This kid has earned a shot at starting as he was almost single handedly responsible for us coming back tonight. To not give him that start sends a message, and not a good one, to the rest of the team, plus I think it gives us a giant spark against MD.
Jacob Young
- Thread starter RutgersChow
- Start date
I guess I've got to respond to my own post. Every kid wants to start no matter what he says. Don't reward kids for performance and you'll begin to lose them. Same works the other way around. Caleb played great for the stretch Geo was out and really didn't deserve to lose his starting spot. Look how he has played since.
He brings a different level of intensity and energy that the team doesnt get anywhere else. He also gets us so many easy buckets which we struggle bigtime with. His defense is the best on the team. Give him the start and set the tone that we aren't trying to fall behind again anymore. It's time to shake things up
just look at the stats tonight. Does Pike have ANYONE show him or keep them in game? Does he even look at them during the season? Too scared to try something different expecting a different results away?
he should have never been taken out
not sure if I want the Maryland start but he needs to play 25 plus for that game..its the Purdue game he needs to start. I think RU will have good energy at home whoever starts, its the road thats the issue
not sure if I want the Maryland start but he needs to play 25 plus for that game..its the Purdue game he needs to start. I think RU will have good energy at home whoever starts, its the road thats the issue
JY should start final two games. 5 assists on top of everything else he did.
Kid is a fing beast of a competitor. Heart of a lion.
GO RU
Kid is a fing beast of a competitor. Heart of a lion.
GO RU
Why not bac? We need guys vs MD who can get to the rim. Young and Mathis are our only guards who can do that.
Young will play alot of minutes in the Maryland game do not worry..however unlike the road I think we can get by with our starting lineup. Caleb needs to ride pine alot...Montez too if he does not bring it
I said in another thread the other day that it's been tough on Caleb. Goes from forward to then starting PG for Geo then back to the bench. He's unsure of his role and timid now
he was never a starter...not that kind of player...i kept telling you guys to be careful to put too much on his plate. Listen he lost his minutes, he needs to find ways to contribute, not pout or make mistakes. Every player has been given an opportunity to shine here. He needs to suck it up and help the team. Pike needs to do a better job identify his role and he probably is saying contribute even if you are not making your shots. His play has been brutal
Hes the only one that draws fouls going to the rim. We need one more guys like this next year. This IMO is why we see our foul differential so skewed. You dont get fouled shooting fadeaways.
Really? You could make a pretty good argument we played our best basketball while he was starting at the point. He had a lot on his plate then. Seems to be just my opinion but I think Geo has been absolutely killing this team since bringing us back vs. Northwestern. Pike needs to do a better job defining Caleb's role as "more minutes than Geo." He's a better player. Throw him back in as a starter and you'll see it as you did during maybe our best stretch of the season.
Last edited:
Jacob has to play more for longer stretches if he is distributing the ball and driving and dishing. When he gets hot , keep him in. Plan his rests around the 4 minute timeouts. One common denominator on the road is Pike’s benching of Montez for long long periods and sometimes the last 10 or 15 minutes of the game. Tez usually plays really well on the road. Tez hit a big 3 in the comeback, when no one else wanted that shot and when we desperately needed some threes and got called for a charge when the Penn State guy Wheeler flopped and was never seen again. One thing Pike should tweak is his sub patterns. He has to run with the hot hand. The sub of Duke plus the lineup he had out there with Duke had little offensive ability and was costly.
I know there has been discussion about going small and playing Harper and Akwasi together up front , but tonight Ron did such an incredible job on Stevens , I do not think you could have taken him off STEVENS . But again another possible tweak by Pike.
Finally , some panic in end games against Michigan at MSG, against Maryland and tonite with 26 seconds down 1 , you have to be taking it to the hole. Myles should have been down low, not up high catching a pass from Ron , since he started attacking the offensive glass like the Myles of earlier in the season in case of a miss. Pike has to run a better set other than Geo ISO which has worked, because you have the whole team of defenders looking at Geo so a bad door cut gets us an easy basket. Especially down only 1 , the shot unless unguarded has to be in the paint or driving there.
This one hurts so bad. A tortuous gut punch. Similar to the Iowa Weiscamp game last year. But this team is resilient , like that team and got off the mat , and will do so again.
I know there has been discussion about going small and playing Harper and Akwasi together up front , but tonight Ron did such an incredible job on Stevens , I do not think you could have taken him off STEVENS . But again another possible tweak by Pike.
Finally , some panic in end games against Michigan at MSG, against Maryland and tonite with 26 seconds down 1 , you have to be taking it to the hole. Myles should have been down low, not up high catching a pass from Ron , since he started attacking the offensive glass like the Myles of earlier in the season in case of a miss. Pike has to run a better set other than Geo ISO which has worked, because you have the whole team of defenders looking at Geo so a bad door cut gets us an easy basket. Especially down only 1 , the shot unless unguarded has to be in the paint or driving there.
This one hurts so bad. A tortuous gut punch. Similar to the Iowa Weiscamp game last year. But this team is resilient , like that team and got off the mat , and will do so again.
your take is horrible. Caleb is not a better player than Geo in any reality but yours and your few Geo haters on the board here
Fine. Tell me the things that Geo is better at other than the step back jumper, his 27% three point shooting percentage, his low 30's% overall shooting percentage, his inability to cover anyone, and his inability to go by anyone. I'm not a Geo hater. He's just a below average Big 10 guard as I've said for the last two years, and he's a way below average Big 10 PG, and since NW he's killing us. So again, if he's better than Caleb just tell me what he does better rather than just call me a Geo hater. I'll listen.
So I ask you to give me one area other than the step back jumper where Geo is better than Caleb, and that's your answer? - that Pikiell has full confidence in Geo. While its not an answer to my question it is the kind of a response I kind of expected, but I'll play along. Pike also did, at one time, have full confidence in Peter Kiss, also the midwestern JUCU guard whose name I can't remember, and the kid Bullock who is now playing D2 somewhere in PA. Don't get me wrong. I love Pike as our coach, but his belief, along with many others, that Geo is this great player is just not accurate. I actually think he's beginning to question himself on it.
Geo is a closer...he hit two shots at the end of the game...he is so respected that Chambers made sure he was doubled and harrassed. Chambers does not want Geo keeping making the shot
your posts here are awful, you have slammed Geo relentlessly, I refuse to pit players against each other. Lets just say Caleb is struggling here.
Geo is not all Big 10 player but he is our heart and soul on the team period.
your takes here and your comment about Kiss just solidified you as a troll here not worth discussing with
your posts here are awful, you have slammed Geo relentlessly, I refuse to pit players against each other. Lets just say Caleb is struggling here.
Geo is not all Big 10 player but he is our heart and soul on the team period.
your takes here and your comment about Kiss just solidified you as a troll here not worth discussing with
Caleb and his "brutal" play, scored as many points as Geo in half as many minutes tonight.
Geo is shooting 27% from 3 and 39% overall this season which is objectively very bad.
Geo is super clutch no doubt which is overshadowing his overall shooting numbers. He has had a poor season overall shooting even before the injury against the weaker OOC competition. Its disappointing he hasn't become more consistent shooter as a Junior this season.
Hopefully he finishes strong and can lead us to the dance. Come on Geoooo rally the team and have everyone prepared to come out ready to play from the tip against Maryland. Need his leadership here down the stretch
Geo is super clutch no doubt which is overshadowing his overall shooting numbers. He has had a poor season overall shooting even before the injury against the weaker OOC competition. Its disappointing he hasn't become more consistent shooter as a Junior this season.
Hopefully he finishes strong and can lead us to the dance. Come on Geoooo rally the team and have everyone prepared to come out ready to play from the tip against Maryland. Need his leadership here down the stretch
I guess calling me a troll is a nice excuse for not having an answer, but so be it. And if I was a troll I wouldn't put my name out there, plus I wouldn't be a football season ticket holder for 14 years, nor have been to eight BB games this year.
Geo vs. Caleb
Higher shooting % - Caleb
Higher 3 pt. shooting % - Caleb
Higher average rebounds per game - Caleb in way fewer minutes
Fewer turnovers per game - Caleb
Free throw % - Geo by 1%
These numbers don't lie. If Caleb is struggling what is Geo doing. I like the kid. He should be coming off the bench.
Last edited:
Bob is bringing up an opinion and backing it up with valid points and stats. Bac is just throwing insults and dodging questions and getting emotional and personal. Not a good look bac. Step up your game and defend your view instead of acting like a baby and declaring anyone with a different view point a troll when they are actually talking basketball and you aren't
Lol ive watched the games the past 2 years..and believe me Geo has disappointed at times..first half no show tonight was scandalous but sorry not buying an argument thst Caleb McConnell is a better player and deserves more minutes than Geo
I'll tell you one kid I was wrong about - Mathis. I'd hate to see him transfer because of playing time. Great on the ball defender, super aggressive, and I think maybe the toughest kid on the team - think Williams with more talent. I love kids who can't wait to get the ball back after they miss a shot.
I don't have a stat for it, but I would say Caleb is also better at stopping penetration and better getting over screens, big parts of our defense. I would give Geo a slight edge in ball handling skills.
That's fine, and again, just like in other threads, not the point. Everytime you're wrong you create a straw man argument to sound right. Defend your position instead of throwing insults is what I said. I didn't even take a position on who was better
Not even sure who is having the better season at this point. Both have been so wildly inconsistent. Currently, Baker is playing better for sure. For long stretches this season Caleb was playing better. Both have looked pretty bad when they struggle and pretty awesome when they are in the zone. Caleb is more versatile, but Geo has hit sooo many huge clutch shots
I think the team would benefit from a shortened rotation. Keep it to 7 at Baker, Harper Jr, Yeboah, Johnson, Carter, Young, McConnell.
Mulcahy is great. He is going to do well here. Right now, the team needs offense. I would shorten his minutes.
Mulcahy is great. He is going to do well here. Right now, the team needs offense. I would shorten his minutes.
Reading a lot of the words used to describe the classic 6th man...spark, energy, intensity. JY brings all that. It’s not about is he better than this guy or that guy, it’s about a unique skill set and getting high value and strength from the bench. Love his role.
I dont have a stat for it but how many clutch big time shots made or won games including last night 2 big shots ...do you want Caleb out there and Geo on the bench with a minute to go..end of argument. Im not pitting players against each other so lets stop this.
Steve loves taking him out when he's clearly on a roll. Jacob also never gets tired.
whole team should get rally crewcuts.. UNITIY
**except for Geo how uses his hair-fake
but as for OP.. hell yeah.. start Young (if you want to press from the start, otherwise give him Big Ten's 6th man award).
**except for Geo how uses his hair-fake
but as for OP.. hell yeah.. start Young (if you want to press from the start, otherwise give him Big Ten's 6th man award).
Last edited:
@Bob Chaewsky @bac2therac @Scangg
When Geo was out 3 games Young averaged:
Minutes: 26 minutes
Points: 15 points
FG%: 47%
Assists: 1
Turnovers: 1
Rebounds: 3
2-1 record including our best conference win and last minute loss to T3 in conference.
I also think his turnover problem is overblown. 3.5 per 40 minutes in conference play usually with the highest usage rate on the team by a good margin. And I haven’t even gotten to his defense which is tops with Mathis.
You can make the argument we played our best when McConnell started at the point because Young played more minutes off the bench than normal. So in fact while we were often down by the first tv time out often with McConnell and Mathis starting together it was Young off the bench making us look good.
When Geo was out 3 games Young averaged:
Minutes: 26 minutes
Points: 15 points
FG%: 47%
Assists: 1
Turnovers: 1
Rebounds: 3
2-1 record including our best conference win and last minute loss to T3 in conference.
I also think his turnover problem is overblown. 3.5 per 40 minutes in conference play usually with the highest usage rate on the team by a good margin. And I haven’t even gotten to his defense which is tops with Mathis.
You can make the argument we played our best when McConnell started at the point because Young played more minutes off the bench than normal. So in fact while we were often down by the first tv time out often with McConnell and Mathis starting together it was Young off the bench making us look good.