THANK YOU!!!! THAT WAS MY POINT ON THIS POST
Sleeping on Reiber?
- Thread starter SBP
- Start date
Did you suggest he should be the starter? Because some minutes at the 4 is different than those who claimed he should start when his primary role is Cliff’s backup.
Unless Dean improves a lot I see him playing a valuable role of giving us depth at the 5. If Dean doesn’t improve a lot and he is playing minutes at the 4 we are in trouble.
7-12 is a remarkable small sample size and some people are going overboard
7-12 is a remarkable small sample size and some people are going overboard
I didn't opine on that issue.
Merely that folks all had him slotted as a backup 5 only and that I saw he could help to create some interesting lines ups by playing 4 for us. I was told I must not understand basketball.
The presser commentary on Dean has more meaning to me that the other comments about development. I don’t think Pike would outwardly talk about planning to use Dean at the 4 if that wasn’t in the cards. It’s too specific and factual - he would not say that if he expected Dean to only back Cliff up. Quite different from broad talk of individual player development of guys who didn’t see that much time.
It’s not only Cliff, but Dean—who slips screens and moves without the ball very well—who plays well with Paul. Guys hit their outside shots and Paul should have a ton of assists this season.
Other than Dean……our options at 4 are
Mag
Hyatt
Oskar (not really sure)
No 4 (Caleb)
If Dean has (through good play) to be on the floor more than 12 minutes (and Cliff is healthy and not in foul trouble) it obviously has to be at the 4.
An alternative question…..on defense who is better equipped to guard a B1G forward? Cliff or Dean. I’d think Cliff, but that would keep him more on the perimeter which would partially negate his shot blocking asset.
I still don't think Dean starts at the 4. I still think his primary role will be to backup Cliff at the 5.
I said before if we added another big then it would be more possible Dean could play more at the 4. If Chol can play the 5 effectively and/or Woolfolk is more game ready than initial reports, more Dean at the 4 is possible... but it's a crowded spot. Chol can play the 4 too. He shoots the 3 and is long and athletic. Dribbles fairly well and has the perimeter skills.
The 4 minutes breakdown is probably the most interesting and hotly contested positional battle this season
Oh - I agree. I don’t think he’ll start there and the comments relayed don’t portray that Pike even hinted at that. But he could’ve easily offered his consistent glowing commentary on Dean without addressing his position. When prompted about the 4 - “it’s definitely a possibility - we never rule anything out to give us the best chance to win games”. That’s non committal and vague. It sounds like he went out of his way to explain why Dean didn’t play there last season (RHJ) and would see more time there this season). That’s very different.
It’s almost refreshing to be at a point where this is the most concerning thing to worry about…..
I'm not really worried honestly.... Hyatt Mag Oskar Chol and Dean can all play some minutes at the 4. There are a lot of options with different body types and skill sets. The cream will rise to the top
It is still September.
if we are to see real minutes of Reiber at the 4 it is more likely to come against power conference teams.
Against bad OOC teams you do not want Dean guarding a 6’4’’ player
if we are to see real minutes of Reiber at the 4 it is more likely to come against power conference teams.
Against bad OOC teams you do not want Dean guarding a 6’4’’ player
I’m still not convinced
i think a lot depends on how Antwon performs come game time too. I have no inside info on this though. Just my feelings from previous years. Dean played the 4 a lot for us in practice last year too but it never happened in the game lol. It does seem more likely this year though depending on what Antwon can do from day 1I’m still not convinced
I agree.
Also, do you think Hyatt has more than what he’s shown us this far?
Thanks for your input Geo! He’s pretty versatile so he for sure will spell Cliff… against bigger line ups perhaps he will get the bulk of time at 4. But yes, he’s gotta do it for real now. Hope you’re well and thanks for all you have done and continue to do for the program.I’m still not convinced
Thank you for that insight, Geo.I’m still not convinced
I think I was the first on the Board to suggest he might have a role at the 4 and I got laughed off the Board. Had no idea he was actually practicing there. Just seemed to play to some of his attributes. And, of course, as you highlight there are many other factors regarding team capabilities, capacities, and contingencies that influence who plays where and when.
Great to have you on these Boards.
Loyal
Everyone always has more. Basketball is just so mental. Dre was one of the best shooters coming out of high school. Sometimes you just need that confidence and being put in the right position. I think it was really hard last year for him, mawot, and oskar because obviously they’re in the gym but nobody was going to play over ron
that can affect the mental. Not that they were mad at ron or pike but it’s just a weird spot to be in.Reiber played the entire year out of position, out of necessity because Ralph didn't pan out well as a backup 5 before the B1G conference schedule but was an outstanding teammate/locker room guy. You will see a different Dean Reiber as a Stretch 4 than a backup 5, instead of him being mismatched, he will BE the mismatch to other 4s if Woolfork can be the 5-15 minute backup 5 we need. It is all about finding the right combination of players who understand and complement each other at a position for 40 minutes.
I like the 12, 8 upperclassmen, 1 sophomore, 3 freshmen, we have this year and the pieces to the 200 minute puzzle seem to be closer to match the chemistry of the 20-11 in 2019-20 when we had a strong 9 man rotation, 1 freshmen Paul. We had that slow start that year at 6-3, 0-1 but the 3 sophomores, Caleb, RHJ and Mathis grew up quickly before the bulk of the B1G conference season started, didn't lose a game by more than 8 or 9 the whole season home or road. This team gives me those vibes. Our best conference mark was 7-13 in 2018-19 going into 2019-20 and now we have 3 years of winning B1G records as a reference point, 11-9, 10-10, 12-8. Huge difference on the teams mindset of been there, done that going into 2022-23 with the leadership of Caleb, Paul and Cliff where we only had Geo as leadership going into 2019-20.
I like the 12, 8 upperclassmen, 1 sophomore, 3 freshmen, we have this year and the pieces to the 200 minute puzzle seem to be closer to match the chemistry of the 20-11 in 2019-20 when we had a strong 9 man rotation, 1 freshmen Paul. We had that slow start that year at 6-3, 0-1 but the 3 sophomores, Caleb, RHJ and Mathis grew up quickly before the bulk of the B1G conference season started, didn't lose a game by more than 8 or 9 the whole season home or road. This team gives me those vibes. Our best conference mark was 7-13 in 2018-19 going into 2019-20 and now we have 3 years of winning B1G records as a reference point, 11-9, 10-10, 12-8. Huge difference on the teams mindset of been there, done that going into 2022-23 with the leadership of Caleb, Paul and Cliff where we only had Geo as leadership going into 2019-20.
Last edited:
So he was out of position when he was the 3rd center behind Myles & Cliff the year before?
Or things changed since he was recruited as a forward and is best at the 5? This is the most likely answer.
And this is all about a guy that two years ago many were crucifying and saying he didn't deserve to be on a P5 team or a scholarship...lol.
When I watched Reiber's film from HS, he was recruiting to be a stretch 4, never a 5, back up 5 or play the 5. He took a lot of shots from the outside and could beat his man off the dribble, not a strong post up game but has one. He was playing the 5 because of the way the roster was structured in 20-21 and 21-22 very guard/wing heavy. If Woolfork can handle the 5 with his size and strength, Reiber will see most of his time at the 4 alongside Cliff or Woolfork and become a more effective offensive and defensive player. It's just the way I see it, if Woolfork can't handle it yet, obviously Reiber will see most of the backup 5 minutes and rotation adjustments will be made. We need Woolfork to develop as much as possible in 2022-23 in case Cliff does declare for the NBA Draft after the season no matter who we bring in for the class of 2023.
Last edited:
If Dean plays the majority of his minutes at the 4, then someone is going to be a big loser in terms of playing time
Mag I think can see Caleb's backup 3 minutes for maybe 8 min or so then the rest of his at the 4
That scenario likely leaves Hyatt's minutes cut and Oskar looking for scraps
I also wonder if we see some zone if Dean is at the 4
Paul Cam Caleb Dean Cliff is a really really big lineup. One guy under 6'7
Mag I think can see Caleb's backup 3 minutes for maybe 8 min or so then the rest of his at the 4
That scenario likely leaves Hyatt's minutes cut and Oskar looking for scraps
I also wonder if we see some zone if Dean is at the 4
Paul Cam Caleb Dean Cliff is a really really big lineup. One guy under 6'7
So how many minutes are available for Dean at the 4 when you already have Hyatt, Mag & Chol there?
I see Reiber's potential minutes taking a hit with the way Mag is coming on and Chol's quick assimilation to the college game.
Additionally, I don't believe Woolfork is going to play much this year especially once they get into the B1G part of the schedule. Like Dean was, he's raw as a freshman and needs some time. So by default Dean's the guy behind Cliff.
It's fine we don't agree though.
Since April this thread has been 50/50 or so on Dean playing the 4. As of this morning and because of his conditioning and development, Pike has him penciled in as starting 4 with Mag as the first off the bench as a 3/4. The depth on our team is the best it’s been in 30 years. One comment was the shooting ability of Cam and Dean will help spread the floor. And Cliff was very complimentary of Dean’s ability to attack the basket. This is a tournament team with a pretty good seed.
Cam and Dean spacing the floor is huge if the offense is going to run through Cliff
If Dean can attack the basket and add that to his game, he becomes a real weapon on offense
I think the 40 minutes at 4 will be based on matchup of the opponent's 4. It might change all throughout the season, because the other 4 starting spots are pretty solidly determined with Paul, Cam, Caleb and Cliff.
It also might hard for either Mag or Hyatt to plug sub in for Caleb if Dean is at the 4. Maybe if Cam is out and Miller or Simpson is playing (Not sure what Simpson’s handle looks like). Paul is going to need Caleb, Miller or Simpson’s help with the ball handling against most BIG teams at all times. Dean being at the 4 limits rotation options that work well for ball handling.
The other thing to think about is what does it do to overall defense if Dean, Spencer and Paul are on at the same time. Dean's not fast enough to guard athletic 4s which is most of the league, Spencer will be a liability on D and Paul has to guard 3s normally even though he's the PG.
This is a bit concerning to me as well. With this lineup I wouldn't mind seeing some zone
Yeah. I definitely hope they’re gonna mix in some packline D. With long perimeter defenders, it could really work well I think.
I never heard pike say that. That’s great then. He didn’t seem like a ball handler from the limited film of him that I’ve seen. No other reason.