Are either one of those 2 guys really ready for the NBA? Not sure on that. So, if they both stay and Rutgers can add some pieces they can be much better next season.
Rutgers could be first team to miss NCAA Tournament despite having two top-five NBA Draft picks
- Thread starter Halldan1
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They most certainly are. Harper especially. But size and need often rules so well see who goes first.
Players at this level want to get to the NBA asap. Start your rookie contract quickly and then when eligible you cash in.
You cannot take a chance on an injury.
I agree on the injury point. It could take both of them time to flourish in the NBA.
Indeed ap #7 in the week of 12/4 release...AP had them ranked straight through end of Jan wow
I got to feel for Pike. Yes, he was gifted two NBA first round lottery picks. However, they are only freshman so there's a learning curve despite their immense talent. However, I have to think that his NIL budget was even smaller than ours since Ace and Dylan's NIL was paid by a corporate sponsor, while the rest of the team looks like a bunch of mid-majors at best. It appears that most of RU's NIL reserves were gobbled up by Schiano and his football Team.
Why would they stay!? They’ve already wasted one year, why would the want to waste another year!?
I dont agree with the idea that a presumed heralded and hyped talent can just bypass college or prep and not only be league ready but be a major contributor on a rising team from day 1 because unless of some crazy past trade the already competitive to elite nba team is not seeking a top 5 to 10 pick.
Quick story...Beasley I saw live and in person at Trenton his prep senior year at notre dame prep. He crushed the competition. Statistically he had an incredible achieving freshman season at Kansas State. Did I think he would get to nba and have all star all nba team award type consecutive seasons ever? No and that is how it played out.
If they want to stay in college they need to transfer to a real program. They’ve wasted a year at DIII, they can’t do that again.
The league is as interested in potential as they are in readiness.
Obviously any team would want an NBA-ready prospect but the teams that are going to end up with Harper and Bailey are likely just beginning their rebuild and can let them take their lumps as they fill in the team around them.
I agree with Dan, Harper is a legit rotation player today. So is Bailey but he still has a lot to flesh out in his game.
Then of course the other question is if they're both Lottery picks, how can they not carry Rutgers to more wins?
rutgers lost to penn state, now 3-5 with michigan state on horizon on national tv this weekend at msg. I really think based on the 12 league games remaining it will be hard for them to make the cut for the big ten tournament. Upside is they have 4-6 league wins left in them. Make Big Ten and then go on a miracle run to get into NCAAs
Last time I looked, you needed at least 5 good players to field a winning team. RU has 2 and the rest are SH (excluding Coleman & Felton) quality. That’s why the SH/RU game went down to the buzzer.
Myriad of factors. Tough league. Teenagers competing against grown men, many of whom now stay in school longer because of NIL. A supporting case that has been a disappointment or is young in and of itself (like the big kid/C). Perhaps Pike hasn’t done a good job of changing how he normally plays to fit those two talents and what’s around them (don’t watch RU enough to have a view in this). The best coaches adjust to their rosters even if they have a core system. Hurley’s done that at UConn. McDermott’s done that at Creighton, it seems, after losing Isaacs. Look at how SJU plays this year with its roster compared to how Pitino played last year with that roster.
Plus you know as well as I do that the NBa drafts in part on potential. With those two it’s easy to see how their game potentially translates in a big way at the NBA level. Getting them to play in a college scheme with other less talented kids in a few months can be a challenge. It’s not even a fault of the kids per se. It’s trying to meld two talented ball dominant kids around kids much less talented who may not compliment them well.
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