Carino Article with Cliff Quotes

[Loyal-Son]

This is the third time by my counting. Cam was critical (of holding players to account, work ethic etc), Eugene O was critical (how Altman was such a better offensive coach etc), and now Cliff. Not a good look.

Nauseating take IMO. Go away

Apparently you did not notice that players like Mulcahy and Myles Johnson came back to RU in full RU regatta, praising their time at RU.

Why did Dylan Harper come to RU? You know damn well!

Did you ask Geo or McConnell or Ron Harper, Jr. what they thought about their RU experience?

Apparently you expect every decent coach to be recognized by all his players as the best coach ever. Ridiculous!

I don't know how Coach Pikiell will do from here. He surely has an up-hill climb. Whatever happens, it will not be because his players didn't respect him. Some didn't, but some key players certainly did.

Your post amounts to character-assassination at its finest. Your credibility IMO has taken a big hit - if you had much to begin with.

 

[runrutgersrun]

What else is he going to say? I wish I was at Rutgers. Come on! He’s 7 figures richer. Of course he’s thankful for his Alabama opportunity.

This^^^^. This was from an interview from a post game locker room...after a game in which he didn't exactly set the world on fire and his "new" team lost, to boot? Some of the dumbest things ever said have come from post game locker rooms. Sorry Cliff left...not sure he found the grass that much greener where he went (other than the $$$). But $$$ matter. Go RU!

 

[Ridge 22]

Cliff is trying to make his NIL deal valid. Meanwhile, he was sitting on the bench while his team was getting smoked in the elite 8.

Whoever paid him definitely didn’t get their moneys worth.

Yeah. What a mistake he made leaving and getting coached and getting paid and making the tournament. Poor kid.

 

[Ridge 22]

That’s crazy. A number of guys got much better as they graduated or moved on. Geo, Ron Harper, Caleb and even EO.

Who else?

 

[NewJerseyGuy]

He had a real chance to make a difference last night, but blew several dunks
again

Sorry, about that, Alabama.

I blame Pike for those dunks too.

 

[RuSnp]

Nauseating take IMO. Go away

Apparently you did not notice that players like Mulcahy and Myles Johnson came back to RU in full RU regatta, praising their time at RU.

Why did Dylan Harper come to RU? You know damn well!

Did you ask Geo or McConnell or Ron Harper, Jr. what they thought about their RU experience?

Apparently you expect every decent coach to be recognized by all his players as the best coach ever. Ridiculous!

I don't know how Coach Pikiell will do from here. He surely has an up-hill climb. Whatever happens, it will not be because his players didn't respect him. Some didn't, but some key players certainly did.

Your post amounts to character-assassination at its finest. Your credibility IMO has taken a big hit - if you had much to begin with.

My post was factual. I like Pike and think he's done a good job. I remember the Eddie Jordan years. My point was it's not a good look. I don't know how that created this sort of response.

 

[dark_check]

Corey Sanders got better under Pike. Grant got better this year. So did Ace. So did Sommerville. So did Ogbole. There are others.

You said Ognole already. I said he went from a juco c to a better juco c. Did you see Aces last 12 games? Improved?! Sommerville, improved? How? You’re really reaching. There are so many more players who were stagnant or got worse.

 

[mikeyoc]

No problem with those quotes
You always talk up the program you are at more than anything else, and I don't see much anti RU sentiment

He had a real chance to make a difference last night, but blew several dunks
again

He's always been consistent, no matter who he plays for.. Who knows, maybe one day we'll get a 5 like the one who plays for Auburn

 

[cRURah]

how can anyone on here dismiss his comments? he very clearly stated he regrets starting out at rutgers. plain and simple.

 

[Caliknight]

You said Ognole already. I said he went from a juco c to a better juco c. Did you see Aces last 12 games? Improved?! Sommerville, improved? How? You’re really reaching. There are so many more players who were stagnant or got worse.

Yes his rebounding and defense was much better than when he arrived.

Sommerville’s rebounding and D got better than when he arrived. He’s just undersized and unathletic

 

[RUsojo]

What the hell is up with this not sure the grass was greener nonsense.

He started for a top 10 team, made the elite 8, and had his best season yet, as one if the most efficient centers in the country.

Let’s stay in reality at least.

 

[higgins3]

LOL this absolutely says something negative about Rutgers Basketball. Is there really room for discussion about that?

Multiple players have said this now.

 

[needmorecowbell]

I liked Cliff but he didn’t have the best reputation at Rutgers amongst the players. I heard him called soft and lazy (first hand).

That being said, there is no doubt the team was a mess his last year and something was going on. Multiple players left and quit the team that year.

 

[seansherm]

You said Ognole already. I said he went from a juco c to a better juco c. Did you see Aces last 12 games? Improved?! Sommerville, improved? How? You’re really reaching. There are so many more players who were stagnant or got worse.

Development happens over a career, not just one season. Freshman can hit a wall.

 

[seansherm]

LOL this absolutely says something negative about Rutgers Basketball. Is there really room for discussion about that?

Multiple players have said this now.

All it says is RU basketball isn't a top ten program. If people didn't know that already, then I guess they are surprised when they hear it.

 

[dark_check]

Development happens over a career, not just one season. Freshman can hit a wall.

Don’t have a career to see it anymore

 

[Caliknight]

They definitely have a career. It’s just likely to be at a number of schools. I predict Sommerville as an example will transfer again after his next destination.

 

[higgins3]

All it says is RU basketball isn't a top ten program. If people didn't know that already, then I guess they are surprised when they hear it.

That and he would have started out at Alabama if he could have.

 

[Caliknight]

Of course he would. They gave him $1MM for a season. Problem is they wouldn't have given him another million for a second season. Would have probably wound up at Rutgers anyway.

 

[seansherm]

That and he would have started out at Alabama if he could have.

If you are honest with yourself, there is probably very little to the college experience that is better at RU than at Bama. Campus, the girls, the fervor for sport, ect. Does he have to say it, no, but not surprising.

 

[dark_check]

Of course he would. They gave him $1MM for a season. Problem is they wouldn't have given him another million for a second season. Would have probably wound up at Rutgers anyway.

See I remember some monster blocks from Cliff. I remember some slams that electrified the RAC in a way we haven’t seen since. I remember him hustling his a$$ off in a closeout at Wisconsin in 2022 to preserve a one point win and keep us on the bubble. We didn’t know what we had. His over 62% FG percentage in our two ncaa years was key to being a valuable player. The last year when the team was rotting around him he averaged 9.6 rpg. He’s ok in my book. And if he wants to speak honestly and we have our head in the sand and won’t listen that’s on us.

 

[RUSCFORMERLYRULOU]

See I remember some monster blocks from Cliff. I remember some slams that electrified the RAC in a way we haven’t seen since. I remember him hustling his a$$ off in a closeout at Wisconsin in 2022 to preserve a one point win and keep us on the bubble. We didn’t know what we had. His over 62% FG percentage in our two ncaa years was key to being a valuable player. The last year when the team was rotting around him he averaged 9.6 rpg. He’s ok in my book. And if he wants to speak honestly and we have our head in the sand and won’t listen that’s on us.

At least be could say he enjoyed his time at RU - fans were great - and then say in some ways he wished he had gone to alabama.

 

[dark_check]

At least be could say he enjoyed his time at RU - fans were great - and then say in some ways he wished he had gone to alabama.

I hear you but he took a chance, gave us a lot including trust that our staff would help get him to the nba. His formative years were wasted in college as our staff didn’t improve him. Maybe he saw something in Alabama that made him think 2020-2024 could have been different there.

 

[bitnez]

If you are honest with yourself, there is probably very little to the college experience that is better at RU than at Bama. Campus, the girls, the fervor for sport, ect. Does he have to say it, no, but not surprising.

I mean considering it's technically a school the education is way better at RU. But, yes, I get your point if you're looking at it solely from an athletic point of view.

 

[RUSCFORMERLYRULOU]

I hear you but he took a chance, gave us a lot including trust that our staff would help get him to the nba. His formative years were wasted in college as our staff didn’t improve him. Maybe he saw something in Alabama that made him think 2020-2024 could have been different there.

All true. But its not professional. Keep it classy or at least be nice.

 

[seansherm]

I mean considering it's technically a school the education is way better at RU. But, yes, I get your point if you're looking at it solely from an athletic point of view.

Even that part is questionable and probably depends on what you go to school for. While I think most rankings show RU as the better school, as spot like Niche.com has Alabama as the 39th top public school in the country and RU as the 42nd. But yeah, I was looking at it strictly from a athlete POV.

 

[BOCA93]

Idk, it all may be true but why not take the high road like Myles? Nice when someone leaves for a higher profile program and they still have love for RU. I wonder if bama would have scheduled an overseas trip simply for cliff to get around his NIL restrictions?

 

[seansherm]

Idk, it all may be true but why not take the high road like Myles? Nice when someone leaves for a higher profile program and they still have love for RU. I wonder if bama would have scheduled an overseas trip simply for cliff to get around his NIL restrictions?

Bama wouldn't have had to schedule an overseas trip, they would have been getting him $ without it, rules be damned.

 

[BOCA93]

Bama wouldn't have had to schedule an overseas trip, they would have been getting him $ without it, rules be damned.

Probably true lol

 

[Caliknight]

I hear you but he took a chance, gave us a lot including trust that our staff would help get him to the nba. His formative years were wasted in college as our staff didn’t improve him. Maybe he saw something in Alabama that made him think 2020-2024 could have been different there.

But it wasn't. He regressed to the point where he barely played in the most important game of the year. He was better at Rutgers.

 

[dark_check]

But it wasn't. He regressed to the point where he barely played in the most important game of the year. He was better at Rutgers.

I recall him starting the tournament off for Alabama looking pretty dominant. He didn’t regress. By your last year in college you are what you are. His chance to improve was with a staff that would push him and hold him accountable 3-4 years ago.

 

[Caliknight]

When you are riding pine in the biggest do or die game of the year, you really ultimately had little value.

 

[dark_check]

When you are riding pine in the biggest do or die game of the year, you really ultimately had little value.

Again keep trashing Cliff and ignore the more important message about Rutgers own flaws. I’m sure that will be very helpful.

 

[Caliknight]

Not trashing him. Just stating facts.

 

[seansherm]

But it wasn't. He regressed to the point where he barely played in the most important game of the year. He was better at Rutgers.

He got hurt in the first half

 

[dark_check]

Not trashing him. Just stating facts.

Your opinion isn’t the same as a fact

 

[Caliknight]

Your opinion isn’t the same as a fact

It's a fact he wasn't good enough to play meaningful minutes in the biggest game of the year.

 

[ScarletDog]

We should be questioning everything with this program. It’s broken. All these comments are important. I would hope pike or the AD (if we had one) would be listening closely. Things need to change. Maybe it’s the coach. Maybe it’s how the coach approaches things. Maybe it’s the staff. Maybe it’s the kind of players we are taking in. Question every little detail. Cliff is right about what he said…Rutgers needs to listen and at least try to adjust.

 

[RURahh]

He picked Rutgers over at least 10 more established programs

He stayed for 4 years, with the last one being a total drag and he never quit on his team

He always represented the school with class and gave Pike plenty of notice that he would not be returning

LOL at those saying he is persona non grata. With fans like that, maybe Cliff would have done it differently from the beginning

 

[dark_check]

It's a fact he wasn't good enough to play meaningful minutes in the biggest game of the year.

Because he was injured? You make no sense