Backup 4 spot

needmorecowbell

Heisman
Oct 28, 2007
9,647
10,787
78
While there might be some limited situations where Omoruyi will play at the same time as Johnson/Docure, he is a 5. Not a 4. True center. All of the kids who are competing for minutes at the 4 are shooters. I think it's safe to say that our team is now clearly emphasizing shooters at the 4.

Just getting back to your original post on this, you said that we didn't have any shooters at the 4 behind Harper. We have 4 promising players that will be in an intense battle for limited minutes at the 4, and all are shooters. Yes, three of them will be freshmen, but that's how college ball works. Having three freshmen players coming in, all of whom are shooters, to compete with McConnell who is a shooter, for backup minutes at the 4, is a glut of shooters competing to back up Harper at the 4. You should just retract your original comment.
Ha. Agree to disagree. You listed a bunch of players but the shooters are not true 4’s and the true 4’s are not shooters. I think Pike will make it work fine but someone needs to step up and show they can get it done.
 
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RUChoppin

Heisman
Dec 1, 2006
19,270
13,695
0
The biggest question to me is still defense.

We don't really need an offensive "true PF" on the team who can post up and bang underneath - having a stretch four, or a couple hybrid SF/PF, or whatever, would be totally fine. It forces teams to adapt and accommodate - and when another team starts a true PF, it might help by pulling them out of the paint for offensive boards.

Defensively, though, we need to be able to handle teams that play two true bangers underneath, both keeping them off the offensive glass and keeping them from abusing us in the low post. That can be schemed around to a certain extent, but defense is what's going to get these freshmen on the floor sooner than later - the guys who are ahead defensively will be more likely to get minutes than guys who are ahead offensively and liabilities on defense.

From some early reports, it seems Mag and Omoruyi have been mentioned for their defense in HS - Mag as more of an aggressive defender type, and Omoruyi as more of a shot blocker/eraser. I've heard more about Palmquist's shooting than his defense, and haven't heard much either way about Reiber.
 
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cm_13

All-American
Aug 28, 2018
2,641
5,551
73
Don’t be surprised when Cliff hits some foul line or outside the paint jumpers. He does have a bit of that in his game.

True. He did mention that he wants to develop that part of his game in the Andy Katz interview (2:11).

 

G- RUnit

All-American
Sep 13, 2004
14,373
7,976
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I don't get numbers anymore and with the exception of center, don't thank classifications even matter anymore.
 
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