Caleb McConnell Draft Status

NickRU714

Heisman
Aug 18, 2009
14,069
12,875
113
See RHJ last year.
I just hope Caleb doesn’t string it out and wait until the last possible moment like RHJ did last year.

Hopefully he at least let’s Coach Pike know even if he doesn’t make it “public”.
 

Caliknight

Hall of Famer
Sep 21, 2001
196,448
148,513
113
I'd go overseas at this point if I were him. His homies have moved on, he's not going to make himself any more marketable to the NBA, and he has his degree. What's left?
 
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chrebet80

Junior
Jan 22, 2022
226
328
0
I'd go overseas at this point if I were him. His homies have moved on, he's not going to make himself any more marketable to the NBA, and he has his degree. What's left?
College basketball is awesome. They play on espn, in front of packed arenas. He can wait a year before he goes overseas and plays in front of 3 people in turkey for 65k a year.
 
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RU89

All-Conference
Oct 30, 2001
2,324
1,571
113
I'd go overseas at this point if I were him. His homies have moved on, he's not going to make himself any more marketable to the NBA, and he has his degree. What's left?
Who’s to say his most important homies aren’t still on the team?
 

SBP

All-Conference
Feb 5, 2003
4,756
4,674
113
I'd go overseas at this point if I were him. His homies have moved on, he's not going to make himself any more marketable to the NBA, and he has his degree. What's left?
If you think he cant get any better with another year in college you’re on drugs.
 
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ColonelRutgers

All-American
Dec 15, 2003
7,103
9,293
113
Wonder if we should read anything into the Lofton recruitment? Either as a hint as to whether the staff expects Caleb back or whether it may impact a decision by Caleb on whether to transfer or play pro overseas. Obviously I want Caleb back and Lofton but we’re already adding Simpson and the Loyola kid in the backcourt.
 
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chrebet80

Junior
Jan 22, 2022
226
328
0
Wonder if we should read anything into the Lofton recruitment? Either as a hint as to whether the staff expects Caleb back or whether it may impact a decision by Caleb on whether to transfer or play pro overseas. Obviously I want Caleb back and Lofton but we’re already adding Simpson and the Loyola kid in the backcourt.
Simpson isn’t that highly recruited so I wouldn’t expect major minutes from him his freshman year. A backcourt of lofton and mulcahy with McConnell at the 3 and spencer getting 25-30 minutes off the bench would be a very formidable lineup. Hope pike can close on him.
 

RU-Choppin-Ohio

Heisman
Jul 31, 2011
32,987
37,771
113
Caleb was the best RU player in the Notre Dame game. If comes back and he has a lot more games like Notre Dame, he does raise his chances of overseas or maybe G League.
Notre Dame McConnell with his defense has a chance. I gotta believe his back issues impacted his shooting and year 2 being healthy could see score more.

Regarding Lofton, I would like the 6 players for the 3 main perimeter spots if we get him.

Mulcahy, McConnell, Spencer, Lofton, Miller and Simpson....Simpson may need a year to get bigger and stronger.
 

AZBlues

All-Conference
Sep 29, 2013
1,185
1,389
0
Depends on NIL from either Rutgers or another school.
A few people have mentioned Caleb transferring as one of several possibilities, but if I interpreted the rules correctly, graduate transfers also had to enter the transfer portal by May 1st to be able to transfer to another D1 school and be eligible to play immediately.... And as of now Caleb isn't in the portal...

Updated February 2022
Postgraduate Transfer Eligibility
Q11: What criteria does a student-athlete who has graduated with their baccalaureate degree need to meet to be eligible as postgraduate student at another Division I school?
A11: A student-athlete who graduates with remaining athletics eligibility may be eligible as a
full-time postgraduate student at another Division I school provided they meet the one-time exception criteria, including providing a written request to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal to their current school by May 1 if they participate in a fall or winter sport, or July1if they participate in a spring sport.

One-Time Transfer FAQs
 
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PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
13,304
12,626
78
McConnell has three options: play overseas, transfer to another school, return to Rutgers.Options 1&3 make the most sense.
He’s not transferrring after the deadline and sitting out a year. That would be ridiculous. If he wanted to play college ball somewhere else he’d have entered the portal by May 1st.
 
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RUDiddy777

Heisman
Feb 26, 2015
33,685
38,154
113
I'd go overseas at this point if I were him. His homies have moved on, he's not going to make himself any more marketable to the NBA, and he has his degree. What's left?

Agreed. But could see him try to make up for some of the time he played injured.
 

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
13,304
12,626
78
I'd go overseas at this point if I were him. His homies have moved on, he's not going to make himself any more marketable to the NBA, and he has his degree. What's left?
I don’t see what the draw is going to be for anyone to go abroad anymore until their college eligibility runs out. The draw before was for the money. If your good enough to get a deal overseas, you can now make comparable (or more) money through NIL.

The grad degree is a small added bonus to returning to school. It’s not “nothing”. I’m sure Caleb would pick something that will set him up for life post playing days - coaching, training, communications. Even if having the masters just gives him the option to teach high school gym and coach the school basketball team in 15 years. It’s not “nothing” to have that fall back option.
 

rufeelinit

All-Conference
May 16, 2010
12,647
4,351
0
A few people have mentioned Caleb transferring as one of several possibilities, but if I interpreted the rules correctly, graduate transfers also had to enter the transfer portal by May 1st to be able to transfer to another D1 school and be eligible to play immediately.... And as of now Caleb isn't in the portal...

Updated February 2022
Postgraduate Transfer Eligibility
Q11: What criteria does a student-athlete who has graduated with their baccalaureate degree need to meet to be eligible as postgraduate student at another Division I school?
A11: A student-athlete who graduates with remaining athletics eligibility may be eligible as a
full-time postgraduate student at another Division I school provided they meet the one-time exception criteria, including providing a written request to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal to their current school by May 1 if they participate in a fall or winter sport, or July1if they participate in a spring sport.

One-Time Transfer FAQs
Thanks for clarifying this.
 

Caliknight

Hall of Famer
Sep 21, 2001
196,448
148,513
113
I don’t see what the draw is going to be for anyone to go abroad anymore until their college eligibility runs out. The draw before was for the money. If your good enough to get a deal overseas, you can now make comparable (or more) money through NIL.

The grad degree is a small added bonus to returning to school. It’s not “nothing”. I’m sure Caleb would pick something that will set him up for life post playing days - coaching, training, communications. Even if having the masters just gives him the option to teach high school gym and coach the school basketball team in 15 years. It’s not “nothing” to have that fall back option.
Depending on the league he’s likely to make much more than some NIL deal which I’m yet to see any Rutgers athlete get worth any real amount.
 

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
13,304
12,626
78
Depending on the league he’s likely to make much more than some NIL deal which I’m yet to see any Rutgers athlete get worth any real amount.
Geo said he made plenty of money through NIL last year. Just because our deals are real (not pay for play) doesn’t mean the kids aren’t netting a decent amount. Sure they have to spend the time doing cameos - but do you think they mind that much? The trade off is getting shipped off far away from everyone you know.

I also think we’ll do better locally with contract deals for established players next year. Let’s see.
 

RutgersDom

All-American
Nov 18, 2003
5,972
7,405
113
I'd go overseas at this point if I were him. His homies have moved on, he's not going to make himself any more marketable to the NBA, and he has his degree. What's left?
Work his *** off in the off-season to become more offensive like in the ND game which WOULD make him more marketable for the league or G league.
 

Pancho1939_rivals

All-Conference
Jun 26, 2012
1,887
2,907
113
The good news is with NIL we will be able to buy a better player and not have to wait for someone to let us know if he wants to come back or not.

Caleb was never an nba player. “Testing the waters” was just silly.
 
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RUJMM78

Heisman
Jul 25, 2001
26,211
12,474
113
Simpson isn’t that highly recruited so I wouldn’t expect major minutes from him his freshman year. A backcourt of lofton and mulcahy with McConnell at the 3 and spencer getting 25-30 minutes off the bench would be a very formidable lineup. Hope pike can close on him.
Spencer isn't coming to Rutgers to be a bench player but rather as a replacement for Baker.Rutgers doesn't have a starter for the power forward position that can score and rebound as a replacemet for Harper who really is a small forward.
 

chrebet80

Junior
Jan 22, 2022
226
328
0
Spencer isn't coming to Rutgers to be a bench player but rather as a replacement for Baker.Rutgers doesn't have a starter for the power forward position that can score and rebound as a replacemet for Harper who really is a small forward.
A sixth man who plays close to 30 minutes a night isn’t really a bench player. If we got lofton (which we prob won’t) that might be his role.
 

kcg88

Heisman
Aug 11, 2017
10,862
17,230
0
This is a workable 9-man rotation. I don't love the Hyatt/Mag combo at the 4. There's potential but not much in the way of proven results. But I think we could be NIT-ish with this group with the upside of a tournament team. Considering we're losing two giant pieces of our core in Harper and Baker, that's about the best we can hope for.

Lofton
Simpson
McConnell
Spencer
Mulcahy
Hyatt
Mag
Omoruyi
Reiber
 

chrebet80

Junior
Jan 22, 2022
226
328
0
This is a workable 9-man rotation. I don't love the Hyatt/Mag combo at the 4. There's potential but not much in the way of proven results. But I think we could be NIT-ish with this group with the upside of a tournament team. Considering we're losing two giant pieces of our core in Harper and Baker, that's about the best we can hope for.

Lofton
Simpson
McConnell
Spencer
Mulcahy
Hyatt
Mag
Omoruyi
Reiber
Lofton is basically in the same tier as geo that that just leaves harpers production. Hopefully spencer and the assumed next level jump for cliff can make up for that. I don’t think we’re getting lofton though.
 

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
13,304
12,626
78
Caleb or not, it’s clear that Pike is at least trying to fill our schollie slots. That’s a good thing. It’s nice to give them to walk ins if they are left over because we do not land anyone he thinks can add value. It’s entirely different to intentionally plan to do that.
 

Perricone7

All-Conference
Jan 26, 2015
1,492
2,107
113
I don’t think Caleb has the game currently to land an A tier overseas gig. He’d probably make just as much money via NIL compared to the lower tier euro gigs.
 
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PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
13,304
12,626
78
I don’t think Caleb has the game currently to land an A tier overseas gig. He’d probably make just as much money via NIL compared to the lower tier euro gigs.
Exactly. They don’t value defensive skill as much abroad. In his case, returning to school seems like a home run. He was DPOY and would be a team captain. He’s going to have NIL opportunities at Rutgers this year.
 

RU-Choppin-Ohio

Heisman
Jul 31, 2011
32,987
37,771
113
This is a workable 9-man rotation. I don't love the Hyatt/Mag combo at the 4. There's potential but not much in the way of proven results. But I think we could be NIT-ish with this group with the upside of a tournament team. Considering we're losing two giant pieces of our core in Harper and Baker, that's about the best we can hope for.

Lofton
Simpson
McConnell
Spencer
Mulcahy
Hyatt
Mag
Omoruyi
Reiber
A defensive minded Coach will definitely play the best on ball defender in Miller.