It is not missing the player as much as you are missing the fact he is a 6th year college player and 24 years old. Irregardless of the erratic play, any 23 or 24 year old player is going to have a talent advantage over most 19, 20 or 21 year players.
The stats actually don't show he is missed because the PPG vs Lehigh isn't drastically different unless you are counting cheap baskets against inferior opponents as valuable.
Playing Lehigh does not show you are missing a player. Young is simply not as good of a player, if you eliminate easy baskets and he is required to navigate a half court offense......the fan base simply cannot distinguish actual basketball vs athletic ability......Jacob is the best athlete since Corey Sanders but was not anywhere near the player that Sanders was.
If you are missing an athletic defender, you are better off with Mathis than Young as a defender.
Fans are going to have to exercise patience in allowing the players like Mag and Jaden Jones to develop and look beyond just this season. I am very happy or more willing to watch Jaden Jones learn shoot and develop, vs watching Jacob Young for a 3rd year. Once 2022-23 rolls around, what answers do the RU fans have as a plan of development for 2022-23, if Jaden Jones gets no playing time, watching Jacob Young chuck up shots and turn the ball over??
The bottom line is Aundre Hyatt and Jaden Jones are better players for this year and next year than the short term gains or erratic play of Jacob Young and Montez Mathis. Smart basketball people understand that 70% production coming from Jaden Jones, is much more important than 100% of inconsistent Jacob Young......I think Hyatt is already a more effective player than Mathis, just not as explosive in transition....B1G basketball really doesn't offer consistent opportunities to score in transition, which is where Hyatt exceeds Mathis or should get close to Jacob Young production.
Hyatt vs Jacob Young past production
Jaden Jones vs Montez Mathis past production.
