Stony Brook Grad Transfer, Akwasi Yeboah HAS Visited RU

[anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy]

Mannnnnnn I reallllly want this kid. Been saying it for over a month now. I really think if we land him that puts this team over the edge and sends us to the tourney. Here are his junior highlights. He just does so many things well. He's gotta sweet stroke from 3, he can go one on one, can play/defend on the block, can run out. We need him.

Do you guys have any idea what a 5 man lineup of geo-young-harper-yeboah-eugene would do to teams!!?

 

[TobyTyler1]

 

[kcg88]

Bummed we didn't land him on his visit.

 

[TobyTyler1]

Pike recruit, correct?

 

[Shell21]

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Mannnnnnn I reallllly want this kid. Been saying it for over a month now. I really think if we land him that puts this team over the edge and sends us to the tourney. Here are his junior highlights. He just does so many things well. He's gotta sweet stroke from 3, he can go one on one, can play/defend on the block, can run out. We need him.

Do you guys have any idea what a 5 man lineup of geo-young-harper-yeboah-eugene would do to teams!!?

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Love the potential of that small ball lineup. Would be tough to defend, especially if Eugene can continue to improve his shot. For this to be effective, he needs to be able to step out and make threes and midrange shots because other bigs won't want to come out and guard him and will dare him to shoot. I'd also love for us to go to more of an nba flow offense similar to what the nets and warriors do when they go small. Lots of ball movement and spacers all over the floor.

View embedded media

Mannnnnnn I reallllly want this kid. Been saying it for over a month now. I really think if we land him that puts this team over the edge and sends us to the tourney. Here are his junior highlights. He just does so many things well. He's gotta sweet stroke from 3, he can go one on one, can play/defend on the block, can run out. We need him.

Do you guys have any idea what a 5 man lineup of geo-young-harper-yeboah-eugene would do to teams!!?

View embedded media

 

[rufeelinit]

Seems like he would be a nice add but he could be legitimately wondering how much playing time he would get here versus other opportunities.

 

[RUChow]

View embedded media

Mannnnnnn I reallllly want this kid. Been saying it for over a month now. I really think if we land him that puts this team over the edge and sends us to the tourney. Here are his junior highlights. He just does so many things well. He's gotta sweet stroke from 3, he can go one on one, can play/defend on the block, can run out. We need him.

Do you guys have any idea what a 5 man lineup of geo-young-harper-yeboah-eugene would do to teams!!?

View embedded media

Not as much as a line up without one of them and with Johnson. We would get pounded inside in the Big 10.

 

[knights1212]

I have also wanted him for the last month. Pikiell and Young recruited him to Stony Brook. He would be outstanding to run out there with Eugene and could be extra insurance for Eugene if he is not 100 %. He is supposed to be an outstanding young man. I sure hope he decides to play for Steve.

 

[Scarlet Shack]

Seems like he would be a nice add but he could be legitimately wondering how much playing time he would get here versus other opportunities.

That’s my exact concern

 

[Degaz-RU]

That’s my exact concern

Me as well. Wonder what the roster situations look like at the other schools.

Hopefully he feels more comfortable here since Pike recruited him to USB.

 

[RutgHoops]

In three years the only "small ball" lineup Coach P has played was Freeman and Eugene together last season in a small handful of OOC games. And he never played that lineup in conference.

 

[higgins3]

Akwasi coming here would a huge benefit to the team.

They would be very deep. As mentioned, since he and Omoruyi can shoot, the opportunity for small ball is there. In the past, that opportunity hasn't been there.

Harper would greatly improve as well as the competition would increase.

 

[80RU]

Around the basket, in traffic, he reminds me a little bit of Kelvin Troy.

 

[anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy]

Not as much as a line up without one of them and with Johnson. We would get pounded inside in the Big 10.

Obviously in the big ten you dont give that lineup that many minutes. On the other hand, maybe WE dictate what other teams do by throwing a lineup like that out there. They wanna throw 2 bigs against that lineup? We have guys that’ll shoot over them. I’ll trade 3 for 2 alllllll day

 

[RU-ROCS]

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Mannnnnnn I reallllly want this kid. Been saying it for over a month now. I really think if we land him that puts this team over the edge and sends us to the tourney. Here are his junior highlights. He just does so many things well. He's gotta sweet stroke from 3, he can go one on one, can play/defend on the block, can run out. We need him.

Do you guys have any idea what a 5 man lineup of geo-young-harper-yeboah-eugene would do to teams!!?

View embedded media

We really need a big man. If he was a few inches taller I'd be excited.

 

[anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy]

In three years the only "small ball" lineup Coach P has played was Freeman and Eugene together last season in a small handful of OOC games. And he never played that lineup in conference.

Vs illinois this year we went small ball for the final 10 minutes. Difference is, Yeboah is a better post defender and couldve bodied giorgi. That game was our best offensive output of the year

 

[anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy]

We really need a big man. If he was a few inches taller I'd be excited.

I highlyyyyy suggest watching game tape on him. In particular vs south carolina. He matched up with a 7’0 260 kid and more than held his own, honestly got the best of him

 

[anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy]

Seems like he would be a nice add but he could be legitimately wondering how much playing time he would get here versus other opportunities.

Thats gonna be a question anywhere. Were not the only team in america that has talent

 

[Scangg]

I highlyyyyy suggest watching game tape on him. In particular vs south carolina. He matched up with a 7’0 260 kid and more than held his own, honestly got the best of him

If he can play above his size in the post and be able to defend the perimeter and pick n rolls that would be very useful for our D. Even if people aren't too high on him, EO insurance alone makes it a big get. No guarantee his knee holds up all year

 

[kcg88]

If he can play above his size in the post and be able to defend the perimeter and pick n rolls that would be very useful for our D. Even if people aren't too high on him, EO insurance alone makes it a big get. No guarantee his knee holds up all year

His game is very similar to Eugene's. He kind of has an old-man game in the paint with pivots, shoulder fakes, hesitations, etc. He'd be a great get for the frontcourt depth.

 

[HeavenUniv.]

I wonder if this is the kid who was on campus last Friday

 

[Mr Magoo]

I didn't really want him originally but now that it's nearly May and we have two scholarships open, I really want him.

 

[rubigtimenow]

His game is very similar to Eugene's. He kind of has an old-man game in the paint with pivots, shoulder fakes, hesitations, etc. He'd be a great get for the frontcourt depth.

I agree, it wasn't hard to see his similarities to Gene's game. The one bright difference was obviously his 3pt shooting stroke/confidence.

 

[RUJMM78]

Seems like he would be a nice add but he could be legitimately wondering how much playing time he would get here versus other opportunities.

If this recruit really is a consistent 3 point shooter,he would get plenty of playing time because that was a weakness of last seasons team.

 

[Scarlet Shack]

Around the basket, in traffic, he reminds me a little bit of Kelvin Troy.

That’s a good analogy. Of course, I don’t think he plays man defense as good is Kelvin

 

[Degaz-RU]

His game is very similar to Eugene's. He kind of has an old-man game in the paint with pivots, shoulder fakes, hesitations, etc. He'd be a great get for the frontcourt depth.

True, similar game to EO, but Yeboah is a more accomplished and more high volume 3-point shooter. In 2018-19, he shot 66-209 from 3-pt range, which was good for 31.6%, so not a really high percentage, but certainly a credible threat who had many games in which he hit 3+ threes per game. In fact, in most games, he SHOT 5 to 8 threes, and usually hit at least 2 of them, with several games hitting 3 or more.

 

[Degaz-RU]

True, similar game to EO, but Yeboah is a more accomplished and more high volume 3-point shooter. In 2018-19, he shot 66-209 from 3-pt range, which was good for 31.6%, so not a really high percentage, but certainly a credible threat who had many games in which he hit 3+ threes per game. In fact, in most games, he SHOT 5 to 8 threes, and usually hit at least 2 of them, with several games hitting 3 or more.

https://stonybrookathletics.com/cumestats.aspx?path=mbball

If you click on this link, and then click on Yeboah's name, it pulls up his game-by-game stats.

 

[gordel1]

I am concerned with the relationship with Pikiell and the fact that he has visited that RU isn't seemingly further along with this and the fact they seem to be putting all their transfer eggs into the Yeboah basket. Don't have a good feeling here.

 

[Degaz-RU]

https://stonybrookathletics.com/cumestats.aspx?path=mbball

If you click on this link, and then click on Yeboah's name, it pulls up his game-by-game stats.

Eugene was 14-45 (31.1%) from three-point range this year, so a similar overall percentage as Yeboah. But keep in mind Eugene started the year 7 for 10 in the first three games, so he only shot 7 for 35 (20%) in the last 28 games, never hitting more than ONE in a game.

 

[RUsojo]

A lot of dots that seem to be connecting to RU. Wouldn’t expect this one to last much longer given the circumstances of his recruitment.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

I think he will go to Clemson or Marquette

 

[NewJerseyHawk]

I am concerned with the relationship with Pikiell and the fact that he has visited that RU isn't seemingly further along with this and the fact they seem to be putting all their transfer eggs into the Yeboah basket. Don't have a good feeling here.

What gives you the impression that RU even wants a grad transfer or any grad transfer??

If the player isn't capable of starting for RU at the 4, do we need that player??....it's not a given that Yeboah starts at RU...and we have enough guards, because we restocked in 2018.

I don't see an urgent or pressing need for any grad transfer and a couple of grad transfers have already been recruited over (aka, the kid that picked Kentucky and Calipari immediately visited Virginia Tech PF Kerry Blackshear.

 

[Treeman]

Yeah, good call. Better to keep 2 open ships for the walks-ons next year.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

The roster needs help, now

 

[dkostus]

I think people are being somewhat melodramatic. I like the 11 players currently on the roster and it's already clear that some are going to be squeezed out of the rotation. If we get someone Pike wants, great. If not, I still have high expectations for next year

 

[NewJerseyHawk]

The roster could use Yeboah but it's not a must have...it's a nice to have....we went through the same discussion last spring on Tarin Smith from Duquesne and PG...and we did fine anyway.

I think Yeboah ultimately will decide on RU, but it's not life or death if he doesn't.

 

[kcg88]

What gives you the impression that RU even wants a grad transfer or any grad transfer??

If the player isn't capable of starting for RU at the 4, do we need that player??....it's not a given that Yeboah starts at RU...and we have enough guards, because we restocked in 2018.

I don't see an urgent or pressing need for any grad transfer and a couple of grad transfers have already been recruited over (aka, the kid that picked Kentucky and Calipari immediately visited Virginia Tech PF Kerry Blackshear.

I'd say the fact that Yeboah was on campus is a good indicator that they.want a grad transfer.

Moreover there's a certain intangible quality to recruiting momentum and turning Rutgers into a place that players want to come to. If Pikiell can't bring in guys he legitimately wants (and all indicates are he wants Yeboah) coming off an improved season with the practice facility opening... Then I think that's a legitimate concern. Not a "omg he should be fired" concern but it's not nothing.

Ultimately the recruiting class will be judged later, not now. But after holding an open scholarship last year and having two open into late April I don't think it's crazy to discuss how the recruiting strategy is working. Far as I can tell Pikiell zeroes in on the guys he wants and is relentless. Sometimes it works (Mathis, Mulcahy) and sometimes it doesn't (Hyatt, Massoud). But it's absolutely worth talking about doing things this way vs. the Seton Hall (in on nearly every transfer) or Kansas State (they cast a wide, wide net in terms of offering high schoolers, not always commitable of course) method.

The Issa thing definitely blindsided them but it's college basketball. You've always got to be ready for roster turnover.

 

[TDIrish27]

I'd say the fact that Yeboah was on campus is a good indicator that they.want a grad transfer.

Moreover there's a certain intangible quality to recruiting momentum and turning Rutgers into a place that players want to come to. If Pikiell can't bring in guys he legitimately wants (and all indicates are he wants Yeboah) coming off an improved season with the practice facility opening... Then I think that's a legitimate concern. Not a "omg he should be fired" concern but it's not nothing.

Ultimately the recruiting class will be judged later, not now. But after holding an open scholarship last year and having two open into late April I don't think it's crazy to discuss how the recruiting strategy is working. Far as I can tell Pikiell zeroes in on the guys he wants and is relentless. Sometimes it works (Mathis, Mulcahy) and sometimes it doesn't (Hyatt, Massoud). But it's absolutely worth talking about doing things this way vs. the Seton Hall (in on nearly every transfer) or Kansas State (they cast a wide, wide net in terms of offering high schoolers, not always commitable of course) method.

The Issa thing definitely blindsided them but it's college basketball. You've always got to be ready for roster turnover.

In on nearly every transfer ?

750 of them ?

 

[kcg88]

In on nearly every transfer ?

750 of them ?

An exaggeration to be sure. But their name has popped up an awful lot.

 

[ScarletLongIsland]

I'd say the fact that Yeboah was on campus is a good indicator that they.want a grad transfer.

Moreover there's a certain intangible quality to recruiting momentum and turning Rutgers into a place that players want to come to. If Pikiell can't bring in guys he legitimately wants (and all indicates are he wants Yeboah) coming off an improved season with the practice facility opening... Then I think that's a legitimate concern. Not a "omg he should be fired" concern but it's not nothing.

Ultimately the recruiting class will be judged later, not now. But after holding an open scholarship last year and having two open into late April I don't think it's crazy to discuss how the recruiting strategy is working. Far as I can tell Pikiell zeroes in on the guys he wants and is relentless. Sometimes it works (Mathis, Mulcahy) and sometimes it doesn't (Hyatt, Massoud). But it's absolutely worth talking about doing things this way vs. the Seton Hall (in on nearly every transfer) or Kansas State (they cast a wide, wide net in terms of offering high schoolers, not always commitable of course) method.

The Issa thing definitely blindsided them but it's college basketball. You've always got to be ready for roster turnover.

It’s so completely inaccurate to say Pike zeroes in on one recruit and that’s it. He offers many recruits. Does he prioritize certain recruits? Yes just like any other coach.