We’re like #350 in effective field goal percentage. Congratulations, you’ve been proven wrong.
Still better off without Spencer & Mulcahy
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At least it’s better than the zero points Paul has been logging lately. Congrats, you’ve been proven wrong.
Even with just 2 points over his last 70 minutes, Mulcahy's season stats still (sadly) stack up favorably against the production of our guards so far. That's.... not good.
Buy this man a beer for using common sense which is clearly lacking in this thread.
The current crop of guards are worse in Rutgers system than Paul. Perhaps that’s a better way of putting it. We have years of evidence that support this statement.
You said this. I point out that this narrative is false - there wasn’t some drastically amazing bump in Cam’s offensive game. And then you say:
Some folks thought the returning guys from a championship team we’re going to outshine Cam. They turned out to be wrong.
How is that relevant to your point? Cam did well in our system. He’s the last name to throw out as an example if your worried about Pike not using guys like Dylan or Ace right.
Though some still won't admit that, lol
Except for his "mindless dribbling," which I don't agree with, everything else you mention was affected by his playing hurt most of the season. Kid had enormous heart and will to win, both which outweighed some of his metrics.
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Hyatt mentor him? You certainly don't want a guy who can't defend mentoring him, nor do you want a guy who makes poor offensive decisions mentoring him - two problems GG has. He just needs to be coached. Can this staff do that is the question.
Paul makes other players around him better. Our guards don't measure up in that area.
He certainly isn’t doing anything at Washington. He has a total of 2 points in his last 3 games and has only played about 17 minutes each game.
Maybe Pike did, but he sure as hell doesn't now. Paul also has a better skill set to play the point than does Derek. Paul and JD have been Pike's only true PG's.
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Derek was made the pg and Paul got moved off the ball at the end of last year and team immediately improved. Washington has down the same this season. Paul isn’t a pg for any decent P5 school and never has been.
Yea that’s not true at all. He was a cancer in the locker room. He’s Washington’s problem now 😂
Nah. That’s not really true. Paul is a baby and has a temper. But he’s otherwise a solid leader. He didn’t handle our demise following Mag’s injury well. But to disregard everything else he’s done and how he interacted with others the other 3.5 seasons he played for us is just silly. He would’ve been a major help this year. Regardless of what he’s doing at Washington.
Ron Harper jr basically confirmed he doesn’t like him on Twitter and PIke wouldn’t take him back after he left. It’s all fairly obvious. Paul cares about Paul.
I mean, nobody is disputing that the way he left was pretty messed up. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t a big part of our success while he was at Rutgers though. He played a ton during the years we had good teams.
Paul’s FG% on the season at Washington is 44.6%. He’s never shot less than 41.6% in his college career. My gosh - Caleb made 39.5% or more of his shots last year and it was his second worst percentage output in 5 seasons. Don’t you guys remember how everyone wished Caleb would take less shots? On this team, he might be one of our “go to” scoring options at guard. Simpson 33.1%, Noah 33.3%, Davis 34.4%, Gavin 34.2%. These are dreadful numbers. A William’s still under 50 attempts for the season.
The operative word in "go to scoring options" is SCORE not shooting pct. Paul's 5.6 ppg average this season would rank him behind Simpson, Fernandes and Gavin and is only ahead of Williams and Davis (barely) because he logs more minutes ... otherwise he'd be behind them too. Sorry, but he doesn't bring enough in the other areas of his game to offset that lack of production.
It's mid January 2024.....if we are fair and looking at how last year ended and how this year has started for RU AND around the B1G, how many more games would RU have won, if Paul and Cam were the guards??
I could say "Ohio State', but our guards played lights out at OSU....the reality is neither player so far or as a tandem, impacts the win/loss column.
Are we making up a 10 to 12 point difference between RU at Iowa or vs Mississippi State??? What about MSU this past Sunday....?? Last year we lost by 13 at MSU, this year it was 18....and MSU was better last year with Hauser and RU was better last year with Caleb.
But this was and never was a "ONE year decision"....which is why so many fans fail and continue to be narrow minded
So, I will repeat the same thing from months ago....how does having Paul and Cam, at 32 MPG, help RUs chances for success this year AND, how does that help RU in 2024-25??
The fact or reality is, we are already seeing fans starting to ask questions NOW, about next year.....or fans are starting to grasp and understand that NEXT year's roster, needs help too.
How does 32 to 34 minutes a game for Spencer and Mulcahy, benefit RU in 2024-25.....
Does that help solve the question of whether JaMicheal Davis is part of the solution next year off the bench, if he barely played this year?? How does he make mistakes or get better, by NOT playing in 2023-24??
While Simpson has been up and down this year, so has Mulcahy been for most of his career....one player is out of eligibility after this season and one player has 2 years left after this season.
If the difference is "marginal" on production between the 2 players this year, how does Simpson barely playing more than 10 minutes a game this year, help in 2024-25??
The reasons why people are now discussing "next year ", is because there's a bigger picture or outlook beyond just 2023-24.....and fans still can't answer how not playing Simpson or Davis or even Griffiths, would help solve these questions for next year.
At least, if and when Jeremiah Williams gets cleared by the NCAA and plays at some point this year, it becomes another piece of the puzzle, that becomes someone here NEXT year.
Would RU have beaten Princeton with Cam and Paul.....?? Maybe.....it's certainly possible or more likely.....
But outside of that game so far this year, which Princeton outplayed RU, it's not a given or a lock, RU beats Princeton with Cam and Paul.....it's just not realistic.
So there's more to RU basketball and the program besides this one season. And once fans accept this reality, we're better off.
OR
Someone explain to me, how RU would have to essentially land another 3 portal kids, if you ran it back and played Paul and Cam 32+ minutes a game. There would be no clarity on whether Simpson or Davis or Gavin are parts of the equation for next year or are not.
By having no availability or minutes for them this year with Cam and Paul in the way, someone tell me what next year's backcourt looks like??? Dylan Harper and who else exactly would have any experience??
Fans would not be penciling in Simpson for starting minutes or Davis for starting minutes next year or minutes off the bench, by not having them play much this year.
I am starting to think very little of what happens this year moves the needle in preparation for 2024-25.
1. I think the defensive philosophies will be dumbed down AND the "requirements" in terms of a level to be on the court is reduced. I am starting to think Pike has a very difficult decisions here. What does 2025-26 look like? Are we wasting 2025-26 for 2024-25? You will NOT get good offensive results for Dylan asking him to be point guard, leading scorer and learn how to play D...switch, fight thru screens o the low side.
2. Offense has to look completely different than it is now. Are we going to use the same sets with totally different and dynamic weapons?
3. Most of the 2023-24 players will probably not be back or if they are may not play much.
1. I think the defensive philosophies will be dumbed down AND the "requirements" in terms of a level to be on the court is reduced. I am starting to think Pike has a very difficult decisions here. What does 2025-26 look like? Are we wasting 2025-26 for 2024-25? You will NOT get good offensive results for Dylan asking him to be point guard, leading scorer and learn how to play D...switch, fight thru screens o the low side.
2. Offense has to look completely different than it is now. Are we going to use the same sets with totally different and dynamic weapons?
3. Most of the 2023-24 players will probably not be back or if they are may not play much.
These guys are going to have to improve a TON in order to be part of a rotation earning double digit minutes on a good team.
I am fully there with #3. If that's not the case then I'll be with you wondering if we make the tournament.
To improve you need to play in games. Fans need to realize players need to make mistakes and develop ... especially if they're not ready made 5 stars.
Fans and staff.
It's easy in football. Lose 7 games and no bowl game? Okay play the underclassmen to get then experience to prep for next year.
Not as simple in basketball.
When does the staff start letting players make mistakes and develop? Instead of trying to thread the needle with players who are gone (and still losing anyway).
I said it in another thread: Gavin, Chol, Simpson, Davis, Woolf and Ogbole need to get significant minutes to see what we have for next year.
Is Mag returning? Staff needs to start getting an idea of where Mags head is at now. Reportedly he already had one foot out the door last off season.
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