RHJ is one of our team leaders,along with Geo and Tez, by example they are supposed to teach the younger players we play stifling, physical tough Defense here at RU, that’s our identity no matter how good we’re playing offensively.
Both are failing at their jobs and responsibility. For All you Pike protectors out there, he’s done. horrid job of coaching... absolutely brutal
Let's assume you are correct, which no one here is able to argue against that....
What do you have the coaching staff tell the player who is likely hurt or injured and is really your only or best option?? Tell the player what exactly when no one may know the extent of his health, other than the players and coaches themselves??
If the player is at 70 to 75% and possibly not able to give that 100% effort, we can sit the player down and wait until he's exactly 100% healthy again.....which may not be until after the season ends...and deal with the results and losses anyway with your backups OR have the player go out and try to play...??
The larger question isn't asking more of the starters or best players.....the larger question is whether the injuries to Mag, Cliff and lesser extent the little to no true impact of 2020s class is a larger discussion point.
There were actual games last year where RUs starters were sleepwalking through parts of the 1st half....but you had an energy boost of Mulcahy, Young, Shaq Carter and either McConnell, all coming off the bench to bring something to the table.
This year, you have no bench firepower....which to me means you have to ask some players who are starters to accept a role as a true leader of the team.
I would start this lineup for basketball reasons and balance of finding a better rhythm of offense, defense and rebounding.
Cliff
Harper
Caleb
Mathis
Baker
If you started this lineup for the 1st 4 minutes of each half, I know where the shots should go for each of these 4 minute stretches. Geo, Ron, Mathis are your primary looks, Caleb and Cliff become the players who can score when you move the ball or attack the basket
Bench-Energy players.
Jacob Young
Mulcahy
Myles Johnson
Jaden Jones/Mag/Palmquist
If you have this lineup off your bench, Young becomes a defense/energy/scoring guy, Paul moves the ball and takes advantage of his opportunities and you must find a role for a shooting threat with your 2nd unit....whether it's Caleb and Jones or Palmquist....(if you want to start Mulcahy vs Caleb, I can't argue against that, I would start Caleb to have better scoring options from the wing)..
I also like Myles off the bench to reduce his minutes by 3 to 4 a game and to accelerate Cliff knowing exactly what to expect, each and every game. You are there to clean the glass, hustle and not become the primary scoring option with the starters.
If you asked Myles to be your go to post offense off the bench, Caleb to be your baseline or corner 3 shooter and Mulcahy to be tough and drive and distribute, you now need one more scoring threat off the bounce or as a shooter.
If you can find a role for Palmquist or Jones and make teams guard him from the perimeter, Myles would have more opportunities in the post. Myles is probably your best passer and with Mulcahy, you can find space for others to score......When RU was playing well early in the season, Cliff was in the starting lineup and the spacing was better for RHJ and others.
With Young and Myles on the court together with Baker, Mathis and RHJ, you have too many scorers on the court and there's no designation on defense and rebounding. And you are reducing the shot attempts of Baker and Mathis, by playing Young and Myles with them in the starting lineup.
What you ultimately want is something as close to what you had last year, with Caleb in the Yeboah role as your 3 and D guy ...Pike and the staff can easily justify making this lineup change....
