Lathan S.

needmorecowbell

Heisman
Oct 28, 2007
9,566
10,714
78
Somerville was only a freshman, he has enormous potential. Maybe everyone criticizing him now makes some feel better for losing him, but i seriously doubt his replacement will be anywhere near as good.
Yes he has potential. But the question is should RU pay him over $1M? I say no, and I suspect Pike feels the same way. Go find a defender and rim protector that fits their style of play.
 

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
13,091
12,430
78
Yes he has potential. But the question is should RU pay him over $1M? I say no, and I suspect Pike feels the same way. Go find a defender and rim protector that fits their style of play.

Yes - correct. Lathan will probably command significantly more than the 2018-19 version of MJ would have (in the NIL market) following that season. Defense is undervalued. The trick is to land someone who actually has potential to be a stud on D despite not having pretty looking offensive post moves which resulted in a stat sheet that will command top dollar. Guys like Wolf or Duke were better at defense than Lathan when they were here but that doesn’t take much. They were not “good” defenders though and might’ve helped last year when we had 2 lottery picks but will not help now. We can’t afford to end up with a slightly better but still below average defensive 5 who can’t score either. It’s very important to get the defensive scouting report right.
 

RUkhoury

Senior
Oct 17, 2010
706
723
61
Yes - correct. Lathan will probably command significantly more than the 2018-19 version of MJ would have (in the NIL market) following that season. Defense is undervalued. The trick is to land someone who actually has potential to be a stud on D despite not having pretty looking offensive post moves which resulted in a stat sheet that will command top dollar. Guys like Wolf or Duke were better at defense than Lathan when they were here but that doesn’t take much. They were not “good” defenders though and might’ve helped last year when we had 2 lottery picks but will not help now. We can’t afford to end up with a slightly better but still below average defensive 5 who can’t score either. It’s very important to get the defensive scouting report right.
I do think Manny can develop into a decent defensive player. He’s got the size, and another year being coached under Young could do wonders. Lots of what ifs, but not too unrealistic
 

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
13,091
12,430
78
I do think Manny can develop into a decent defensive player. He’s got the size, and another year being coached under Young could do wonders. Lots of what ifs, but not too unrealistic
He doesn’t want to play D dude. He marched into Pike’s office and demanded 7 figures to entertain staying. Thats what Richie said in the podcast. Even if he works out somewhere else - he needed to go. How everyone doesn’t see this is mind boggling
 

ImBadRU

All-Conference
Apr 3, 2002
5,471
2,497
0
$1 million OMG, what a joke. For what? Pike will do better with hungry guys who play defense. Granted they won't be able to score...but neither will the other team. Glad he is gone. Limited physical skills...virtually no twitch.
 

seansherm

Heisman
Feb 20, 2009
14,039
14,973
113
He doesn’t want to play D dude. He marched into Pike’s office and demanded 7 figures to entertain staying. Thats what Richie said in the podcast. Even if he works out somewhere else - he needed to go. How everyone doesn’t see this is mind boggling
Dude you are responding to is talking about Ogbole, not Lathan.
 
  • Like
Reactions: -RUFAN4LIFE-

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
13,091
12,430
78
Dude you are responding to is talking about Ogbole, not Lathan.

Oh - oops. My bad. This is a Lathan string. Was focused on that. Ogbole could be a decent back up center somewhere. I don’t know what the market is for that
 

RUkhoury

Senior
Oct 17, 2010
706
723
61
He doesn’t want to play D dude. He marched into Pike’s office and demanded 7 figures to entertain staying. Thats what Richie said in the podcast. Even if he works out somewhere else - he needed to go. How everyone doesn’t see this is mind boggling
I’m referring to Ogbole not Sommerville
 
  • Like
Reactions: PSAL_Hoops

satnom

All-American
Jun 28, 2002
6,950
8,527
88
I agree, and maybe he can turn into a Julian Reese or Trevion Williams type player, but I don’t think spending a ton of money on a to be sophomore Center in the big is smart….especially when we have limited NIL as is
Don’t want to sh*t on kid but he doesn’t have the size and length of Reese or Williams. He’s a crafty inside paint player but lacks length and athleticism. He would be effective playing next to a Reese/Williams type player though.

GO RU
 

bac2therac

Hall of Famer
Jul 30, 2001
247,232
176,897
113
They may have reached out, but that could just be to find out his asking price, right?
exactly interest does not mean they want him..remember he also has no contact bs

i could see him at Ohio State...they seem to always have undersized 5s borderline 4s with some heft and offensive rather than defensive minded....but i wouldnt see him as a starter and looks like he wants starter money.

look coleman hawkins got well over a million and is way better than Lathan and had a mediocre year on a team that didnt make the tourney

of course its not about ncaa anymore..its about bag...its simply about players wanting as much money as possible

perhaps the nil deals should be contingent on making the ncaa tourney, you want your full nil..get your team to the ncaa..incentives just like the coaches have
 

higgins3

All-Conference
Dec 15, 2012
7,319
2,434
113
LOL Lathan will not get 1M offers. That is not how NIL works. He will probably get an offer of 100-150k. Maybe.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: rubigtimenow

MV9000

All-Conference
Jan 6, 2016
2,949
4,058
46
Lathan is going to get way more than 100-150k. We prob paid him much more than that. Hell get around 5-6 imo.
 

-RUFAN4LIFE-

Heisman
Feb 28, 2015
32,301
50,467
113
LOL Lathan will not get 1M offers. That is not how NIL works. He will probably get an offer of 100-150k. Maybe.
Clearly you don’t pay attention to the portal with these comments. Bigs are all the rage in the portal and get paid way more than others even if they are meh.

Many made $500k+ last year. That figure will climb significant with the revenue sharing money that’s supposed to be available. I could see him getting $600-800k just on his offense and FT shooting.
 

RUJMM78

Heisman
Jul 25, 2001
26,193
12,452
113
Michigan,Ohio State and Tennessee are three schools expressing interest in Sommerville but some Rutgers fans are happy he is leaving.
 

Shelby65

All-Conference
Apr 1, 2008
8,342
4,644
66
He doesn’t want to play D dude. He marched into Pike’s office and demanded 7 figures to entertain staying. Thats what Richie said in the podcast. Even if he works out somewhere else - he needed to go. How everyone doesn’t see this is mind boggling
Am not sure he doesn't want to play D. I am sure he's physically incapable of it. He's slow, can't leave his feet, completely unathletic and doesn't know how. But he may actually want to bc it'd increase his value and PT.

Shelby can't dunk a marble let alone a basketball. He wants to, but is physically unable to. Not as a kid and not now. Lathan is the same re: playing D1 defense. He can't.
 
Last edited:

higgins3

All-Conference
Dec 15, 2012
7,319
2,434
113
Clearly you don’t pay attention to the portal with these comments. Bigs are all the rage in the portal and get paid way more than others even if they are meh.

Many made $500k+ last year. That figure will climb significant with the revenue sharing money that’s supposed to be available. I could see him getting $600-800k just on his offense and FT shooting.

I said he won't get more than 1M. I don't think he will get the numbers you are mentioning,either.

We will see.
 

higgins3

All-Conference
Dec 15, 2012
7,319
2,434
113
You don’t have a clue
Lathan stats were 8 points and 4 rebounds a game. He shot 11% from 3 pt range. His defense was... you have eyes.

We will see. If a coach pays him anything over 150,000, I would be very surprised.

I will gladly eat crow.
 

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
13,091
12,430
78
Am not sure he doesn't want to play D. I am sure he's physically incapable of it. He's slow, can't leave his feet, completely unathletic and doesn't know how.

Don’t know. But Richie’s report that he marched into Pike demanding 7 figures to stay here suggests he doesn’t recognize his D as much of a shortcoming. Ha ha
Lathan stats were 8 points and 4 rebounds a game. He shot 11% from 3 pt range. His defense was... you have eyes.

We will see. If a coach pays him anything over 150,000, I would be very surprised.

I will gladly eat crow.
I quite agree that for us to pay much more than that would not make sense. But someone else will. BIGs are going in the portal for a premium.

Clearly you don’t pay attention to the portal with these comments. Bigs are all the rage in the portal and get paid way more than others even if they are meh.

Many made $500k+ last year. That figure will climb significant with the revenue sharing money that’s supposed to be available. I could see him getting $600-800k just on his offense and FT shooting.

Oh me too. $1M seems outrageous, but he’s going to get a nice bag somewhere simply because of his size and the minutes he logged on a power conference team as a frosh.

For us to pay anything in the neighborhood of what it would take to “win the auction” to keep him at Rutgers would not be a good use of our limited resources.
 

wheezer

Heisman
Jun 3, 2001
169,833
25,517
113
Lathan stats were 8 points and 4 rebounds a game. He shot 11% from 3 pt range. His defense was... you have eyes.

We will see. If a coach pays him anything over 150,000, I would be very surprised.

I will gladly eat crow.
Latham showed more offensive moves the first time on the court, than most of our centers over the past decade

Lathan would have been a long term play, before NIL

In a perfect world he would be the backup to a good center, and, learn defense over the course of two years or so
I would think by junior or senior year he would be ThE best center we have had in a long time

In today's game it is, results now, or move on, for both player and the staff
 

Scangg

Heisman
Mar 19, 2016
25,448
49,369
113
Lathan stats were 8 points and 4 rebounds a game. He shot 11% from 3 pt range. His defense was... you have eyes.

We will see. If a coach pays him anything over 150,000, I would be very surprised.

I will gladly eat crow.
There is no chance he makes under 150k. That's just not where to big man market is at especially now with revenue sharing
 

higgins3

All-Conference
Dec 15, 2012
7,319
2,434
113
There is no chance he makes under 150k. That's just not where to big man market is at especially now with revenue sharing

Interesting. Good for Somerville.

How do we actually know what the numbers are?
 

higgins3

All-Conference
Dec 15, 2012
7,319
2,434
113
Latham showed more offensive moves the first time on the court, than most of our centers over the past decade

Lathan would have been a long term play, before NIL

In a perfect world he would be the backup to a good center, and, learn defense over the course of two years or so
I would think by junior or senior year he would be ThE best center we have had in a long time

In today's game it is, results now, or move on, for both player and the staff

He had some offense, skills for sure. The ball was rarely passed back out once passed to Somerville.

Unfortunately, the game also included defense, transition, and rebounding for his position. The best at his position can shoot behind the arc. In all those areas, he was far less than average. He was a small four that barely offered any rim protection in a game that now demands it.

I liked Myles Johnson, CJ Gettys, and Cliff. For their position, they gave a great effort.
 

Shelby65

All-Conference
Apr 1, 2008
8,342
4,644
66
There is no chance he makes under 150k. That's just not where to big man market is at especially now with revenue sharing
Shelby hears you but LO doesn’t have high major big man talent. Doubt the high profile programs view him as a starter. How much would a school like TAMU or Colorado pay for a backup like him, for example ?

If he wants to start he’ll have to move down a few pegs and those schools don’t have much money to throw around…schools like Bucknell, George Mason, Tulane, etc.
 

seansherm

Heisman
Feb 20, 2009
14,039
14,973
113
Shelby hears you but LO doesn’t have high major big man talent. Doubt the high profile programs view him as a starter. How much would a school like TAMU or Colorado pay for a backup like him, for example ?

If he wants to start he’ll have to move down a few pegs and those schools don’t have much money to throw around…schools like Bucknell, George Mason, Tulane, etc.
A&M is built on D, no way are they in on Lathan
 
  • Like
Reactions: SBP