Imho, Dean is a nice back up center, but he deserves more minutes at his natural position, power forward. He has three years of eligibility remaining. If coach moves him to the four this season, I think he will become an all big 10 Power forward by senior year. This move will also improve our interior defense and rebounding. Coach get us a back up center and move Dean to the four.
Reiber's best position
- Thread starter wrsu74
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It has yet to be proven if Dean can handle quicker players on the perimeter and get open looks being guarded by quicker players.
TBD
TBD
This. Reiber isn’t a natural 4 or 5. His game works better at the 5 right now because he gets lots of open jump shots off pick and roll action and he runs the floor well. If he plays the 4, getting open shots is going to be much harder and then he has to deal with quicker players on defense. Reiber showed some good growth last year but he needs to develop some foot speed if he’s going to play the 4. That’s a lot to ask. I do like his game but his best spot is at the 5.
The "power forward" is dead. It's all about 4 perimeter players and a big. This is how Pike has always used his roster.
Ron apparently was measured at 6'4 without shoes at the combine. Hyatt Eugene Yeboah all 6'6.
Dean maybe can give some minutes at the 4, but can he guard perimeter players at the 3 point line? Can he create off the dribble and penetrate? His wideee open 3's come bc the other 5 is in the paint. His value was stretching the court and being quicker and more athletic than the other team's 5
If Dean, Paul, and Spencer are all starting, that's now 3 positions who may struggle to keep their man from getting by them.
I just don't see Pike completely changing what he wants from his 4. Could it happen? Sure... But there is no evidence that Pike is going to do that.
The more likely scenario is that Dean is the backup 5. He adds a few pounds of muscle and is fine in most matchups. Can he guard Edey? No, but no one can really. Make these bigger 5's guard the 3 point line. Use Woolfolk if needed for more muscle in certain matchups.
Dean can sprinkle minutes in at the 4, maybe more or less depending on matchup. Dean primarily at the 4? I just don't see Pike doing it based on his tenure here and the players he has used
Ron apparently was measured at 6'4 without shoes at the combine. Hyatt Eugene Yeboah all 6'6.
Dean maybe can give some minutes at the 4, but can he guard perimeter players at the 3 point line? Can he create off the dribble and penetrate? His wideee open 3's come bc the other 5 is in the paint. His value was stretching the court and being quicker and more athletic than the other team's 5
If Dean, Paul, and Spencer are all starting, that's now 3 positions who may struggle to keep their man from getting by them.
I just don't see Pike completely changing what he wants from his 4. Could it happen? Sure... But there is no evidence that Pike is going to do that.
The more likely scenario is that Dean is the backup 5. He adds a few pounds of muscle and is fine in most matchups. Can he guard Edey? No, but no one can really. Make these bigger 5's guard the 3 point line. Use Woolfolk if needed for more muscle in certain matchups.
Dean can sprinkle minutes in at the 4, maybe more or less depending on matchup. Dean primarily at the 4? I just don't see Pike doing it based on his tenure here and the players he has used
If you put dean at the 4 then you’d virtually have to change our offensive system. Multiple times this year we had ron coming off high ball screens. I can see Dre fitting into that position. Dean struggled sometimes this year guarding 5s but he’s going to have a full off-season of weight training. He also helped us a lot on offense with pick and pop situations against a 5 man. That’s a really hard situation to guard so i can definitely see the staff implementing that more. We also already have three guys who play the 4 in Dre, mawot, and Oskar and pikes is big on team chemistry and making sure guys are happy. I don’t see him putting dean at the 4 for those reasons. Most 4s nowadays are more like Ron than dean so dean would struggle a lot keeping those guys in front of him.
And Geo just explained why you are wrong lol
Not that he’s wrong i just think it would be a big change and is super unlikely. If pikes had intentions of putting dean at the 4 i think we would’ve seen more roster turnaround. We’d essentially have four guys that play that position. If you look at most of the elite teams in the BIG in years past you see guys like Malik hall, damonte Williams, Keegan Murray, Isaiah livers, etc playing the 4. All their skill set is more similar to Ron than dean. Teams like Ohio state and wisconsin have pulled it off playing a different style but they run very different sets. Guys like Tyler wahl and Kyle young can also defend the perimeter a lot better than dean can at the moment
I think Dean is best as a stretch 5 so I agree with most of your points but... shouldn't the offensive system change? Mulcahy and Spencer (and Cliff) figure to be the offensive leaders and that's a lot different than an offense centered around you and Ron.
Yup you’re definitely right. It’s gonna be really interesting to see what they come up with. That’s why i don’t want to say he’s wrong because it’s obviously an entirely different nucleus of guys than past seasons. Still feels unlikely that dean would be moved to a 4 spot. I honestly don’t see pike changing too many things. Still gonna be a ton of ball screen action especially with a guy like cliff but i think their end of shot clock situations have to be different next year. Me and Ron could get away with some bad shots at the end of the clock as shot creators but next years team won’t be like that. Need to get Spencer off some screens.
Yea, all the things I have been saying. Pike has played guys like Ron Hyatt Yeboah Eugene at the 4 who are more 6'6ish guys and more versatile perimeter players. It's possible Dean could play the 4 but it's not what we have seen from Pike hos entire time here so it's very unlikely.
If Pike intended on Dean at the 4, we would also probably have seen more portal 5 interest. If a solid 5 was brought in, then Dean at the 4 would seem more realistic. With the current roster, it appears Pike's plan is Dean at the 5
Having Geo_Baker_1 here is really gives you a better insight on things.
Thank Geo for chiming in here to get things clarified as it appears Dean will be our Pick and Pop 5. My only point that when teams don’t play 5 out and Indiana plays Trace Jackson Davis and Rece Thompson together maybe there are 4-5 minutes a game that Pike can play them together to help on the glass. But the other 30-35 minutes Aundre and Mag will get those 4 minutes.
I don't see Dean as a natural 4 or 5. If he gets 15-20 mpg, I think it'll be mix'n match. He moves real well w/out the ball and slips screens and finds open late for cuts very well, too. At the five, I think he'll have trouble matching up on D (though I'm probably thinking old-school fives). What he will do is pull opponents' shot blockers out of the paint.
I've already stated Hyatt is your best option at the 4 in multiple threads and it just makes sense....Geo essentially explains why it doesn't make sense from the defensive end of the court.
Hyatt and Mag are going to be fine. I think Dean is more of a favorable matchup against slower and less mobile bigs, who cannot move on defense, and Dean may struggle on the defensive end, against that power-post 5 man (Kofi Cockburn, Luka Garza etc).
Dean is a player that I equate to a 3rd Cornerback on defense for football. Some games your 3rd CB is essential to a matchup against spread offense BUT your 3rd CB is not as critical against a Pro-Style Michigan/Wisconsin type of offense that is run-heavy.
Dean will get better, as all of our "unknowns " that were not starters last year.
Hyatt and Mag are going to be fine. I think Dean is more of a favorable matchup against slower and less mobile bigs, who cannot move on defense, and Dean may struggle on the defensive end, against that power-post 5 man (Kofi Cockburn, Luka Garza etc).
Dean is a player that I equate to a 3rd Cornerback on defense for football. Some games your 3rd CB is essential to a matchup against spread offense BUT your 3rd CB is not as critical against a Pro-Style Michigan/Wisconsin type of offense that is run-heavy.
Dean will get better, as all of our "unknowns " that were not starters last year.
Bigs typically take more time to develop. I expect both Cliff and Dean to be stronger defenders next season.
Dean will be fine for the most part. Sure, there will be a few matchups he struggles more with but you can say that about most players. Those matchups are when we might see some Woolfolk minutes. It's not crazy to think Dean could put on at least 10+lbs of muscle to help him bang in the post
Dean will be fine for the most part. Sure, there will be a few matchups he struggles more with but you can say that about most players. Those matchups are when we might see some Woolfolk minutes. It's not crazy to think Dean could put on at least 10+lbs of muscle to help him bang in the post
The game gets harder when you lose the element of surprise.
The game gets harder when they know you.
The game gets harder when they practice how to stop you.
The game gets harder when they know your moves.
The game gets harder when the fans/coaches have expectations.
Last year nobody watched tape on Dean. Next year they will.
Dean improved tremendously last year. It will be very hard for him to maintain that level...and he had several weak games last year including 6 minutes against ND in the NCAA and 5 minutes in the B1G tourney with next to nothing to show for it. Don't I don't see him getting more athletic or faster. I could see him driving with more confidence and getting better at put backs. I think he would be in the bottom rung of B1G starting 4's. A healthy Mags is our best bet.
The game gets harder when they know you.
The game gets harder when they practice how to stop you.
The game gets harder when they know your moves.
The game gets harder when the fans/coaches have expectations.
Last year nobody watched tape on Dean. Next year they will.
Dean improved tremendously last year. It will be very hard for him to maintain that level...and he had several weak games last year including 6 minutes against ND in the NCAA and 5 minutes in the B1G tourney with next to nothing to show for it. Don't I don't see him getting more athletic or faster. I could see him driving with more confidence and getting better at put backs. I think he would be in the bottom rung of B1G starting 4's. A healthy Mags is our best bet.
I watched every minute of every game. .Watched some games more than once. Off the top of my head, I can only name 3 or 4 centers Dean had issues with guarding down low.....Kofi, Edney, Dickinson and Williams. The same 4 that everyone had problems with down.low. Maybe there were 1 or 2 others.
I agree that Reibs is a better 5. And It’s easier in the off season for him to gain 10-15 pounds of muscle to defend 5s better, than for him to gain more speed and agility to defend 4s.
Plus, Reibs’ offensive game is much better with 5s defending him.
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I think Derek is going to be really good. Jalen is the hardest worker on the team so wouldn’t be surprised to see improvement. One of them is going to have to be ready to give Paul a breather. Hoping derek gets good minutes in those first non conference games cuz they’re gonna need him for big ten play
Geo, I knew Jalen was a gym rat and he showed his prowess on defense, can you give some insight on what he can bring on the offense end? He obviously deferred to the veterans this past season.
Thanks
Dean is likely the backup 5 and for a lot of reasons already mentioned.
Today's 4s are guys like Lebron (Not that lebron types play in the ncaa) but guys who are 6'7/6'8 but can dribble, drive, shoot a little.
They're basically now big small forwards instead of being little centers
Today's 4s are guys like Lebron (Not that lebron types play in the ncaa) but guys who are 6'7/6'8 but can dribble, drive, shoot a little.
They're basically now big small forwards instead of being little centers
Really don’t see him at 4 with the players we have. Speed isn’t going to be a strength to begin with in the backcourt. Going with 2 bigs to complement that doesn’t seem logical. There will be some times when we play more positionless ball (press style) which will make it possible for Cliff and Dean to play together some. That will likely only be situational though. Probably not more than 5 or so minutes a game on average unless we really struggle to score in traditional half court sets.
He needs to put weight on in his lower body. Upper body is helpful but it’s really the ability to hold your ground in the low post that allows you to be effective or allows you to be thrown around like a ragdoll.
I’m not worried about Dean at either spot. I think if others struggle to score we will find a way to get him more minutes at the 4 because we’re not going to sit Cliff especially in big games down the stretch. Let’s see how it all plays out. This is all fun and good to guess at what might happen. It is great to see Geo on here and getting some inside scoop. I do believe Geo knows better than we do but things can change. Totally agree that Pike likes length and athleticism and the guys like Caleb who can guard 1-4.
Count me in as someone who likes the idea of Dean at the 4.
Imo he is what new age pf's look like. Can shoot outside, can put the ball on the floor(admittedly anecdotal evidence on this front) has decent athleticism.
His game looks much more like Harper's then it does Cliff's, and even more so Myles.
Imo he is what new age pf's look like. Can shoot outside, can put the ball on the floor(admittedly anecdotal evidence on this front) has decent athleticism.
His game looks much more like Harper's then it does Cliff's, and even more so Myles.
And many have said he's not big enough to play the 5, especially in this conference.
Reiber's athleticism has looked pretty good imo. Someone noted somewhere that Harper isn't exactly the most athletic guy either. Harp defended the position via wide body and good length.
And I do admit to needing to see baby steps first. So I wouldn't commit to Reib's as the full time 4 out of the gate, but I would like to see him get some minutes at the spot.
I do wonder about our zone sets. In certain schemes against teams that don’t have strong perimeter players, maybe we will see Cliff and Dean together playing zone?
Physically, Reiber isn't strong enough for the 5 and appears to be a little slow for the 4. I'd like to see him bulk up and play the backup 5 position. Who knows though, maybe with more speed and strength training the 4 will be his spot. BTW, Harper is a much better athlete than Reiber.
Much better? I dunno about that. Pretty similar athleticism imo.
Harper is way more skilled though and had a much more refined game.
90% of the time Dean will not be going against Hunter Dickinson, Zach Edey, or Trayce Jackson-Davis. That'll be Cliff's job. We gain a bigger advantage by having him able to play the 5 on the perimeter against other teams' backup centers than we do having him go against other teams' starting (and most backup) 4s.
BTW almost every team will not have a pure center on the court for at least 10-15 minutes or so every game.
Purdue - Behind Edey it's Caleb Furst who is kinda Reiber-ish in his game.
Ohio State - Zed Key starts. They have a 6'11" freshman but we'll see how much he plays. They could play Seth Towns or Justice Sueing as a small-ball 5, worse versions of EJ Liddell basically.
Michigan State - Joey Hauser might be starting at the 5 for them.
Illinois - There's not a true center on the roster. Mayer and Hawkins are 6'9" and 6"10" but they're not exactly Kofi.
On and on it goes.
We can't get caught fighting the last war. Guys like Trevion, Kofi, Harrar, even going back to Liam Robbins and Micah Potter/Nate Reuvers from 2021 are gone and they haven't been backfilled by similar players. Penn State's tallest guy is 6'8". Indiana's backup 5 is a 6'8" freshman unless it's Race Thompson then it'll be a 6'8" senior. Maryland's tallest guy is 6'9" and that guy (Julian Reese) has a forward-ish game. When Dawson Garcia is out of the game for Minnesota, Isaiah Ihnen will probably be the "5" and he's definitely a F and not a C. Wisconsin has a 7 footer but last year they had two of them.
Purdue - Behind Edey it's Caleb Furst who is kinda Reiber-ish in his game.
Ohio State - Zed Key starts. They have a 6'11" freshman but we'll see how much he plays. They could play Seth Towns or Justice Sueing as a small-ball 5, worse versions of EJ Liddell basically.
Michigan State - Joey Hauser might be starting at the 5 for them.
Illinois - There's not a true center on the roster. Mayer and Hawkins are 6'9" and 6"10" but they're not exactly Kofi.
On and on it goes.
We can't get caught fighting the last war. Guys like Trevion, Kofi, Harrar, even going back to Liam Robbins and Micah Potter/Nate Reuvers from 2021 are gone and they haven't been backfilled by similar players. Penn State's tallest guy is 6'8". Indiana's backup 5 is a 6'8" freshman unless it's Race Thompson then it'll be a 6'8" senior. Maryland's tallest guy is 6'9" and that guy (Julian Reese) has a forward-ish game. When Dawson Garcia is out of the game for Minnesota, Isaiah Ihnen will probably be the "5" and he's definitely a F and not a C. Wisconsin has a 7 footer but last year they had two of them.