Core is back.🩸🩸🩸
- Thread starter Tango Two
- Start date
Looks like we will need some high heels or lifts
Great to have them all back. Together Francis , Davis, Buchanan, Powers and Mark had 80 starts and combined for 48.8 point per game in Big Ten play which accounted for over 68% of the 71.5 points per game Rutgers scored in Big Ten play.
Will be great to have Ware back from his medical redshirt year.
Will be great to have Ware back from his medical redshirt year.
I'd be more excited if the returning core won more than 14 games last season.
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Way to sh*t on the guys who busted their asses out there for us and improved as the year went on.
A "thank you" for the effort they gave would be more appropriate. In addition, several of them became much better players as the season went on.
I realize it is too much to ask for just a little class from some of you.
A "thank you" for the effort they gave would be more appropriate. In addition, several of them became much better players as the season went on.
I realize it is too much to ask for just a little class from some of you.
Criticism for their height?? Yeah, makes a lot of sense. Bunch of losers on this board.
What’s the win loss record in those 80? Not trolling just asking. I know of our limitations in roster building, some NIL, some not. Retention can be a good thing but it’s hard to get excited about retaining players who don’t have a winning record under their belt.
The backcourt is small no doubt...but all of these guys are ballers at least. These are the players that were actually showing some promise. Jmike gets better every year. Powers and Mark will get better as well. They have brought in some big wings and a center. If they can bring in one big pg another big wing and another center that's the best looking preseason roster Rutgers has had in over 5 years...Also want to see how ware has developed, maybe he will surprise..
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I’m sure they’re all nice people. And they have improved, and I’m sure that will continue. I just can’t get that excited about a returning core that can’t win in the big ten is all. I’ll root for them. Hope they surprise, but it’s not like the core of a sweet 16 team is running it back.
Oh the pearl clutching
These are paid professionals
They can take some ribbin about being a vertically challenged backcoirt
They went 14-19 overall and 7-15 in the Big Ten, which is one less win than with Ace Dylan and I would not hesitate to say I would want them back too even though they didn’t have anything close to a winning record when they played here either.
Most of the 8 players we lost this season had some positive moments, but frankly the ones we lost not living up to their potential or being overmatched in Big Ten play was a big part of why we didn’t have a winning record. Overall, the players we kept should make it easier to have a winning record. Richie was asked how many more games would we win with the player retained and he suggested 3, which would get us to 17 wins and a winning record. Absent some surprises 3 more wins seems like a fair bet.
I hope you’re right. I just feel very fortunate last year we had a bad Penn st and Mary twice each, and played the NW and Ore OT games at home.
You’re not wrong that there were serious issues with the team that needed to be addressed, particularly the play at power forward and center. The transfer rankings suggest that those issues have been addressed. In particular, Gurdak’s highlights reminded me of Penn State’s John Harrar.
As for the returning players, Francis deserves the All Big Ten Honorable mention honors. Also standing out to me is the development of Lino Mark who started off horrendously going 0-18 from 3. After that inconceivably bad start he hit from 3 around 40% similar to his 3 point percentage in high school. His speed and reaction time reminds me of Jacob Young, except that as fast as he goes he seems much more in control. He may be a bust like Grant, but if I was going to bet on who will most likely have a breakout year, it would be him.
While I like the portal gets I’m not sure the needs are fully addressed. Gurdak looks good but he’s what 24-26 mins a game? How we fill the other 16 mins at C is of the upmost importance. I’m concerned Sydnor hasn’t played in a year. Everyone dismissed that with Grant who ultimately flopped. I’m also concerned our starting Fs come from a lower conference. The Big Ten is PHYSICAL. People keep saying get another G, but I’d like one more F who’s got Power conf exp banging day to day even if it’s in practice. One other thing that wasn’t addressed was age/experience. Pike kept saying they need to get older but the additions are pretty young.
As for Francis being HM this preseason I’m not sure. Top 15 conf scorer, top 25 in steals. Let not worry about it and hope he makes post season all conf. Mark should improve and did look good against weaker teams toward the end but you can’t just ignore all those misses to get to 40%. All that being said I’m good with a lot of Mark and of course of Francis. I can’t get my bup C and f without taking the guards we have. I’m just fearful they get another Pg and we see that pg and a lot of JMike as well, giving us two short guards on the floor together a lot. Not a winning formula. For now the team is better now than last year and I’ll take it. I just want to get back to the NCAAs.
My understanding is that during the eligibility issue Will Sydnor continued to practice with his old team. That being said, everyone knows they need a backup center. I agree that what I want to see is them getting back to the NCAAs, which is unlikely unless a lot of things break their way. A winning record though does seem likely.
If he’s going to start for us I would rather he had played last year. That’s all I’m saying. And while it’s one thing to say everyone knows we need a back up center who we get is important as they’re going to play the majority of a half of each game. That’s what I mean by weaknesses not yet fully addressed. I don’t think a winning record is enough. Have to be a legit bubble team. If we don’t get in because of the committee so be it. But just one barely winning record in four years just isn’t cutting it IMHO
Agree with all of this. I think using our remaining resources to purchase another promising PG (6-3 or under because that’s what we’ll be able to afford) will prove to be a grave mistake. Even if we were to add a player who is a bit better, on paper, than everyone else in the backcourt, keeping the others motivated would be a big challenge for pike as there simply aren’t enough minutes to go around. We’re not adding someone materially better than Tariq at this juncture so folks need to get that possibility out of their heads. Pike took a different approach. He added 2 more ball dominant types so we can expect to continue an iso oriented style. That’s not necessarily a bad thing if we can fix the D. That’s how we won with JY, Geo, etc. The D must be addressed and no - we haven’t added enough to feel confident it will improve much yet, if at all. One strong defensive addition would be a massive help. We have enough offensive weapons now to rotate with a blend of defensive support. If we add it… we have not upgraded the D much. Gurdak and Smith are net neutral Ogbole and Grant on the defensive end. Syndor a bit more potential but it’s not enough of an upgrade. Is he a better defender than Dortch? Maybe. Maybe not. Need one more defensive kid in the mix for sure.
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Happy to have them back.
I’m going out on a limb that there might be some self consciousness about their own size with some at least.
Pretty sure Lino is standing on tippy toes for the pic.
I’m going out on a limb that there might be some self consciousness about their own size with some at least.
Pretty sure Lino is standing on tippy toes for the pic.
Ah man, he shouldn't worry about that, that's for us speculators and fans to talk about. What they lack in height can be cancelled out by the amount of effort they put into the off season and game day. If the gym and weight room are your 1st and 2nd homes we won't even notice the lack of height next year.