Still better off without Spencer & Mulcahy

[RedTeam1994]

We can be better without Paul.

Not sure how someone could say we are better without Spencer.

agree. and have said so all along. and I know I am not the only one.

moving away from Paul (as much as he seems like a good kid/ RU man) I think was mandatory.

Cam - we could definitely use his shooting. and with more guards he wouldnt have been relied on to do more than he is capable (e.g., run point). he would have been a true 2G for us. and we absolutely could have used his scoring.

 

[mugrat86]

Cam is a sharpshooter. Who has replaced that sniper ability ?

Gavin

 

[AreYouNUTS]

Both guys are good players but they moved on and that's fine with me .
If we get guard play like we did against Howard, we won't miss either.
Noah and Simpson should def be the starters with Davis in first. I see Williams as the 4th guard. All 3 can shoot off the dribble and create for themselves which Cam and PM couldn't do.
If Simpson can become a consistent double digit scorer then we are better then we were last year for sure
Davis could be the recruiting steal of the year in the big ten

I said this on TOS last year and got lambasted by someone.

 

[AreYouNUTS]

Cam is a sharpshooter. Who has replaced that sniper ability ?

Gavin is a better shooter. Can hit spot-up or on the move. He's only 5-games into his frosh year. Watch.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

Gavin is a better shooter. Can hit spot-up or on the move. He's only 5-games into his frosh year. Watch.

Hope so, but we’ll see

 

[Caliknight]

Paul and Cam would be awesome for this team.

Anyone saying otherwise is delusional.

 

[mugrat86]

Paul and Cam would be awesome for this team.

Anyone saying otherwise is delusional.

Paul would make this team worse. Love what I see from guards last few games. Once Mag comes back, their press will be lethal

 

[Caliknight]

We can agree to disagree.

Paul is much better than Fernandes. Cam can flat out shoot and as we know, you can never have enough shooters. Imagine having him and Gavin on the floor together.

 

[Nycrusupporter]

Newton and Karaban are both better and more important to UConn than Cam.

Cam is not the focal point of the offense there. Here he would be first or second option.

Guys like Simpson and Griffiths can take advantage of this opportunity for more shots and PT.

By the end of the season, Stephon Castle will probably be their best player if he can get healthy quickly. UConn is absolutely loaded, and they match up well with just about any style of basketball. They have as good a chance to repeat as anyone since 2000.

 

[Nycrusupporter]

Both guys are good players but they moved on and that's fine with me .
If we get guard play like we did against Howard, we won't miss either.
Noah and Simpson should def be the starters with Davis in first. I see Williams as the 4th guard. All 3 can shoot off the dribble and create for themselves which Cam and PM couldn't do.
If Simpson can become a consistent double digit scorer then we are better then we were last year for sure
Davis could be the recruiting steal of the year in the big ten

Cam to me is a much bigger loss than Paul, as long as Noah builds on what he did the in the last game, because Paul’s role would have been very different had he come back. Where it will really matter is not games like Howard, but when we play a top 40 team and we get punched in the mouth, do we have anyone who can keep us in the game? So far we have not looked like a team that can play with the better teams.

 

[RUChoppin]

What I am saying makes 100% sense.....PPG is a part of what a defense has to defend, 1st, 2nd and 3rd and what shot attempts are open based on what the defense decides to try and stop 1st, 2nd or 3rd....if you can't understand that, not sure what to tell you, if you don't actually watch the games and just regurgitate stats.

It is the same silly nonsense about watching Cliff get single coverage and as soon as he gets the ball, a 2nd defender immediately comes to help, and then asking why Cliffs production is down or why his numbers aren't better.......well, duh, if you are doubled, it's his responsibility to PASS the ball, without turning it over, so a teammate thats open, can get the ball to shoot, drive and score.

OR

It is like saying "why did RU score 85 points vs Howard", without a barrage of 3 pointers.....well, maybe the press with better on the ball pressure, caused turnovers....maybe the turnovers were unforced and Howard was just sloppy OR maybe the stress levels of Simpson, Fernandes and Davis far exceeds as 3 players, what we tried to ask Mawot Mag to do last year, acting as a 1-man press.

There are things that are a result of how the team wants to play the game that dictates or tries to limit certain players from scoring and making others take shots. Spencer is not the 1st, 2nd or 3rd option on UConn, he benefits from the talent around him. It is not surprising whatsoever, that a player asked to do less or just shoot, and playing with more skilled talented players, would find open shots.

LOL - maybe if he continues his pace as the 5th option, he'll end up 1st team All Big East. The mental gymnastics here are amazing.

 

[PaKnight]

Cam has been UConn's best player so far. That said

(1) It's four games
(2) He's been shooting 46.4% from three; he won't keep that up all year
(3) They've only played 1 real team.

It's probably a little early to evaluate.

He shot 43% last season.

 

[fluoxetine]

He shot 43% last season.

True. Won't be surprised if he continues shooting >40%. Would still take the under on 46.4%.

 

[Scarlet Blind]

That one real team, Indiana, struggled against 3 meh opponents at home. They have dropped to #79 in Ken Pom over 4 games. They beat 1-4 FGCU by 6(No D1 wins), 0-4 Army by 8, and 0-3 Wright St by 9. Let's not make Indiana into a NCAA tourny team yet. They might lose to Louisville today the way Louisville almost knocked off Texas yesterday.

If you base it on Usage, Cam is #4 behind Clingan, Newton and Castle but ahead of Karaban.

 

[ru66]

People forget the chemistry issue we had last year. Chemistry is much better without one of them.

Yup people who are actually close to program make cringing factual expressions when Mulc is brought up about his locker room likeability

 

[SBP]

Cam is a sharpshooter. Who has replaced that sniper ability ?

CLearly by committee..if not Gavin alone.

 

[RUJMM78]

That one real team, Indiana, struggled against 3 meh opponents at home. They have dropped to #79 in Ken Pom over 4 games. They beat 1-4 FGCU by 6(No D1 wins), 0-4 Army by 8, and 0-3 Wright St by 9. Let's not make Indiana into a NCAA tourny team yet. They might lose to Louisville today the way Louisville almost knocked off Texas yesterday.

If you base it on Usage, Cam is #4 behind Clingan, Newton and Castle but ahead of Karaban.

Spencer is starting on a team that might win a second straight national championship.How many players transferring from Rutgers can make such a statement.Hurley wouldn't be starting Spencer if he didn't think he had the talent.

 

[Caliknight]

It appears some of our fanbase doesn't realize that in basketball you can have more than one person who can shoot playing at the same time as another person who can shoot.

This will really blow their minds. You can actually play 5 guys at the same time that can shoot if you have them.

 

[Scangg]

It appears some of our fanbase doesn't realize that in basketball you can have more than one person who can shoot playing at the same time as another person who can shoot.

This will really blow their minds. You can actually play 5 guys at the same time that can shoot if you have them.

This. Everytime I see this fake Cam vs Gavin argument it's really annoying. Both would play. Both would play a lot. You can have 2 shooters.

Anyone who thinks we are a better team with Austin Williams over Cam Spencer has an agenda

Hawk is just defending his bad take that Cam is actually not good. He clearly is. He's starting on the 5th ranked team in the country and performing well. Mental gymnastics trying to justify it are impressive. Mag-esque

 

[RUChoppin]

This. Everytime I see this fake Cam vs Gavin argument it's really annoying. Both would play. Both would play a lot. You can have 2 shooters.

Anyone who thinks we are a better team with Austin Williams over Cam Spencer has an agenda

Hawk is just defending his bad take that Cam is actually not good. He clearly is. He's starting on the 5th ranked team in the country and performing well. Mental gymnastics trying to justify it are impressive. Mag-esque

Once the lineups got settled and Mag was healthy, we'd likely have been looking at 25-30 min each down the final stretch for Spencer, Fernandes, Omoruyi, Mag, and Hyatt. The 30-45 min remaining at the three guard spots would have been split between Simpson/Griffiths. Griffiths wouldn't have been backing up Fernandes' minutes, but would have been picking up time behind Spencer/Mag at the 2/3.

If Mulcahy also returned and took 25-30 min at the 3, then there would have been very few minutes left for Griffiths at all... and if he started earning more minutes throughout the year, they would have had to come at the expense of Mulcahy/Spencer.

With Spencer/Mulcahy gone, it opens up a lot more minutes at the guard spots for Griffiths/Davis to develop. We might be worse for it this season, but I think that extra experience will pay dividends toward the end of this year into next.

 

[Scangg]

Once the lineups got settled and Mag was healthy, we'd likely have been looking at 25-30 min each down the final stretch for Spencer, Fernandes, Omoruyi, Mag, and Hyatt. The 30-45 min remaining at the three guard spots would have been split between Simpson/Griffiths. Griffiths wouldn't have been backing up Fernandes' minutes, but would have been picking up time behind Spencer/Mag at the 2/3.

If Mulcahy also returned and took 25-30 min at the 3, then there would have been very few minutes left for Griffiths at all... and if he started earning more minutes throughout the year, they would have had to come at the expense of Mulcahy/Spencer.

With Spencer/Mulcahy gone, it opens up a lot more minutes at the guard spots for Griffiths/Davis to develop. We might be worse for it this season, but I think that extra experience will pay dividends toward the end of this year into next.

Great programs reload not rebuild. I'm sure Cliff cares about this season even though some here seem to want to punt it like it doesn't matter

Sure, more minutes for the freshman is nice. Griffiths and Davis both would still have played if Cam was here. There were enough minutes. Plus there are always injuries throughout a season. We would be undefeated with Cam this season. Who knows how good the team could be?

 

[mugrat86]

Cam was a loss Paul was addition by subtraction

 

[SJScarlet]

Great programs reload not rebuild. I'm sure Cliff cares about this season even though some here seem to want to punt it like it doesn't matter

Sure, more minutes for the freshman is nice. Griffiths and Davis both would still have played if Cam was here. There were enough minutes. Plus there are always injuries throughout a season. We would be undefeated with Cam this season. Who knows how good the team could be?

To be fair, we’d be undefeated if our guards had some coffee before the Princeton game. There was no real reason for that performance.

 

[Scarlet Shack]

We are trying to play faster for this year and forward

We don’t have enough seen to conclude that Paul and cam woukd have fit in the style that we are trying to play this year and next …our team …they are still in growth mode right now

They may have fit…they might not

I think you need to get to the middle of January to see how this all to start to shake out before saying one way or the other …

I will say one thing , the ball sharing is very good with this group so far …and the chemistry looks potentially better

Let it play out..and let’s focus on who is here and who will be here, and not who isn’t

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

5 games in and people are making proclamations

Is this a joke ? You were writing off Noah Fernandes as "not a B1G player" into Game 1.

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

Another bizarre take. Not sure how the rest of the season will go, but through 4 games, Spencer has played the most minutes for UConn, and is tied for 2nd most shot attempts, and is 3rd in points scored per game. Not sure how you interpret that as being the "5th option".

Agree on other points - we'd have been better with him this year (in place of Austin Williams, who we got as a replacement after he transferred), but his departure opens up minutes for other players to develop (Griffiths/Davis).

I think we will know a lot more about Cam at UConn when they start playing Big East teams every game that will probably be playing 3 faster guards/Perimeter players that will pressure him man to man. That was his Achilles heel last year.

They played Indiana but he was matched up with slow Trey Galloway.

 

[RUJMM78]

I think we will know a lot more about Cam at UConn when they start playing Big East teams every game that will probably be playing 3 faster guards/Perimeter players that will pressure him man to man. That was his Achilles heel last year.

They played Indiana but he was matched up with slow Trey Galloway.

UConn plays a uptempo offense off missed shots that create shots for outside shooters.The half court offense has passing and player movement creating dunks and wide open three point shots.UConn has shooters/scorers at every position which means Spencer isn't getting extra defensive coverage which occurred at Rutgers.A perfect fit for his style of play.

 

[ImBadRU]

Cam still gets blown by on defense. He gets points and gives up points.

 

[RutgersChow]

Both guys are good players but they moved on and that's fine with me .
If we get guard play like we did against Howard, we won't miss either.
Noah and Simpson should def be the starters with Davis in first. I see Williams as the 4th guard. All 3 can shoot off the dribble and create for themselves which Cam and PM couldn't do.
If Simpson can become a consistent double digit scorer then we are better then we were last year for sure
Davis could be the recruiting steal of the year in the big ten

Maybe. Hope so, but it was Howard. Last year we were just blowing away similar competition as we've played thus far. We miss PM's assists a lot.

 

[ru-baby]

I'm all for supporting who is here, but you can't deny that a certain degree of toughness has vanished. Any yes a lot of that was Caleb, but Paul and Cam were also tough defenders and Paul also a rebounder, especially on the O end.

It's a different makeup this year. BTW no way we should have not been an ncaa team last year an the NIT L doesnt change that.

 

[bitnez]

I'm all for supporting who is here, but you can't deny that a certain degree of toughness has vanished. Any yes a lot of that was Caleb, but Paul and Cam were also tough defenders and Paul also a rebounder, especially on the O end.

It's a different makeup this year. BTW no way we should have not been an ncaa team last year an the NIT L doesnt change that.

It’s been 4 games. And I appreciate it’s not you, but you would’ve thought we won 25 games last year with Cam and Paul. They played a lot — and it wasn’t good enough.

 

[Scangg]

We are trying to play faster for this year and forward

We don’t have enough seen to conclude that Paul and cam woukd have fit in the style that we are trying to play this year and next …

This is a strange take considering both Paul and Cam moved to teams that play faster than Rutgers and are doing well so far

This take would have made sense prior to the season

 

[goru7]

This is a strange take considering both Paul and Cam moved to teams that play faster than Rutgers and are doing well so far

This take would have made sense prior to the season

Hawk dies on a lot of hills. If he watched even a half of UConn basketball this year , and can come here and say we do not miss Cam is just preposterous. If he watched Cam play against an athletic Texas team and still get his 3 to go and also drive and also throw some great passes, that should change his opinion , but it is Hawk and he will die on that hill.
Really unique concept but having Cam and Gavin on the same floor at the same time will stress any defense to the max. Having 2 shooters that have the ability to connect from 3 allows you to play with the elite teams. I guess Danny Hurley is a dummy starting him and playing him so many minutes. Even with his defensive deficiencies , he got beat by some of the Texas guards , he was out there in all the crunch time moments. We miss Cam and he would make us better and more dangerous, giving us a Marquette and Creighton offensive explosion potential.

Now clearly having Cam and Paul would have affected Derek , Noah ‘s and JMike ‘s minutes and impact on the way this team plays this year both from a minutes perspective as well as a leadership standpoint as Derek, Noah and JMike would be more deferring to Cam and Paul and not growing as much as possible. So it is not that we are better without them , but we are able to play more uptempo and allow the 3 of the guards to control the ball, the decision making , shots , passes that would take a hit because of less minutes and deferral. They have to continue to grow and get better every game like they have the last 3, and if Gavin starts having one of these 5-5 shooting days from three then we will not be lamenting at all. As it turns out , this team’s potential is greater in how the youngsters will be able to grow and have the minutes to play thru mistakes.

 

[RU848789]

We know what we were with Cam and Paul — an NIT team. We needed to improve the athleticism and speed of our play. Whether we accomplished that with the guys we have now will be answered in March.

That's not a fair assessment, as we were easily an NCAA 8/9 seed before Mag got hurt and we finished 2-6, blowing our bid (and 1-1 in the tourney).

 

[goru7]

That's not a fair assessment, as we were easily an NCAA 8/9 seed before Mag got hurt and we finished 2-6, blowing our bid (and 1-1 in the tourney).

What kind of Rutgers fan says we didn’t deserve to be a tourney team . To you geniuses that forgot we beat Michigan , a tourney team in the Big 10 tourney that was a play in game for all intents and purposes , and then 68 out of 68 top bracketologists had us in. Just because the tourney committee was incompetent and brain dead and f—-ked up , everyone in college basketball that knew anything thought we were screwed. For Bitnez to post that stuff, requires him to be stripped of his RU fandom.

 

[willisneverrana43]

The things this board can talk itself into.

 

[Scarlet Shack]

This is a strange take considering both Paul and Cam moved to teams that play faster than Rutgers and are doing well so far

This take would have made sense prior to the season

I don’t want to get sucked into the debate by taking sides …but if Paul and cam were rhe first two guards this year …don’t think we could play faster This year

Playing faster means having guards who can get all the way to the rim …and neither really can.

I’m not saying that we are going to be successfully playing faster this year yet…but I really don’t think we would be able to play faster with Paul and cam here with the style of player they were

They moving to teams already established with higher tempo makes then part of a faster team …not the ones making the speed go

Big difference , IMO

 

[bitnez]

What kind of Rutgers fan says we didn’t deserve to be a tourney team . To you geniuses that forgot we beat Michigan , a tourney team in the Big 10 tourney that was a play in game for all intents and purposes , and then 68 out of 68 top bracketologists had us in. Just because the tourney committee was incompetent and brain dead and f—-ked up , everyone in college basketball that knew anything thought we were screwed. For Bitnez to post that stuff, requires him to be stripped of his RU fandom.

Sounds great except we didn’t make the tournament. And part of the reason is that when Mag went down Cam and Paul (and others of course) didn’t do enough to make up for his loss.

And if your goal is simply to make the tournament, I’m totally fine with you thinking I’m not a good fan. Haha.

 

[bitnez]

That's not a fair assessment, as we were easily an NCAA 8/9 seed before Mag got hurt and we finished 2-6, blowing our bid (and 1-1 in the tourney).

I don’t disagree that the Mag injury killed us but the facts are with Cam as our best offensive player and Paul handling the ball most games we did finish 2-6 down the stretch, and we were an NIT team. It’s not an opinion — it’s what actually happened.

Now here’s my opinion: just making the tournament is not enough anymore. I feel nothing for Cam but I loved Paul. But, it was time to take this team in a different direction. Yes, Pike would’ve taken both back, especially Cam, but bringing in Noah and recruiting completely different guards than Paul shows that Pike thought a change was needed too.

 

[RU-ROCS]

People speculating that Pike told Cam he was in for a lesser role / lesser minutes are CRAZY lol. Cam was supposed to be the building block for the season at guard, with the additions of Fernandes / Griffiths adding more drive-and-kick / floor spacing ability respectively. No team in the country is running off a high-volume 40+% three-point shooter, no less one who led the team in scoring the prior year.

“Pike told him he’d get less minutes so he ran off to play 30 minutes a game for the reigning national champs” is an insane belief to hold

He left, he wanted to do his own thing, and Pike was forced to adapt. End of story

Right, except for one important omission - Cam left for a boat load of NIL money that RU could not come close to matching.