Lino Mark

Shelby65

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I have not paid much attention to the "who we should keep" and "who we should let walk" discussion. What I, or any of us, think doesn't matter. I just pay attention to the current roster. I will stay abreast of player movement after the season, then cheer whoever is on the team when it takes the court in November.
Shelby thinks Piscataway Mike would agree sports in general don’t matter much either.

But it captivates us anyway. Contemplating who should stay or go and the decisions Cashman, Pike, etc make are part of that.

The Keep Choppin mantra doesnt end after disappointing seasons (and neither does HC I. T. Kicker paychecks unfortunately).

Chop Chop
 

PiscatawayMike

Heisman
Jul 27, 2001
17,318
15,151
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Shelby thinks Piscataway Mike would agree sports in general don’t matter much either.

But it captivates us anyway. Contemplating who should stay or go and the decisions Cashman, Pike, etc make are part of that.

The Keep Choppin mantra doesnt end after disappointing seasons (and neither does HC I. T. Kicker paychecks unfortunately).

Chop Chop

Steve Somers said it best when he said sports are the toy department of life. Sports provide a lot of things, but ultimately are not too important in the grand scheme of things.

Chopping Hurry Up GIF by Timothy Winchester
 
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MCKnight

All-Conference
Oct 25, 2012
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2-25 from 3. 8%. He can walk. Your lead guard, which he wants to be, has to be able to shoot. Oddly enough, despite being from West Coach, his 2 other big offers were West Virginia and Seton Hall. Doubt he’d end up at either
 

RUskoolie

Hall of Famer
Aug 1, 2007
221,397
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Just my opinion…by looking at Mark’s body language on the sidelines, he hasn’t appeared too into it. Is it because of injury? Higher expectations for more playing time? Or is he already checked out a while ago? (As Richie hinted). Whatever the reason, he seems to have moved on. So you don’t bring him back. Now, if he could shoot then I’d say you definitely try to keep him in the fold for next year, but the work he needs to put in on improving his shot coupled with any possible negative attitude makes it easier to cut bait. You spend on Powers, Francis, Buchanan (possibly). I’d even keep Zrno, and Nwuli. Then money needs to go to a legit center, 2 forwards, guard. Ogbole and Davis off the bench if they stick around. Let Grant walk if what he’s dreaming of is accurate.
He's looked miserable here. Grant disinterested also. I don't expect either one back.
 
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BillyC80

Heisman
Oct 23, 2006
17,057
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No program will pay enough or give enough PT to Ace Bait to get him leave. Will be stuck with him once again.
I don’t know the answer to this but I wonder how much money guys like Lino, Davis, and Dortch can make in a lower tier conference like the A10, where they can get more PT than they’re likely to get here next year.

I also wonder what guys like Woolfolk, Simpson, and Chol are earning in their respective conferences, and if they’ve played themselves into a bigger payday for next season. If so, then that might be a good way to go for some of our guys.
 
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MCKnight

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I don’t know the answer to this but I wonder how much money guys like Lino, Davis, and Dortch can make in a lower tier conference like the A10, where they can get more PT than they’re likely to get here next year.

I also wonder what guys like Woolfolk, Simpson, and Chol are earning in their respective conferences, and if they’ve played themselves into a bigger payday for next season. If so, then that might be a good way to go for some of our guys.

they all should be out of eligibility. But this is wildWild West so who knows. They’re prob low 6 figure guys.
 

MCKnight

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He's looked miserable here. Grant disinterested also. I don't expect either one back.

Grant had a full year to step up and be the guy he thinks he is. But if youve watched closely, he is a role player. Not a go to guy. Not a 1 mil nil guy. He’s a stat sheet stuffer against the bottom teams. Would only have him back at right price
 

BillyC80

Heisman
Oct 23, 2006
17,057
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they all should be out of eligibility. But this is wildWild West so who knows. They’re prob low 6 figure guys.
Good catch, you’re right that they would be seniors now. So the question is, did they increase their market value over last year. If they made say, $200k this year, that’s a damn good payday.

I would think someone like Lino would do better than that next year, even at a mid-major, with increases the following two years as well. And who knows, he could play his way to a huge payday by senior year if he gets brought back to a power conference team.
 

RedTeamUpstream94

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Jan 15, 2021
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Baloney. It’s superlatives coachspeak. Not the fastest player. Quickness is more important in basketball. He’s not the quickest either.

He’s decisive, tough and can finish at the rim in traffic. Shooting and 1:1 D need work.

Better to spend on Powers, Francis and a big.
Maybe the first time I’ve ever agreed with you

powers has so much more obvious upside

Francis’ value goes wothout saying

yeah mark is better than he was but a guard who doesn’t really distribute and is a TERRIBLE shooter . Sorry. I don’t see a lot of potential. If we want to improve we have to do get better players. Sorry
 

RedTeamUpstream94

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unpopular opinion but I want Mark prioritized over Powers

don’t get this comment at all.

Powers has so much more obvious upside . He can defend, he can shot . He can drive . Create his own shot!!!!. Distribute. He plays smart and in control.

I can totally see powers developing into that annoying upper class guard (like Michigan state for example always seems to have) that, while not overly athletic just kinda controls the game. Doing everything . We see glimpses of that now. If he doesn’t do that here I can guarantee he will doing that somewhere (probably like a place like michigan state lol)

mark? I don’t see how anyone can see ANY of that potential in him. Yeah he’s scrappy… great. Another scrappy guard that can’t shoot the ball in the hoop and isn’t a true point. hasn’t RU had enough of those over the years
 

PiscatawayMike

Heisman
Jul 27, 2001
17,318
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2-25 from 3. 8%. He can walk. Your lead guard, which he wants to be, has to be able to shoot. Oddly enough, despite being from West Coach, his 2 other big offers were West Virginia and Seton Hall. Doubt he’d end up at either
He also had offers from these majors: USC, Arizona State, TCU, SMU, Utah, and Washington State.
 

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
13,073
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unpopular opinion but I want Mark prioritized over Powers

I don’t think this is an unreasonable position if Zrno is staying. We do need a traditional SG and I don’t think it’s worth using our allocation to buy a proven one in the portal. I think we’re better off keeping a kid already in our system than rolling the dice with a mid major kid who might not play good enough D to see the floor. I’m higher at the moment on Zrno than Powers. I see more incremental improvement in his game over the course of the season so far on D.
 

Degaz-RU

Heisman
Dec 19, 2002
22,298
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Why can’t we keep both Zrno and Powers? They’re different type players who provide different skill sets.

Zrno is a pure shooter who can do a few other things, but his primary value is as a 3-pt shooter.

Powers is an all around guard who can do a little bit of everything. Has a nice mid-range game, a decent 3-pt shot, and is a really good passer.
 

Rutgers25

All-American
Jul 29, 2001
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Mark has low upside. Guys that can’t shoot don’t miraculously become shooters. He’s scrappy and a nice spark plug off the bench but if he’s going to be whiny and unhappy about that role then he can walk.

Grant is unfortunately low energy and most certainly not a defender / rebounder which you absolutely need out of him. His offense is not good enough to overlook that. He

Davis you keep around for a low price and play off the bench.

Powers you absolutely try hard to keep.

Zrno you try hard to keep

Francis you must keep

Ogbole you keep as a backup

Buchanan you keep as a 6th/7th man. Can’t overspend on him but try to keep given he seems to be high character / good teammate.

Dortch keep only at bargain basement cost. He may not get off the bench.

Nwuli keep at low cost only. I don’t see any offensive spark so at this stage his upside is a defensive stopper / open court player.

Needs:
-legit rebounding / defensive center that can give 8-10 pts
-replacement for Grant that is better all around …lol

I would be okay spending big on these 2 roles. If money leftover, I’d look for a better point guard which could relegate Davis to garbage time only.
 
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goru7

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Lino Mark showed what he is capable of last night. He even pulled up to let the big guy go by and then finished the layup. He went hard on the zoom action and finished strong with the left hand and he added a Eurostep for another layup. That is improvement . You cannot teach speed and he goes end to end as fast as any other guard out there . If he can finish that is a huge reward. Obviously he has to get his outside shot to go down but he is only a freshman.
It would be a mistake to let him go . Pike has to prioritize guys that can help him win and contribute either offensively or defensively, preferably both , Zrno , Powers and Mark are the 3 role players you need to prioritize ..I would like to keep Dylan but he has to earn it and frankly he hasn’t this year. You let JMike , Dorsch and Dylan go if you have to .

Mark has low upside. Guys that can’t shoot don’t miraculously become shooters. He’s scrappy and a nice spark plug off the bench but if he’s going to be whiny and unhappy about that role then he can walk.

Grant is unfortunately low energy and most certainly not a defender / rebounder which you absolutely need out of him. His offense is not good enough to overlook that. He

Davis you keep around for a low price and play off the bench.

Powers you absolutely try hard to keep.

Zrno you try hard to keep

Francis you must keep

Ogbole you keep as a backup

Buchanan you keep as a 6th/7th man. Can’t overspend on him but try to keep given he seems to be high character / good teammate.

Dortch keep only at bargain basement cost. He may not get off the bench.

Nwuli keep at low cost only. I don’t see any offensive spark so at this stage his upside is a defensive stopper / open court player.

Needs:
-legit rebounding / defensive center that can give 8-10 pts
-replacement for Grant that is better all around …lol

I would be okay spending big on these 2 roles. If money leftover, I’d look for a better point guard which could relegate Davis to garbage time only.
Lino is a guard with tremendous speed and upside. Elliot Gadeau couldn’t shoot at UNC for 2 years and all of a sudden shoots pretty damn well for Michigan. Mark has that type of potential. He should have prioritized and Pike should be playing him over Davis all day and twice on Sunday.
You also prioritize both Powers and Zrno. They both add offensive weapons and Powers can drive the ball as well and his form suggests he is going to be a great guard. He can create his own shot. Zrno has been knocking down 3’s but his defense has improved as well and he is a willing passer. Remember they are both freshman. They are starting to show their potential last 5-10 games. We should not be letting go of anyone that has offensive potential.
We need both a 2 way center and a bruising power forward that can rebound on both ends. That has to be priority #1 and 2.
Team with Francis , Grant , Buchanan and Nwuili and now you have a team that can compete .
Davis, Dorsch , and Badalau unfortunately have to be let go which gives you a better chance to hold onto Lino.
 

seansherm

Heisman
Feb 20, 2009
13,969
14,900
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Lino is a guard with tremendous speed and upside. Elliot Gadeau couldn’t shoot at UNC for 2 years and all of a sudden shoots pretty damn well for Michigan. Mark has that type of potential. He should have prioritized and Pike should be playing him over Davis all day and twice on Sunday.
You also prioritize both Powers and Zrno. They both add offensive weapons and Powers can drive the ball as well and his form suggests he is going to be a great guard. He can create his own shot. Zrno has been knocking down 3’s but his defense has improved as well and he is a willing passer. Remember they are both freshman. They are starting to show their potential last 5-10 games. We should not be letting go of anyone that has offensive potential.
We need both a 2 way center and a bruising power forward that can rebound on both ends. That has to be priority #1 and 2.
Team with Francis , Grant , Buchanan and Nwuili and now you have a team that can compete .
Davis, Dorsch , and Badalau unfortunately have to be let go which gives you a better chance to hold onto Lino.
I agree Lino has upside, and love his energy, but he is really bad right now offensively, despite a nice game against an awful team. He can't shoot, at all, but smartly does take a majority of his shots at the rim. Unfortunately, he's in the bottom 15% in the country for lay up make % - so is JMIke, but he has converted his game to making that a much smaller part of his game - much like Gadeau, who has almost tripled his 3 point attempt rate over two years.
Always want everyone back, but there is no guarantee Lino improves his shooting. We need at least three guys on the court at all times who are threats from deep and ideally that includes your main ball handler. He'd be the guy I'm least worried about losing - besides Ware.
Definitely want Zrno and Powers back. Probably JMike too, depending on Mark. I'd also want, but don't need Dortch and Badalau back. Dortch ability to get out and guard a bigger guy on the perimeter can be handy off the bench, and while I don't think it happens, who knows what Badalau can become after a year or two of adjustment in the US.
Yes, C needs to be priority 1. I'd say a two way wing that can handle the ball is priority #2. Not sure a bruising PF will be on the target list. We won't have $ to bring in four guys, may have to hope for two surefire starters paired with returnees.
 

RedTeamUpstream94

All-American
Jan 15, 2021
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Mark has low upside. Guys that can’t shoot don’t miraculously become shooters. He’s scrappy and a nice spark plug off the bench but if he’s going to be whiny and unhappy about that role then he can walk.

Grant is unfortunately low energy and most certainly not a defender / rebounder which you absolutely need out of him. His offense is not good enough to overlook that. He

Davis you keep around for a low price and play off the bench.

Powers you absolutely try hard to keep.

Zrno you try hard to keep

Francis you must keep

Ogbole you keep as a backup

Buchanan you keep as a 6th/7th man. Can’t overspend on him but try to keep given he seems to be high character / good teammate.

Dortch keep only at bargain basement cost. He may not get off the bench.

Nwuli keep at low cost only. I don’t see any offensive spark so at this stage his upside is a defensive stopper / open court player.

Needs:
-legit rebounding / defensive center that can give 8-10 pts
-replacement for Grant that is better all around …lol

I would be okay spending big on these 2 roles. If money leftover, I’d look for a better point guard which could relegate Davis to garbage time only.

wow . In my decades on this board I can’t recall a post that I couldn’t agree with more on all points !! Read my friggin mind lol

I was about to post this very same post (starting with mark and then running through the players like you did). And I was going to say the very same on each

back to mark - was going to make the same point - agree with low upside and guys don’t miraculously become great shooters. I just don’t see the potential for a high ceiling. And was going to compare that to powers (who wasn’t shooting stellar at first but many saw the potential due to his good form - and sure enough - we are already seeing the improvement. I’m not saying he is going to be all Big10 at any point but I see him becoming a VERY SOLID player year after year.
 

RedTeamUpstream94

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Jan 15, 2021
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Lino is a guard with tremendous speed and upside. Elliot Gadeau couldn’t shoot at UNC for 2 years and all of a sudden shoots pretty damn well for Michigan. Mark has that type of potential. He should have prioritized and Pike should be playing him over Davis all day and twice on Sunday.
You also prioritize both Powers and Zrno. They both add offensive weapons and Powers can drive the ball as well and his form suggests he is going to be a great guard. He can create his own shot. Zrno has been knocking down 3’s but his defense has improved as well and he is a willing passer. Remember they are both freshman. They are starting to show their potential last 5-10 games. We should not be letting go of anyone that has offensive potential.
We need both a 2 way center and a bruising power forward that can rebound on both ends. That has to be priority #1 and 2.
Team with Francis , Grant , Buchanan and Nwuili and now you have a team that can compete .
Davis, Dorsch , and Badalau unfortunately have to be let go which gives you a better chance to hold onto Lino.

agree except I think dorsh has value as a bench guy for very low $$ (I don’t think we are in the position to give up a remotely serviceable big unless theres an obvious upgrade coming in)

as I have said I have no idea what people are seeing in mark (other than a scrappy guard who can’t shoot or distribute)

grant is an asset imho but it seems he thinks he worth a lot more than he really is.
 

jmalik

Freshman
Apr 2, 2025
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wow . In my decades on this board I can’t recall a post that I couldn’t agree with more on all points !! Read my friggin mind lol

I was about to post this very same post (starting with mark and then running through the players like you did). And I was going to say the very same on each

back to mark - was going to make the same point - agree with low upside and guys don’t miraculously become great shooters. I just don’t see the potential for a high ceiling. And was going to compare that to powers (who wasn’t shooting stellar at first but many saw the potential due to his good form - and sure enough - we are already seeing the improvement. I’m not saying he is going to be all Big10 at any point but I see him becoming a VERY SOLID player year after year.

People are writing Lino off way too early. Calling him “low upside” just isn’t true.

He defends better than any guard on the team, has a 4%+ steal rate which is very strong for a guard, and a 44% free throw rate which means he gets to the rim and draws contact at a high level. He also converts 83% at the line, second best on the team. Those are real indicators of speed, pressure, and touch.

The 3PT% is clearly not there yet, but it’s based on only 25 attempts all season. That’s a very small sample, and he’s also been dealing with a back issue that can affect lift and rhythm on jump shots. His free throw numbers suggest the shooting foundation is better than the raw 3PT% shows.

He doesn’t need to become a great shooter. If he becomes average from three, with his speed, rim pressure, and defensive activity, that’s a Big Ten point guard.
 
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Simce91

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Why can’t we keep both Zrno and Powers? They’re different type players who provide different skill sets.

Zrno is a pure shooter who can do a few other things, but his primary value is as a 3-pt shooter.

Powers is an all around guard who can do a little bit of everything. Has a nice mid-range game, a decent 3-pt shot, and is a really good passer.
Right on Degaz,

These 2 compliment each other more and more as they play together, they have also helped Francis in his "assist stats" ;)

RU is learning when setting a pick and rolling to the hoop for Powers they are going to see the ball, and get an easy 2.

Lately with these 3 on the court there has been much more movement on the offensive end, and in turn more point production.

With regard to Mark, I see him as maybe a 6/7 minute per half "high energy" player if he would be willling to accept that, but until he can hit the open 3 with some consistency, RU can't play him more than that. With JMike also probably back in 26/27, whose minutes is Mark going to take in the backcourt ?
 

Simce91

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Dec 2, 2024
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Nwuli keep at low cost only. I don’t see any offensive spark so at this stage his upside is a defensive stopper / open court player.

Nwuli has a nice shooting touch as exhibited last game going 5/6 from the FT line.

I feel the P4 game is still a little too "fast" for him, and an offseason with some S/C and him staying at RU things will begin to click

I really hope Pike can keep him as he does remind me of Mag
 

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
13,073
12,417
78
Right on Degaz,

These 2 compliment each other more and more as they play together, they have also helped Francis in his "assist stats" ;)

RU is learning when setting a pick and rolling to the hoop for Powers they are going to see the ball, and get an easy 2.

Lately with these 3 on the court there has been much more movement on the offensive end, and in turn more point production.

With regard to Mark, I see him as maybe a 6/7 minute per half "high energy" player if he would be willling to accept that, but until he can hit the open 3 with some consistency, RU can't play him more than that. With JMike also probably back in 26/27, whose minutes is Mark going to take in the backcourt ?
I have no problem with keeping both of them but the price point is the main issue. I don’t think we can afford to pay over 1.5 M combined for the two of them.
 

Simce91

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I have no problem with keeping both of them but the price point is the main issue. I don’t think we can afford to pay over 1.5 M combined for the two of them.
Do you think these 2 are going to command 750k each ?
 

Shelby65

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Apr 1, 2008
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I don’t know the answer to this but I wonder how much money guys like Lino, Davis, and Dortch can make in a lower tier conference like the A10, where they can get more PT than they’re likely to get here next year.

I also wonder what guys like Woolfolk, Simpson, and Chol are earning in their respective conferences, and if they’ve played themselves into a bigger payday for next season. If so, then that might be a good way to go for some of our guys.

Do you ever stop attacking this kid? What a d-b&g.
Attacking ? He’s a weak player in every aspect except PTs and was only offered a scholarship as a probable package deal. A deal that ended up undermining the team for years, and still one more ahead.
 

goru7

All-American
Dec 12, 2005
6,415
7,677
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I agree Lino has upside, and love his energy, but he is really bad right now offensively, despite a nice game against an awful team. He can't shoot, at all, but smartly does take a majority of his shots at the rim. Unfortunately, he's in the bottom 15% in the country for lay up make % - so is JMIke, but he has converted his game to making that a much smaller part of his game - much like Gadeau, who has almost tripled his 3 point attempt rate over two years.
Always want everyone back, but there is no guarantee Lino improves his shooting. We need at least three guys on the court at all times who are threats from deep and ideally that includes your main ball handler. He'd be the guy I'm least worried about losing - besides Ware.
Definitely want Zrno and Powers back. Probably JMike too, depending on Mark. I'd also want, but don't need Dortch and Badalau back. Dortch ability to get out and guard a bigger guy on the perimeter can be handy off the bench, and while I don't think it happens, who knows what Badalau can become after a year or two of adjustment in the US.
Yes, C needs to be priority 1. I'd say a two way wing that can handle the ball is priority #2. Not sure a bruising PF will be on the target list. We won't have $ to bring in four guys, may have to hope for two surefire starters paired with returnees.
Lino does not have to be a threat from 3 yet. Is fears a threat from 3, no he is not . He is a freshman that hasn’t played a lot so you citing shooting stats on a small sample size and making conclusions seem way premature .He should be getting most if not all of JMike ‘s minutes if healthy as JMike has not progressed one iota on 3 years . we have 3 guys on the court that can hit a 3 in powers, Zrno and Francis and throw on Grant so no idea what you saying about must have 3 guys who can hit 3’s.
Dorsch doesn’t rebound defensively and not strong enough to not be bullied down low , doesn’t score and doesn’t rim protect like Msnny. Nice kid but keeping him around because he can chase bigs outside is not enough to keep him.
We need a bruising power forward in the worst way as we have not had one in ages. Do you count how many offensive rebounds we give up especially when manny is not in the game. It leads to second chance points that has cost us wins. Plus a bruising power forward can play center at times and should be able to handle it.
 
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goru7

All-American
Dec 12, 2005
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wow . In my decades on this board I can’t recall a post that I couldn’t agree with more on all points !! Read my friggin mind lol

I was about to post this very same post (starting with mark and then running through the players like you did). And I was going to say the very same on each

back to mark - was going to make the same point - agree with low upside and guys don’t miraculously become great shooters. I just don’t see the potential for a high ceiling. And was going to compare that to powers (who wasn’t shooting stellar at first but many saw the potential due to his good form - and sure enough - we are already seeing the improvement. I’m not saying he is going to be all Big10 at any point but I see him becoming a VERY SOLID player year after year.

agree except I think dorsh has value as a bench guy for very low $$ (I don’t think we are in the position to give up a remotely serviceable big unless theres an obvious upgrade coming in)

as I have said I have no idea what people are seeing in mark (other than a scrappy guard who can’t shoot or distribute)

grant is an asset imho but it seems he thinks he worth a lot more than he really is.
Low upside on Mark based on what ? Because he hasn’t shot the 3 on the limited sample size. He is a willing passer as your point guard , can get downhill , has improved tremendously finishing at the rim and the last game alone finished strong with his left hand on zoom action, used a Eurostep on the break and flew up and let big guy fly by so as to not get his shot blocked and finished. That is more progress than we have seen at point guard than any one recently. Plus his steal rate and defense is good. He has tremendous upside. Does Jeremy Fears hold Michigan State back ?
 
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goru7

All-American
Dec 12, 2005
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People are writing Lino off way too early. Calling him “low upside” just isn’t true.

He defends better than any guard on the team, has a 4%+ steal rate which is very strong for a guard, and a 44% free throw rate which means he gets to the rim and draws contact at a high level. He also converts 83% at the line, second best on the team. Those are real indicators of speed, pressure, and touch.

The 3PT% is clearly not there yet, but it’s based on only 25 attempts all season. That’s a very small sample, and he’s also been dealing with a back issue that can affect lift and rhythm on jump shots. His free throw numbers suggest the shooting foundation is better than the raw 3PT% shows.

He doesn’t need to become a great shooter. If he becomes average from three, with his speed, rim pressure, and defensive activity, that’s a Big Ten point guard.
Good job posting Mark’s benefits.
 

goru7

All-American
Dec 12, 2005
6,415
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Right on Degaz,

These 2 compliment each other more and more as they play together, they have also helped Francis in his "assist stats" ;)

RU is learning when setting a pick and rolling to the hoop for Powers they are going to see the ball, and get an easy 2.

Lately with these 3 on the court there has been much more movement on the offensive end, and in turn more point production.

With regard to Mark, I see him as maybe a 6/7 minute per half "high energy" player if he would be willling to accept that, but until he can hit the open 3 with some consistency, RU can't play him more than that. With JMike also probably back in 26/27, whose minutes is Mark going to take in the backcourt ?
Are you kidding ? He should be taking Jmike’s minutes .JMike has not gotten much better in 3 years. JMike never puts pressure on a defense. JMike still cannot finish at the rim . Plus Mark plays much better defense with his steal rate than JMike ‘s defense which if anything has gotten worse year over year. You ideally play with Mark as your point guard with Francis either Powers/ Zrno with Dylan / Buchanan and Manny / Portal Center . But you can play with just Francis with both Powers/Zrno on the court.
 

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
13,073
12,417
78
Lino does not have to be a threat from 3 yet. Is fears a threat from 3, no he is not . He is a freshman that hasn’t played a lot so you citing shooting stats on a small sample size and making conclusions seem way premature .He should be getting most if not all of JMike ‘s minutes if healthy as JMike has not progressed one iota on 3 years . we have 3 guys on the court that can hit a 3 in powers, Zrno and Francis and throw on Grant so no idea what you saying about must have 3 guys who can hit 3’s.
Dorsch doesn’t rebound defensively and not strong enough to not be bullied down low , doesn’t score and doesn’t rim protect like Msnny. Nice kid but keeping him around because he can chase bigs outside is not enough to keep him.
We need a bruising power forward in the worst way as we have not had one in ages. Do you count how many offensive rebounds we give up especially when manny is not in the game. It leads to second chance points that has cost us wins. Plus a bruising power forward can play center at times and should be able to handle it.

This. We probably can’t afford a power forward with pretty efficiency metrics but we don’t need to be in the market for that as badly as some past years. If we retain the core of our offense we have scoring weapons we can focus on adding athletic bruisers which is what we need.
 

seansherm

Heisman
Feb 20, 2009
13,969
14,900
113
Lino does not have to be a threat from 3 yet. Is fears a threat from 3, no he is not . He is a freshman that hasn’t played a lot so you citing shooting stats on a small sample size and making conclusions seem way premature .He should be getting most if not all of JMike ‘s minutes if healthy as JMike has not progressed one iota on 3 years . we have 3 guys on the court that can hit a 3 in powers, Zrno and Francis and throw on Grant so no idea what you saying about must have 3 guys who can hit 3’s.
Dorsch doesn’t rebound defensively and not strong enough to not be bullied down low , doesn’t score and doesn’t rim protect like Msnny. Nice kid but keeping him around because he can chase bigs outside is not enough to keep him.
We need a bruising power forward in the worst way as we have not had one in ages. Do you count how many offensive rebounds we give up especially when manny is not in the game. It leads to second chance points that has cost us wins. Plus a bruising power forward can play center at times and should be able to handle it.
I made no conclusions, I said improvement isn't guaranteed. Zrno is the only one of those three shooting even 33% in conference play from three, Dylan down around 27%. Francis is a scorer, not a shooter, but he can.

No doubt, Dortch adds almost nothing as a back up 5, which he isn't. He is cheap depth at the wing. You need cheap program guys that don't play much too. We do need more talented length, but it needs to be more than one dimensional.
 

Simce91

All-Conference
Dec 2, 2024
1,482
2,012
113
Are you kidding ? He should be taking Jmike’s minutes .JMike has not gotten much better in 3 years. JMike never puts pressure on a defense. JMike still cannot finish at the rim . Plus Mark plays much better defense with his steal rate than JMike ‘s defense which if anything has gotten worse year over year. You ideally play with Mark as your point guard with Francis either Powers/ Zrno with Dylan / Buchanan and Manny / Portal Center . But you can play with just Francis with both Powers/Zrno on the court.
with all do respect, Mark had a real nice game the other night against PSU. He can't hit from the outside and have you looked at his assist stats for the year, less than 1 per game. To me Mark is a 6/7 minute guy per half that comes in and energizes, he's not a point guard that can control the flow of the game on either side.
There has been speculation that he's going to bail on RU, which is probably best for all concerned, as his talent would be better utilized in a high paced up and down type of system, not Pike's system.
 
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RUfan1977

Senior
Mar 24, 2024
440
737
93
He had a nice game last night, but you can't have a guy who thinks they should be starting that has no ability to shoot unless they are elite somewhere else. Mark isn't elite at anything. Want to see him finish the season before really commit to him. That was a bad team last night he attacked. Have to start somewhere, so it's a positive.
Both Powers and Mark started the year as horrendous shooters. That may have more to do with freshman jitters than them being bad shooters. Both players are getting better as the season wears on. Zrno has also improved and is a legitimate 3 point threat. We should try to all 3 as well as Nwuli.
 

RUfan1977

Senior
Mar 24, 2024
440
737
93
Agreed. I think it’s clear Lino is passing JMike - don’t think you push JMike out though. If he wants to finish at RU, even in a limited role, I think you absolutely let him. We should have schollies available.
Scholarships isn’t the issue anymore. It’s how much NIL and revenue sharing are you paying a player. I would bet that if all a major college basketball coach offered a player was the traditional room, board, tuition and a great education, the basketball player would be gone in a heartbeat.
 
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RUDiddy777

Heisman
Feb 26, 2015
33,638
38,120
113
Scholarships isn’t the issue anymore. It’s how much NIL and revenue sharing are you paying a player. I would bet that if all a major college basketball coach offered a player was the traditional room, board, tuition and a great education, the basketball player would be gone in a heartbeat.

If he decides to leave, that’s on him. I think whatever his market value at this level is what he should get. It’s moneyball at this point.
 

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
13,073
12,417
78
If he decides to leave, that’s on him. I think whatever his market value at this level is what he should get. It’s moneyball at this point.

Market value for what type of player? That’s the thing. For example, with Tariq, we can say without hesitating, he needs to get the market value for a starting high major guard who is already a proven scorer. We don’t know what that number is but it’s clear this (whatever “it” is) is what he “deserves”. With Lino, in contrast, it’s not clear what category player he should be grouped with. Should he be priced as a high major back up? A mid major starter? Is the pricing comparable for these 2 player categories? We don’t even know that. For all we know, Derek Simpson might well be costing St Joes a million dollars. Could Lino put up impressive numbers at a lower level? Maybe - but we don’t know that for sure either. Should we pay based on the assumption he could / would?
 
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