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Cliff is probably the most athletic player Rutgers has ever had. Most athletic that I have seen. Sanders was crazy too and hard to compare big men and small guardsJames also took a big step from freshman year to sophomore year . I think Cliff has more athleticism and maybe a higher upside.
I don't think the lottery existed when James was drafted, but I get your point. The lottery has changed a great deal since then- big men/post players were at a premium back when James was drafted, not today.Bailey was a lottery pick . I doubt Cliff is a lottery pick . Man , I really hope I am wrong though !!
That's awesome! I loved watching him play. I always say that the 75-76 team was the first team I ever rooted for in anything and it got me into sports when I was 7, but guys like James, Abdel and Hollis were the first guys I really remember as my guys out there kicking ass.I knew James when I was at RU. One of the nicest guys you ever met. After he left pro - ball my High School had him come in and give the athletes a speech and it was awesome.
He told the crowd how he ended up at RU. He had many schools recruiting him and RU wasn't one them at first. He said how great the recruiting trips were. How he would get picked up at the airports in limo's, would go to dinner at the best steak houses etc. RU came to his house, outside of Boston, and his mother loved how RU pushed the academics and made him go on a a visit.
He got to Newark and was looking for a Limo driver with his name on a placard. Didn't see one but a team manager came up to him and said follow him. They went outside and he was looking for a limo. Nope, the manager walked him to his Ford Pinto and he said he almost didn't fit.
He finally got to RU and he was told to go to a certain room in Campbell Hall. Once he got there a bunch of players welcomed him and he hung out for a while. He said he was getting hungry. One of the players said then lets head over to the Castle. He though, wow a steak house named The Castle. They ended up at White Castle.
He had the room rolling by the time he was done but he said his mother was correct and an education means everything and as we know he ended up doing very well in private industry after his 10 years in the pros.
I think I read somewhere that in his junior year he had more dunks then the whole Phi Slama Jama team that year
I was really hoping he got to a game this year.
He might have been close. I know he started organized ball late.but was Bailey only on year 6 of organized basketball ?
I lived in Campbell Hall . I'm surprised he didn't walk out.I knew James when I was at RU. One of the nicest guys you ever met. After he left pro - ball my High School had him come in and give the athletes a speech and it was awesome.
He told the crowd how he ended up at RU. He had many schools recruiting him and RU wasn't one them at first. He said how great the recruiting trips were. How he would get picked up at the airports in limo's, would go to dinner at the best steak houses etc. RU came to his house, outside of Boston, and his mother loved how RU pushed the academics and made him go on a a visit.
He got to Newark and was looking for a Limo driver with his name on a placard. Didn't see one but a team manager came up to him and said follow him. They went outside and he was looking for a limo. Nope, the manager walked him to his Ford Pinto and he said he almost didn't fit.
He finally got to RU and he was told to go to a certain room in Campbell Hall. Once he got there a bunch of players welcomed him and he hung out for a while. He said he was getting hungry. One of the players said then lets head over to the Castle. He though, wow a steak house named The Castle. They ended up at White Castle.
He had the room rolling by the time he was done but he said his mother was correct and an education means everything and as we know he ended up doing very well in private industry after his 10 years in the pros.
I think I read somewhere that in his junior year he had more dunks then the whole Phi Slama Jama team that year
I was really hoping he got to a game this year.
I believe Bailey did have 90 dunks one year (Jr year?), and Cliff is closing in on that this year. If I’m not mistaken Cliff leads the nation in dunks.
Dunking was banned Baileys first year and allowed the following threeMaybe some of the other long-timers can chime in: was the dunk still illegal in college during 1975-76 when Bailey was a freshman? I think it was and I think they mentioned it in the Big 10 Elite documentary.
Because as a sophomore, the alley-oop craze with James reminds me of the alley-oop craze with Cliff this year. The passes are a little different, but the end result the same. Still can see Rodney Duncan (who transferred) lobbing them to James for throwdowns vs. nationally ranked Cincy at MSG!
There was one play fairly late in the PSU game though where all Cliff needed to do was a little kiss off the glass for an easy 2 when the team really needed it. He tried a semi awkward dunk though and the ball popped out and kept up the PSU momentum. I literally yelled (from the 300 level) that "you don't need to dunk everything Cliff."James was career .545 field goal percentage and cliff is already over .600 50 games in. So that’s a good stat from big Cliff
I have mentioned this game often, one of my favorite game memoriesI would definitely say Bailey was better. I remember the game against nationally ranked Cincinnati at Madison Square Garden his sophomore year when he really burst out and we blew them out by about 20 points. Cliff still has a ways to go to catch up to JB, and thats no knock on Cliff.
AgreeThere was one play fairly late in the PSU game though where all Cliff needed to do was a little kiss off the glass for an easy 2 when the team really needed it. He tried a semi awkward dunk though and the ball popped out and kept up the PSU momentum. I literally yelled (from the 300 level) that "you don't need to dunk everything Cliff."
I remember that game. He and Abdel Anderson came out and sat right next to me to watch some of the second game of the doubleheader. I remember Mike Palko walking up to Bailey and saying “that was the best game I ever saw anybody play.“I would definitely say Bailey was better. I remember the game against nationally ranked Cincinnati at Madison Square Garden his sophomore year when he really burst out and we blew them out by about 20 points. Cliff still has a ways to go to catch up to JB, and thats no knock on Cliff.
Agree on the quick twitch comment. Bailey was very quick though. In addition to blocks Bailey stole the ball a lot. Bailey was a highly skilled collegiate offensive player by his senior year. He was the #6 pick in the draft. Cliffs offense reminds me a little more of Hinson than Bailey but cliff has tremendous upside.I graduated in '77 and watched Bailey for 2 years and then sporadically thereafter. Bailey was definitely more of a polished product as a sophomore. That being said, in my view, Omoruyi is more athletic than Bailey ever was. He's quicker, jumps higher and, most importantly, he is a quick twitch jumper. In other words, in my view, there is no one that gets off the floor as quickly and as high as Omoruyi does. It's almost super human. If he gains another 20lbs of muscle and is able to maintain that elite athleticism with that added weight, the sky is the limit. I think he could become a 1st Round NBA pick -- but only if he's able to figure out how to shoot his one handed jump hook with his finger tips and with some arc/touch. That is one bad looking form he displays. I would think he could correct that, but he continues to "flat-line" that shot like 4 out of 5 times he shoots it.
As to the rest of his offensive game game, in my view, he actually looks better facing up and shooting the mid range or 3 pointer than you'd expect from such a raw offensive player. If we had another monster rebounder on the court with him at the same time, he could wind up being as good of an outside threat as -- say -- Kadeem Jack was. I don't see why he can't become that type of player too.
As for defense, he has a long way to go. Any center who is strong and good around the basket, has eaten him up this year. He consistently overplays the strong side of his opposition and does not react well (too slowly) when they spin in the opposite direction. This is typically true in the first half of games. In the 2nd half he seems to learn from his mistakes and adjusts. He's also improving as shot blocker. Not quite at the level of Hamady or Myles, but getting there.
I think sixth was exactly where he went; at the beginning of his senior year we were expecting top three.Dunking was banned Baileys first year and allowed the following three
I honestly don’t remember him failing dunk attempts, the defenders of the day might have been less able
He had a better overall game at this point in time, comparison wise
I think he got drafted around sixth or so, trying to guess without looking
Yep he was #6.I think sixth was exactly where he went; at the beginning of his senior year we were expecting top three.
I disagree with this analysis. Overall, Bailey’s quick twitch was unparalleled. Only Hinson got off the floor as quickly as Bailey. Bailey was like a cat reacting and breaking up interior passes, and we’ve never had someone like that. His acceleration off the floor slowed down as he got older and couldn’t carry the extra weight he put on. Before that, it was amazing how we got off the floor. He remains the only person I ever saw get to a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar skyhook at its apex and knock it back into the stands.I graduated in '77 and watched Bailey for 2 years and then sporadically thereafter. Bailey was definitely more of a polished product as a sophomore. That being said, in my view, Omoruyi is more athletic than Bailey ever was. He's quicker, jumps higher and, most importantly, he is a quick twitch jumper. In other words, in my view, there is no one that gets off the floor as quickly and as high as Omoruyi does. It's almost super human. If he gains another 20lbs of muscle and is able to maintain that elite athleticism with that added weight, the sky is the limit. I think he could become a 1st Round NBA pick -- but only if he's able to figure out how to shoot his one handed jump hook with his finger tips and with some arc/touch. That is one bad looking form he displays. I would think he could correct that, but he continues to "flat-line" that shot like 4 out of 5 times he shoots it.
As to the rest of his offensive game game, in my view, he actually looks better facing up and shooting the mid range or 3 pointer than you'd expect from such a raw offensive player. If we had another monster rebounder on the court with him at the same time, he could wind up being as good of an outside threat as -- say -- Kadeem Jack was. I don't see why he can't become that type of player too.
As for defense, he has a long way to go. Any center who is strong and good around the basket, has eaten him up this year. He consistently overplays the strong side of his opposition and does not react well (too slowly) when they spin in the opposite direction. This is typically true in the first half of games. In the 2nd half he seems to learn from his mistakes and adjusts. He's also improving as shot blocker. Not quite at the level of Hamady or Myles, but getting there.
I agree that the Hinson comparison is better. And the best part is that Hinson continued to improve, and his improvement actually accelerated, through his senior year when he became about the best shot blocker in the country. Hinson also continued to improve on the offensive end throughout, and was a much better offensive player than James Bailey in the pros. So while I don’t think you can compare Cliff to Bailey at this point, maybe his trajectory will be like Hinson.I can comment
JB was a 6’9 200 lb explosive but quick athlete and used both to overpower weaker Athelstan and out skill quicker players
It’s probably better to compare cliff right now to James Bailey as a frosh . Even with cliff getting better nunbers
Cliff is a raw power athlete that is starting to use his athleticism in a refined way with touch. In that regard he is a lot more like Roy Hinson on offense as a soph than James Bailey
Bailey could not dunk freshman year.Maybe some of the other long-timers can chime in: was the dunk still illegal in college during 1975-76 when Bailey was a freshman? I think it was and I think they mentioned it in the Big 10 Elite documentary.
Because as a sophomore, the alley-oop craze with James reminds me of the alley-oop craze with Cliff this year. The passes are a little different, but the end result the same. Still can see Rodney Duncan (who transferred) lobbing them to James for throwdowns vs. nationally ranked Cincy at MSG!
I agree that the Hinson comparison is better. And the best part is that Hinson continued to improve, and his improvement actually accelerated, through his senior year when he became about the best shot blocker in the country. Hinson also continued to improve on the offensive end throughout, and was a much better offensive player than James Bailey in the pros. So while I don’t think you can compare Cliff to Bailey at this point, maybe his trajectory will be like Hinson.
Bailey was a lottery pick . I doubt Cliff is a lottery pick . Man , I really hope I am wrong though !!