Tyson Acuff Injury: What happened to Rutgers’ guard?
- Thread starter Tango Two
- Start date
I thought all along the timeframe for clearance was late September/early October - wouldn't late September be 3 months, which is about what you would expect from a broken bone in the foot?
Regardless, that is a very innocuous response from Pikiell. Very anodyne, unrevealing ... you cannot draw anything from it other than "not yet."
Regardless, that is a very innocuous response from Pikiell. Very anodyne, unrevealing ... you cannot draw anything from it other than "not yet."
We're gonna have 5 guards, who we need to find minutes for. All while having no big man. Such an odd roster construction
How’s that odd? Plenty of teams have done exactly what we’re doing
I would say the odd thing is many people thinking everyone gets minutes.
Some combination of JWill, Acuff, Derkack and JMike (leaving Harper out of it) aren't playing significant minutes.
We aren't having a 12 man rotation.
I think Harper being out skewed practice performances and expected lineups.
Yes and no.
The bigger crunch for minutes, I think, is at the Forward position.
Think about it like this, as to potential (just for the sake of this discussion) minutes distribution:
Starting Guards (55 mpg):
Harper - 30 mpg
J. Williams - 25 mpg
Reserve Guards (25 mpg - from amongst Acuff, J. Davis ... maybe Derkack):
Acuff: 15 mpg (maybe extra minutes if play Acuff with 2 of Harper, Williams or Davis ... Bailey to bench or PF)
J. Davis - 10 mpg
Starting Forwards (50 mpg):
Bailey - 30 mpg
Martini - 20 mpg (plus some minutes at Center?)
Reserve Forwards (30 mpg):
Derkack - 15 mpg (?)
Hayes - 12 mpg (?)
Grant - ??
Dortch - ??
Center (80 mpg)
Ogbole (15 mpg)
Sommerville (20 mpg)
Martini (5 mpg)
My point is that there WILL be a scramble for reserve minutes, unless Bailey and/or Harper get into foul trouble in any single game. I see only 4 players nearly guaranteed 20 mpg or more (Harper, Bailey, Williams and Martini). And at least 2 players who will be squeezed to less than 5 mpg on average. I am not saying it will happen, and in this day an age of portal transfers, it is hard to get players to do so, but Dortch or Grant, and/or both should probably redshirt (though 1 might be needed in a pinch for a couple minutes at a time if RU suffers deep foul trouble at the center position) - redshirting would also help their development for when they WILL be needed in 2025-26, after Harper, Bailey, Williams, Martini, Acuff and Hayes are gone.
Basically you have 4 reserves (not including Sommerville, as he and Ogbole have defined roles, at least for now - they are the 2 centers), plus Grant and Dortch, battling for what are likely only 55 minutes per game TOTAL. It will be interesting to see how Pikiell handles that as a coach. After all, each bring such a totally different set of skills to the table (Davis - ridiculously good defense and quickness, Acuff - volume scoring, Hayes - pure 3-point shooting and Derkack - defense, athleticism, mid-range and penetration scoring potential).
Derkack is not playing 15mpg. Hayes is getting alot more min. Martini is playing alot more minutes.
Maybe you're right on Derkack and Hayes. My post already gave Martini 25 mpg. I don't think he's getting "a lot more minutes" than that.
Derkack and Hayes - major trade-off decision by Pikiell that might vary from game to game ... The defense, attacking the rim and mid-range game of Derkack versus the hopefully dead-eye 3-point shooting of Hayes. They are such different players, with such different skills, they are not interchangeable, but serve different purposes entirely. Until we know how all the pieces fit, how much playing time Bailey and Harper end up with, how effective Ogbole and/or Sommerville might be ... we can do nothing but make uninformed guesses like you and I are both doing.
I have always thought Hayes, though defensively not really a PF, serves a similar purpose as Martini, and would be in the game when Martini is OUT of the game, so RU always has one top level 3-point shooter threat on the court at all times. I think the defense may really suffer, or at least be limited, if and when both Martini and Hayes are on the court at the same time (could happen, but IMO creates defensive issues).
Just my 2 cents - though I LOVE these types of debates and discussions, and could do it forever ... it is more fun, even, without having actual games to see, without seeing for ourselves how the players mesh and what skills they show in real time ... though those discussions get fun also, in a different way.
Minutes aside, I just love the roster construction this year. Many interchangeable parts, for sure, but also clear backups at every spot.
JWill --> JMike
Dylan --> Acuff
Ace --> Derkack and Hayes
Martini --> Grant and Dortch
Ogbole --> Sommerville (Martini for "small ball" minutes)
For minutes, I'm thinking something like this:
Dylan - 30
Ace - 30
JWill - 26
Martini - 24
That 110 minutes from the surefire starters/leaders of this team, leaving 90 minutes for the other eight players:
Ogbole and Sommerville -- combine for 35 minutes (Martini 5 minutes at C). That leaves 55 minutes for the other six players. I honestly think that the division of these 55 minutes will vary greatly from night to night, depending on matchups and foul trouble. But my guess is that Grant and Dortch are least likely to get minutes, and the other four more likely. So for purposes of analysis, I assign only 0-5 minutes to Grant/Dortch in total, leaving 50 minutes for the other four players.
Acuff - 10 to 20
Hayes - 8 to 20
JMike - 8 to 15
Derkack - 6 to 15
Grant and Dortch - 0 to 5 minutes total
So who is the true "backup" to Martini, you ask? Well, if Grant and Dortch can't play up to B1G standards this year, I think we see a fair amount of Ace at the 4 when Hayes/Derkack come in at the 3. It's also possible Martini plays more than 24 minutes per game (the guy is a workhorse).
JWill --> JMike
Dylan --> Acuff
Ace --> Derkack and Hayes
Martini --> Grant and Dortch
Ogbole --> Sommerville (Martini for "small ball" minutes)
For minutes, I'm thinking something like this:
Dylan - 30
Ace - 30
JWill - 26
Martini - 24
That 110 minutes from the surefire starters/leaders of this team, leaving 90 minutes for the other eight players:
Ogbole and Sommerville -- combine for 35 minutes (Martini 5 minutes at C). That leaves 55 minutes for the other six players. I honestly think that the division of these 55 minutes will vary greatly from night to night, depending on matchups and foul trouble. But my guess is that Grant and Dortch are least likely to get minutes, and the other four more likely. So for purposes of analysis, I assign only 0-5 minutes to Grant/Dortch in total, leaving 50 minutes for the other four players.
Acuff - 10 to 20
Hayes - 8 to 20
JMike - 8 to 15
Derkack - 6 to 15
Grant and Dortch - 0 to 5 minutes total
So who is the true "backup" to Martini, you ask? Well, if Grant and Dortch can't play up to B1G standards this year, I think we see a fair amount of Ace at the 4 when Hayes/Derkack come in at the 3. It's also possible Martini plays more than 24 minutes per game (the guy is a workhorse).
You, me, lion1983, and Steve Pikiell have NO idea what the rotation will ultimately look like.
The bold is where you have to be worried. I am pretty confident 1 thru 3 there are enough bodies....and it probably bleeds in to the 4.
Humongous leap of faith thinking you can 80 (let alone 60) minutes out of the bolded players.
My hot take is Acuff finds himself on the outside looking in on the guard rotation. i feel like Pike is going to love what Jamichael and Jordan do on the defensive end that Acuffs shooting improvement wont be good enough to place him over those two. I wouldnt be surprised it they were planning to play Acuff during JMikes minutes but it sounds JMike has been impressive this offseason
Love the discussion!
I agree with a lot of what Degaz and GreenRice say, as you can all read. Not so different than what I am saying - some tweaks of differences, but in general in roughly the same ball park (if I can mix metaphors).
I have to especially agree with GreenRice's statement that no one knows what the rotation will be, not even Pikiell. However, I am pretty sure Pikiell has some idea what he HOPES or WANTS it will be, and how he believes the pieces fit together ... though game situations can change things (and actual on-court performances).
I do NOT think Dortch is a feasible back-up at the 4 ... maybe at the 3, and Bailey sliding to the 4 at times? That said, I have been saying since the Summer practices began that minutes for Grant and Dortch are going to be difficult to project - there just are not that minutes available. Look, I have no knowledge, but to me Dortch has so much athletic potential, but no real role this season unless there are injuries or severe foul troubles in any one game ... he sure seems like the type of player who would really benefit by a redshirt season, both the let his strength and physical development as well as additional skills to be developed to make him a more rounded player (rather than mainly the high energy defensive freak athletic beanpole he appears to be now) to contend for a starting WF position NEXT season, as a redshirt freshman.
And I see Grant as mainly an emergency back-up, for games in which Ogbole and Somerville both have major foul trouble - and Martini, also - and/or if a frontcourt player (at the 4 or 5) has an in-game, short-term injury issue.
I also have no idea how managing portal issues factor into potential redshirts - we HAVE seen several Big Ten teams have purposeful redshirts, even in recent seasons (Wisconsin often pulls it off, Purdue this season, I think, has a player who redshirted, non-medically related, for developmental purposes). I think Purdue's Will Berg redshirted 2 seasons ago. Wisconsin has a record of redshirting developmental players, especially post players.
So we will see. It is VERY tough to find 12 players playing time, especially when you KNOW, that barring foul trouble you are going to have at least 3 players getting 25-30 mpg (Harper, Bailey and Williams).
I agree with a lot of what Degaz and GreenRice say, as you can all read. Not so different than what I am saying - some tweaks of differences, but in general in roughly the same ball park (if I can mix metaphors).
I have to especially agree with GreenRice's statement that no one knows what the rotation will be, not even Pikiell. However, I am pretty sure Pikiell has some idea what he HOPES or WANTS it will be, and how he believes the pieces fit together ... though game situations can change things (and actual on-court performances).
I do NOT think Dortch is a feasible back-up at the 4 ... maybe at the 3, and Bailey sliding to the 4 at times? That said, I have been saying since the Summer practices began that minutes for Grant and Dortch are going to be difficult to project - there just are not that minutes available. Look, I have no knowledge, but to me Dortch has so much athletic potential, but no real role this season unless there are injuries or severe foul troubles in any one game ... he sure seems like the type of player who would really benefit by a redshirt season, both the let his strength and physical development as well as additional skills to be developed to make him a more rounded player (rather than mainly the high energy defensive freak athletic beanpole he appears to be now) to contend for a starting WF position NEXT season, as a redshirt freshman.
And I see Grant as mainly an emergency back-up, for games in which Ogbole and Somerville both have major foul trouble - and Martini, also - and/or if a frontcourt player (at the 4 or 5) has an in-game, short-term injury issue.
I also have no idea how managing portal issues factor into potential redshirts - we HAVE seen several Big Ten teams have purposeful redshirts, even in recent seasons (Wisconsin often pulls it off, Purdue this season, I think, has a player who redshirted, non-medically related, for developmental purposes). I think Purdue's Will Berg redshirted 2 seasons ago. Wisconsin has a record of redshirting developmental players, especially post players.
So we will see. It is VERY tough to find 12 players playing time, especially when you KNOW, that barring foul trouble you are going to have at least 3 players getting 25-30 mpg (Harper, Bailey and Williams).
Acuff DID shoot 34.4% from 3 point range 2 seasons ago, as Eastern Michigan's #2/#3 scorer - on 179 attempts. And as a Sophomore at Duquesne, he shot 39% from 3 point range, on 74 3-point attempts, averaging 23 mpg, playing in all 30 games, starting in 16 games, as Duquesne's 6th leading scorer. My point? He may be a much better 3-point shooter playing the role of 6th or 7th man, as a complimentary scorer ... he may be much more efficient offensively when he does not have to carry the load. Caveat: The Duquesne teams and Eastern Michigan teams he played on were truly dreadful teams, and the MAC is a weak league, on top of that, while the A-10 is not a weak league, but is top-heavy (usually 3-4 good teams at the top with the other teams being pretty weak). So who knows how that translates to the Big Ten. FYI, in each of his last 3 seasons, Acuff has shot 50% or better from 2-point range ... a very good mid-range to at the rim efficiency, no?
Not sure how Dercack translates either. Though Acuff scored more points and more points per game as a Senior than Derkack did as a Sophomore, Derkack DID win both the Player of the Year AND Defensive Player of the Year in the NEC at Merrimack, and again as a sophomore. And though the NEC is considered a much weaker league than the A-10, and I believe weaker than the MAC as well, Merrimack has been the best team in that league the last 2 seasons (though they lost in the league tourney each year). And his 2-point FG% is also over 50% each year (at a younger age with less experience, than Acuff) - 55%+ last season. I cannot figure out how this translates to the Big 10 either. We will see.
But unless there are injury or major foul issues, neither Acuff nor Derkack will have to be more than reserve players, maybe 15-20 mpg for one of them - maybe much less ... which is why I like how Degaz laid it out - each game could be different, depending on need and hot hand.
