Roster Construction

The RUT

Heisman
Oct 30, 2011
35,693
19,748
61
Forget the positions and size for a second. Can someone please explain to me why out of the 15 guys on our roster 7 of them are freshman?

10 of the 15 are underclassmen. I understand a couple of our freshman are older, but the point stands, they still need to make that adjustment to the level of play.

This is not a winning formula. You would be better off getting a haul of Acuff type guys from the portal vs this.

Not to mention it's a wasted investment. How many of the 7 freshman will finish their career at Rutgers.
 

richthedentist

All-American
Aug 2, 2001
10,997
8,539
113
Forget the positions and size for a second. Can someone please explain to me why out of the 15 guys on our roster 7 of them are freshman?

10 of the 15 are underclassmen. I understand a couple of our freshman are older, but the point stands, they still need to make that adjustment to the level of play.

This is not a winning formula. You would be better off getting a haul of Acuff type guys from the portal vs this.

Not to mention it's a wasted investment. How many of the 7 freshman will finish their career at Rutgers.
Because the coach can't recruit and according to everyone we don't have the NIL money to buy the players we need but this is all on the coach
 
  • Like
Reactions: dark_check

Mholinko

All-Conference
Apr 25, 2023
1,393
2,144
77
Because the coach can't recruit and according to everyone we don't have the NIL money to buy the players we need but this is all on the coach
Can’t afford established veteran upperclassmen and we can’t get good value for what funds we do have because our coach suddenly became a terrible talent evaluator
 
  • Like
Reactions: cshelley

The RUT

Heisman
Oct 30, 2011
35,693
19,748
61
Guys I understand the NIL thing, but then go for mid major guys that are older and questionable for the jump up to the next level.

You'll get guys that maybe aren't as talented, but understand the game from an experience/IQ level. You can get them at low cost and lean into the scrappy/underdog mentality. Guaranteed you see more success.
 

bac2therac

Hall of Famer
Jul 30, 2001
247,217
176,883
113
Forget the positions and size for a second. Can someone please explain to me why out of the 15 guys on our roster 7 of them are freshman?

10 of the 15 are underclassmen. I understand a couple of our freshman are older, but the point stands, they still need to make that adjustment to the level of play.

This is not a winning formula. You would be better off getting a haul of Acuff type guys from the portal vs this.

Not to mention it's a wasted investment. How many of the 7 freshman will finish their career at Rutgers.
This team was built 3 years ago
 
  • Like
Reactions: dark_check

Mholinko

All-Conference
Apr 25, 2023
1,393
2,144
77
Guys I understand the NIL thing, but then go for mid major guys that are older and questionable for the jump up to the next level.

You'll get guys that maybe aren't as talented, but understand the game from an experience/IQ level. You can get them at low cost and lean into the scrappy/underdog mentality. Guaranteed you see more success.
Maybe they don’t want to come here
 
  • Like
Reactions: cshelley

needmorecowbell

Heisman
Oct 28, 2007
9,565
10,714
78
Forget the positions and size for a second. Can someone please explain to me why out of the 15 guys on our roster 7 of them are freshman?

10 of the 15 are underclassmen. I understand a couple of our freshman are older, but the point stands, they still need to make that adjustment to the level of play.

This is not a winning formula. You would be better off getting a haul of Acuff type guys from the portal vs this.

Not to mention it's a wasted investment. How many of the 7 freshman will finish their career at Rutgers.
No Money!!!!!! Why does this not sink in. Freshmen are cheap.
 

Knightmoves

Heisman
Jul 31, 2001
30,444
16,357
113
Guys I understand the NIL thing, but then go for mid major guys that are older and questionable for the jump up to the next level.

You'll get guys that maybe aren't as talented, but understand the game from an experience/IQ level. You can get them at low cost and lean into the scrappy/underdog mentality. Guaranteed you see more success.
Sounds like Jordan Derkack. Not sure that RU fans want more players of that type.

Btw Derkack is a pt starter for Dayton, playing 25 mpg and avg 6 ppg this season.

Darren Buchanan is another example. He can compete during the OOC schedule but the B1G players are another challenge.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: cshelley

RUJMM78

Heisman
Jul 25, 2001
26,190
12,450
113
Scholarships are precious and shouldn't be wasted on project type recruits .Those type plaayers belong at the MAC level ,not the B1G Ten.The lack of multiple scoring threats on the court the same time has been a ongoing Rutgedrs problem.This season;s roster has to be one of the worse in college basketball.Long scoring droughs will be the norm and the liklihood of scoring 70 points against league rivals will be a rare occurrence.
 

The RUT

Heisman
Oct 30, 2011
35,693
19,748
61
No Money!!!!!! Why does this not sink in. Freshmen are cheap.
I’d be willing to bet there are plenty of mid major players that would be fully prepared to suit up for Rutgers and prove people wrong.

What’s the alternative? A revolving door of 6 freshman each year?

If Rutgers can’t find the money through business deals for an average team in the most densely populated state in the country then it’s time to shut down the athletic department.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bac2therac

Mholinko

All-Conference
Apr 25, 2023
1,393
2,144
77
I’d be willing to bet there are plenty of mid major players that would be fully prepared to suit up for Rutgers and prove people wrong.

What’s the alternative? A revolving door of 6 freshman each year?

If Rutgers can’t find the money through business deals for an average team in the most densely populated state in the country then it’s time to shut down the athletic department.
They have the ability to enter the portal and there is evidence last year we tried to get some guys from said mid majors and some declined, some went to other schools and in at least one case went back to his original school instead!

it’s not having money but it’s also the guy on the other end being a terrible salesmen with no recent results
 
  • Like
Reactions: RUFantastic

ScarletJocko

Senior
Nov 25, 2019
185
567
93
We dont have the money to pay the impact transfer mid/low major guys that are P5 quality in and of themselves, so freshmen are the cheaper option with the chance to retain them on relationship grounds as well if they develop

Our only option is to land mid/low major guys that can be plugged into a system where the whole is greater than the sum of all parts. We do not have any semblance of a system that turns these kinds of player into quality P5 contributors. Instead, we have guys like Buchanan and Francis that COULD thrive in certain roles in certain systems at the power conference level but we are asking them to be power conference players in and of themselves here.

They are not good enough to shoulder that responsibility and the results are predictably awful. You cannot bring in a Buchanan level mid-major and depends on him to have the impact of a Bennett Stirtz or Oscar Cluff
 
  • Like
Reactions: Knightmoves