James Kratch on the Roster

biazza38

Heisman
Nov 18, 2012
14,431
17,484
81
Exactly, sounds great on paper.
Remind me again who our back up center is. I like Reiber, but I like him at the 4. Defensively, he gets eaten up at the 5.
What’s our scoring off the bench going to be like? Not trying to be a Debbie downer, but we have to temper our expectations this year. I expect the team to be competitive, but Harper and Geo were big time players at the end of games.
 

trotter

All-Conference
Jul 30, 2001
3,535
1,796
93
I would not rely on Hyatt being the starter all season. He hasn't shown much to me except for a few spurts.
 
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Scangg

Heisman
Mar 19, 2016
25,448
49,369
113
Exactly, sounds great on paper.
Remind me again who our back up center is. I like Reiber, but I like him at the 4. Defensively, he gets eaten up at the 5.
What’s our scoring off the bench going to be like? Not trying to be a Debbie downer, but we have to temper our expectations this year. I expect the team to be competitive, but Harper and Geo were big time players at the end of games.
It's Dean. Doesn't matter what you like. Pike likes him at the 5. He's only going to be bigger stronger and better next year.

You think Dean would do better guarding perimeter players at the 4? Seems like wishful thinking. His advantage is being a quicker more athletic 5 with good cuts to the rim and positioning and being able to stretch the floor and shoot the 3.

Reiber doesn't resemble anyone Pike has wanted to play at the 4. He wants 6'6ish guys with perimeter skills. Ron Hyatt Yeboah Eugene. It's an obvious trend.

I would not rely on Hyatt being the starter all season. He hasn't shown much to me except for a few spurts.
We only really need one of Hyatt and Mag to make a big jump at the 4.

Hyatt has more size for defense and rebounding so I think he gets first crack. He was forcing it at times and struggled to get in the flow offensively, but you could see the skill is there to be effective around the rim and mid range game. With Geo and Ron gone, he should have more confidence which seemed to be an issue. If anyone needs a hot start to the season it's Hyatt. I also expect him to step up his 3%

I like Mag more as a perimeter defender with his quickndss and athleticsm, but Caleb will eat those minutes with jom returning. I'm also concerned with his injury history banging more at the 4. But he will be a terror for other 4's to keep up with. I love his game and a breakout is coming.

Off chance the forgotten one, Oskar, can give us some significant minutes at the 4. He did shoot the 3 very well last season and showed the willingness to defend and try to draw charges. Mods say how amazing of an athlete he is.... maybe it finally comes together and he surprises

Dean can play a few minutes at the 4 depending on matchups. Maybe we play some zone with him at the 4. Is Dean at the 4 a sustainable option in today's bball world? The 4 is different now with teams wanting 4 perimeter players and 1 big. Pike has used this formula the entire time he has been here
 

biazza38

Heisman
Nov 18, 2012
14,431
17,484
81
It's Dean. Doesn't matter what you like. Pike likes him at the 5. He's only going to be bigger stronger and better next year.

You think Dean would do better guarding perimeter players at the 4? Seems like wishful thinking. His advantage is being a quicker more athletic 5 with good cuts to the rim and positioning and being able to stretch the floor and shoot the 3.

Reiber doesn't resemble anyone Pike has wanted to play at the 4. He wants 6'6ish guys with perimeter skills. Ron Hyatt Yeboah Eugene. It's an obvious trend.


We only really need one of Hyatt and Mag to make a big jump at the 4.

Hyatt has more size for defense and rebounding so I think he gets first crack. He was forcing it at times and struggled to get in the flow offensively, but you could see the skill is there to be effective around the rim and mid range game. With Geo and Ron gone, he should have more confidence which seemed to be an issue. If anyone needs a hot start to the season it's Hyatt. I also expect him to step up his 3%

I like Mag more as a perimeter defender with his quickndss and athleticsm, but Caleb will eat those minutes with jom returning. I'm also concerned with his injury history banging more at the 4. But he will be a terror for other 4's to keep up with. I love his game and a breakout is coming.

Off chance the forgotten one, Oskar, can give us some significant minutes at the 4. He did shoot the 3 very well last season and showed the willingness to defend and try to draw charges. Mods say how amazing of an athlete he is.... maybe it finally comes together and he surprises

Dean can play a few minutes at the 4 depending on matchups. Maybe we play some zone with him at the 4. Is Dean at the 4 a sustainable option in today's bball world? The 4 is different now with teams wanting 4 perimeter players and 1 big. Pike has used this formula the entire time he has been here
Harper wasn’t exactly the fastest player in the world and he was able to guard the 4. Reiber could do the same. I see your point about stretching the D at 5. Makes sense. I liked that about Reiber last year. My concern is whether or not he gives up too much on the defensive end. Let’s be honest, the players at the 5 were too big for him last year.
Yes, he should be bigger, faster, stronger, etc. But I think eventually roster make up trends back to teams having two true centers. If Cliff goes down or gets in foul trouble we’re toast on defense. Maybe Woolfolk can also chip in at the 5, but he’s also not that big.
Purdue was an anomaly last year with Edey and Williams, but they would have been totally fine on D if one of their centers went down. Same goes for OSU, and same for Umich. I don’t understand the obsession of a small line up if your team can’t shoot. That’s all
 
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NickRU714

Heisman
Aug 18, 2009
14,068
12,874
113
Nice to see it's not just college basketball fans who have ridiculous NBA draft takes but college basketball media also have minimal understanding of the NBA draft.

Why say "potential NBA 1st round pick" - just for the clicks?
Be honest and reasonable and just say "potential All-Big Ten center".
That's a lot more likely than NBA 1st round pick.

Also, who is the "all big-ten guard"?
Since when is everyone named "honorable mention" just reported as team. Is this a new thing?
Just say "Big-Ten assists leader".
 
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bowlgoal

Heisman
Jul 20, 2004
12,207
11,422
93
This team can be good. I actually think it could be a contending team with one more key piece if everything clicked. That's the tough part. You would think a big post scorer who can rebound would see himself as that key piece. Would have been nice to go hard after Pete Nance, but i've heard he's going elsewhere. That's the type of mold that we should be looking for. I think Reiber can be good off the bench but I don't think he's ready for the minutes and point production we could use from this type of player? Maybe Mag is that guy and he takes a big leap from last year? We could probably use someone bigger. If you could have another threat in the post, it would take some double coverage off of Cliff. Ron was always that threat so Cliff had his chances. But without Ron, we are missing something very important.
 
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RUJMM78

Heisman
Jul 25, 2001
26,211
12,473
113
This team can be good. I actually think it could be a contending team with one more key piece if everything clicked. That's the tough part. You would think a big post scorer who can rebound would see himself as that key piece. Would have been nice to go hard after Pete Nance, but i've heard he's going elsewhere. That's the type of mold that we should be looking for. I think Reiber can be good off the bench but I don't think he's ready for the minutes and point production we could use from this type of player? Maybe Mag is that guy and he takes a big leap from last year? We could probably use someone bigger. If you could have another threat in the post, it would take some double coverage off of Cliff. Ron was always that threat so Cliff had his chances. But without Ron, we are missing something very important.
Scoring from the front court and the bench will be important factors in how well Rutgers performs next season.The replacement for Harper in taking shots at crunch time is unknown right now.Rutgers will be a experienced team compared to, most teams they face which should help in playing road games.
 

RU-Choppin-Ohio

Heisman
Jul 31, 2011
32,987
37,771
113
Roster is at 11. Probably a walkon spot. Unless a too good to pass up opportunity comes along before September 1st like a late qualifier or a Juco that graduates in the summer.

Last year the last roster addition was on July 10th.
 

RU-Choppin-Ohio

Heisman
Jul 31, 2011
32,987
37,771
113
Kid has balls the size of King Kong. Comes in cold off the bench at Indiana with the tourney on the line, laughs at the chuckleheads in the crowd and nails 2 free throws after a foul with seconds to go.
Also nailed 2 huge 2nd half three pointers against PSU in the regular season finale. The non-rushed, confident Hyatt.
 
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Yeah Baby

All-American
Aug 14, 2001
19,261
6,466
0
Exactly, sounds great on paper.
Remind me again who our back up center is. I like Reiber, but I like him at the 4. Defensively, he gets eaten up at the 5.
What’s our scoring off the bench going to be like? Not trying to be a Debbie downer, but we have to temper our expectations this year. I expect the team to be competitive, but Harper and Geo were big time players at the end of games.
Wow that’s impressive you can be so good at something without trying.
 

Scarlet83

Heisman
Feb 4, 2004
9,541
10,700
103
It's Dean. Doesn't matter what you like. Pike likes him at the 5. He's only going to be bigger stronger and better next year.

You think Dean would do better guarding perimeter players at the 4? Seems like wishful thinking. His advantage is being a quicker more athletic 5 with good cuts to the rim and positioning and being able to stretch the floor and shoot the 3.

Reiber doesn't resemble anyone Pike has wanted to play at the 4. He wants 6'6ish guys with perimeter skills. Ron Hyatt Yeboah Eugene. It's an obvious trend.


We only really need one of Hyatt and Mag to make a big jump at the 4.

Hyatt has more size for defense and rebounding so I think he gets first crack. He was forcing it at times and struggled to get in the flow offensively, but you could see the skill is there to be effective around the rim and mid range game. With Geo and Ron gone, he should have more confidence which seemed to be an issue. If anyone needs a hot start to the season it's Hyatt. I also expect him to step up his 3%

I like Mag more as a perimeter defender with his quickndss and athleticsm, but Caleb will eat those minutes with jom returning. I'm also concerned with his injury history banging more at the 4. But he will be a terror for other 4's to keep up with. I love his game and a breakout is coming.

Off chance the forgotten one, Oskar, can give us some significant minutes at the 4. He did shoot the 3 very well last season and showed the willingness to defend and try to draw charges. Mods say how amazing of an athlete he is.... maybe it finally comes together and he surprises

Dean can play a few minutes at the 4 depending on matchups. Maybe we play some zone with him at the 4. Is Dean at the 4 a sustainable option in today's bball world? The 4 is different now with teams wanting 4 perimeter players and 1 big. Pike has used this formula the entire time he has been here
Scangg - This is a GREAT post. Everyone should read the WHOLE POST. Worth every word.
 

JudgeSmails56

All-American
Dec 1, 2019
4,645
6,766
113
Current roster we’ll be lucky to win more than 7-8 conference games. We never bothered to replace Harper with another transfer.
 
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aplus29

Senior
Apr 29, 2003
396
487
63
I really think we need a big but I also wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if pike knows his guys and palmquist has a bust out season…trust the process

ps no one has been a bigger Oskar hater
 

JudgeSmails56

All-American
Dec 1, 2019
4,645
6,766
113
And so it begins

Some of you guys are just unrealistic. Let’s see what happens. We’re going to be very offensively challenged next year. We don’t have a legit point guard. We replaced Geo with Loyola kid, but who’s replacing Harper? Oskar or Hyatt? Come on now. We needed a couple impact transfers and we only managed to get one. 7-8 conference wins is probably a very realistic scenario.
 

NewJerseyHawk

Heisman
Jan 11, 2007
24,445
38,737
113
Some of you guys are just unrealistic. Let’s see what happens. We’re going to be very offensively challenged next year. We don’t have a legit point guard. We replaced Geo with Loyola kid, but who’s replacing Harper? Oskar or Hyatt? Come on now. We needed a couple impact transfers and we only managed to get one. 7-8 conference wins is probably a very realistic scenario.

You do realize other teams also lose their starters as well, right....?? Do you even have a clue about what players departed from across the B1G??

7 wins in the B1G is a 7-13 overall record in conference. Let me know what 10 or 11 other B1G teams are going to have more than 7 wins in the B1G.

It's one thing to be skeptical and it's another to not be able to name any other starting lineups around the B1G.....
 

Eagleton95.99

All-American
Jul 25, 2001
7,552
6,473
113
Some of you guys are just unrealistic. Let’s see what happens. We’re going to be very offensively challenged next year. We don’t have a legit point guard. We replaced Geo with Loyola kid, but who’s replacing Harper? Oskar or Hyatt? Come on now. We needed a couple impact transfers and we only managed to get one. 7-8 conference wins is probably a very realistic scenario.
If only Pikiell had bothered to replace Harper.
 

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
13,304
12,626
78
Some of you guys are just unrealistic. Let’s see what happens. We’re going to be very offensively challenged next year. We don’t have a legit point guard. We replaced Geo with Loyola kid, but who’s replacing Harper? Oskar or Hyatt? Come on now. We needed a couple impact transfers and we only managed to get one. 7-8 conference wins is probably a very realistic scenario.

While the offensive fire power might limit the ceiling of this team, you are way off base on the floor.

I don’t expect Pike to commit to the press as a full time strategy but if all else fails, we saw him deploy it very effectively on numerous occasions last year (using the returning players that we have - not Ron and Geo to avoid foul trouble) to stop scoring droughts. In absolute worst case scenerio - we will run half court sets when Spencer is on and shift to a pressing style when shots are not falling.
 
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Eagleton95.99

All-American
Jul 25, 2001
7,552
6,473
113
We have the best point guard in the B10, or didn't you see Paul play? Get a clue.
I think this team will struggle with pressure defense because we don't have guards with the quickness and tools to make a defense that overplays pay with penetration. But that doesn't mean we will suck. Most good teams still have strengths and weaknesses. I'm looking forward to seeing how it plays out.
 
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Scarlet Blind_rivals

All-Conference
Aug 5, 2001
4,615
4,671
62
B1G leaders in assists 21-22,
1) AJ Hoggard MSU 174 assists / 71 TOs
2) Xavier Johnson IU 172 assists / 91 TOs
T3) Alonzo Verge Neb 169 assists / 104 TOs
Paul Mulcahy RU 169 assists / 83 TOs
5) Tyson Walker MSU 153 assists

I think we are are fine at the PG position.
Last I checked, we replaced RHJ scoring, 15.8pts, 5.9reb, 1.9ast, FG 44.2%, 3pt 39.8% with Cam Spencer scoring 18.9pts, 4.8reb, 3.2ast, FG 46.8%, 3pt 35.3%.

We will be fine next year. There will be multiple jumps in growth on the roster, since 6 of the top 8 scorers are back next year with the transfer portal addition of Cam Spencer and growth from Palmquist and.Miller with increased roles, add in freshman Derek Simpson and Antwone Woolfork. We will be right back in the top half of the B1G conference.
 
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