Rutgers needs to add a dog from Portal

mugrat86

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Dec 11, 2014
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Buchanon is a bit of a dog, but just tall enough or not good enough to play starter minutes in BIG1G. We need a front court guy with his attitude who is big and strong to really make a difference on the back boards and be a presence in the paint. I was hoping watching Grant progress during freshman year that he could e the answer, but he proved himself to be an unwilling dog

We have not had that kind of guy in such a long time. Caleb McConnell type with a bit more size.
 

Mholinko

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Buchanon is a bit of a dog, but just tall enough or not good enough to play starter minutes in BIG1G. We need a front court guy with his attitude who is big and strong to really make a difference on the back boards and be a presence in the paint. I was hoping watching Grant progress during freshman year that he could e the answer, but he proved himself to be an unwilling dog

We have not had that kind of guy in such a long time. Caleb McConnell type with a bit more size.
Like Air Bud?
He was a better shooter than most of our guys
 

LotusAggressor_rivals

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Oct 11, 2003
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Buchanon is a bit of a dog, but just tall enough or not good enough to play starter minutes in BIG1G. We need a front court guy with his attitude who is big and strong to really make a difference on the back boards and be a presence in the paint. I was hoping watching Grant progress during freshman year that he could e the answer, but he proved himself to be an unwilling dog

We have not had that kind of guy in such a long time. Caleb McConnell type with a bit more size.
To win in the B1G, you need 3 or 4 frontcourt guys with size and real skills. All of the Final Four teams had multiple players like that. That's a different universe from the kind of player RU is getting.
 

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
13,132
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Specifically, B1G talent. They should try that for a change.

Pike can’t afford more than 2 guys at most from the portal who have proven they have this. We’re realistically looking at dropping 5K for two frontcourt players and we probably have no choice but to do it. We can’t take a chance on a low major that could turn out like Agee. We don’t have a back up plan.

But for folks who are wondering why there’s talk of us keeping a collection of our guards and not “starting over” this is why. If you want “proven BIG talent” in the backcourt too we’re also going to be forking out 2M per player for that. We can’t go that route and will need to roll the dice at the lower level taking some chances knowing that our floor is at least higher in the backcourt if guys return.
 

Scarlet Blind_rivals

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The women's transfer portal is almost at 1000 in 12 hrs, I'm sure Pike will have a thousand names to sort through this time tomorrow.
 
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mjjoyce51

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Pike can’t afford more than 2 guys at most from the portal who have proven they have this. We’re realistically looking at dropping 5K for two frontcourt players and we probably have no choice but to do it. We can’t take a chance on a low major that could turn out like Agee. We don’t have a back up plan.

But for folks who are wondering why there’s talk of us keeping a collection of our guards and not “starting over” this is why. If you want “proven BIG talent” in the backcourt too we’re also going to be forking out 2M per player for that. We can’t go that route and will need to roll the dice at the lower level taking some chances knowing that our floor is at least higher in the backcourt if guys return.

I actually don't think I would hate your scenario here. Let's say they pay $5M for two guys like Hines and Murauskas from Saint Mary's and $1.5 on a PG like Leroy Blyden? That leaves about $2.5-$3M for the rest of the roster which you fill with role players which means Francis is probably gone. I'm using these guys as examples but they really should be using 65-70% of the budget on 3 players.
 

Mholinko

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I actually don't think I would hate your scenario here. Let's say they pay $5M for two guys like Hines and Murauskas from Saint Mary's and $1.5 on a PG like Leroy Blyden? That leaves about $2.5-$3M for the rest of the roster which you fill with role players which means Francis is probably gone. I'm using these guys as examples but they really should be using 65-70% of the budget on 3 players.
Hines is a possible get… Murauskas would be shocked if he doesn’t follow Bennett to ASU but I understand these are examples
 

mjjoyce51

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Hines is a possible get… Murauskas would be shocked if he doesn’t follow Bennett to ASU but I understand these are examples
Yeah I just looked at the first name on the top of the Transfer portal list that made sense. Does Smoke have any connections to Aiden Sherrell?? He is from Detriot. I know pipe dreams that any top player would want to transfer to Rutgers but I think the money could technically work if they for some reason did.
 

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
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I actually don't think I would hate your scenario here. Let's say they pay $5M for two guys like Hines and Murauskas from Saint Mary's and $1.5 on a PG like Leroy Blyden? That leaves about $2.5-$3M for the rest of the roster which you fill with role players which means Francis is probably gone. I'm using these guys as examples but they really should be using 65-70% of the budget on 3 players.

I don’t think a mid major player with Leroy’s metrics is choosing RU for 1.5M to be honest. In fact, I don’t think there’s any PG type who is clearly an upgrade over Tariq that we’re going to convince to come to RU for under 2M. Blyden shot almost 41% from 3 as a frosh. He’s going to have all kinds of offers from top tier suitors. Whatever the market for Tariq is, it’s probably safe to assume we’d have to pay 500K or more above that to have a shot at someone comparable. We’re going to be “overpaying” for anyone from the portal who is desirable. At every position. That’s why we have to keep a lot of what we have at guard, add one piece (possibly a better ball handling version of Buchanan - 6-5 type, plus Wooten and hope a couple guys improve and Tariq gels with our additions in the front court.

We can’t roll with the front court and just add one piece there. First of all we have zero frosh lined up, no returning center and Grant has been on a downward spiral. Starter level guys are needed at the 4 and 5 along with back ups. Most portal efforts need to go here.
 

mjjoyce51

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I don’t think a mid major player with Leroy’s metrics is choosing RU for 1.5M to be honest. In fact, I don’t think there’s any PG type who is clearly an upgrade over Tariq that we’re going to convince to come to RU for under 2M. Blyden shot almost 41% from 3 as a frosh. He’s going to have all kinds of offers from top tier suitors. Whatever the market for Tariq is, it’s probably safe to assume we’d have to pay 500K or more above that to have a shot at someone comparable. We’re going to be “overpaying” for anyone from the portal who is desirable. At every position. That’s why we have to keep a lot of what we have at guard, add one piece (possibly a better ball handling version of Buchanan - 6-5 type, plus Wooten and hope a couple guys improve and Tariq gels with our additions in the front court.

We can’t roll with the front court and just add one piece there. First of all we have zero frosh lined up, no returning center and Grant has been on a downward spiral. Starter level guys are needed at the 4 and 5 along with back ups. Most portal efforts need to go here.
It’s certainly possible he needs $2M but where do we think he would rank as a portal PG? There’s a good amount of PG and CG that played well for power 5 teams that are probably ahead of him and there’s also top teams that have their PG already in house so eventually you start running out of teams that can pay that much.
 

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
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It’s certainly possible he needs $2M but where do we think he would rank as a portal PG? There’s a good amount of PG and CG that played well for power 5 teams that are probably ahead of him and there’s also top teams that have their PG already in house so eventually you start running out of teams that can pay that much.

Remember, Washington paid 900K last year for Lathan to be their 3rd string center. There are also A-10 type schools with money to burn on a few players who have had more recent success than us. We are likely going to have to overpay for anyone highly coveted (proven high major or low major with 3 point shooting over 40% on decent volume.
 

mjjoyce51

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Remember, Washington paid 900K last year for Lathan to be their 3rd string center. There are also A-10 type schools with money to burn on a few players who have had more recent success than us. We are likely going to have to overpay for anyone highly coveted (proven high major or low major with 3 point shooting over 40% on decent volume.
I don't necessarily disagree that Rutgers may need to pay up for some players but I got to push back on the examples you used.

Somerville may have wound up being third string but they definitely brought him in thinking he would be the starter or at least a key bench player. Kepnang was a career backup and Steinbach was a decent freshman prospect but he wasn't expected to be anywhere near what he became.

What A-10 school has a high NIL budget? Robbie Avila moved with his coach to Saint Louis a couple of years ago but has there been any other transfers close to that? I know there's no football to split the bill but I can't imagine any of the schools have the athletic revenue high enough to justify giving anything over $2M. Does a school like VCU have whales giving money to make up for that?
 

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
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I don't necessarily disagree that Rutgers may need to pay up for some players but I got to push back on the examples you used.

Somerville may have wound up being third string but they definitely brought him in thinking he would be the starter or at least a key bench player. Kepnang was a career backup and Steinbach was a decent freshman prospect but he wasn't expected to be anywhere near what he became.

What A-10 school has a high NIL budget? Robbie Avila moved with his coach to Saint Louis a couple of years ago but has there been any other transfers close to that? I know there's no football to split the bill but I can't imagine any of the schools have the athletic revenue high enough to justify giving anything over $2M. Does a school like VCU have whales giving money to make up for that?

George Washington reportedly paid the other kid who stayed (when Buchanan left). Don’t remember the name. I think those schools pay a couple players each from reports that have floated around.