So in the end, WHY is MM leaving?

[RUSCFORMERLYRULOU]

Were the team chemistry rumors real? Didn’t like pike? More playing time?
Bonus question - how hard did Pike try to recruit?

 

[jordkap]

Were the team chemistry rumors real? Didn’t like pike? More playing time?
Bonus question - how hard did Pike try to recruit?

Probably because he was terrible on offense with this staff and needs a new start. Sometimes these decisions make sense, this is 100% one of them. Before the offseason started I thought this was the most likely player to leave in my mind other than maybe JY.

Salute to Tez, good luck wherever you go!

 

[aplus29]

Id rather see Oskar leave and Tez earn his minutes back but with Jaden Jones here and a likely transfer guard coming, i understand the decision.

 

[RUBOB72]

And yet he started 68 games but “ we “ knew all along he was the most likely to leave ?

 

[SleepingGiantIsAwake]

Were the team chemistry rumors real? Didn’t like pike? More playing time?
Bonus question - how hard did Pike try to recruit?

He was reading the message boards and was hurt when soooooome posters (maybe you know who that might be) criticized him.

 

[RUSCFORMERLYRULOU]

He was reading the message boards and was hurt when soooooome posters (maybe you know who that might be) criticized him.

Please.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

Your negativity possibly?

 

[Mr. Magoo1]

He regressed and he’s not a B1G starter right now. He needs to go somewhere he can get better or to a weaker program/league where it won’t matter as much.

 

[RUSCFORMERLYRULOU]

Your negativity possibly?

Please.

 

[The RUT]

Lol you all know why he’s gone.

 

[ColonelRutgers]

Were the team chemistry rumors real? Didn’t like pike? More playing time?
Bonus question - how hard did Pike try to recruit?

Did you watch the games?

 

[HeavenUniv.]

???

 

[Scarlet Shack]

Read between the lines

young moves on (as expected) and his 30 minutes are up for grabs

If Mathis was going to get a chunk of those minutes, increasing his role from 15 mpg (end of the year ) to starting at 27 mpg....do you think we was going to transfer ?

answer...Mathis wants playing time and it’s not guaranteed here for him ....

 

[superfan01]

Read between the lines

young moves on (as expected) and his 30 minutes are up for grabs

If Mathis was going to get a chunk of those minutes, increasing his role from 15 mpg (end of the year ) to starting at 27 mpg....do you think we was going to transfer ?

answer...Mathis wants playing time and it’s not guaranteed here for him ....

I think this is incorrect. Many players in portal transfer for other reasons then playing them.

 

[Scarlet83]

I think this is incorrect. Many players in portal transfer for other reasons then playing them.

If you think the most probable explanation is wrong, what is the answer?

 

[RU677381]

The reason is that he had nothing to lose. As long as Pikiell told him that his scholarship would still be there if he tested the waters, there would be no personal downside. Any of us would do the same thing.....make a pitch for something better and if that doesn’t work we still have a home.

 

[RUSCFORMERLYRULOU]

The reason is that he had nothing to lose. As long as Pikiell told him that his scholarship would still be there if he tested the waters, there would be no personal downside. Any of us would do the same thing.....make a pitch for something better and if that doesn’t work we still have a home.

Who said his scholarship would still be there?

 

[RUsojo]

Short version is he was playing best ball of his career and when McConnell came back he got some of Mathis minutes even though McConnell went 0-5 against Iowa, 0-4 against mich st, 4-9 against Ohio st, 3-9 against Wisconsin, 1 of 5 against penn st and then after that Mathis still got benched.

IMO he made up his mind then

@RUSCFORMERLYRULOU

 

[NewJerseyHawk]

Short version is he was playing best ball of his career and when McConnell came back he got some of Mathis minutes even though McConnell went 0-5 against Iowa, 0-4 against mich st, 4-9 against Ohio st, 3-9 against Wisconsin, 1 of 5 against penn st and then after that he got benched.

IMO he made up his mind then

@RUSCFORMERLYRULOU

Isn't that kinda taking things out of context.....?? RHJ got hurt and missed the Purdue game, but to correlate Caleb's return as an isolated item towards Mathis, is crazy.

Considering how badly injured RHJ actually was (I cannot explain the huge start to huge drop-off any simpler, than to look at how RHJ looked before and after).....but with how badly RHJ shot the ball, you would be insane to think RU didn't need another able guard who could handle the ball and play multiple positions.

If you told me Mag as a true frosh took Mathis minutes, I would probably say that was an issue....but Caleb is a more complete, well rounded player than Mathis.....He can handle the ball (Mathis cannot), he can take his guy and not be solely reliant on a full drive to the basket and is a significantly better FT shooter (which reduces Mathis ability to play late in games on a consistent basis.

Mathis worked hard to improve his fundamentals, but is not a combo guard who can play more than 1 way. If Mathis was a better guard or could handle the ball and was relatively reliable, his value goes way up.

Mathis has some value to a program that doesn't play in a league where you have to play half court and can just allow him to play in transition. I also think the level of scouting in the B1G, is as good as any league in the country and our opponents and many fans here, saw Mathis as truly a drive down hill (no pull up jumper or mid range game like Caleb) and a spot up/stationary 3 point shooter that cannot create his own shot off the dribble. Once you are scouted that extensively into Years 2 and 3, it is up to the player to add levels to his game, to remain productive. Mathis needed to become an actual guard to handle the ball and be a true 2-way guard, to see consistent minutes. Mulcahy and Caleb are not the athletes that Mathis is, but they're more fundamentally sound with fewer holes in their games......which is why Mulcahy and Caleb absorbed more minutes.

 

[RULoyal]

The reason is that he had nothing to lose. As long as Pikiell told him that his scholarship would still be there if he tested the waters, there would be no personal downside. Any of us would do the same thing.....make a pitch for something better and if that doesn’t work we still have a home.

Don’t hold your breath on that.....

 

[RUsojo]

Isn't that kinda taking things out of context.....?? RHJ got hurt and missed the Purdue game, but to correlate Caleb's return as an isolated item towards Mathis, is crazy.

Considering how badly injured RHJ actually was (I cannot explain the huge start to huge drop-off any simpler, than to look at how RHJ looked before and after).....but with how badly RHJ shot the ball, you would be insane to think RU didn't need another able guard who could handle the ball and play multiple positions.

If you told me Mag as a true frosh took Mathis minutes, I would probably say that was an issue....but Caleb is a more complete, well rounded player than Mathis.....He can handle the ball (Mathis cannot), he can take his guy and not be solely reliant on a full drive to the basket and is a significantly better FT shooter (which reduces Mathis ability to play late in games on a consistent basis.

Mathis worked hard to improve his fundamentals, but is not a combo guard who can play more than 1 way. If Mathis was a better guard or could handle the ball and was relatively reliable, his value goes way up.

Mathis has some value to a program that doesn't play in a league where you have to play half court and can just allow him to play in transition. I also think the level of scouting in the B1G, is as good as any league in the country and our opponents and many fans here, saw Mathis as truly a drive down hill (no pull up jumper or mid range game like Caleb) and a spot up/stationary 3 point shooter that cannot create his own shot off the dribble. Once you are scouted that extensively into Years 2 and 3, it is up to the player to add levels to his game, to remain productive. Mathis needed to become an actual guard to handle the ball and be a true 2-way guard, to see consistent minutes. Mulcahy and Caleb are not the athletes that Mathis is, but they're more fundamentally sound with fewer holes in their games......which is why Mulcahy and Caleb absorbed more minutes.

Harper came back and played 33 minutes right away.

For all the trashing of Mathis offensive game and propping up of Calebs, Caleb was 25% from the floor in that stretch. I have no problem with Paul, who’s only problem was not shooting enough and he got better and better at that as the year went on. This Caleb stuff is made up.

Don’t think we need to complicate this - just a matter of Mathis being yanked for someone he had been playing better than for the first part of the season including a brutal in-conference start playing 8 of 9 tournament teams and multiple top 15 teams.

 

[RUJMM78]

The reason is that he had nothing to lose. As long as Pikiell told him that his scholarship would still be there if he tested the waters, there would be no personal downside. Any of us would do the same thing.....make a pitch for something better and if that doesn’t work we still have a home.

How does that work?Pikiell can't wait to June/July to fill roster slots with the possibility that Mathis could return.

 

[NightKnight]

I used to think there was a LOT of duplication between McConnell and Mathis. I gave Mathis the edge for being stronger, better at attacking the rim, and better at seeing the long pass in transition. McConnell showed heart in coming back, proved to be a more effective scorer and better at pressuring the ball to cause turnovers. By mid-season Mathis was taking bad shots and missing them. By late season he was turning down open shots early in the shot clock and I was thinking you can’t have two guys (Mulchahy and Mathis) turning down open looks.
It’s a cruel cold world out there, but next year I’d rather invest the minutes in developing a younger player than having Mathis back. He was pretty good but not “starter on a top 25 team” good. Need to trim some branches to improve the yield.

 

[ColonelRutgers]

Well, if Geo is going to miss him then that might be a clue that Geo is in fact leaning on coming back. So I’m going to take that as the first positive news in this silly season.

 

[RUsojo]

I used to think there was a LOT of duplication between McConnell and Mathis. I gave Mathis the edge for being stronger, better at attacking the rim, and better at seeing the long pass in transition. McConnell showed heart in coming back proved to be a more effective scorer and better at pressuring the ball to cause turnovers. By mid-season Mathis was taking bad shots and missing them. Y late season he was turning down open shots early in the **** clock and I was thinking you can’t have two guys (Mulchahy and Mathis) turning down shots.
it a cruel cold world out there, but next year I’d rather invest the minutes in developing a younger player than having Mathis back. He was pretty good but not “starter on a top 25 team” good. Need to trim some branches to improve the yield.

Just to clarify so people reading this know the difference, McConnell was by far the least efficient offensive player on the team this year shooting 32% from the floor, 20% from 3, 35% efg%.

 

[Mr. Magoo1]

I used to think there was a LOT of duplication between McConnell and Mathis. I gave Mathis the edge for being stronger, better at attacking the rim, and better at seeing the long pass in transition. McConnell showed heart in coming back, proved to be a more effective scorer and better at pressuring the ball to cause turnovers. By mid-season Mathis was taking bad shots and missing them. By late season he was turning down open shots early in the shot clock and I was thinking you can’t have two guys (Mulchahy and Mathis) turning down open looks.
It’s a cruel cold world out there, but next year I’d rather invest the minutes in developing a younger player than having Mathis back. He was pretty good but not “starter on a top 25 team” good. Need to trim some branches to improve the yield.

I’d take McConnell over Mathis every day of the week.

 

[NewJerseyHawk]

Harper came back and played 33 minutes right away.

For all the trashing of Mathis offensive game and propping up of Calebs, Caleb was 25% from the floor in that stretch. I have no problem with Paul, who’s only problem was bro shooting enough and he got better and better at that as the yet went on. This Caleb stuff is made up.

Don’t think we need to complicate this - just a matter of Mathis being yanked for someone he had been playing better than for the first part of the season including a brutal in-conference start playing 8 of 9 tournament teams and multiple top 15 teams.

Where are his stats for the games from Purdue on....?? It also comes down to watching the games beyond the stats....Mathis could effectively turn the ball over by not turning it over, into a contested shot at the basket.....technically it's not a turnover and you have a 50/50 shot at making that shot, if you have the athletic ability as a Mathis....but it doesn't take much basketball knowledge to not see Mathis was not playing good/sound basketball.

And heaven forbid someone else picks up more minutes, that's how you curl up into a corner as to explain Mathis decline in production??

Listen, you live and love Jacob Young.....you are now the Montez Mathis advocate and despise Geo Baker....it's OK if you want to approach it that way.

What I am doing is evaluating all players on RU, and explaining the plusses and minuses to each players games. The players departing have some positives, but it comes down to reliability and having a good idea where and when a player is going to stay within the concepts or not.

Part of building a winning basketball team, is figuring out who can mentally put together what has to happen and then apply that on the court with their physical ability. Mathis is a uber athlete who in transition, is 2nd to none, can finish and score.

If Mathis had even attempted or had a pull up game, he'd be solid. But don't take layups and dunks as a FG percentage indicator of who is better. Watching the games and how Mathis was playing, it was clear he was pressing and trying to do too much.....and felt the need to push shots up or "make something happen " as his minutes declined....then he pressed further.....and further and his slump turned into a disintegration.....to say this was not the case or trend line is foolish.

Between Mathis attempting to go downhill 3 to 4 times a game and Jacob Young averaging 3 turnovers a game, those wildly inconsistent items are now removed from the equation going forward.

Add in a not good FT shooting % and it's difficult to build anything around Mathis that you can count on, unless he's spotted up for a 3 or had a transition opportunity.....and once Mulcahy expanded his spot up 3 point shooting, you had 2 players capable of doing the same thing from 3........but Paul, Caleb (and Jacob) can handle the ball and initiate the offense, hit FTs and make passes....all things that Mathis and his game don't provide....It's pretty much elementary if you are looking at it and evaluating what a player can or can't do.

 

[RUSCFORMERLYRULOU]

Well, if Geo is going to miss him then that might be a clue that Geo is in fact leaning on coming back. So I’m going to take that as the first positive news in this silly season.

After folks predicted Myles and Mathis would be back I ain’t reading the tea leaves any more. If Geo enters the portal than Pike is gonna really have his work cut out for him to keep the momentum going.

 

[RU677381]

How does that work?Pikiell can't wait to June/July to fill roster slots with the possibility that Mathis could return.

What I read was that a player can put his name in the portal with the understanding that the scholarship can be withdrawn. My guess would be that Pikiell gave Mathis a certain date to make a decision after which time the scholarship retention would not be guaranteed.

 

[RUSCFORMERLYRULOU]

Part of building a winning basketball team, is figuring out who can mentally put together what has to happen and then apply that on the court with their physical ability. Mathis is a uber athlete who in transition, is 2nd to none, can finish and score.

Yeah I gotta question the last past of the last sentence here. He has before this year but he’s had his share of blown dunks and turnovers because he doesn’t share the ball on the break. In fact he may be the worst passer on the team

 

[RUSCFORMERLYRULOU]

What I read was that a player can put his name in the portal. The downside is that the scholarship can be withdrawn if the player does so but it is up to the school to make that decision. My guess would be that Pikiell gave Mathis a certain date to make a decision after which time the scholarship retention would not be guaranteed.

Respectfully disagree there. We gotta move on.

 

[RUsojo]

Where are his stats for the games from Purdue on....?? It also comes down to watching the games beyond the stats....Mathis could effectively turn the ball over by not turning it over, into a contested shot at the basket.....technically it's not a turnover and you have a 50/50 shot at making that shot, if you have the athletic ability as a Mathis....but it doesn't take much basketball knowledge to not see Mathis was not playing good/sound basketball.

And heaven forbid someone else picks up more minutes, that's how you curl up into a corner as to explain Mathis decline in production??

Listen, you live and love Jacob Young.....you are now the Montez Mathis advocate and despise Geo Baker....it's OK if you want to approach it that way.

What I am doing is evaluating all players on RU, and explaining the plusses and minuses to each players games. The players departing have some positives, but it comes down to reliability and having a good idea where and when a player is going to stay within the concepts or not.

Part of building a winning basketball team, is figuring out who can mentally put together what has to happen and then apply that on the court with their physical ability. Mathis is a uber athlete who in transition, is 2nd to none, can finish and score.

If Mathis had even attempted or had a pull up game, he'd be solid. But don't take layups and dunks as a FG percentage indicator of who is better. Watching the games and how Mathis was playing, it was clear he was pressing and trying to do too much.....and felt the need to push shots up or "make something happen " as his minutes declined....then he pressed further.....and further and his slump turned into a disintegration.....to say this was not the case or trend line is foolish.

Between Mathis attempting to go downhill 3 to 4 times a game and Jacob Young averaging 3 turnovers a game, those wildly inconsistent items are now removed from the equation going forward.

Add in a not good FT shooting % and it's difficult to build anything around Mathis that you can count on, unless he's spotted up for a 3 or had a transition opportunity.....and once Mulcahy expanded his spot up 3 point shooting, you had 2 players capable of doing the same thing from 3........but Paul, Caleb (and Jacob) can handle the ball and initiate the offense, hit FTs and make passes....all things that Mathis and his game don't provide....It's pretty much elementary if you are looking at it and evaluating what a player can or can't do.

I was on JY AND Mathis last year this is not a new thing.

Mathis misses are effective turnovers. Yeah that’s right. Everyone’s misses are effective turnovers. McConnell misses more. Those are effective turnovers too. You are signaling out Mathis because you don’t like his game.

I’m just trying to everyone the service of cutting through your narrative to point out what took place.

You’re killing Mathis game because he doesn’t have a midrange jumper but he was 29% from 3, Calebs 20% and Caleb was 25% from field 32% from 2 that mid range game is not helping the team man you are making it up it hurts the team.

In the stretch in question (getting back to the topic of why Mathis is transferring) in addition to being a more effective scorer prior to it and during it, Mathis had one more assist than Caleb did and one more turnover than Caleb.

In the end you can replace both of them if we were succesfull in the portal thats tbd and another topic.

Mathis is unfairly torn down. It’s a basic take. And I’m shocked you guys get so mad at someone standing up or praising players.

 

[RUSCFORMERLYRULOU]

I was on JY AND Mathis last year this is not a new thing.

Mathis misses are effective turnovers. Yeah that’s right. Everyone’s misses are effective turnovers. McConnell misses more. Those are effective turnovers too. You are signaling out Mathis because you don’t like his game.

I’m just trying to everyone the service of cutting through your narrative to point out what took place.

You’re killing Mathis game because he doesn’t have a midrange jumper but he was 29% from 3, Calebs 20% and Caleb was 25% from field 32% from 2 that mid range game is not helping the team man you are making it up it hurts the team.

In the stretch in question (getting back to the topic of why Mathis is transferring) Mathis had one more assist than Caleb did and one more turnover than Caleb.

In the end you can replace both of them if we were succesfull in the portal thats tbd and another topic.

Mathis is unfairly torn down. It’s a basic take. And I’m shocked you guys get so mad at someone standing up or praising players.

McConnell rebounds the ball and plays better defense.

 

[RedChucken123]

Don’t blame him. Dude was balling in the first half of the Houston game. Didn’t get much minutes in the second half and we lost. If you can’t give him minutes and trust him in a situation like that and he was playing well, time to move on.

 

[Scarlet Blind_rivals]

2018-19 22 starts out of 31 games, starting 2g to Geo 1
2019-20 31 starts out of 31 games, starting 2g to Geo 1
2020-21
Game 1 Geo, JY, Mathis, RHJ, Cliff, started 3
Geo hurt early, played 2 guard most of the game 17 pts.
5 starts (game 2-6) starting 2 guard JY, Paul, RHJ, and Cliff (5-0)
14-15 pts a game (15,14,19,4,15), 4 against Md.
Cliff hurt
Game 7(tOSU) Geo, JY, Mathis, RHJ, Myles 16 pts
Game 8(Purdue) Geo, JY, Mathis, Mulcahy, Myles 25 pts
Spent his share at 2 guard.
Game 9-13 Geo, JY, Mathis, RHJ, Myles (0-5) 13,3,7,2,8
Last start

Mathis is a natural 2 guard, not a Wing or backup 4 to RHJ. You could see he was tired and frustrated being matched up on the wing, but played to his potential when he played his natural 2 guard spot in small stretches games 14-28, intentional or not, he played like crap when he wasn't at 2.

 

[MV9000]

Feel like Geos tweet hints at a return subtetly. But like others haev said trying not to read into it.

 

[dontestrond]

I think your offense is forever going to be trash because your coach values defense so much. He will never run an NBA offense because of how much value he puts on the rebounding and defense.

 

[Shell21]

I think your offense is forever going to be trash because your coach values defense so much. He will never run an NBA offense because of how much value he puts on the rebounding and defense.

You should be able to do both. See Baylor . Hell Cronin is a big time defensive coach and they stiill run much better stuff than we do

 

[DHajekRC84]

I think your offense is forever going to be trash because your coach values defense so much. He will never run an NBA offense because of how much value he puts on the rebounding and defense.

We have an NBA offense. 1 guy at a time holds the ball and takes shots. Selfish. I want a COLLEGE offense. Passing and cutting and a mix of driving and shooting from long.

 

[Pancho1939_rivals]

Very simple playing time. I am nervous Cliff will join him in the portal for the same reason. Myles definitely better than Cliff but I would assume he expected more out of this year