Rutgers finally develops a team with tons of veteran pieces who are worth playing 30+ minutes per game and all anyone can wonder is why aren't the freshmen playing more.
RU Hoops Recruiting
- Thread starter RU2323
- Start date
Great reply. They are not guards. Mag might develop better dribbling and break down people as he matures. But that should not concern you because Jones will be able to break down and shoot over most defenders at an accurate efficient rate plus Miller will likely be able to break you down. No one is as fast as Jacob Young so don’t expect that level of breakdown but plenty accurate. Plus they are recruiting guards now for 2022 that will also break down defenders and can shoot. I think your worries are unnecessary. We have fallen in love with Geo, and Jacob and Montez and Ron and we will fall in love with the next group. Go listen to Matt Painter chat from yesterday prior to our game on the Round Table if you want to know what another really good Big 10 coach thinks about Pike and our players. Respect and admiration.
Hawk won’t mention Michigan in his many posts downplaying the impact of freshmen in the conference.
Here are the stats for our then-freshman class in November and December of 2018-2019. There were 7 games against low- and mid-majors (6-1), and 5 games against power conference teams (1-4), for a 7-5 record heading into January that season.
vs. FDU (90-55 win):
Mathis - 21 minutes, 10 points
Harper - 17 minutes, 15 points
McConnell - 8 minutes, 1 point
Johnson - DNP
vs. Drexel (95-66 win):
Mathis - 16 minutes, 10 points
Harper - 22 minutes, 5 points
McConnell - 10 minutes, 1 point
Johnson - DNP
vs. St. John's (65-84 loss):
Mathis - 19 minutes, 6 points
Harper - 23 minutes, 8 points
McConnell - 5 minutes, 2 points
Johnson - 17 minutes, 6 points, 7 rebounds
vs. Eastern Michigan (63-36 win):
Mathis - 9 minutes, 0 points
Harper - 20 minutes, 4 points
McConnell - 6 minutes, 0 points
Johnson - 19 minutes, 2 points, 7 rebounds
vs. BU (54-44 win):
Mathis - 16 minutes, 2 points
Harper - 19 minutes, 0 points
McConnell - 5 minutes, 0 points
Johnson - 15 minutes, 0 points, 5 rebounds
vs. Miami, FL (57-54 win):
Mathis - 13 minutes, 4 points
Harper - 19 minutes, 6 points
McConnell - 1 minute, 0 points
Johnson - 12 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds
vs. MSU (67-78 loss):
Mathis - 20 minutes, 5 points
Harper - 13 minutes, 3 points
McConnell - 11 minutes, 7 points
Johnson - 11 minutes, 4 points, 4 rebounds
vs. Wisky (64-69 loss):
Mathis - 13 minutes, 0 points
Harper - 14 minutes, 5 points
McConnell - 11 minutes, 2 points
Johnson - 6 minutes, 0 points, 1 rebound
vs. Fordham (70-78 loss) -- UGH, still seeing Nick Honor in my nightmares!
Mathis - 25 minutes, 8 points (he started)
Harper - 17 minutes, 10 points
McConnell - 3 minutes, 0 points
Johnson - 3 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound
vs. SHU (66-72 loss):
Mathis - 14 minutes, 8 points (he started)
Harper - 27 minutes, 5 points
McConnell - 9 minutes, 4 points
Johnson - 14 minutes, 0 points, 9 rebounds
vs. Columbia (68-65 win in OT):
Mathis - 14 minutes, 2 points (he started)
Harper - 8 minutes, 0 points
McConnell - 25 minutes, 8 points
Johnson - 16 minutes, 3 points, 4 rebounds
vs. Maine (70-55 win):
Mathis - 19 minutes, 7 points (he started)
Harper - 17 minutes, 5 points
McConnell - 24 minutes, 14 points
Johnson - 21 minutes, 10 points, 10 rebounds
Another notable point here - other than Mathis starting the last four games, these four freshman, plus seldomly-used sophomore Doucoure and JUCO transfer Shaq Carter, were basically the entire bench, behind starters Omoruyi, Doorson, Thiam, Baker, and Kiss. So they HAD to play, Pike had no choice.
Did a few of them flash at times? Yes, but mostly against the easier teams. And although I didn't list the shooting percentages here, trust me when I tell you that the FG%s were UGLY, especially for Harper. Fast forward to this season, and all of these players have improved SIGNIFICANTLY from those first 12 games of their freshman year.
Does this mean that the current crop of freshmen WILL improve and be productive? No. But it surely suggests that Pike knows how to develop his young guys, and that we should hold off on any final opinions until they have a chance to actually play.
vs. FDU (90-55 win):
Mathis - 21 minutes, 10 points
Harper - 17 minutes, 15 points
McConnell - 8 minutes, 1 point
Johnson - DNP
vs. Drexel (95-66 win):
Mathis - 16 minutes, 10 points
Harper - 22 minutes, 5 points
McConnell - 10 minutes, 1 point
Johnson - DNP
vs. St. John's (65-84 loss):
Mathis - 19 minutes, 6 points
Harper - 23 minutes, 8 points
McConnell - 5 minutes, 2 points
Johnson - 17 minutes, 6 points, 7 rebounds
vs. Eastern Michigan (63-36 win):
Mathis - 9 minutes, 0 points
Harper - 20 minutes, 4 points
McConnell - 6 minutes, 0 points
Johnson - 19 minutes, 2 points, 7 rebounds
vs. BU (54-44 win):
Mathis - 16 minutes, 2 points
Harper - 19 minutes, 0 points
McConnell - 5 minutes, 0 points
Johnson - 15 minutes, 0 points, 5 rebounds
vs. Miami, FL (57-54 win):
Mathis - 13 minutes, 4 points
Harper - 19 minutes, 6 points
McConnell - 1 minute, 0 points
Johnson - 12 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds
vs. MSU (67-78 loss):
Mathis - 20 minutes, 5 points
Harper - 13 minutes, 3 points
McConnell - 11 minutes, 7 points
Johnson - 11 minutes, 4 points, 4 rebounds
vs. Wisky (64-69 loss):
Mathis - 13 minutes, 0 points
Harper - 14 minutes, 5 points
McConnell - 11 minutes, 2 points
Johnson - 6 minutes, 0 points, 1 rebound
vs. Fordham (70-78 loss) -- UGH, still seeing Nick Honor in my nightmares!
Mathis - 25 minutes, 8 points (he started)
Harper - 17 minutes, 10 points
McConnell - 3 minutes, 0 points
Johnson - 3 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound
vs. SHU (66-72 loss):
Mathis - 14 minutes, 8 points (he started)
Harper - 27 minutes, 5 points
McConnell - 9 minutes, 4 points
Johnson - 14 minutes, 0 points, 9 rebounds
vs. Columbia (68-65 win in OT):
Mathis - 14 minutes, 2 points (he started)
Harper - 8 minutes, 0 points
McConnell - 25 minutes, 8 points
Johnson - 16 minutes, 3 points, 4 rebounds
vs. Maine (70-55 win):
Mathis - 19 minutes, 7 points (he started)
Harper - 17 minutes, 5 points
McConnell - 24 minutes, 14 points
Johnson - 21 minutes, 10 points, 10 rebounds
Another notable point here - other than Mathis starting the last four games, these four freshman, plus seldomly-used sophomore Doucoure and JUCO transfer Shaq Carter, were basically the entire bench, behind starters Omoruyi, Doorson, Thiam, Baker, and Kiss. So they HAD to play, Pike had no choice.
Did a few of them flash at times? Yes, but mostly against the easier teams. And although I didn't list the shooting percentages here, trust me when I tell you that the FG%s were UGLY, especially for Harper. Fast forward to this season, and all of these players have improved SIGNIFICANTLY from those first 12 games of their freshman year.
Does this mean that the current crop of freshmen WILL improve and be productive? No. But it surely suggests that Pike knows how to develop his young guys, and that we should hold off on any final opinions until they have a chance to actually play.
The only one I am not sold on is Reiber. Palmquist hasn't showed it yet, but that kid has game. Once he gets comfortable, he is going to look like one of those Wisconsin players who drains 3's constantly.
Exactly. The freshman are currently stuck behind players on a top 20 team. None of the vets on the roster were in that same situation, nor were they subjected to an extremely shortened OOC situation as freshman.
Never said a lot of freshman were getting significant minutes, as you suggest only reasonably elite level or teams that have to play frosh are using them significantly basically our frosh, once league play began are pretty much riding the pines, its the difference between no minutes and three or four here and there, without cliff we are into a 6-7 man rotation
Feel like context is crucial here. First, Mag is injured. I thought he looked fine in the non-conference games. Sort of a Mathis-lite. Second, my guess is staff intended to redshirt Reiber. Palmquist scares me a bit. The fact that he is like 21 already and was on the team in the spring yet still isn't getting playing time is a red flag.
My god.
? The basketball season takes place in winter. It's winter now. After the season it will be spring. ???
Reiber and Palmquist looked like perfectly acceptable Big Ten rotation pieces today. Mag would too, if healthy, I believe.
Does anyone have insight on the free throw ability of these guys? Hard to find any data and the 2020 samples are too small. Would be nice to blend in some good free throw shooters off the bench.
Omg lol that brings back memories.
Doorson took 4 years to average like 5ppg.
Thiam so great at shooting until it counted.
Kiss, welll lol.
EO was good
I actually think Reiber is going to be excellent. We finally have some veteran leadership and it’s been hard to mess with success when these big 10 teams are all good. Pike had to play his best guys. Be patient and I think you’ll see these freshman contribute. They won’t get the playing time as quickly but it will happen.
I guess the couple of questions would be, why wouldn't Go and Young come back. I am not sure they would be drafted but they may have opportunities in Europe. Would coming back an extra year possible get them closer to an NBA career? Asking seriously as I am by no means an expert in basketball. And with Harper...he may be proving to be an NBA player with his play and bloodlines, but would he leave early or would he come back another year too?
As for the younger guys- Cliff looks like with another 10-20lbs- could be a complete stud inside. Mulcahy is playing pretty well and could really develop. I havent really seen the other young guys but Reiber has been playing better.
Hoping at least one of Young/Geo come back if not both, Harper stays for a Sr season. And that gives us another year to develop the younger players.
All I know- the next two years will at least be a lot of fun...If we get and stay healthy for March- this could be one heck of a ride...
As for the younger guys- Cliff looks like with another 10-20lbs- could be a complete stud inside. Mulcahy is playing pretty well and could really develop. I havent really seen the other young guys but Reiber has been playing better.
Hoping at least one of Young/Geo come back if not both, Harper stays for a Sr season. And that gives us another year to develop the younger players.
All I know- the next two years will at least be a lot of fun...If we get and stay healthy for March- this could be one heck of a ride...