Some interesting stuff in here. I don't recall Pike being so candid like he has been this offseason.
Q&A with Pike
Q&A with Pike
Carino -- Q&A with Pike
- Thread starter fatsam98
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35 inch very for Gavin and 38 for j Mike showing the athleticism upgrade
Chol up 18 lbs. He really could be the wildcard surprise this season
Wolf down weight and more athletic. Focused on bball. If he can show any type of outside shot, then he play some 4 too
The negatives... Pike scared to death about the defense. @Greene Rice FIG in full blown panic mode reading this
Chol up 18 lbs. He really could be the wildcard surprise this season
Wolf down weight and more athletic. Focused on bball. If he can show any type of outside shot, then he play some 4 too
The negatives... Pike scared to death about the defense. @Greene Rice FIG in full blown panic mode reading this
I refrained from posting.....when i heard how we are fast and going to play fast the 1st thought that popped in to my head.......that means more possessions to defend.35 inch very for Gavin and 38 for j Mike showing the athleticism upgrade
Chol up 18 lbs. He really could be the wildcard surprise this season
Wolf down weight and more athletic. Focused on bball. If he can show any type of outside shot, then he play some 4 too
The negatives... Pike scared to death about the defense. @Greene Rice FIG in full blown panic mode reading this
Mike Rice tried to whip basketball and call people names to play D. Pike just takes away playing time. Guys want to play. Pike had Mike Coburn and Paul Mulcahy play acceptable D.
Just a thought, wonder if Chol, with his length, could spell Mag as the point of the press.
Mag hasn’t practiced yet so that’s a factor. It sounds like Hyatt has made some strides which is a definitely a good thing, unless these comments mean that Hyatt’s defense is way ahead the newcomer. Even with improvement, the best I’m realistically hoping for is servicable D from Hyatt - especially if he’s playing the 2-3. I just can’t see him going from where he was at to above average on perimeter D.
I am very bearish about the season if Hyatt is a major part of the rotation.
If Hyatt and Mag are on the floor together, I'd expect Mag to guard the 3 or whoever is the more dangerous perimeter threat
Hearing Hyatt take a leadership role is encouraging. He might feel more confident which spills over into his shooting and defense
I also wonder if Paul's absense leads to a better Hyatt with reports of Paul being difficult. I could picture Paul riding Hyatt and yelling at him. Not all players respond the same and there is a mental side of things.
The rarely seen 6th year breakout... I have more hope for it now than I did earlier in the off season
We need at least one of Hyatt or Chol to take a major step forward
I’m willing to buy that it’s possible Hyatt’s ball handling improved to the point we’re he can slide to the perimeter. I’ll even entertain the possibility of chemistry improvement helping Hyatt takes steps on offense.
His perimeter defense though - it’s sucked. Consistently so throughout his career and the issues have nothing to do with meshing with others. He just leaves guys wide open. At least that’s what’s happened in the past.
He's guarded the 4 better than the 5. The real hope for Hyatt is that he ups his 3% to 35+. He was known as a shooter in HS and has yet to deliver. He has good form and rotation, but from attending a bunch of games last season at court level... he shoots a real line drive. It's a sign of someone aiming their shots instead of shooting them. I do think its possible for an outlier shooting season to the plus side
This is a big thing. Chemistry is a big deal. When someone passes you the ball, you shoot it and miss and they yell "good shot, you got it next time" that's big, just like it is if they do something in the opposite direction.
Hyatt and others will be more valuable players in higher-possession games where each mistake or missed shot isn't magnified because of the slow pace of the game and painstakingly cruicial nature of each and every possession (at least that's what it seemed like watchign some of our games).
I can't wait for a 12-0 run that happens in 2 minutes, not 12 minutes.
Holding a team to zero points over 12 minutes > scoring on 4 or 5 straight possessions
That's not the complete equation though.
Holding a team to zero points over 12 minutes > scoring on 4 or 5 straight possessions
Only scoring 12 points in 12 minutes <<<< scoring 12 points in 2 minutes
The geat thing about Chol is that he is only a Redshirt Freshmen. He has a lot of time to develop. He does not need to have a big role this year.35 inch very for Gavin and 38 for j Mike showing the athleticism upgrade
Chol up 18 lbs. He really could be the wildcard surprise this season
Wolf down weight and more athletic. Focused on bball. If he can show any type of outside shot, then he play some 4 too
The negatives... Pike scared to death about the defense. @Greene Rice FIG in full blown panic mode reading this
I still believe in Pike to get this group defending well. They’re all willing defenders which is a plus, but a very different type of defense will be needed, one that prioritizes speed and pressure rather than bulk and length. Very intrigued to see if he can solve the equation
This is ridiculously overblown. Hyatt guarded the 4 last year and he was not leaving his man or others "wide open" when switching or in rotation.
I hope this is hyperbole. Every player can always improve on defense.
Look at it this way, guys know the pecking order. Hyatt wasn't as high up the food chain as Paul. With Paul gone, Hyatt's confidence level may start to match his talent ranking coming out of HS. Chemistry is a big part of a team's success. I keep thinking back to Eugene Oromuyi, and how the team came together to play much better once he left. Ron and Geo were able to step out of the shadows of Eugene and shine. I see that happening with Hyatt because he is now in that leadership role. Also, I think Simpson plays with more confidence with Cam gone. Simpson sees the court more, and the style of play fits him better.
I see the following players playing above the board's expectations: Chol, Wolf, and Hyatt.
Chol is a better athlete than Thiam and a more gifted player overall. Chol appears to be a better defender and shooter simply because he has more confidence in what he can do as a player. Wolf is more focused on basketball. His talent will begin to shine bright as he continues to focus mainly on basketball. IMO, Wolf becomes an offensive threat more than we thought. I don't think Hyatt will average 15 a game, but I expect him to be more consistent, especially as a scorer from outside and inside.
The following players are where we think they should be: Gavin, Simpson, and Cliff.
Gavin appears to have a great basketball IQ and athletic ability to match it. I think he averages at least 10 ppg. Simpson should take the big sophomore jump, as expected from someone entering the program for his second year. He will push the pace and set the tone for the team along with Fernandes and JMike. Cliff should get the calls this year that other superstars in the B1G always got. Cliff is the other guy I expect to average double-digits.
The following are wildcards that can impact the win total for the team: Fernandes, JMike, Austin Williams, and Mag.
Fernandes can score and set the tone of the game. If he has that pick-and-roll going with Cliff, this team will abuse team's interior defense. It will put Rutgers in a position to punish teams from the outside, as there will be fewer contested outside shoots. JMike is overlooked and considered a throw-in to get Ace, but this kid seems better than advertised. The B1G is built around defending the low-post game and less athletic perimeter players. JMike and Simpson will push some teams to the brink. Williams knows how to score and can defend. I think people are overlooking what Williams brings to the table. He is a jack of many trades. He is a physical guy who will get the better of defenders who expect guards to be timid. Mag is the guy who will make the defense go. If he returns to the level he was at before the injury, he could frustrate the opponent's best offensive threat.
The offense could be more explosive, while the defense takes time to come together. The potential for a better defense than last year is there, but until the new pieces come together, the offense will have to carry the team.
I trust Pike to have us in a good spot defensively by conference play. Especially when Mag is 100%.
Excited to see this new style. Feel like the RAC will be rocking more than ever if we do turn it on offensively
Excited to see this new style. Feel like the RAC will be rocking more than ever if we do turn it on offensively
Agree with almost of all of this. A couple points to push back on
Chol appears to be a better defender... he has barely played and came late to the program, but the few minutes we did see, he was extremely bad on D. I do think he has the tools to be a very good defender, but we haven't seen anything on that end yet
I guess Noah is a wildcard bc he's new and from a lesser conference, but I think we pretty much know what we will get. I would expect him to be actually one of the more reliable players vs a wildcard
Mag health I guess is a wildcard, but he is a given elite defender that we can count on. His offense is more of a wild card. I'm sure he has had time to hoist plenty of shots on the side while recovering. He started to come on as a shooter before he went down. If he makes a jump in that area, watch out bc his overall game will be very good
I do think with a deeper and more athletic roster that we see more press. If players aren't lock down half court defenders, this is a potential option to limit half court defensive possessions and use athleticism speed and depth to force early bad shots, deflections, and turnovers
Holding a team to zero points over 12 minutes>>>>> scoring on 4 or 5 straight possessions
So, Hyatt was leaving players "Wide Open" is not overblown ?
I watched every game, some twice and there were not "Wide Open" players because of Hyatt and Hyatt alone. That's why I said hyperbole.
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I am not seeing AT ALL the notion that Paul prevented players from coming out of their shell. I think if anything that opposite on offense.
I think the concept is utter garbage.
There were a lot of issues with Paul, this not one of them.
I think the concept is utter garbage.
There were a lot of issues with Paul, this not one of them.
Pointless discussion.
Chol has the potential to be a good defender. Playing strong defense is more about desire and a willingness to learn how to defend. I think he has it in him.
I called Fernandes a wildcard because he is new to the team. I know from experience entering a new program that you don't want to disrupt the chemistry, yet you want to showcase your ability and what you can add to the team.
Mag is coming off a significant injury, so I put him in that group. He made his name on defense, and his success is more about how confident he is in that knee. I feel any offense Mag's provides is a bonus. We need him more for his defense.
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The problem with Hyatt and expecting some sort of breakout 6th year is that he was still making underclassmen type mistakes. If they are still occurring in year 5, it would seem unlikely it finally clicks in year 6. Too many mental lapses and poor decisions after that many years of college ball under his belt
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anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy
Guest
Offense being ahead of defense excites me. A pike team that can score is a dangerous team
thanks for sharing. He really doesn’t give an interview where you don’t get end up champing at the bit for the season to get started. Can’t wait. LFG.
And in bigger picture, needed if we want to swim in the big recruits pond and continue to advance the pro gram, not to mention not get stuck in Big 10 mud on style if play. D will always be a staple.
This is probably the right mindset. Trust that Pike will figure out a way to get the defense right since he always has
The idea someone who played almost 25 minutes a game on the #6 defensive team in the country could have been an "awful defensive player" is tough for me to swallow.
When three of the other players are Caleb McConnell, Mawot Mag, and Cliff Omoruyi it makes sense.
Do you mean bullish? Maybe it’s me but bearish is bad, right? Unless that’s what you meant?
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anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy
Guest
Alot easier to get good at defense than get good at offense, thats why its most encouraging. Pike has consistently had tremendous defenses, its been the offenses that have held us back
I'm not understanding.
Is it because Hyatt hit some 3s overseas against the equivalent of a Div 3 scrimmage?
Between him passing backwards at the end of the Minnesota game then basically being benched/no show the next 3 games, I'll believe when I see it with Hyatt.
Great Job ! Picking one horrible play by Hyatt and suggesting it's some kind of norm for him.
Now bring up the dozens of bonehead plays made by every other player over the course of the year....including Mulcahy, Spencer, McConnell, Mag, Cliff and the rest.