What do we want in the hoops portal and who should we keep? Should we just portal or should we look Juco for a center? Will Ware be serviceable next year? Your thoughts. How much NIL will Kelly have for the team?
Rutgers Basketball recruiting 26-27
- Thread starter Lawboy
- Start date
It depends on who stays. Here are my own personal opinions:
LET THEM GO: Baye Fall, Denis Badalau, Gevonte Ware, and Lino Mark (his shooting is awful). That leaves roster spots for the following:
GUARDS/WINGS:
LET THEM GO: Baye Fall, Denis Badalau, Gevonte Ware, and Lino Mark (his shooting is awful). That leaves roster spots for the following:
GUARDS/WINGS:
- STARTING POINT/LEAD GUARD FROM THE PORTAL - this is an absolute must, so that JMike isn't our starting PG next year. I like JMike as a 20-mpg backup.
- Tariq Francis
- Jamichael Davis
- Kaden Powers
- Harun Zrno
- Dorian Jones
- Imahri Wooten (2026 commit)
- Darren Buchanan
- Dylan Grant
- Chris Nwuli
- ANOTHER TOUGH PLAYER IN BUCHANAN'S MOLD FROM THE PORTAL
- STARTING CENTER FROM PORTAL - another absolute must, preferably someone in the Nolan Winter (Wisconsin) mold who is tall/big enough to defend, but who can also step out and shoot.
- Dortch
- Ogbole
Its not just about roster spots and available scholarships anymore.
Targeting 3 "transfers" is all well and good.
But if most of the money is already spent on retaining 8 players - that's going to severely limit the available transfers.
If we are looking for starter level players then those need to be the first players signed.
Then fill out the roster (either through retention, recruits or lower level transfers) with whatever is left over.
Targeting 3 "transfers" is all well and good.
But if most of the money is already spent on retaining 8 players - that's going to severely limit the available transfers.
If we are looking for starter level players then those need to be the first players signed.
Then fill out the roster (either through retention, recruits or lower level transfers) with whatever is left over.
It not against retaining these end of bench guys.
I'm just against retaining them and spending money on them if it limits the ability to bolster the starting lineup.
I'm just against retaining them and spending money on them if it limits the ability to bolster the starting lineup.
Just asking as I give thought to this, does Pike plan on splitting the money evenly again from Vegas? Because even at just like $80k I don’t see paying everyone on the team and that can go a long way to securing a front line player.
Just cant bring back all 3 of Nwuli Dortsch and Grant
Pull out all the stops to land a proven center. Money, crypto, Times Square billboard, one or both of my children, everything.
Honestly, I don’t think Pike is handling the money anymore. (Or at least I hope not).
If this is working the way it should, he should provide a list of what he needs to Kabala and Sullivan and they make it happen - just like the front office of a pro team.
I don’t think anyone other than Tariq and DBJ would get a raise. We should have more money this year - just given how piss poor we’ve been at this the last few years.
Guys remember Ogobole has no more eligibility. He is not an option. It will be portal, foreign or Juco center. Dortch is active but too light in weight and strength to be the starting 5. He could be a 3 or a 4 depending upon who we get. Ware may be retained but depending on the injury he sustained may not be available for summer practice. This would be a big negative in retaining him.
FYI Grant wants 7 figures according to a rumor spreading among followers with alleged info.
If true, let him go
I don’t think his juco year counts towards NCAA eligibility so he should have another year.
Okay …this is what I want
Quality over quantity
1.) there are five guys to retain to add to Wooten
Francis
Buchanan
Grant
Powers
Jones
those six….i think makes us competitive at the 2-4 spots
2.) we need a bonafide center form the portal
3.) we need to do something with the point guard spot …either you get a portal poont guard or you pay up for bivens
4.) you keep Jmike and Dortch as back up poont guard and center
That’s your base 10 guys …
that means …Ogoble , fall, ware are gone
That Zrno (no recency bias from last game ) and badalau are gone
that means mark is gone (the inability to shoot makes an upgrade a requirment )
like to keep Nuwuki as a development pc….but I’m not counting on it
class of 2027 needa
1. Poont guard (unless we chose to get bivens and not a portal PG)
2 rim protecting center
3. Combo forward
4. Power forward/center that can play to the theee poont line on defense and pick and pop from the outside ….
Quality over quantity
1.) there are five guys to retain to add to Wooten
Francis
Buchanan
Grant
Powers
Jones
those six….i think makes us competitive at the 2-4 spots
2.) we need a bonafide center form the portal
3.) we need to do something with the point guard spot …either you get a portal poont guard or you pay up for bivens
4.) you keep Jmike and Dortch as back up poont guard and center
That’s your base 10 guys …
that means …Ogoble , fall, ware are gone
That Zrno (no recency bias from last game ) and badalau are gone
that means mark is gone (the inability to shoot makes an upgrade a requirment )
like to keep Nuwuki as a development pc….but I’m not counting on it
class of 2027 needa
1. Poont guard (unless we chose to get bivens and not a portal PG)
2 rim protecting center
3. Combo forward
4. Power forward/center that can play to the theee poont line on defense and pick and pop from the outside ….
One other counterpoint
double digit power four starters …will command $1 million plus for sure ….
I have mentioned that we need to have $10 million to have a chance
Portal center 2
Portal PG 1.5
Francis 1.5
Grant 1.15
Buchannan 1.00
Jones 750
Powers 700
Wooten 500
Jmike .500
Dortch 400
That’s gonna be market price for the guys we know …if you don’t think grant is getting 7 digits next year as a 11/6 sooh…….
yeah let’s give 750K to a 160lb redshirt freshman that has yet to play a single game
Some other school is going to give Tariq a bag. We have to at least match. He's the one guy we can't lose.
I think by rule they have to split the money evenly
As with everything, depends on the cost.
Is he going to be our best player again?
Are we willing to pay him like that?
What if some other school is willing to overpay him to be a spark off the bench but for us he'd have to be a major contributor for that same money?
It’s not a simple math problem where we have A dollars to spend total and an experienced high major starter costs B and we just go buy him for B. Said portal guard, forward, center, etc. has to actually want to come play for Rutgers at that B price tag over the alternatives, and if not, we have to offer enough additional money above B to make it worth it to them. Now maybe the allocation cap will neutralize things a bit because teams with unlimited budgets won’t be able to pay 800K+ for Lathan to be their 3rd string centers, but the premium we’re going to pay above “market” in the portal (which for simplicity purposes let’s define this as the retention offer from the incumbent team) is still going to be very steep.
Some coaches are better at assessing plug and play low major talent than Pike seems to be. He hit on Yeboah, Cam Spencer and Tariq (though reports were he had to be convinced on Tariq). For every one of these “hits” we have a lot more misses. He’s the kind of coach who gets more out of players the longer he has them. Realistically, though, your model’s best case scenario (ceiling) for next season would be a replication of what SHU did in the portal this year. Check out the profiles of the kids they brought in. Their “top dog” guard transfer averaged 21 min and 7 ppg on a 7 win Miami team. Their only other high major pick up was a 10 min utility player from LSU. They gambled with a bunch of Monmouth low majors and did well on a bunch - mostly leveraging the experience of having a lot of seniors. They seem to be fizzling a good deal now. But regardless, browse SHU roster and check out where their kids came from. These are the types of profiles you can reasonably expect us to get from the portal in place of the guys we have. Your not “trading” Tariq for the best player (or even the 3rd best player) on another high major roster - not even a bad one because that kid isn’t picking RU unless we offer him the moon. Our replacement “top dog” will be someone aspiring for more PT - either a 6 or 7 man at a high major or someone looking to move up a level.
Despite what RUDivision keeps implying - this isn’t unique to RU because of Pike. It applies to any team not coming off a good season, not a perrenial Blue Blood, and without a hall of fame caliber coach. If the kids you have on your current team like your school and program, that’s your opportunity to pay market. You don’t get “a deal” per se it’s just that a kid like Tariq or Buchanan hypothetically might turn down an extra couple hundred thousand or so to avoid having to up and leave for an unknown situation at SMU or wherever. There’s value in the known and that has to be leveraged.
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Biggest need from portal is an asst coach to install a new offense
Keeping if they want to stay
Francis
Buchanan
Davis
Dortch
Jones
Powers
Nwuli
already gone most likely
Grant
Mark
NEED 3 new starters from the portal.
Must get a strong rim protector 5, Someone that can really score at the 2 with length and a Stretch 4.
Francis
Buchanan
Davis
Dortch
Jones
Powers
Nwuli
already gone most likely
Grant
Mark
NEED 3 new starters from the portal.
Must get a strong rim protector 5, Someone that can really score at the 2 with length and a Stretch 4.
You should find out his recruiting story and then get back to me …..
market price for a top 75 player is that neighborhood
I’m shocked how many people want to retain the vast majority of this roster.
Oh lord, gotta let him go and let him live his best life!!! Spend that Mil on somebody else.
It's because this fanbase constantly has their bar on the floor. They have no clue what it takes to compete and win in high level college sports.
The big issue is B Knight. We need a coach who coaches offense. If Knight leaves Tariq is likely gone and you have no offense anyway. If they both stay its another Year of no offensive scheme and you have to hope Pike builds enough players to get a team on the bubble to save his job...also doubtful.
In a nutshell I think we're fvcked and just wasting time playing games because we have this albatross of a contract.
Pay 7 or 8 guys, everyone after that gets token dollars. There are plenty of players in the portal that are as good or better than our bottom guys so why pay.
Jmike will be coming back. I’m good with 2 way loyalty and he is clearly a team leader.
Francis and a center or 2 are the big paychecks followed by Buchanan who is greatly improved and worth keeping. Zrno apparently can shoot and is likely to be much better next year, maybe even a star. Maybe, maybe Grant is a keeper for a low price.
After that everyone is replaceable with someone just as good from the portal or the freshman class. Save the money for the top guys who are going to carry the team. Forget development; pay guys who can already play and will see the floor.
Jmike will be coming back. I’m good with 2 way loyalty and he is clearly a team leader.
Francis and a center or 2 are the big paychecks followed by Buchanan who is greatly improved and worth keeping. Zrno apparently can shoot and is likely to be much better next year, maybe even a star. Maybe, maybe Grant is a keeper for a low price.
After that everyone is replaceable with someone just as good from the portal or the freshman class. Save the money for the top guys who are going to carry the team. Forget development; pay guys who can already play and will see the floor.