Came up in the game thread. Barely even jumping for rebounds, lazy positioning resulting in fouls. I’m as frustrated with his play as everyone else given this is his 4th year in the program, but is something preventing him from the effort we’re used to?
OK is Cliff hurt?
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He’s lazy. Rarely motivated. When his game doesn’t get going early he rarely does much.
If he can't stick his tongue out and dunk on d3 schools he isn't happy
No..he is vastly overrated
Stop trying to find excuses
Stop trying to find excuses
Whether or not hurt, never learned to box out or defensively move his feet correctly. When he can jump over others, hes fine. When he is bodied or moved out, ineffective.
Its a shame. His hands are what they are- as bad as a D 1 player historically. But his running, jumping and overall athleticism is special. With skill development on d skills and rebounding, and some limited post moves, he could have been a college force. Feels like he’s just repeating skillset of his first year.
Its a shame. His hands are what they are- as bad as a D 1 player historically. But his running, jumping and overall athleticism is special. With skill development on d skills and rebounding, and some limited post moves, he could have been a college force. Feels like he’s just repeating skillset of his first year.
He was playing against grown men physically. He literally is way smaller than the guy he is up against. See Illinois too.
Yes, I don’t blame him on the size difference. But he was slower and couldn’t beat the bigger guy to the spot.
Ogbole would have really helped today... need his big body pronto!
Hard to imagine him at the next level where everyone is better skilled. Have to believe that his little trip into the evaluation by the pros last year was not all that positive.
Going to be a very long season in the BIG, with a distant chance of playing post season.
Going to be a very long season in the BIG, with a distant chance of playing post season.
He was more athletic last year. I agree with the OP something is off. He is too explosive of a jumper to have those slow feet. It’s like Dominique Wilkins jumping with Gheorghe Muresan‘a footwork.
The same question for three straight years.
“Is Cliff hurting”
“It was obvious to me and everyone around us he was laboring and favoring”
See a trend?
“Is Cliff hurting”
“It was obvious to me and everyone around us he was laboring and favoring”
See a trend?
Or telling a home crown to shush after scoring his only basket a 15 foot shot
Yes, it’s called a chronic injury. Anyone with eyeballs can see he’s gutting it out. The massive compression sleeve on his entire leg isn’t a fashion statement.
He’s not good. He’s a great athlete that lacks basketball skill. The common fan sees the athletic highlight dunks and thinks he is a star. Other than that, he offers little in terms of skill. The majority of his rebounds comes against low level D1 teams, and it fall into his hands. Rarely does he ever go up and get it or boxes out.
Interesting.
Was he hurt last game against a lesser opponent, and was his jumping ability compromised last week?
It’s not hard to imagine a lingering injury or instability that feels better, looser, stronger one hour to the next as you compete with your team that desperately needs you and adrenaline is surging through you. Doesn’t mean it’s not impacting you.
It means chronic injury becomes part of your MO and or inability to be reliable and contribute.
It’s sad if that’s the case with this 22 year old physically unable to perform young man
Well that’s a very subjective and harsh assessment. Hard for me to tell someone to move faster and jump higher when I’m not feeling what they’re feeling. I think Cliff definitely wants to contribute and make money in this sport.
If you are an athlete with little skill you can go far in basketball. However once you are on the court with players who are big, athletic and/or skilled you get exposed for what you are - an athlete who doesn't really know how to play basketball. Happens all the time. Waliyy Dixon was the first person I ever saw that with - and it was really an 'AHA MOMENT' of this guy is a freak athlete, but really has no idea how to play basketball.
That doesn’t happen when you’ve been chronically injured for 3 years.
I’ve played with and against guys with incredible talent who were chronically injured… they retire.
He’s been wearing that sleeve for years.
IMO… he is not hurt and his game is unaffected due to injury.
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As I’ve also said dozens of times on this site.
Pike is not spilling beans or giving opponents inside info acknowledging a player is gutting up and playing hurt.
The players know it, coaches know it and film confirms it.
If Cliff were hurting, Pike would be both
protecting him and giving the opponent no usable info they don’t already know, by saying “The Big Guy Is Gutting It Out”
He’s never done it
Pike is not spilling beans or giving opponents inside info acknowledging a player is gutting up and playing hurt.
The players know it, coaches know it and film confirms it.
If Cliff were hurting, Pike would be both
protecting him and giving the opponent no usable info they don’t already know, by saying “The Big Guy Is Gutting It Out”
He’s never done it
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Tell that to Schiano. Doesn’t say **** about injuries all season, then when the regular season ends all of a sudden “the guys are all banged up, not sure how some of them made it out there” to excuse the performance against Maryland. Coaches clam up about injuries for all sorts or reasons when it suits them. Also doesn’t help Cliff’s agent in a few months for his coach to say “Yeah he’s got a hip thing that just won’t go away. It’s a shame.”
He’s said numerous times players are playing hurt.
He detailed the pain and weekly recovery process of our right tackle and Brown.
Every scout and connected basketball guru has already had a conversation with Pike and is fully aware of any physical issues Cliff may have.
There are no secrets.
Fact of the matter is Cliff ain’t hurt.
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Are you saying praising a player after a good game and acknowledging his poor play after a poor game is being a fair-weather-fan?
It’s not just his ZERO rebounds today, but the fact that the opposing center had EIGHTEEN rebounds and 17 points - 8 points above his season average. Cliff’s worst effort ever!
you have never played sports and have no clue. He is fine against the bad teams but for some reason he has a lingering injury against good players and teams.
That’s true. But Reggie Sutton was an outlier situation that was the subject of media coverage and press conference questions. No point hiding it.
LMAO.
Btw, 11 pts, 13 rebounds, 7 blocks against seton hall who just manhandled UConn.