds

Noah 1-6

JWill fine shooting but too many TOs

34 points in the paint allowed. Ridiculous run to end game
Scangg you are generally perceptive but yet you still don’t understand that Cliff isn’t actually injured all these times ? How unlucky he is to be the only player to have to leave a game due to “injury” all season, and yet he always miraculously comes right back in after a quick visit to the locker room. Has it been 10 times ? You follow ?
 
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someone find J Will come new sneakers......

Simpson played ok tonight...some rough patches but overall wasn't abysmal like usual

Davis while good on D provided nothing for us on offense and as a guard if you are shooting 50% from FT that is a massive issue and red flag. Yes a frosh but he is playing significant minutes now and not necessarily progressing
Davis definitely progressing

If Davis regresses sophomore like Simpson did then he will get critized and rightfully so

This was a very strong freshman campaign for Davis, exceeding expectations
 
Davis, with an offseason to work on his weaknesses, plus getting reunited with his buddy, I think a monster sophomore season for him is there for the taking if he puts in the extra work to make it happen. Griffiths, he's slowly getting better - sometimes, the best place to start is to work harder on defense and that way, the stress isn't as high on the offensive side. And making the head strength person his best friend will also help him a lot as his body fully becomes a man's body (he was clearly in that transition point, not uncommon for freshman, this year).
Ha ha. Monster sophomore year. JFC. Where, portaling back home in TN with the UTC Water Moccasins ? He’s not a good offensive player at all, and can’t defend, which at least Simpson can. He’s the 4th guard next year and after that will leave when Ace leaves, albeit for different reasons.

But He is better than Jalen Miller, which is the lowest bar imaginable for a major program. So there’s that.

Monster season. LOLOL
 
Gavin getting better by the game.

JWilliams is a very good player. But don’t think he’s a point.

But bashing Simpson so old.

someone find J Will come new sneakers......

Simpson played ok tonight...some rough patches but overall wasn't abysmal like usual

Davis while good on D provided nothing for us on offense and as a guard if you are shooting 50% from FT that is a massive issue and red flag. Yes a frosh but he is playing significant minutes now and not necessarily progressing

Simpson is to this year's team is Vogelbach to last year's Mets. An issue, but an unnecessary object of fans' constant vitriol.
 
Just a couple notes tonight, because why bother?

1. Everything wrong with this team was on display tonight. Sloppy TOs. Bad shooting. Poor rebounding. Boneheaded plays. AWFUL GUARD PLAY.. DEATH DROUGHTS on offense that we have seen all year.

2. Gavin played very well tonight. AGAIN. I think the light bulb has gone on for him. Unfortunately it came in about game 27.

3. Jeremiah Williams needs new sneakers. WTF.
Why does Jeremiah Williams fall down so much while dribbling? Is it related to his Achilles tear?
 
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The best case scenario after watching the last 2 games remains the same thing I posted a couple of weeks ago.

A) Find a guard with 2 to 3 years left via the portal, who can play as a complete guard (defense, rebounding, able to handle the ball) that knows how to playmake and is a better perimeter shooter than JWill.....that would properly slot JWill as your 6th man/guard to lead the younger bench players like Lathan, Dortch/Grant and Gavin, if Gavin stumbles or has off games next year......that would allow Davis and Simpson to be the 4th or 5th guard, which is where Austin Williams landed this year. It's a good spot of 12 to 16 minutes a game over 32 to 36 games, to have Simpson or Davis do what McGee provided Wisconsin.....John Blackwell is a good frosh guard with Wisconsin, that's the ideal role for JWill in 2024-25....a lock for 18 to 24 minutes and capable of 10PTS in any game off the bench.

B) Clearly need a 6'6 to 6'7 wing who can score and rebound and knock down some 3s.....trying to blend the hustle and defense of Mag and some scoring from Hyatt together over the last 2 seasons, never ever was consistent.

The gaps or holes in both players games on both ends of the court and inability of either player to generate a play on their own, kills this roster. The more you exposed either player by themselves for more than a few games in a row as a starter, the harder it is for Pike to find solutions.....neither player can carry or warrants 27 minutes as a starter on a consistent basis, and asking Hyatt to rebound, defend and then knock down shots, never works for more than 2 or 3 games in a row. Mag inability to plug in for any minutes off the bench (8 to 12 minutes of play in the last 7 games would have been nice and probably would have spared us from Wolf stumbling around and mishandling good passes. One good game from Wolf in the last month, probably signals he is closer to player 12 or 13 end of the bench player, vs a 9th or 10th guy off the bench.

C) See if there's anything to the Baye Ngongo stuff and fix that mistake if you can. He could play the 5, or the 4 in spots.

D) after watching Gavin play since JWill has started playing, RU despite losing the last 2 games or going 5-5, is a better looking player. I don't see any real reason why or how, but JWill just instilled some boost or confidence in Gavin, just by playing normal basketball....sometimes the other guards need to see how to play, in order to mimic what works.

I was very bullish on Gavin and remain confident that he is a Top 7 or 8 player next year. BUT I am also pretty certain that Lathan, Dortch and Grant can play too, so we need to find minutes for all 5 frosh next year.

The better teams improve in February and March and that can only happen with talent.....JWill boosted this roster and now Gavin is showing flashes. If RU gets 3 different versions of improvement in February and March next year with Grant, Dortch and Lathan, we will be solid....if we add Ndongo to that group, things are going to be fine.
 
JWill is a lock to start if he stays, so no portal player as you describe will come to be a backup especially with the other 2 returning guards
 
  • Jwill is a ball hog....while I think he has the most potential of anyone he has a huge ego and wants to play ISO all day. Needs to learn how to best use others besides Cliff potentially on what look like failed attempts on drives for him to score.
He may do the ISO thing a little too much but it's hyperbole to call him a ball hog. Plus he actually MAKES his shots. And he gets his fair share of assists. This is unwarranted criticism.
 
The best case scenario after watching the last 2 games remains the same thing I posted a couple of weeks ago.

A) Find a guard with 2 to 3 years left via the portal, who can play as a complete guard (defense, rebounding, able to handle the ball) that knows how to playmake and is a better perimeter shooter than JWill.....that would properly slot JWill as your 6th man/guard to lead the younger bench players like Lathan, Dortch/Grant and Gavin, if Gavin stumbles or has off games next year......that would allow Davis and Simpson to be the 4th or 5th guard, which is where Austin Williams landed this year. It's a good spot of 12 to 16 minutes a game over 32 to 36 games, to have Simpson or Davis do what McGee provided Wisconsin.....John Blackwell is a good frosh guard with Wisconsin, that's the ideal role for JWill in 2024-25....a lock for 18 to 24 minutes and capable of 10PTS in any game off the bench.

B) Clearly need a 6'6 to 6'7 wing who can score and rebound and knock down some 3s.....trying to blend the hustle and defense of Mag and some scoring from Hyatt together over the last 2 seasons, never ever was consistent.

The gaps or holes in both players games on both ends of the court and inability of either player to generate a play on their own, kills this roster. The more you exposed either player by themselves for more than a few games in a row as a starter, the harder it is for Pike to find solutions.....neither player can carry or warrants 27 minutes as a starter on a consistent basis, and asking Hyatt to rebound, defend and then knock down shots, never works for more than 2 or 3 games in a row. Mag inability to plug in for any minutes off the bench (8 to 12 minutes of play in the last 7 games would have been nice and probably would have spared us from Wolf stumbling around and mishandling good passes. One good game from Wolf in the last month, probably signals he is closer to player 12 or 13 end of the bench player, vs a 9th or 10th guy off the bench.

C) See if there's anything to the Baye Ngongo stuff and fix that mistake if you can. He could play the 5, or the 4 in spots.

D) after watching Gavin play since JWill has started playing, RU despite losing the last 2 games or going 5-5, is a better looking player. I don't see any real reason why or how, but JWill just instilled some boost or confidence in Gavin, just by playing normal basketball....sometimes the other guards need to see how to play, in order to mimic what works.

I was very bullish on Gavin and remain confident that he is a Top 7 or 8 player next year. BUT I am also pretty certain that Lathan, Dortch and Grant can play too, so we need to find minutes for all 5 frosh next year.

The better teams improve in February and March and that can only happen with talent.....JWill boosted this roster and now Gavin is showing flashes. If RU gets 3 different versions of improvement in February and March next year with Grant, Dortch and Lathan, we will be solid....if we add Ndongo to that group, things are going to be fine.
Agree with A, B, and C, although fairly certain Ndongo is a pipe dream

On D, I don't think J Will has had much of anything to do with Gavin's development down the stretch, more coincidence than anything. Pretty sure J Will usually leaves floor when Gavin initially gets on it.

We only NEED to find minutes for all 5 frosh next year if they deserve to be on the floor. In an ideal world, we see 5 minutes a game of J Mike this year.
 
He may do the ISO thing a little too much but it's hyperbole to call him a ball hog. Plus he actually MAKES his shots. And he gets his fair share of assists. This is unwarranted criticism.
He doesn't make winning shots. 22% from three. 5 two pointers a game from your best or second best player isn't good enough. I don't disagree though, I wouldn't call him a ball hog, but an over dribbler.
 
Just a couple notes tonight, because why bother?

1. Everything wrong with this team was on display tonight. Sloppy TOs. Bad shooting. Poor rebounding. Boneheaded plays. AWFUL GUARD PLAY.. DEATH DROUGHTS on offense that we have seen all year.

2. Gavin played very well tonight. AGAIN. I think the light bulb has gone on for him. Unfortunately it came in about game 27.

3. Jeremiah Williams needs new sneakers. WTF.
Good that Gavin is showing promise and is improving. Looks like he may have gotten his confidence back after being lost for nearly most of the season.
 
...I honestly thought the Stonehill game told us all we needed to know about this year's team/season. We needed a buzzer-beater to win a game vs a quandrant 6 team.


Joe P.
I've said it many times, those tune up games in the beginning of the season will tell you a lot. They should all be complete blow outs and if they are not, a red flag should go up immediately.
 
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I've said it many times, those tune up games in the beginning of the season will tell you a lot. They should all be complete blow outs and if they are not, a red flag should go up immediately.
Agreed. I understand that upsets can happen and teams can have an off night but Stonehill is I think literally a bottom-15 team that is ranked in the 300's. Right then and there I was like, '...don't make any postseason plans for this year'.
 
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  • SImpson isnt in a position to succeed. He needs the ball in his hands and PnR with cliff like end of last season. It worked masterful on ONE play tonight..yes only one run with him that worked and we didn't see it again. That said, his shooting is abysmal and unless that improves he needs to see the bench.
  • Davis is Jalen Miller last year...good defense but effectively a net negative on offense. Not a good decision maker for others even which is something he needs to change
  • Jwill is a ball hog....while I think he has the most potential of anyone he has a huge ego and wants to play ISO all day. Needs to learn how to best use others besides Cliff potentially on what look like failed attempts on drives for him to score.
  • Hyatt needs to be benched and more Gavin over him. Lazy as can be and often out of position(along with Jwill) on defense time and time again that lead to baskets.
JMike equivalent to Jalen Miller? That is patently absurd. His defense is much better (JM's defense was overrated), he rarely turns the ball over, he can hit 3's, and he rebounds very well for his size. And he's very level-headed for a freshman. JMike will have a solid career here.

If you want to criticize a guard, maybe question what Fernandes brings to the table. He's a good shooter when he happens to be open, but he can't get his own shot. Poor defense, poor shot selection, bone-headed plays (especially for a senior!).
 
JMike equivalent to Jalen Miller? That is patently absurd. His defense is much better (JM's defense was overrated), he rarely turns the ball over, he can hit 3's, and he rebounds very well for his size. And he's very level-headed for a freshman. JMike will have a solid career here.

If you want to criticize a guard, maybe question what Fernandes brings to the table. He's a good shooter when he happens to be open, but he can't get his own shot. Poor defense, poor shot selection, bone-headed plays (especially for a senior!).
He doesn’t hit threes at all
Nor can he hit free throws.
Rarely turns ball over?

Simpson does both better in all three categories and also plays tremendous D but you wouldn’t know it from this board.
 
And Grand Poobah of the “Section 118 Remembers” lodge!!
Still miss it and miss you too Degaz!!! :-)

New seats are fine but would have never left

Some of the older characters in new section are amusing but not same camaraderie. 30 years will do that. Breaks my heart with the corporate folk who seldom cheer.
Although I do like what they did above 118.
Still petrified RU will screw up the atmosphere with any renovations. See for Example 118.
 
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He doesn’t hit threes at all
Nor can he hit free throws.
Rarely turns ball over?

Simpson does both better in all three categories and also plays tremendous D but you wouldn’t know it from this board.
As freshmen:

Davis higher 3P% (both terrible)
Davis better steal rate
Davis better rebound rate
Davis better assist rate

Simpson better 2P% (barely)
Simpson better FT%
Simpson better turnover rate

Their freshman seasons are comparable imo and neither is really good enough to be a major rotation guard on a top-25 caliber team.
 
He doesn’t hit threes at all
Nor can he hit free throws.
Rarely turns ball over?

Simpson does both better in all three categories and also plays tremendous D but you wouldn’t know it from this board.
The comparison being made was Davis vs. Miller, not Davis vs. Simpson. Linzalonic didn't even mention Simpson.

However, here's the conference game stats for Davis, Simpson, and Miller's last year here.

Davis: 430 minutes played, 41 - 105 FG (.390), 5-22 3Pt% (.227), 24-40 FT% (.600), 111 pts (5.8 avg), 61 reb, 25 assists, 27 TO, 19 stl, 6 blk

Simpson: 516 minutes played, 55-176 FG (.313), 14-44 3Pt% (.318), 36-42 FT% (.857), 160 pts (8.4 avg), 68 reb, 52 assists, 28 turnovers, 27 steals, 0 blk

Miller last year in conference play: 31 minutes played, zero points scored, two rebounds, two steals, two assists, one turnover.

Last year, Simpson played 328 B1G minutes and shot .379 (4-24 from deep), was 19-23 from the FT line, 32 reb, 18 assists, 10 turnovers, 8 steals, and 0 blk

My conclusion - Simpson is a better FT shooter but that has only translated to 12 more points in 19 B1G games this year. He's a better 3Pt shooter this season than Davis, he is better at avoiding turnovers on a per-minute basis and far better at getting assists... but in his additional 71 FG attempts over what Davis has taken, he is 14-71. Some of that is because he's been the one forced to create a shot attempt late in the clock - but still, woof.

They are both solid defenders.
 
The best case scenario after watching the last 2 games remains the same thing I posted a couple of weeks ago.

A) Find a guard with 2 to 3 years left via the portal, who can play as a complete guard (defense, rebounding, able to handle the ball) that knows how to playmake and is a better perimeter shooter than JWill.....that would properly slot JWill as your 6th man/guard to lead the younger bench players like Lathan, Dortch/Grant and Gavin, if Gavin stumbles or has off games next year......that would allow Davis and Simpson to be the 4th or 5th guard, which is where Austin Williams landed this year. It's a good spot of 12 to 16 minutes a game over 32 to 36 games, to have Simpson or Davis do what McGee provided Wisconsin.....John Blackwell is a good frosh guard with Wisconsin, that's the ideal role for JWill in 2024-25....a lock for 18 to 24 minutes and capable of 10PTS in any game off the bench.

B) Clearly need a 6'6 to 6'7 wing who can score and rebound and knock down some 3s.....trying to blend the hustle and defense of Mag and some scoring from Hyatt together over the last 2 seasons, never ever was consistent.

The gaps or holes in both players games on both ends of the court and inability of either player to generate a play on their own, kills this roster. The more you exposed either player by themselves for more than a few games in a row as a starter, the harder it is for Pike to find solutions.....neither player can carry or warrants 27 minutes as a starter on a consistent basis, and asking Hyatt to rebound, defend and then knock down shots, never works for more than 2 or 3 games in a row. Mag inability to plug in for any minutes off the bench (8 to 12 minutes of play in the last 7 games would have been nice and probably would have spared us from Wolf stumbling around and mishandling good passes. One good game from Wolf in the last month, probably signals he is closer to player 12 or 13 end of the bench player, vs a 9th or 10th guy off the bench.

C) See if there's anything to the Baye Ngongo stuff and fix that mistake if you can. He could play the 5, or the 4 in spots.

D) after watching Gavin play since JWill has started playing, RU despite losing the last 2 games or going 5-5, is a better looking player. I don't see any real reason why or how, but JWill just instilled some boost or confidence in Gavin, just by playing normal basketball....sometimes the other guards need to see how to play, in order to mimic what works.

I was very bullish on Gavin and remain confident that he is a Top 7 or 8 player next year. BUT I am also pretty certain that Lathan, Dortch and Grant can play too, so we need to find minutes for all 5 frosh next year.

The better teams improve in February and March and that can only happen with talent.....JWill boosted this roster and now Gavin is showing flashes. If RU gets 3 different versions of improvement in February and March next year with Grant, Dortch and Lathan, we will be solid....if we add Ndongo to that group, things are going to be fine.
You don't think JWill is a starter next year? He's a lock IMO. We would need to bring in someone REALLY good to push him to the bench. Don't see it

Portal guard / wing shooter or Gavin if he has a strong off season will start with JWill and Dylan most likely
 
You don't think JWill is a starter next year? He's a lock IMO. We would need to bring in someone REALLY good to push him to the bench. Don't see it

Portal guard / wing shooter or Gavin if he has a strong off season will start with JWill and Dylan most likely
JWill could def stand to be upgraded, don't think he will be, though he's probably fine with stronger players/shooters around him.
 
You don't think JWill is a starter next year? He's a lock IMO. We would need to bring in someone REALLY good to push him to the bench. Don't see it

Portal guard / wing shooter or Gavin if he has a strong off season will start with JWill and Dylan most likely
Also disagree with needing to find minutes for all 5 freshman next year. Next year is about next year only. It's likely a once in a lifetime opportunity with Dylan and Ace and we need to take full advantage of it. The focus needs to be on success for next year over future development. If all 5 freshman earn their way into the rotation, so be it, but we can't be forcing minutes for guys if they aren't ready

If the team is going to fulfill its true ceiling potential, it's going to require veterans from the portal to surround Dylan and Ace who can help make it happen. 5 freshman being major rotation pieces doesn't sound like the recipe for success and would be very risky to rely on

Good odds either Grant or Dortch is in the rotation, but one of the two is likely going to have to be further down the pecking order
 
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Hmmm. 95% of this board rips Simpson when all the guards play poorly.

If you don’t see it?

Scapegoat much??

Just stop! Look in a mirror.

Do me a favor and look at game string. Add it up.

RU Fans ALWAYS rip Simpson.

So please stop
Simpson plays hard and his defense and floor game have improved substantially. But he shoots a dreadful 31% from the floor and 30% from 3 with a very pedestrian 3 assists per game. By comparison, freshman J Mike, who everyone says can’t shoot, shoots 38%. If Derek can’t improve his shooting there is no future for him, especially when he takes 10-12 shots per game.
 
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  • Davis is Jalen Miller last year...good defense but effectively a net negative on offense. Not a good decision maker for others even which is something he needs to change
  • Not even close. Jalen Miller legitimately turned us into a 4 man offense. JMike is capable of scoring. Obviously has things he needs to clean up but he’s a freshman who is playing way more minutes than anyone thought he would need to this year.

  • Jwill is a ball hog....while I think he has the most potential of anyone he has a huge ego and wants to play ISO all day. Needs to learn how to best use others besides Cliff potentially on what look like failed attempts on drives for him to score.
  • J.Will is averaging 3.3 assists per game, which is more than anyone else on the team.

Sometimes the takes on this board….smdh.

Thx for correcting.

Davis = J. Miller 😂 I mean come on man
 
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