Reality!

[zappaa]

Without RHJ playing like the above the rim, high energy player he needs to be, this team will have no consistency!
We’re still good enough to pull out games against good competition, but we’re going nowhere without Harper game in and game out.
RHJ playing well makes us a legitimate sweet 16 team.
You can look everywhere you want, he’s the key.

 

[zappaa]

Even if he doesn’t hit his 3s.
The RHJ that runs the floor, plays above the rim and rebounds, makes us legit

 

[willisneverrana43]

He's a hot and cold player. But, if you look at his career stats, his overall numbers are fairly consistent with steady overall improvement each year. He's not just the guy we saw in the first 7+ games, but he's also not just the guy we've seen since then. He's both.

 

[zappaa]

He's a hot and cold player. But, if you look at his career stats, his overall numbers are fairly consistent with steady overall improvement each year. He's not just the guy we saw in the first 7+ games, but he's also not just the guy we've seen since then. He's both.

I’ve watched him closely since he was a freshman.
I was always most impressed with his size, ability to run the floor, rebound and dunk.
That guy with 14 points is valuable

 

[superfan01]

Agree. Team has no shot of going anywhere in tourney without Harper playing well.
He also makes it easier for young and Mathis. Those guys have also fallen off as Harper has struggled

 

[knight82]

He's been wildly inconsistent his entire time here

 

[willisneverrana43]

I’ve watched him closely since he was a freshman.
I was always most impressed with his size, ability to run the floor, rebound and dunk.
That guy with 14 points is valuable

Yup. He's valuable, arguably (maybe not so arguable) our best player. But he's those other things too.

 

[zappaa]

Yup. He's valuable, arguably (maybe not so arguable) our best player. But he's those other things too.

The other things make us an inconsistent easy out against a good team

 

[willisneverrana43]

True too. Or he’s hot and suddenly RU is in the sweet 16.

 

[Ronnie_B]

If he wants to ever take it to the next level (NBA), he needs to shed his baby fat, he's 6'6" so losing weight would not hurt him, a full offseason of eating right and working out hard would do him wonders, his speed and quickness would benefit the most because right now he's two steps too slow and it shows in his game.

 

[Scarlet Shack]

This is now an ice age slump

0 for last 16 on threes
1 for last 21
and since the first Iowa moss
5 for 40 from three

I have mentioned several times that his shot form is NOT the same since he got hurt ...

Since the Iowa game team is shooting 27% from three ...and still only 33% when you subtract Harper numbers

the quality of the shot is still very good...we aren’t taking a lot of three with guys in our face

So there is hope that the percentage will move back to the mean. We probably should be a 36% theee point shooting team with the looks we get ...we were low 40% through the First Iowa game And 27% since

need to shoot it with confidence and no hesitation when it’s an proper open look in the ball mocemnet of our offense ...and not worry about if the last one went in or not

 

[jersey07080]

Maybe he should stop shooting 3s. His mid range game is really good!

 

[willisneverrana43]

The last two years RU was worse than 300th in the NCAA in 3-point shooting percentage. This year it’s around 190. So we should be careful about hoping that RU moves back to the mean.

 

[Ronnie_B]

Maybe he should stop shooting 3s. His mid range game is really good!

It is if he gets an open look, probably is he's not yet proficient at creating his own offense, I do believe he has that potential and that's why I would like to see him chisel his body to be more lean, it would help tremendously in regards to this area of his game.

 

[RUJMM78]

He's been wildly inconsistent his entire time here

The same can be said for every other player on the team.

 

[RUBOB72]

If he wants to ever take it to the next level (NBA), he needs to shed his baby fat, he's 6'6" so losing weight would not hurt him, a full offseason of eating right and working out hard would do him wonders, his speed and quickness would benefit the most because right now he's two steps too slow and it shows in his game.

That is a spot on. Ron Harper still looks “ pudgy “ and soft... no knock but if he’s 6’6” and 240 lbs. his entire game is suffering. Maybe the dietician and strength coaches can help him develop some lean body mass. Or perhaps his injury from weeks ago is limiting his explosiveness and shooting? No matter what it is when Hatper underperforms we struggle bigtime.

 

[Rutgers25]

the early season performance was a mirage. We don’t have any shooters, just some guys that get hot every now and then.

 

[Plum Street]

He’s hot and we get to sweet 16. Or he stays cold and are eliminated in the play in game Tuesday night

 

[FRA10Thunderbolt]

Without RHJ playing like the above the rim, high energy player he needs to be, this team will have no consistency!
We’re still good enough to pull out games against good competition, but we’re going nowhere without Harper game in and game out.
RHJ playing well makes us a legitimate sweet 16 team.
You can look everywhere you want, he’s the key.

While RHJ is A key to the success of this team It cannot fall all on him. Others need to step up. Our three point shots and free throws are the weak point of this team. We need to improve on those two areas. Last night I saw many opportunities for guys to take 3 point shots but then pass the ball. Free throws is self explanatory. On another note Cliff is starting to look competent out on the floor. for the first half of the season he looked like a baby gazelle taking its first steps. Last night Cliff looked much more comfortable with the pace and plays. Good things to come from Cliff.

 

[ImBadRU]

Ankle injuries suck and linger.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I sort of disagree with the premise of the post. No doubt Harper is an important piece, but I just think he is a piece. I think no one on this team is good enough where they should be playing more than 30 minutes on their average day. I really see Myles as a piece we can't afford not to have on any given day. The hope is eventually as Cliff gets better, and he will, that changes.

 

[zappaa]

I sort of disagree with the premise of the post. No doubt Harper is an important piece, but I just think he is a piece. I think no one on this team is good enough where they should be playing more than 30 minutes on their average day. I really see Myles as a piece we can't afford not to have on any given day. The hope is eventually as Cliff gets better, and he will, that changes.

Without Jr, forget about it.
A regular part of our offense was Alley Oops to Jr. and the opposition had to defend it....what happened to it?

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Without Jr, forget about it

You don’t give enough credit to others

 

[zappaa]

You don’t give enough credit to others

Nope, not to win on a consistent basis.
Your best players have to lead the way

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Our 12 major conference wins last year
12/11 Wisconsin 29 min 6 points
12/14 SHU. 28min 18 pts
1/3 Neb 30 min 11 pts
1/7 PSU 32 min 22 pts
1/15 Ind 30 min 6 pts
1/19 Min 28 min 11 pts
1/25 Neb 30 min 2 pts
1/28 Pur 28 min 10 pts
2/9 NW 33 min 10 pts
2/15 ILl 31 min 27 pts
3/3 MD 26 min 9 pts
3/7 Pur 35 min 15 pts

12 games 30 MPG 12.25 PPg

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

12.2 PPg in 10 losses

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

He is not a role player, but he isn’t a star.

 

[zappaa]

He is not a role player, but he isn’t a star.

It’s my opinion!
You can think I’m wrong and it’s fine.
He’s always been an above the rim player who could rebound and get out on the fast break, complete with Alley Oops.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Without Jr, forget about it.
A regular part of our offense was Alley Oops to Jr. and the opposition had to defend it....what happened to it?

Not playing soft zones any more.

we faced mostly zone our 1st 4 games of the year. Ron got great looks and made them and stayed hot/confident until his injury which was the inflection point.

Looking at stats he has 7 dunks since his injury and 4 before it. 8 dunk attempts since injury, MSU dunk attempt didn’t go to good

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

It’s my opinion!
You can think I’m wrong and it’s fine.
He’s always been an above the rim player who could rebound and get out on the fast break, complete with Alley Oops.

I’ll admit he isn’t playing with the same bounce in his step. Geo for awhile too, but now he seems fine.

we can (I mean I think we can) win without Ron, but the problem is Caleb is in a shooting dunk too. Paul can only take and make Issa 3s and our 5s can’t shootoutside the paint.

If things continue without Caleb getting better and Montez and Jacob making bad decisions we desperately need Ron.

for the record. I think we will look back at this as a positive. You should know more than anyone else that people break out of slumps. Ron will. This is a slump. He will exit it before the games start to really matter.

unless he is Joe Charboneau.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/charbjo01.shtml

 

[BOCA93]

I get the sentiment above about needing to transform his physique and that he doesn’t pass the eye test. But IMO that has nothing to do with his slump. He never looked slow or winded to me when he was dropping 25 pts a game and he’s always been a tough defender. I think his shooting funk sometimes bleeds into his defensive intensity or lack thereof. And the easy thing to point to is his weight. I just don’t buy it.