His main problem does not seem to be skills. Just weight. Can't cover guards at 240.
Roster - final spot?
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His main problem does not seem to be skills. Just weight. Can't cover guards at 240.
Hey, I'm 240 and I couldn't cover the coach .... looking forward to seeing Reid's best friend play ball for us ...
:pimp:
I would encourage you to wait to see him actually play before making harsh statements like that - especially when we're last in our conference and he was NJ's player of the year in 2016.
Additionally, if the players and coaches do read this forum - do you really want him feeling un-welcomed? C'mon now. Let's keep it classy. Does Bullock need to work on his frame to become a contributor - Yes. But don't make an 18 year old kid, especially a local one feel un-welcomed.
Hey, You don't see Matt Bullock going to McDonald's to criticize your work...j/k.
In all seriousness.....let the guy do the off-season work, get developed by the staff and actually play in a game before saying he does not belong.
You said it yourself, we were last in our conference. What does that tell you given the fact that he only saw a couple of minutes and was the last man on the bench. I said I hope he proves me wrong, but there is really no spot for a 6'3" PF in the B1G. If you are relying on him to be a shooter, then why didn't he have better offers from other programs as a shooter.
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I really hope Matt proves some of you guys wrong. It seems as if ever since he committed guys have taken pot shots at him. He was red shirted this past season. He was not just sitting on the bench. Obviously some of you never saw him play in high school. He is not a power forward either. Watch his video that was posted yesterday by someone on his last year at Roselle Catholic. It is wrong to just say a guy doesn't belong. It is easy to hide behind a screen name.
I don't care 1 bit about the lack of offers. the other stuff bothers me. Rutgers can't afford to have an unforced error on one of it's 13 slots.
Not sure when I asked you about the lack of offers. Fact is, this staff needs to start bringing in more and more Doucore's and not the Mensah's and Bullock's.
After last year and recent comments made by staff, it doesn't sound like they want to play with him at the weight he is at. I could be wrong. Teams thrive on versatility, but certain teams are more traditional.
It is very obvious he has skills. He wants to bump kids in the paint. I am just not sure the staff sees him as a wing, or power forward. Some confirmation from the staff on what they want out of him would be helpful. The skills are there. The video is impressive.
His shot looks good to me, considering we have no real shooters, he'll get his chance, after a full season he and the staff will determine if he can play and contribute at this level, if he can't, I am sure he will go the path of Laurent and Diallo, it also conveninentally helps that by that time His buddy Naz Reid will have decided if he's coming to RU
I am not sure I agree. At some point you have to be a realist. Fishing at a pond with nice fish with crappy bait won't catch fish most of the time.
I don't think it's fair to micromanage the 13 spots or Bullock specifically....the kid wanted to be at RU and didn't have an offer....we provided an offer and he's well respected by his Roselle Catholic coach, who is someone Pikiell and staff have a good/great relationship with.....he is also close with Naz Reid, although I don't think Reid is a legitimate factor for the local schools right now.
We have some spots on the roster that all need to have improvement, not just Bullock....we can kinda discuss whether this conversation is limited to Bullock or Souf, or Eugene or Thiam or anyone else. Everyone has to get better.
I think Bullock will have the next 3-5 months to truly find out if he has the personal dedication to train, lift and get in the best condition of his life to play at this level. But he's not taking up space in the starting lineup, or blocking RU from recruiting starting caliber players.
If the 2018 & 19 recruiting goes better, we are going to have players well beyond Bullock that will be pushed by better talent coming in the doors...If Bullock comes into October with the same weight and not in condition to play guard at this level, it may not matter what anyone here says....there would be really no way to no how good he might become, until the player dedicates the time and effort to do so.
These things tend to sort themselves out on their own....
We have some spots on the roster that all need to have improvement, not just Bullock....we can kinda discuss whether this conversation is limited to Bullock or Souf, or Eugene or Thiam or anyone else. Everyone has to get better.
I think Bullock will have the next 3-5 months to truly find out if he has the personal dedication to train, lift and get in the best condition of his life to play at this level. But he's not taking up space in the starting lineup, or blocking RU from recruiting starting caliber players.
If the 2018 & 19 recruiting goes better, we are going to have players well beyond Bullock that will be pushed by better talent coming in the doors...If Bullock comes into October with the same weight and not in condition to play guard at this level, it may not matter what anyone here says....there would be really no way to no how good he might become, until the player dedicates the time and effort to do so.
These things tend to sort themselves out on their own....
I have no idea if Bullock can play at this level but writing him off is ridiculous.
Sometimes I think this board would have written off Ethan Happ (RS as a frosh at Wisconsin), Peter Jok (averaged 9 minutes and 4ppg as a frosh at Iowa), or Tai Webster (averaged under 4ppg as a frosh and soph before scoring 17 ppg for Nebraska as a Senior).
There is a plethora of examples of kids who get (much) better as they progress thru their college career. Maybe Bullock (or Thiam or EO) is one. Maybe not. But there is no way you can write the story of his career after a redshirt year.
Sometimes I think this board would have written off Ethan Happ (RS as a frosh at Wisconsin), Peter Jok (averaged 9 minutes and 4ppg as a frosh at Iowa), or Tai Webster (averaged under 4ppg as a frosh and soph before scoring 17 ppg for Nebraska as a Senior).
There is a plethora of examples of kids who get (much) better as they progress thru their college career. Maybe Bullock (or Thiam or EO) is one. Maybe not. But there is no way you can write the story of his career after a redshirt year.
Frank Kaminsky is in the NBA
Roy marble was pretty good at Iowa
webster made an impact as a frosh and had 2 scorers on the team
I get what you are saying, BUT at RU things are a bit different. Easier path to make an immediate impact.
Roy marble was pretty good at Iowa
webster made an impact as a frosh and had 2 scorers on the team
I get what you are saying, BUT at RU things are a bit different. Easier path to make an immediate impact.
And for every under-the-radar recruit that outperformed his ranking, there are 7 that didn't. Point is you cannot build a winner based solely on under-the-radar recruits in the B1G. At some point, you need to land bona fide talent. If we can land Mathis to go with Doucoure in 2018, that's a step in the right direction.
I guess the big question is where does the staff want Bullock to play.
No one on here knows that. They seemingly want him at guard.
Good post, Hawk. Might not really matter. I think Eugene will be versatile as a backup to Thiam and Freeman this year. Or even a starter. I am hopeful for Sa.
No one on here knows that. They seemingly want him at guard.
Good post, Hawk. Might not really matter. I think Eugene will be versatile as a backup to Thiam and Freeman this year. Or even a starter. I am hopeful for Sa.
.....only saw a couple of minutes because he was redshirted.....
Not saying he's going to become a star, or a contributor - but we really have no data right now. You're right - he can't be a 6'3" PF - he needs to lose weight and be able to play on the perimeter. Give the kid a chance to work towards that and earn some PT this year. Am I bullish right now? No. But if he puts the work in, he clearly has the talent to be something. You don't become NJ's HS Bball player of the year by accident.
My real issue is under no circumstance should you be a prick and tell a player "they don't belong here". Rutgers and the fanbase is better & above that. No room for that on this board.
You do the best with the cards you have been dealt. Maybe you get the inside straight and maybe I end up with 2 pair. We both might win, but we probably both will lose.
Bullock might be an under the radar commit that will prove to be an asset on the floor after a couple of years.
Might not be starting material, but sound play off the bench.
Not all RU players will be superstars, but if enough of the reserves just do a good job while their in the game will be a big help towards making RU MBB into a winning program.
Might not be starting material, but sound play off the bench.
Not all RU players will be superstars, but if enough of the reserves just do a good job while their in the game will be a big help towards making RU MBB into a winning program.
As long as he is able to defend the guys he is assigned, it doesn't really matter what position you call him. In fact, it could create offensive mismatches for him if he can bruise smaller guards or blow by bigger forwards. Guys who are top players in their state tend to figure it out - that's how they get to that level in the first place. I'm not making a comparison, but Draymond Green was overweight and positionless when he got to MSU. Hard work, IQ, and drive to win make success possible despite some limitations physically.
I also think this is different for Jaron griffin who was basically a center in HS at a lower level trying to become a college wing- playing where Bullock did and succeeding matters.
I also think this is different for Jaron griffin who was basically a center in HS at a lower level trying to become a college wing- playing where Bullock did and succeeding matters.
It is a message board and I am free to voice my opinion. If that means I am a prick, then so be it. Go read " The Little Engine That Could" instead of my posts.
The difference between Bullock and guys like Happ, is that they have the height to play their positions at this level.
Scholarships are precious and Rutgers has wasted too many in years past on complementary type players who simply couldn't compete in a power conference.Nobody knows how successful Bullock will be but most fans named him as the most likely to transfer at the end of the basketball season.
Under the radar guys are perfectly fine when they are the exception and not the norm, since ,more often than not, they don't work out and are under the radar for a reason.
Moore was a high school American and a 6-9 center and even he was not as "overweight" as Bullock. Absurd comparison other than being out of shape.
This is where I fall on the issue. Given our situation it makes sense for Rutgers to try and play some "Moneyball" and get guys who can play without looking the part, the way the Athletics used to. But they also had Zito, Mulder, and Hudson, all of whom were 1st or 2nd rounders.
I'm certainly not ready to give up on Bullock. At last year's MidKnight Madness, Thiam was the star of the show from deep, draining three-pointers as if they were layups. Bullock was the second-best RU player from behind the arc... and it wasn't even close.
When I look at that highlight tape (granted it's only "highlights"), I see a player who:
1. Can "finish" in traffic, which is something RU players have historically lacked
2. Has the ability to use both his left and his right hands
3. Is a good rebounder
4. Is very capable of hitting three-point shots (though I do admit his "windup" seems long, like Thiam's)
5. Is certainly quick enough for his size.
He certainly has skill sets that can help this team. If he can be a 6-4, 230 pound SG or WF, he can be a solid rotation guy, and could actually create matchup issues for smaller SGs. But of course I can't tell from the highlights what kind of defender he is on the perimeter.
1. Can "finish" in traffic, which is something RU players have historically lacked
2. Has the ability to use both his left and his right hands
3. Is a good rebounder
4. Is very capable of hitting three-point shots (though I do admit his "windup" seems long, like Thiam's)
5. Is certainly quick enough for his size.
He certainly has skill sets that can help this team. If he can be a 6-4, 230 pound SG or WF, he can be a solid rotation guy, and could actually create matchup issues for smaller SGs. But of course I can't tell from the highlights what kind of defender he is on the perimeter.
Surprised it took this long until Barry Zito and Mark Mulder were brought up in this conversation. Steve Largent and Vai Sikahema are next.
Thanks for sharing. This is another reason why all the comments about him are so silly....AND, they are coming from people who have probably never seen him practice. Let him lose some weight, continue his development and see what he can do on the Court.
I remember always seeing him in the concession line at halftime the year he had to sit out due to transferring.
reminds me of ollie bailey albeit with a bit more handle. way too small to pay power forward in a p5 conference.
I never realized how normal it's become for a school to basically tell a kid to leave to free up a scholarship. So if that's the world we live in; I guess if a kid is not in shape or just can't handle the Big 10, he's out. Although isn't the Big 10 one of only a few conferences to claim they guarantee a 4 year ride? I mean that's what they say but in reality; if a kid doesn't fit in; I guess he's more or less forced out?
Is that accurate for those who know how things work from actual experience?
Is that accurate for those who know how things work from actual experience?
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