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Observations from practice

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ouchmyknee

All-American
Nov 10, 2006
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Was able to catch most of practice and figured I’d share my thoughts based on a very limited sample size.
  • Jacob Young looks like he progressed from when we last saw him, which is saying something. Improved passing and shooting and still lightning fast. He was automatic from 15 feet. Still looks pesky on defense. Bold statement: he could be our best player this year.
  • Geo is Geo. He can still hit from outside but didn’t look like his shot got better. Very poised though and breaks a calm to the floor
  • Mag: impressed the hell out of me. Sort of looked like a guy who’s been on the team for a few years. Very methodical. Can shoot and pass. Looks ready for minutes already. Dude just looks like a solid vet
  • Oscar: dude can flat out shoot. He was hitting at a high clip. In the limited defensive drills I saw he looks like he can be a good perimeter defender. Active hands and with that wingspan could do some damage. He didn’t get much run in free flowing 5-on-5 so didn’t really get to see in the flow
  • Mathis: looks like he improved. Still great defender (best on team IMO). Shot seems a little better. Seemed like he had a little more confidence which will be key. Dude is just so low key, but has those moments when he comes out of his shell and you’re like “wow”
  • Paul: bulked up a bit. Still same Paul, but much stronger and sure of himself. I can see him being a matchup problem for smaller PG if he establishes himself on the block
  • Cliff: crazy athletic. Anything that comes into him near the basket he’ll flush down. He’s still very raw. Myles easily handled him, but I have to imagine that a year of Cliff with Myles is going to do him wonders. Cliff will get some minutes, but I’d only expect about 4 points a game from him and a few crazy athletic plays each game. He’ll be a good one here
  • Ron: looked like Ron. Didn’t see anything that surprised me. He looks to have skimmed down a little and will have the ball in his hands a ton. Think he’ll facilitate more this year, which will make tough for whomever has to guard him
  • Other than that it was a typical Pike practice. Good energy. The guys are locked in.
 
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richthedentist

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Aug 2, 2001
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So excited yet so bummed that we will not be in the stands at the games but at least we are having basketball; Seems like with so much depth we can really run and press for 40 minutes if we want to just bringing the defense to help get us some easy baskets and with the extra length we can also really defend the 3
 
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RAC’emUp

All-Conference
Jul 20, 2011
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I thought Young looked great and with Ron and Geo we have 3 potential stars. I agree with the above on Cliff. Myles is the better choice right now but you can see the potential. I’m not sure where the conclusions on Oskar’s shot came from because I didn’t see him take more than 2 outside shots, made one, missed one. I thought I watched the whole thing but maybe not … ?
 
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motel00

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Mar 8, 2007
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i guess my impressions were a little different:

1. Reiber and Palmquist did not participate in the 5 on 5 drill. Instead, Doucoure and Lobach were in the mix (and Lobach looked surprisingly more like a rotation guy than a preferred walk-on). Reiber and Palmquist were on the sidelines doing conditioning/agility drills. I think that is an indication that these two may not be quite ready for prime time, especially Reiber.
2. I think generally, our veterans look confident and I hope that translates to better team shooting.
3. Agree that Mawat looked very good. Long, athletic, and tough.
4. I think we'll need to be a little patient with Cliff, he will make some mistakes. But he can really run the floor and will definitely be a force on defense once he gets comfortable. Looks to have good hands and will finish strong around the basket.
5. Mulcahy will definitely be a leader on the second team and will look to score more.
6. As far as rotation, I think we are looking at mostly an 8 man rotation with Young starting, Mulcahy, Mawat, and Cliff the subs and Doucoure in the mix at strategic times. I don't think Reiber will get very much time at all. Palmquist is a smooth shooter; not sure that he is physically able to play the defense we'll need from him. I guess Lobach could be a wild card. We shall see.
 
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O

ouchmyknee

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Unionst said:
... I’m not sure where the conclusions on Oskar’s shot came from because I didn’t see him take more than 2 outside shots, made one, missed one. I thought I watched the whole thing but maybe not … ?
Click to expand...
Early in the video he was taking some shots that weren’t framed early on the stream. But some of my opinion is from other practices. Not just the one last night.
 
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motel00

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I think there is no doubt that Oskar can shoot it. If nothing else, he looks like he could develop into a very good catch and shoot guy.
 
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GoodOl'Rutgers

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Sep 11, 2006
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would be cool if nobody logs 30 minutes a game this year... because we have the depth and ability to keep everyone fresh deep into the 2nd halves as well as deep into the season. And great for those games with little rest...
 
M

motel00

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Keep in mind, this is based on one practice video. Admittedly, I could be way off on Palmquist, Reiber, Lobach, rotation, etc.!!! There were parts of the practice, as it wore on, where the guys all looked gassed!! So don't take too much from this. I hope that we'll get to see everybody on the floor against Sacred Heart.
 
S

Scarlet Blind_rivals

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I didn't watch it but kind of solidify my opinions on rotations for most of the 200 minutes, reading the observations.
1-3(120 minutes) will be Geo, JY, Mathis and Mulcahy, with Palmquist 5th in the rotation at 2 or 3, maybe even Lobach for spot minutes 6th at 3 or 4
4(40) will cover RHJ and Mag, Reiber 6th
5(40) will cover Myles and Cliff, Doucoure 5th
Not saying RHJ or Mag won't see time at 3, Mulcahy at 4 or Cliff 4/Myles 5, or possibly going small RHJ and Mag at 4 and 5, but those looks will be limited situations.
 
R

RU_PAYBACK

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motel00 said:
Keep in mind, this is based on one practice video. Admittedly, I could be way off on Palmquist, Reiber, Lobach, rotation, etc.!!! There were parts of the practice, as it wore on, where the guys all looked gassed!! So don't take too much from this. I hope that we'll get to see everybody on the floor against Sacred Heart.
Click to expand...
Lots of hands on hips. Not that it is good or bad, just an observation.
 
R

RUKen

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RU_PAYBACK said:
Lots of hands on hips. Not that it is good or bad, just an observation.
Click to expand...
i agree with you but remember they were going constant the whole time. Drills, 5 on 5 more drills for over an hour. No media timeouts, etc. We only had two or three on the sidelines at a time.
 
D

Degaz-RU

Heisman
Dec 19, 2002
22,385
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Bear in mind that Palmquist is nursing a minor leg injury. That is why he didn’t see much run in either this practice or the one last week on media day. I still think he will get rotation minutes at the 3.

The more I have thought about it, the more I think we’re going to miss McConnell at the 3 spot. I still think we’re a top 6 B1G team, mind you, but our job is a little harder having lost Yeboah AND McConnell from the 3 spot.

That said, I do think we will get more contributions from Young and Mulcahy to offset those losses, and Mag and Palmquist will be good depth guys as well.
 
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RUChoppin

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GoodOl'Rutgers said:
hope not
Click to expand...

You want your best guys on the floor as much as possible. They're not going to be playing 35+ minutes, but I'd imagine they'd be in the 30-32 range.

Last year, Baker was at 31.3 min in games he started (not including the games off the bench where he was recovering from injury), and Harper finished the year averaging 29.4 in conference games (which will be a larger share of the schedule this year). I'd expect about the same this year - with Harper possibly taking on a bit more with Yeboah gone.

Other than last season (with Baker missing time due to injury), Pike's only had two other seasons in his 16-year career without at least one player at 30+ min (2011-12 where one player had 29.8, and his first year in 2005-06 with two players at 29.3/29.2).
 
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GoodOl'Rutgers

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If McConnel were available I'd expect no one to surpass 30 very often. But you have to consider how much better the depth is this year and whether a player playing in his 30th-35th minute is as effective as his replacement playing his 10th-15th-20th minute.

I think less will be more for late game play as well as the whole season and for those short-rest games. Of course, in those very tight games, the stars will play more.. and by playing them less in games we control.. maybe they will have more in the tank when called upon in tight games. I think a goal of keeping everyone under 30 is reasonable... and it adds experience and depth for this year and future years.
 
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ouchmyknee

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Another thing to keep in mind regarding yesterday’s practice is that they were well aware it was being streamed so prob more casual than a normal practice.
 
S

Scangg

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For those who watched...

Does Mag look physically capable of guarding the 4?

Does Lobach have a perimeter game? 3 point shot?
 
G

Greene Rice FIG

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There is no Yeboah and Caleb. Unless the newcomers are really ready those minutes will partially flow to Harper and Baker
 
M

Mr. Magoo1

Heisman
Nov 15, 2001
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Degaz-RU said:
Bear in mind that Palmquist is nursing a minor leg injury. That is why he didn’t see much run in either this practice or the one last week on media day. I still think he will get rotation minutes at the 3.

The more I have thought about it, the more I think we’re going to miss McConnell at the 3 spot. I still think we’re a top 6 B1G team, mind you, but our job is a little harder having lost Yeboah AND McConnell from the 3 spot.

That said, I do think we will get more contributions from Young and Mulcahy to offset those losses, and Mag and Palmquist will be good depth guys as well.
Click to expand...

I agree we will miss McConnell.
 
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RutgHoops

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RUChoppin said:
You want your best guys on the floor as much as possible. They're not going to be playing 35+ minutes, but I'd imagine they'd be in the 30-32 range.

Last year, Baker was at 31.3 min in games he started (not including the games off the bench where he was recovering from injury), and Harper finished the year averaging 29.4 in conference games (which will be a larger share of the schedule this year). I'd expect about the same this year - with Harper possibly taking on a bit more with Yeboah gone.

Other than last season (with Baker missing time due to injury), Pike's only had two other seasons in his 16-year career without at least one player at 30+ min (2011-12 where one player had 29.8, and his first year in 2005-06 with two players at 29.3/29.2).
Click to expand...

Pike also has played his 9th and 10th rotation players 10+ mpg every year here. And has only had only one 30+ Mpg player in any season. I think both trends end this season. Our top 8 is really good. They are all getting 25 per. Maybe Cliff gets a bit fewer. How Pike uses Mag and/ or Oskar Will be interesting.
 
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bowlgoal

Heisman
Jul 20, 2004
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Lobach hit some nice shots. The pace of practice is so fast. The biggest challenge is going to be finding the right minutes to keep everyone happy.
 
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RUtrumpet92_rivals498139

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The reports make it sound like Mag is the most ready of the four freshmen. If that is the case, I hope we find some minutes for him and Harper on the floor together. I dont think 30 minutes of Ron and 10 minutes of Mag at the 4 is enough time for the newcomer. That also ignores the limited minutes we may play with Cliff and Myles both on the floor.

Similarly, I don't know that Mulcahy, Young, Baker, and Mathis can be the only guys at the 1-3 slots. That is 30 min per game for the foursome and limited opportunities for them to rest (only out of them out at a time), or to deal with foul trouble. Someone else must get time at the 3 IMO.

I look forward to seeing how the coaches handle the roster.
 
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GoodOl'Rutgers

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Last year's minutes..... (have to say.. ESPN's stats for minutes looks low to me)
Geo Baker G 28.9
Ron Harper Jr. G 28.1
Akwasi Yeboah F 23.8
Myles Johnson C 23.6
Montez Mathis G 22.6
Caleb McConnell G 21.4
Jacob Young G 21.3
Paul Mulcahy G 18.2

45.2 minutes of Yeboah and McConnel are available,, the predicted starting 5 is Geo, Young, Mathis, Harper and Johnson. I assume that means Young is taking harper's G minutes and Harper is taking Yeboah's F minutes (and some guard minutes)

That leaves Young and McConnels 21.3 and 21.4 or 42.7 GUARD minutes available. Mulcahy can take 22.7 of that easily. That leaves another 20 minutes..

Baker 29
Young 28
Mathis 28
Harper 26
Johnson 24

Starters use 140 of 200 minutes.. Need 60 minutes from backups
Starter 3 Guards use 85 of 120 minutes.. Need 35 minutes of backups
Starter F uses 24 of 40,, need 16 from backup
Starter C uses 24 of 40.. need 16 from backup **Johnson might be able to go longer.. I dunno.. there was no reason for him NOT to go longer last year.. but didn't.. so its foul trouble or more rest.. somehting.

Mulcahy 25
Harper 5 (brings his total minutes to 29 like Geo)
Brooks 5 (or even more Harper should the frosh big men prove capable)
*** that's 35 from backup guards

Mag 12
Palmquist 4
*** that's 16 from backup forwards

Omoruyi 12
Doucore 4
*** that's 16 from backup centers

And then you have the possibility.. with it being a free year for eligibility.. that McConnel comes back at some point.

Bottom line.. I think we are in good shape to keep everyone under 30 min a game. Foward is going to be a tough spot against bigger teams.. don't want to see Harper getting into foul trouble vs a big PF. So I think that is the position where we might see some experimentation.
 
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P

Pils86

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Agree with the OP on Young. The few clips I have seen he seems to be blowing by people. If he is focused he will be a weapon.
 
R

RU MAN

Heisman
Oct 29, 2001
23,632
10,223
113
ouchmyknee said:
Was able to catch most of practice and figured I’d share my thoughts based on a very limited sample size.
  • Jacob Young looks like he progressed from when we last saw him, which is saying something. Improved passing and shooting and still lightning fast. He was automatic from 15 feet. Still looks pesky on defense. Bold statement: he could be our best player this year.
  • Geo is Geo. He can still hit from outside but didn’t look like his shot got better. Very poised though and breaks a calm to the floor
  • Mag: impressed the hell out of me. Sort of looked like a guy who’s been on the team for a few years. Very methodical. Can shoot and pass. Looks ready for minutes already. Dude just looks like a solid vet
  • Oscar: dude can flat out shoot. He was hitting at a high clip. In the limited defensive drills I saw he looks like he can be a good perimeter defender. Active hands and with that wingspan could do some damage. He didn’t get much run in free flowing 5-on-5 so didn’t really get to see in the flow
  • Mathis: looks like he improved. Still great defender (best on team IMO). Shot seems a little better. Seemed like he had a little more confidence which will be key. Dude is just so low key, but has those moments when he comes out of his shell and you’re like “wow”
  • Paul: bulked up a bit. Still same Paul, but much stronger and sure of himself. I can see him being a matchup problem for smaller PG if he establishes himself on the block
  • Cliff: crazy athletic. Anything that comes into him near the basket he’ll flush down. He’s still very raw. Myles easily handled him, but I have to imagine that a year of Cliff with Myles is going to do him wonders. Cliff will get some minutes, but I’d only expect about 4 points a game from him and a few crazy athletic plays each game. He’ll be a good one here
  • Ron: looked like Ron. Didn’t see anything that surprised me. He looks to have skimmed down a little and will have the ball in his hands a ton. Think he’ll facilitate more this year, which will make tough for whomever has to guard him
  • Other than that it was a typical Pike practice. Good energy. The guys are locked in.
Click to expand...
Excellent summary. Even more importantly, have the FREE THROWS improved?
 
R

RUChoppin

Heisman
Dec 1, 2006
19,270
13,695
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GoodOl'Rutgers said:
Last year's minutes..... (have to say.. ESPN's stats for minutes looks low to me
Click to expand...

Those are the minutes, but some are a bit wonky because of a couple of outliers due to Baker's injury.
- Baker played limited minutes (21.4 min/g) off the bench over his first 7 games back from injury.... but averaged 31.4 min/g in all other games.
- McConnell's minutes jumped up when Baker went out (to 29.7 min/g in the 11 games starting with Geo's first missed game)... then shifted dramatically down at the end of the season, playing only 11.4 min/g over the last 7 games.
 
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