Weakling Wednesday Dropouts Updates

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Holy Man said:
I can’t remember but didn’t Rutgers have some decent players with eligibility left portal after last season?
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Yes, they lost a lot from last year's team (either out of eligibility or through the portal). What they got from the portal in return wasn't so great although Derkack has had some good games.
 

TwistingMyMelon said:
Yes, they lost a lot from last year's team (either out of eligibility or through the portal). What they got from the portal in return wasn't so great although Derkack has had some good games.
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Ergo, he’s trying to build a winning program with really good freshmen. Hard to conceive any scenario that works in pay for play portal era.
 

Holy Man said:
True but it also begs the question whether that is worthy of continuing if that is peak or near peak performance of the current leadership. I think most of us say no. Neither of which downplays the recent streak and good feelings it elicits. My struggle is that it would be much easier to be on a high with it if I could project it continuing at least into the short term future. I can’t with only one contributor having a chance to be back next season.
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This is where I'm at also. My interest level in college basketball in general and Gophers basketball in particular is to a large degree centered around the tournament. Making the tournament. Following the projections. Watching the seeding. Seeing the bracket. Dreaming of a run to the Sweet Sixteen or beyond. The problem with basketball now is it's a one year deal with all the turnover, NIL, free agency, etc. (not Ben's fault). But by knee-capping your own team with a lousy non-conference schedule the last two years (that is Ben's fault), it has made the hill so hard to climb even with a 0.500 finish in conference. You just don't have the ability to "wait for a team to gel" until January as some have suggested when every other team is largely in the same boat. It's fair to ask with another complete reset next year, have we seen the peak last year and during this mini run this year? I think it's a fair question to ask but better done after this season is nearing its completion.
 

Holy Man said:
Ergo, he’s trying to build a winning program with really good freshmen. Hard to conceive any scenario that works in pay for play portal era.
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Bailey and Harper are not typical freshman. With talents like theirs you are playing for the present not the future because they are going to be gone next year. Those two are averaging around 20 a game, so it would seem like they probably are not getting enough from the supporting cast.

But I agree that in general the days of building a roster around developing freshman is a thing of the past at least as far as the major schools are concerned.
 

Holy Man said:
Having your best players as freshmen is no longer a formula that will work for big winning. Rutgers best players are freshmen but they are in a Catch 22 because if you can get them at a mid level Power 5 you take them. But without enough experienced talent it won’t work. I can’t remember but didn’t Rutgers have some decent players with eligibility left portal after last season?

Pikell isn’t second coming but he at least has a clear identity.
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Rutgers lost that fantastic Center from last season. ClIff O…. He was one of my favs on other teams. He was such a Def anchor.

On another note, just curious, on or about Jan 16th did you perhaps perhaps return to a daily rosary or something similar? Or perhaps whisper to a certain coach to remember to take time for prayer.

Seems like those mysterious ways have been working around here since.
 


MNVCGUY said:
But I agree that in general the days of building a roster around developing freshman is a thing of the past at least as far as the major schools are concerned.
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I still think you can, to an extent.

For example, there is no fear of Ike Asuma leaving for the NBA after this year, and I think he’s a great piece to build around.

wisconsin and iowa seem to bring in pieces that do hang around for multiple seasons.

But rosters are so fluid now, I don’t don’t believe it’s something you can count on every year.
 

atsgopher said:
Rutgers lost that fantastic Center from last season. ClIff O…. He was one of my favs on other teams. He was such a Def anchor.

On another note, just curious, on or about Jan 16th did you perhaps perhaps return to a daily rosary or something similar? Or perhaps whisper to a certain coach to remember to take time for prayer.

Seems like those mysterious ways have been working around here since.
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Recent success is correlated directly with my declining attention. Of course, correlation does not imply causation.
 

USAF said:
9-11 is "very good?" Gagging the B1G tournament is "very good?" Not even sneaking into the tournament is "very good?"

This, right here, is one of the problems with this program.
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You must have missed the "for Minnesota basketball" part. Gophs have won more than nine conference games twice in the last 27 seasons.
 

PMWinSTP said:
You must have missed the "for Minnesota basketball" part. Gophs have won more than nine conference games twice in the last 27 seasons.
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To repeat ... thinking 9-11 with a trip to the Nobodywantsan Invite Tournament is "very good" is a big part of the problem. You are a big part of the problem.


Some of us want more and aren't going to pretend this is OK, or somehow we can't ever BE better.
 




USAF said:
To repeat ... thinking 9-11 with a trip to the Nobodywantsan Invite Tournament is "very good" is a big part of the problem. You are a big part of the problem.


Some of us want more and aren't going to pretend this is OK, or somehow we can't ever BE better.
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Again, it came with a huge qualifier.
 

Holy Man said:
Having your best players as freshmen is no longer a formula that will work for big winning. Rutgers best players are freshmen but they are in a Catch 22 because if you can get them at a mid level Power 5 you take them. But without enough experienced talent it won’t work. I can’t remember but didn’t Rutgers have some decent players with eligibility left portal after last season?

Pikell isn’t second coming but he at least has a clear identity.
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I mostly agree but Duke is rolling with mostly freshman and not having too much trouble. Bailey and Harper are two of the best freshman and will be taken at the top of the NBA draft with Flagg.

Rutgers should be better than what they are this season. Maybe they'll improve down the stretch but they are running out of time.
 

Through Jan. 26
15. Rutgers (3-6)
———————-
Weakling Wednesday Dropouts
16. Northwestern (3-6)
17. Nebraska (2-7)
18. Washington (1-8)

Monday Slate
Penn State (3-6) @ Michigan (6-2), 5:30 (BTN)
Iowa (4-5) @ Ohio State (3-5), 7 (FS1)
UCLA (5-4) @ USC (4-4), 9 (FS1)

Monday's Gopher Rooting Interests
Michigan over Penn State
Ohio State over Iowa
UCLA over USC
 





Holy Man said:
Ergo, he’s trying to build a winning program with really good freshmen. Hard to conceive any scenario that works in pay for play portal era.
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The two best of those 4 freshmen have a strong likelihood of being gone next year. The two of them were ranked RSCI #2 and #3 prior to entering college. Those kinds of players rarely stay more than a year.
 


USAF said:
To repeat ... thinking 9-11 with a trip to the Nobodywantsan Invite Tournament is "very good" is a big part of the problem. You are a big part of the problem.


Some of us want more and aren't going to pretend this is OK, or somehow we can't ever BE better.
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The "he had a spectacular team returning if only he had nIL" part off of that is more irritating. Because it's not true. It would be marginally better than it is right now. It would not be some NCAA shoe-in.
 

USAF said:
9-11 is "very good?" Gagging the B1G tournament is "very good?" Not even sneaking into the tournament is "very good?"

This, right here, is one of the problems with this program.
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based on the last 5 years its very good for the program
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
It wasn't historically bad, but it also wasn't 'very good'. It was a NIT team that was never close to being on the NCAA tournament bubble.
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thats the weak non conf scheduling part. notice how every other big ten team that goes 9-11 or 10-10 each year will be on the bubble come march. minnesota last year wasn't. 11-9 and a big ten tournament win was at least needed
 

Holy Man said:
Having your best players as freshmen is no longer a formula that will work for big winning. Rutgers best players are freshmen but they are in a Catch 22 because if you can get them at a mid level Power 5 you take them. But without enough experienced talent it won’t work. I can’t remember but didn’t Rutgers have some decent players with eligibility left portal after last season?

Pikell isn’t second coming but he at least has a clear identity.
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Pikell is ironically in a 🥒 - as I’m guessing 1 or 2 are NBA bound after this season.
 

atsgopher said:
Rutgers lost that fantastic Center from last season. ClIff O…. He was one of my favs on other teams. He was such a Def anchor.
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He was fun to watch battle Payne last year
atsgopher said:
On another note, just curious, on or about Jan 16th did you perhaps perhaps return to a daily rosary or something similar? Or perhaps whisper to a certain coach to remember to take time for prayer.

Seems like those mysterious ways have been working around here since.
Click to expand...
 

Gopher_In_NYC said:
Pikell is ironically in a 🥒 - as I’m guessing 1 or 2 are NBA bound after this season.
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I would say both of the top two. They were ranked #2 and #3 nationally by RSCI as entering freshmen. Players like that rarely play more than one year. Coincidentally, NBADRAFT.NET has them ranked #2 and #3 in their current 2025 mock draft as well. Hoops Hype has them ranked the same in theirs.
 
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HitMeAgainIAmStillMoving said:
Twisting (good name BTW) I thought NYC was thinking that too, thats why I gave him a like. Now I am not sure if NYC is messing with me or messing with you.
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Thanks! My sources for the name were Steve McQueen, Sydney Pollack, and the Happy Mondays. In a documentary about the actor, director Sydney Pollack said that when he was directing McQueen, McQueen would say "you're twisting my melon, man." Pollack said McQueen talked so hip that he didn't understand what he was saying half of the time. The Happy Mondays later immortalized the words in their song Step On:

You're twisting my melon, man
You talk so hip, man
You're twisting my melon, man
 


TwistingMyMelon said:
Thanks! My sources for the name were Steve McQueen, Sydney Pollack, and the Happy Mondays. In a documentary about the actor, director Sydney Pollack said that when he was directing McQueen, McQueen would say "you're twisting my melon, man." Pollack said McQueen talked so hip that he didn't understand what he was saying half of the time. The Happy Mondays later immortalized the words in their song Step On:

You're twisting my melon, man
You talk so hip, man
You're twisting my melon, man
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I always knew He ⬇️was a Gopher fan🤠
IMG_5427.jpeg

Never thought I’d get to meet him😃 @TwistingMyMelon
 


TwistingMyMelon said:
I would say both of the top two. They were ranked #2 and #3 nationally by RSCI as entering freshmen. Players like that rarely play more than one year. Coincidentally, NBADRAFT.NET has them ranked #2 and #3 in their current 2025 mock draft as well. Hoops Hype has them ranked the same in theirs.
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For Rutgers its never good when your two best defensive rated players are freshmen, and having to adjust to Big Ten defenders against them--problematic. In my pre-season notes, I have "No center (Omoruyi gone), 2 freshmen Bailey and Harper starting, then what?" :eek: They were high on my "overrated" team list. It is funny looking back at the list of comments and seeing how things shaped up.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
I mostly agree but Duke is rolling with mostly freshman and not having too much trouble. Bailey and Harper are two of the best freshman and will be taken at the top of the NBA draft with Flagg.

Rutgers should be better than what they are this season. Maybe they'll improve down the stretch but they are running out of time.
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It will be very interesting to see how the Puke frosh adapt to the post season pressure cooker. Lots of data suggesting the uber-talented youth need some maturity around them to get the most out of their talent. I'm pretty sure Puke has lost early a couple of times to solid mature teams when they fielded mostly young teams. Mercer is the one I recall most clearly.

I think you're right that Rutgers should be better and probably will be better at the end of the season. Just our luck that we get them on the last day of the season. If they have a chance, it will be amped up. If the season is a loss, maybe they mail it in.
 

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