Three Thoughts for Ohio State
- Thread starter RUSCFORMERLYRULOU
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Only 1 of 4 RU freshman were highly ranked, Cliff top 50, other 3 are developmental, 200 or higher, who could become players with experience by sophomore/junior years. You have to pick your spots against the bottom of the B1G to get them experience, playing them in the wrong spot will cost you B1G games. Only 2 freshman in the top 20 in B1G scoring, #17 Dickenson, Mich, because he's that good, and T19 Edey, Purdue, out of necessity. It will be interesting to see Dickenson vs Kofi, Myles, Garza among other experienced centers if he still holds his own.
6 Top 50 freshman vs B1G opponent, Hunter Dickenson(40th) 20 pts vs PSU, Adam Miller(34th)Illinois, 14 vs Min, 0 vs RU, Curbelo(38th) 9 vs Minn, 4 vs RU, Khristian Lander(26th) No B1G games, Cliff(42nd) 6 vs MD, 0(Inj) vs Illinois. Mady Sissoko(46th) 0 pts, 2 min vs NW, 25 min, 6 gm. You see the differences in scoring against better/lesser opponents. The bottom are playing the freshman out of necessity, where as the top don't have to and know the causation and results. Freshman always look overmatched to start the B1G schedule and grow into their roles esp with a shortened OOC.
Mag, Palmquist or Reiber might see time if Cliff can't go vs tOSU but will play vs Purdue, maybe @PSU, @NW, vs Minn, vs NW, vs MD., vs Ind, @ Neb, @Minn. You might see more of a player if they prove themselves in early chances like Curbelo showed against us unlike Miller and Hawkins looking overmatched. We have the only road win so far playing only Cliff in both games. Doucoure starting is the right move.
This is the decision tree for the OSU game.
I lean toward starting Myles and trusting that, as an experienced 4th year player, he can avoid getting that first foul before the under 16:00 break. I just don't think we can expect to spot OSU a 10-2 lead on the road and expect to climb back in the game on the road as readily as we did at home against Illinois.
For the game as a whole, we have to hope that Myles can stay out of foul trouble and give us 28-30 minutes. Then we only have to play Doucoure and Reiber 10-12 minutes in total (5-6 in each half). At 6-9, Palmquist will also need to play, in order to spell the forwards (the minutes Mag would have gotten if he wasn't injured).
We might need to play some zone when Doucoure/Reiber are in the game.
This.
Pike knows what he's doing. In the article in NJ.com, Brian Fonseca stated the following, which I think is pretty sound:
Junior Myles Johnson, one of the top bigs in the Big Ten, will take the starting spot, but his propensity to foul (5.1 fouls committed per 40 minutes) could keep him off the floor for stretches. Rutgers’ reserve bigs -- junior Mamadou Doucoure (0.7 points, 1.7 rebounds, three minutes per game) and freshman Dean Reiber (2.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, 5.2 minutes per game) -- could see their roles increase. Alternatively, Rutgers could play small ball with Harper at the five when Johnson sits.
To me, I think playing small ball isn't a bad thing when Ohio State starts a 6'9" Center (IIRC).
You need to give freshman more than 5 or 6 games into their careers before writing them off. People wanted to run Caleb out at halftime of game 1. Now if you read these threads he is the savior for this season.
1. No. Can't start slow.
2. Yea I guess but I would just prefer to have the guys that have an open shot, take that open shot. No need to force anything different.
3. Reiber is definitely not ready to play at the D1 level. Doesn't have the hands or awareness for it. The other guys Mag, Omoruyi and Palmquist look like they'll be fine when they settle in and develop a bit.
We have 2 good guys coming in next year but we need another Jacob Young type transfer and hopefully this ranking gets us Floyd and some other top end guys in the next few years. Need to move on to 4 stars from these 3 stars.
Did you watch the early season games that were non televised only BTN+? Reiber showed both hands and awareness in those appearances. His awareness was actually surprisingly good. He looked not great in his last appearance but IIRC one of those passes was whipped at him a short distance as well. Doucoure has no hands or awareness. That has been proven time and time again. He does have the experience and bulk though. If one is playing well let them play, if they are stinking it up try the other.
Count me in for leaving Myles in his same rotation
The most important thing for us is having Myles fresh and at three fouls or less for the last 10 minutes (and preferably two)
Do that and as long as we are 10 or less...I feel real good about coming out with a win against anyone
He is that good on D and for the team D
The most important thing for us is having Myles fresh and at three fouls or less for the last 10 minutes (and preferably two)
Do that and as long as we are 10 or less...I feel real good about coming out with a win against anyone
He is that good on D and for the team D