ADVERTISEMENT

Starting lineup next year

Going to assume the only starter replacement will be Johnson for Doorson, at least out of the gate.

I'd expect Young and McConnell to be the first subs off the bench.
 
  • Like
Reactions: gregkoko
Bash me if you want but we will not be much better then this year with basically the same lineup. The "they are young" reasoning just doesn't work for me. Unless we find one or two players that can score night in, night out we will stay about the same. Yes, we will win a game here or there that we lost this year but that's about it IMO.

I am watching games every night lately and there are freshman that are stepping up and leading their teams and are not burnt out at the end of the year because they are young. Why is it that Rutgers freshman are the only ones that get tired by the end of the year?

I really like the kids Pike has brought to the Banks. They can shine here and there like Harper did the other night. But we need the type of kid that just gets it done every night. Until we get one or two of those type players we will stay around a .500 team. I really hope I am wrong.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RU at the shore, BOGDANOVICH, nikoru09 and 1 other person
soundcrib said:
Don’t overthink it. Just post your starting 5 for GAME 1 next year. It is your valued opinion. Obviously GAME 30 could be very different.

GAME 1 starting lineup:

Young
Geo
Ron
Eugene
The LBC
Click to expand...

RUJMM78 said:
I don't think Baker will be the starting point guard or Mathis will be the shooting guard.

Young,Baker,Harper,Eugene,Johnson
Click to expand...

I'm as excited for Young as anyone, but we still don't know what to expect. He hasn't played meaningful basketball in over a year. He has the talent like we saw in his explosion over Texas Tech last year. Can he put it together? All we heard last year was how great Kiss looked in practice and he's going to be a great outside shot and he didn't really reach those expectations this year. For Game 1, I really think he won't be a starter.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nolanpa and JQRU91
RC1978 said:
Bash me if you want but we will not be much better then this year with basically the same lineup. The "they are young" reasoning just doesn't work for me. Unless we find one or two players that can score night in, night out we will stay about the same. Yes, we will win a game here or there that we lost this year but that's about it IMO.

I am watching games every night lately and there are freshman that are stepping up and leading their teams and are not burnt out at the end of the year because they are young. Why is it that Rutgers freshman are the only ones that get tired by the end of the year?

I really like the kids Pike has brought to the Banks. They can shine here and there like Harper did the other night. But we need the type of kid that just gets it done every night. Until we get one or two of those type players we will stay around a .500 team. I really hope I am wrong.
Click to expand...
I share your assessment that the team needs go to scorers on a consistent basis.Palmer won the game for Nebraska during the 15-0 spurt and there wasn't one Rutgers player who made a shot in crunch time.
 
I hesitate to open with Young at the PG but I think he might until Mulcahy is ready, which I expect to happen next year. I think Mathis should be the odd man out as a starter but I sense that Pike treats him a little differently and I'm not sure he wont start. Regardless, my best guess:

Young
Baker
Harper
Eugene
Johnson

Harper, Eugene, and Johnson have to be locks.. The guards are up in the air a bit. Personally, I think Caleb could turn out to be a better player than Baker but Baker deserves a chance at the 2, since he's been forced to play out of position this year.
 
  • Like
Reactions: A Dark Scarlet Knight and rubigtimenow
RC1978 said:
Bash me if you want but we will not be much better then this year with basically the same lineup. The "they are young" reasoning just doesn't work for me. Unless we find one or two players that can score night in, night out we will stay about the same. Yes, we will win a game here or there that we lost this year but that's about it IMO.

I am watching games every night lately and there are freshman that are stepping up and leading their teams and are not burnt out at the end of the year because they are young. Why is it that Rutgers freshman are the only ones that get tired by the end of the year?

I really like the kids Pike has brought to the Banks. They can shine here and there like Harper did the other night. But we need the type of kid that just gets it done every night. Until we get one or two of those type players we will stay around a .500 team. I really hope I am wrong.
Click to expand...

You start off by saying the "we are young" reasoning doesn't work, then complain about lacking "night in, night out" consistency. That's almost the definition of youth.... lack of consistency.

Yes, there are anecdotes to pull out about freshmen stepping up and leading teams that aren't burnt out.... but they're just that, anecdotes. The plural of anecdote isn't data. Most freshmen *don't* do that around the country. Most freshmen are playing spot minutes or are redshirting. Having a freshman who can be relied upon for major minutes is a great thing, and uncommon. Relying on two and finding success is more rare. Relying on four is rarer still.

And even those superstar freshmen sometimes have off nights. Brazdeikis is the B1G freshman of the year, and he went for 0 pts and 3 rbs in 23 minutes in a loss at Wisconsin. Coming off his big 23 pt performance against us, he scored 2 and 6 points in the next two games. He fouled out in 22 min to end the year at MSU, but had 0 fouls in 32 min vs. Purdue to start conference play. Freshmen are going to be inconsistent at times - and piling a lot of them together is more inconsistent than surrounding them by upperclassmen.

Edit to add: Of the Top 31 scorers in the B1G this year, just 5 are freshmen (and three of those were 5-star recruits).
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Night Man, A Dark Scarlet Knight, satnom and 4 others
Hard to say . I would need to see the schedule first. Are we opening with our usual run through of sisters of the poor or will we be challenging the program with real competition
 
  • Like
Reactions: kcg88
bac2therac said:
Hard to say . I would need to see the schedule first. Are we opening with our usual run through of sisters of the poor or will we be challenging the program with real competition
Click to expand...

Missed the part where he said don’t over think it? :)

Young
Baker
Harper
EO
Johnson

Mathis
Carter
McConnell
Mulcahy
Doucore
Kiss
 
  • Like
Reactions: soundcrib
With less minutes being played through out a game, the 6th man doesn't have as much opportunity or respect in college basketball.

As great of a 6th man Young could be, I don't see him being in a spot where if he is good enough he plays 15 minutes a game, or minutes a 6th man usually gets.


Everyone will be working to claim their jobs next year. No one is good enough to be comfortable. That pressure will make the team, or cause drama from time to time.

Given that, 2 of the starting five is up for grabs right now. Mostly the guard positions.

I am sure Harper, Omoruyi, and Johnson will handle the 3-5.
 
gregkoko said:
soundcrib said:
Don’t overthink it. Just post your starting 5 for GAME 1 next year. It is your valued opinion. Obviously GAME 30 could be very different.

GAME 1 starting lineup:

Young
Geo
Ron
Eugene
The LBC
Click to expand...

RUJMM78 said:
I don't think Baker will be the starting point guard or Mathis will be the shooting guard.

Young,Baker,Harper,Eugene,Johnson
Click to expand...

I'm as excited for Young as anyone, but we still don't know what to expect. He hasn't played meaningful basketball in over a year. He has the talent like we saw in his explosion over Texas Tech last year. Can he put it together? All we heard last year was how great Kiss looked in practice and he's going to be a great outside shot and he didn't really reach those expectations this year. For Game 1, I really think he won't be a starter.
Click to expand...

I think this is a really reasonable statement. We do tend to pump up the potential impact of our incoming players (in many sports) because we’re excited that they’re here. But often they don’t live up to that unreasonable expectation on Day 1.
They may become good players, but unfair to put that high level production expectation on them in their first game in an RU uniform.
 
  • Like
Reactions: gregkoko
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: A Dark Scarlet Knight, zebnatto, rubigtimenow and 1 other person
RC1978 said:
Bash me if you want but we will not be much better then this year with basically the same lineup. The "they are young" reasoning just doesn't work for me. Unless we find one or two players that can score night in, night out we will stay about the same. Yes, we will win a game here or there that we lost this year but that's about it IMO.

I am watching games every night lately and there are freshman that are stepping up and leading their teams and are not burnt out at the end of the year because they are young. Why is it that Rutgers freshman are the only ones that get tired by the end of the year?

I really like the kids Pike has brought to the Banks. They can shine here and there like Harper did the other night. But we need the type of kid that just gets it done every night. Until we get one or two of those type players we will stay around a .500 team. I really hope I am wrong.
Click to expand...
your post is closer to the truth than most....when are we landing the next james bailey. quincy, or a phil sellers....a tried ,and true program changer.....possibly he's already here...still, pike ,and staff have to kick it up a notch...dam, you would think some blue chipper out there ,is drooling at the prospect of being the program changer here....funny, jose alverado is a junior at g-tech is averaging 18pts per game, and you never hear his name
mentioned as far as press clippings go....i'm quite sure he would be getting
lots of attention at ru for being the point guard that helped us to the dance.
of course pike didn't have a bag of cash for him to play here...thats just my assumption. but remember the drama. it's gonna be us, or them.....i knew it would be them ....and guess what, g-tech really sucked this year...he might have just as well sucked with us at pt.gd., but he would have been in the spotlight here...i hope, and pray the * headband * is the real deal, and we have our program changer. for the next four years.
 
Mr Magoo said:
I hesitate to open with Young at the PG but I think he might until Mulcahy is ready, which I expect to happen next year. I think Mathis should be the odd man out as a starter but I sense that Pike treats him a little differently and I'm not sure he wont start. Regardless, my best guess:

Young
Baker
Harper
Eugene
Johnson

Harper, Eugene, and Johnson have to be locks.. The guards are up in the air a bit. Personally, I think Caleb could turn out to be a better player than Baker but Baker deserves a chance at the 2, since he's been forced to play out of position this year.
Click to expand...

like. I want to see Young's defense. Cause we need something up top. Sorry, Geo can not straight up defend. If he can get off ball and shine as the 2..wonderful. Another year of him as PG is same ol and going to be a disaster. I clearly believe this was why Young was brought in..well before Paul committed.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: A Dark Scarlet Knight, rubigtimenow and richthedentist
RC1978 said:
Bash me if you want but we will not be much better then this year with basically the same lineup. The "they are young" reasoning just doesn't work for me. Unless we find one or two players that can score night in, night out we will stay about the same. Yes, we will win a game here or there that we lost this year but that's about it IMO.

I am watching games every night lately and there are freshman that are stepping up and leading their teams and are not burnt out at the end of the year because they are young. Why is it that Rutgers freshman are the only ones that get tired by the end of the year?

I really like the kids Pike has brought to the Banks. They can shine here and there like Harper did the other night. But we need the type of kid that just gets it done every night. Until we get one or two of those type players we will stay around a .500 team. I really hope I am wrong.
Click to expand...
I agree with you 100% I said that last night before the game was even over. We need someone like a Palmer who can bail us out and score maybe Geo will take that step but he can't disappear like he did the last 3 games
 
All those people whining about how great other team's freshmen were--we still are not in a position to land 4 and 5 stars--especially since we play it straight, unlike some number of programs caught paying players big signing bonuses, and more to come as time goes on. If you cannot see that the roster is getting better with more people that can play well, but are maybe not elite, continue to be a Sunshine Soldier. Rutgers is a hard sell. You have to know what most people think of New Jersey, especially kids that grew up here.
Who wouldn't want to play for Bobby Hurley at ASU, say, instead of playing in New Jersey, where the only attraction is that it is close to NYC? Most elite basketball players are not interested in the academics of a school.
TL
 
  • Like
Reactions: A Dark Scarlet Knight
richthedentist said:
I agree with you 100% I said that last night before the game was even over. We need someone like a Palmer who can bail us out and score maybe Geo will take that step but he can't disappear like he did the last 3 games
Click to expand...

This is a big need. I will add, we need a guy in that 6'7 range that has length and long arms that get into the lane and finish. A Palmer type would be ideal. Also needs to be shooter.
 
RU-Choppin-Ohio said:
Said by?

I am sure Pikiell and Young discussed the role Pikiell envisions for him before he committed, so, what did Young say: From the article:

He said his role is “to be a point guard and help score the ball for my team.”


https://www.zagsblog.com/2018/04/21/rutgers-lands-texas-transfer-jacob-young/
Click to expand...
Fair enough, but I'm going by what we saw at Texas.
Honestly, I hope there was not some type of promise made during Young's recruitment, and Young plays wherever it benefits the team the most.
 
nikoru09 said:
your post is closer to the truth than most....when are we landing the next james bailey. quincy, or a phil sellers....a tried ,and true program changer.....possibly he's already here...still, pike ,and staff have to kick it up a notch...dam, you would think some blue chipper out there ,is drooling at the prospect of being the program changer here....funny, jose alverado is a junior at g-tech is averaging 18pts per game, and you never hear his name
mentioned as far as press clippings go....i'm quite sure he would be getting
lots of attention at ru for being the point guard that helped us to the dance.
of course pike didn't have a bag of cash for him to play here...thats just my assumption. but remember the drama. it's gonna be us, or them.....i knew it would be them ....and guess what, g-tech really sucked this year...he might have just as well sucked with us at pt.gd., but he would have been in the spotlight here...i hope, and pray the * headband * is the real deal, and we have our program changer. for the next four years.
Click to expand...

Of the three guys mentioned, only Sellers was an immediate out-of-the-gate sensation as a freshman.

Quincy Douby didn't come in as a tried and true program changer. He was a high-ceiling pure shooter who had only started playing basketball during high school, and the 6th man through most of his freshman season before earning a starting spot later in the year. He averaged 12.5 points as a freshman and 15.1 pts as a sophomore, which then ballooned to 25.4 as a junior phenom.

James Bailey also wasn't a program-changer in his freshman year, averaging just 8.5 points as the 6th highest scorer on the team and shooting .588 from the FT line. As a sophomore that went up to 16.7 and he became a double-double machine, and then as a junior it ballooned to 23.5.

As far as Alvarado, he's averaging 12.5 ppg and shooting .286 from the arc this season. I'm not so sure he'd be getting much different press attention than Baker is at this point.

Don't expect Mulcahy to somehow come in as an elite program changer, either. He's not a one-and-done guy who should be headed straight to the NBA instead of college, but a 3-4 year player who will develop over time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Night Man and koko2315
Greene Rice FIG said:
Anyone who thinks Young is the starting PG.....how many career assists does he have in 2 full years?
Click to expand...

I don't think he's the answer but might be a stopgap until Mulcahy is ready. I'm being hopeful that he can serve the role better than Baker.
 
I have no idea ...

But take carter and Johnson out of the equation for their 40 minutes at the five apot next year

And take Eugene 27 minutes a game at the four spot

That leaves ...133 minutes a game for these 6 guys ...22 per game for

Baker
Young
Mulchay
Mathis
Harper
Macconnell

Hint ...someone is going to left out of the rotation .

133 minutes a game is enough to barely keep 5 of the 6 happy...one of those isn’t playing next year

And that assumes that kiss doesn’t improve enough to expect to be in the mix ...or we
Don’t add anothr player At this position that would be an upgrade
 
  • Like
Reactions: rubigtimenow
Scarlet Shack said:
I have no idea ...

But take carter and Johnson out of the equation for their 40 minutes at the five apot next year

And take Eugene 27 minutes a game at the four spot

That leaves ...133 minutes a game for these 6 guys ...22 per game for

Baker
Young
Mulchay
Mathis
Harper
Macconnell

Hint ...someone is going to left out of the rotation .

133 minutes a game is enough to barely keep 5 of the 6 happy...one of those isn’t playing next year

And that assumes that kiss doesn’t improve enough to expect to be in the mix ...or we
Don’t add anothr player At this position that would be an upgrade
Click to expand...

That is also assuming that Carter sees 0 minutes at PF, and I don't think that will be the case. Doucoure will provide some minutes at the 5 (and possibly the 4), and Carter will see minutes at the 4. The expected 13 min at the PF spot for Harper may be more like 6-8.
 
RUChoppin said:
That is also assuming that Carter sees 0 minutes at PF, and I don't think that will be the case. Doucoure will provide some minutes at the 5 (and possibly the 4), and Carter will see minutes at the 4. The expected 13 min at the PF spot for Harper may be more like 6-8.
Click to expand...

Exactly ..unless we decide to play smaller with Harper playing a lot more four with Eugene playing some minute at the five

Going to have some players not getting minutes they think they deserve
 
tenor.gif
 
Scarlet Shack said:
Exactly ..unless we decide to play smaller with Harper playing a lot more four with Eugene playing some minute at the five

Going to have some players not getting minutes they think they deserve
Click to expand...

I think Pike does a pretty good job to stamp out that "deserve" mindset in favor of an "earned" mindset. You need to earn your minutes - practice hard, take your S&C seriously, get your shots up and extra work in, and then perform from tip to buzzer. Guys need to take advantage of the minutes they have on the floor, because there are other guards ready to glue them to the bench if they don't.
 
Of the 6 I could see 1 getting 12 minutes and 1 getting 15 minutes so that would increase the minutes for the other 4

Example
Baker 30
RHJ 26
Mathis 26
Young 24
Caleb 15
PM 12
 
  • Like
Reactions: gregkoko
Greene Rice FIG said:
Of the 6 I could see 1 getting 12 minutes and 1 getting 15 minutes so that would increase the minutes for the other 4

Example
Baker 30
RHJ 26
Mathis 26
Young 24
Caleb 15
PM 12
Click to expand...

I could see that ...question is ...is there enough program buy in that a frosh like Mulchay or a soph like Caleb will wait their turn?

Or what happens if Mulchay and young are better the geo on the floor? Will geo settle for 15 mpg a game if young and Mulchay deserve 25 plus

Depth is a great problem...if you can get the chemistry and buy in
 
Idk I’ve had enough of Geo getting 30+ minutes a game. With the guard depth next year there really isn’t a need for anyone to play 30 minutes, except for Eugene.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Goku
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S

Program issues start with recruting and player renention …..

Replies
52
Views
3K
Men's Basketball
needmorecowbell
needmorecowbell
S

I know most won’t agree, and won’t happen, BUT..here me out.

Replies
102
Views
4K
Men's Basketball
Scarlet83
S
bac2therac

GAME 18 NEBRASKA: Step by step, one by one

Replies
50
Views
2K
Men's Basketball
fluoxetine
F
D

What improved the most last night

Replies
1
Views
221
Men's Basketball
Rufaninga
Rufaninga
RUSCFORMERLYRULOU

A few quick observations from last night

Replies
13
Views
1K
Men's Basketball
PaKnight
P
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest posts

ADVERTISEMENT
Top Bottom
Back