Everyone's mind has been on Swanigan since his recent decision to open up recruitment. I'd love to see him as a Boilermaker just as much as anybody else here, but for a few reasons, it may not benefit us as much as people think. I believe our team is pretty loaded as is, and there is a such thing as having too many stars on one team. My worry is that landing Swanigan will take minutes away from a few players that are loaded with potential and need the experience. Guys like Taylor could get lost in the mix, and I have been really excited to see Taylor get minutes this upcoming season. Another concern is that some of our guards may see less minutes if we sign Swanigan. I say this because you can't justify keeping guys like Davis and Edwards on the bench for too long. That means Stephens, Mathias, and Cline will all fight for minutes at the shooting guard position. I'd like to see us be able to have two of those guys in at the same time as often as possible to open up the paint. It's simply hard to do that when you have to give so many minutes to Swanigan, Hammons, Edwards, and Davis. I guess what I'm really trying to point out here is that Purdue will have a great season regardless, and there are plenty of guys that will benefit from not getting Swanigan. Having said that, it would still be nice to get an All-American. As a Purdue fan we should just sit back and enjoy all of this because no matter how it plays out, we will be a very good team!
Swanigan thoughts
- Thread starter scottm.gjr
- Start date
Agree....if he comes to Purdue great...if he doesn't no worries.
Taylor will do well regardless...excited to see him play this year injury free.
If CS comes we add depth and perfect situation for next year with Hammons graduating and Taylor could slide to the 5 spot if needed to back up the 4 and 5 or start depending on certain match ups for Haas.
We are good either way...just my take on it.
Boiler Up!
Taylor will do well regardless...excited to see him play this year injury free.
If CS comes we add depth and perfect situation for next year with Hammons graduating and Taylor could slide to the 5 spot if needed to back up the 4 and 5 or start depending on certain match ups for Haas.
We are good either way...just my take on it.
Boiler Up!
I love the rationalization I guess, but there is no way to support the idea that Purdue is better without Swanigan than they are with him. Not only do I not get the lovefest for Taylor, but in Swanigan you are talking about a kid that is a HS All-American and one of the top 10 players in his graduating class...and much like I do not get the lovefest for Taylor, I am even more dumbfounded over the downplaying of that. Swanigan playing at Purdue has no impact on the fact that Stephens, Mathias and Cline will battle for playing time, and minimal impact on minutes for Edwards and Davis, never mind it gives Purdue one of the best frontlines in the country and in Swanigan, you have a player the likes of which Purdue has not seen in more than 20 years since Big Dog and Purdue was a game away from appearing in a Final Four.
Sorry but we all know Glenn Robinson and sir, CS is no Big Dog.
For some reason I do feel there will be an announcement before the weekend is over.
For some reason I do feel there will be an announcement before the weekend is over.
I like Taylor's potential, and in order for him to reach his potential he has to get minutes and experience. That won't happen with Swanigan here. Sure I'd still love to have Swanigan, but just trying to say it hurts Taylor's chances of developing into the player he is capable of being.
and everyone may not get my mention of Mathias, Cline, and Stephens fighting for minutes, but I stand by that comment. Swanigan's minutes would have to take away minutes from somebody else. It's not likely that we decrease many minutes from Hammons, Davis, or Edwards but it is likely that Stephens, Mathias, and Cline collectively get fewer.
Who really cares... As a Purdue fan, I want the 5 best players on the court. We need to win next year. I'm not worried about developing projects when we have a sure thing.
Taylor is unlikely to get much playing time this year regardless of CS decision. Smotherman will get all the backup minutes at 4.
I think Taylor will get decent backup minutes at the 4. It all depends on matchups. Basil is very undersized for a power forward so it will be nice to have Taylor's size as an option. From what I saw last year Taylor also has decent outside shooting potential. If his jump shot progresses he could be a very tough matchup with his length and athleticism.
Coach Painter always talks about playing the guys that give the best matchup against each opponent. If he gets Swanigan (and maybe even without), it will be a true test as to whether it is an executable strategy or BS. There will be 13 guys on this roster who all deserve playing time and guys that have a variety of size and skill sets. He can go way big and pound the paint (Haas, Caleb, Vince) or load up on guards to shoot 3's (Stephens, Cline, Mathias). Load up on defensive to slow down a game (Davis, Grant, Basil) or go fast (PJ, AJH who can run pretty well for a big guy at this point). Taylor and Hill are unknowns at this point but I can see all 12 (or 13) players getting minutes at the right time. That doesn't mean we would go "Platoon" style, but rather we would truly play to another team's weakness. Man...I am getting excited for this year. Maybe I should give up the football tickets and go lower arena on bball!!!
I like Taylor's athleticism, but the guy is every bit a project...and especially so at the level at which he is attempting to play. That said, coming off of a year of not playing and off of injuries in HS, not only is Swanigan a far superior player and talent, he will make an impact immediately and Taylor is very unlikely to do so.
I never said Caleb was Glenn Robinson, simply the most talented player to have gone to Purdue if he does since, and a guy that has the ability to genuinely be an All-American caliber player...and, this year in particular, with the size and post talent on the roster with him, he could indeed be a difference maker.
As for the guard trio, again, they are going to battle one another for minutes regardless of whether Swanigan is there or not...so I am not sure why that matters. It is unlikely to see two of them on the court together for extended minutes, unless Mathias is at the point or Purdue was playing a really small lineup, so I don't see Swanigan changing that...I don't anticipate Cline getting many minutes as it is, particularly if Stephens is healthy and plays as he is capable.
Bottom line, Swanigan makes Purdue better immediately...for the short-term...and in the long-term, and he would hopefully help Purdue with respect to recruiting short-term as well.
I never said Caleb was Glenn Robinson, simply the most talented player to have gone to Purdue if he does since, and a guy that has the ability to genuinely be an All-American caliber player...and, this year in particular, with the size and post talent on the roster with him, he could indeed be a difference maker.
As for the guard trio, again, they are going to battle one another for minutes regardless of whether Swanigan is there or not...so I am not sure why that matters. It is unlikely to see two of them on the court together for extended minutes, unless Mathias is at the point or Purdue was playing a really small lineup, so I don't see Swanigan changing that...I don't anticipate Cline getting many minutes as it is, particularly if Stephens is healthy and plays as he is capable.
Bottom line, Swanigan makes Purdue better immediately...for the short-term...and in the long-term, and he would hopefully help Purdue with respect to recruiting short-term as well.
Its really quite simple. If Swanigan comes that moves Edwards to the 3. That leaves a lot of guards competing for 2 spots. If Swanigan doesn't come then Edwards stays at the 4 with Taylor backing him up and leaving 3 spots for our guards. I don't think Swanigan is going to be NEARLY the impact player you think he's going to be.
Edwards is already at the 3...Davis is the 4...and, in Purdue's offense, the number next to a guy's name is prett irrelevant. Davis and Edwards are both going to play a lot...with our without Swanigan, so that is not an issue...the only way it impacts the guys at the 2 is if one of those guys got bumped to the point (Mathias) or the 3 (Stephens in a small lineup)...that could still
I guess I don't understand the thought that this guy...an All-American, Mr. Basketball winner and one of the top 10 players in the country in his graduating class is not going to make an impact...the guy is an exceptionally talented and extremely good player...precisely why he was a target of the literally the top programs in the country.
I guess I don't understand the thought that this guy...an All-American, Mr. Basketball winner and one of the top 10 players in the country in his graduating class is not going to make an impact...the guy is an exceptionally talented and extremely good player...precisely why he was a target of the literally the top programs in the country.
Have you watched this guy play? From what I have seen looks to be over rated. If you have watched him play and you are still impressed then I will go with it.
yeah, puzzled me as well. Ray may have slid into the 4 a few times fr / so years but i don't recall it much last year -- almost always on opposition's best wing / sg.
agree w/ him to an extent - as we've seen w/ CMP over the years the 2,3,4,5 have been fluid.
If he is overrated, hard to figure out how he won Mr. Basketball (in a year in which the race for it was wide open), as well as why he is the hot commodity that he is (and was)...I am guessing Sean Miller, John Calipari, 'Zo, Tom Izzo and the like don't feel that he is overrated...he more than held his own on the AAU circuit and in the HS All-American games, and there is a reason that he is rated in the top-10 of his graduating class...I am stunned by the number of people on here that are down on this kid or feel that he is overrated.
.I am stunned by the number of people on here that are down on this kid or feel that he is overrated--
Perhaps it stems in part from him being mentioned in the same breath as Big Dog. Not overated IMO, one can see the talent & potential.. but coming out of HS.. Glen seemed to have almost a Lebron-esque "no doubter" about his ability to be an impact player / AA.
Perhaps it stems in part from him being mentioned in the same breath as Big Dog. Not overated IMO, one can see the talent & potential.. but coming out of HS.. Glen seemed to have almost a Lebron-esque "no doubter" about his ability to be an impact player / AA.
He was absolutely the 4 the year prior to last...and it is as easy to argue that he was a/the 4 last year as he was a/the 3. Again, in Purdue's offense, it is virtually irrelevant...call him a 3, call him a 4, it does not change a single thing that he does at either end of the floor...heck, he was a 2 coming into Purdue. He is going to generally guard the opposing team's best player other than a center or PG, and on ocassion, he will guard the PG even. Bottom line, Swanigan coming to Purdue is not changing Ray's minutes, and I don't see him impacting Vince's a great deal either...while I did not feel like it would impact those of Stephens or Mathias, I guess if anyone would get less minutes it could/would be the collective minutes of those two at the pure 2, as I could see a lineup of Hammons, Swanigan, Edwards, Davis and Hill, but there are multiple combinations of lineups that will include Mathias (or Stephens), and even some that would likely include Mathias and Stephens. Ultimately, I just think it is crazy to discount not only the ability and talent of Swanigan, but to suggest that Purdue might be better off in some regard without him opposed to with him.
If you're worried about Taylor's development, and if Biggie is as good as some say, then Taylor will get plenty of opportunity to develop during practice defending and trying to score on one of the best 4's in the country next season, even if he doesn't get off the bench much in real games. Daniel Orton was a reserve on the 2009–10 Kentucky Elite Eight team, playing behind DeMarcus Cousins, where he averaged only 3.4 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13 minutes per game (and he wouldn't have gotten that many minutes if Cousins could have held his temper and stayed out of foul trouble). And Orton still got drafted in the first round.
Not saying Taylor is NBA-caliber...just that having a deep and talented team can make for very competitive practices where dedicated players can grow as much or more than during a few scattershot game minutes as a backup and in mop-up duty during blowouts. Same for the guards. I can envision some spirited competition as Weatherford, Hill and Davis try to shut down shooters like Mathias, Cline and Stephens while the shooters work on their skills to beat such top-flight defenders.
Boiler up! It's gonna be fun...with or without Biggie.
Not saying Taylor is NBA-caliber...just that having a deep and talented team can make for very competitive practices where dedicated players can grow as much or more than during a few scattershot game minutes as a backup and in mop-up duty during blowouts. Same for the guards. I can envision some spirited competition as Weatherford, Hill and Davis try to shut down shooters like Mathias, Cline and Stephens while the shooters work on their skills to beat such top-flight defenders.
Boiler up! It's gonna be fun...with or without Biggie.
While admittedly one of Glenn's biggest fans both in HS and coming out and at Purdue, he was hardly Lebron-esque...or thought of...he was extremely talented, but ranked lower than more than a handful of guys in that class...Swanigan's game is entirely different than Robinson's, but Swanigan absolutely is a guy that is going to be a very good, if not great, college basketball player.
Seriously, man, just stop. Glenn was ranked either 1 or 2 out of high school by almost every expert. He shared the top spot light with Webber that year. You know nothing about the make up of our team or about Robinson. You don't understand how adding Swanigan would cut into Stephens', Mathias', or Cline's minutes? Its really time for you to slither back over to peeps or whatever msu site you're from.
What?! Depending on the rating service, GRob was rated the nations #1 prep player, along with Chris Webber. Everyone else was fighting for #3.
And no, Davis does not play the 4 and Edwards does not play the 3.
First, if Swanigan somehow takes minutes from any of those guys, consider me fine with that...the mere fact that you are concerned about the potential minutes of THE guy that is tremendously overrated in Cline at the expense of a guy genuinely considered one of the top 10 players in the country says everything.
Mathias and Stephens are the same player...same role...although Stephens has not even come close to delivering (which is precisely why his minutes went down last year at the expense of more minutes for Mathias).
What I recall about Robinson coming out of HS was that he wanted to go to Michigan, but that Michigan felt that Webber and Howard were better...he was a stud, no doubt about it...but there were many in Indiana even that wanted to argue that Henderson was better (which was not only not the case, but shown to not be the case when Robinson dominated him in the State Finals). I don't know what his ranking was...I know Webber was deemed to be the best player in that class...I know that class was a pretty loaded class as well...Swanigan is not Robinson, and not even close, but he is the highest rated player since Robinson.
Mathias and Stephens are the same player...same role...although Stephens has not even come close to delivering (which is precisely why his minutes went down last year at the expense of more minutes for Mathias).
What I recall about Robinson coming out of HS was that he wanted to go to Michigan, but that Michigan felt that Webber and Howard were better...he was a stud, no doubt about it...but there were many in Indiana even that wanted to argue that Henderson was better (which was not only not the case, but shown to not be the case when Robinson dominated him in the State Finals). I don't know what his ranking was...I know Webber was deemed to be the best player in that class...I know that class was a pretty loaded class as well...Swanigan is not Robinson, and not even close, but he is the highest rated player since Robinson.
First, ESPN considers him a top 10 player. I think Rivals is much closer with their ranking, yet I think they're still a little high on him. Second, the only reason people know Swanigan would take minutes is because he is such a highly rated player and Painter will definitely play him. Robinson did not want to go to Michigan. I'm pretty sure they weren't even in his final 5. He chose Purdue soon after his visit. He was high on Purdue from day 1.
I don't know that you've said one accurate thing in this entire thread. That's hard to do.
Sorry, but your recollection is just way off. Robinson was universally considered 1 or 2 in that class, along with Webber, and michigan did want him. In fact rose and webber both tried to talk Glenn into coming to Ann Arbor.
Sorry to pile on but...Webber and Howard and Rose all wanted Glenn to join them at UM. They told him Purdue would make him play the post. And the way I remember it, Glenn was Purdue's to lose ever since he went to camp there as a grade schooler.
If CS.....A lot of guards/2spots....increases probability one of the guards RS.
I agree on your sentiment that Purdue will have a great season regardless but the part about not wanting Swanigan because it'll cut into Taylor's minutes is...not right. First off they don't even play the same position, second off Swanigan is more talented. Regardless, as Steve O said, you can't have too much talent.
Please show me the ranking where Caleb is top 10? He's highly ranked but not generally top ten. Glenn was generally #1.
They do both play the same position. They are both 4s who might have to play the 5 at times.
I stopped reading after you said you were worried Swanigan may take minutes away from Taylor..... Seriously? You're worried an elite recruit will come in and actually play?
No. Taylor is a center, should swanigan come here I would put money down that Taylor doesnt play any as a PF outside of maybe an exhibition or early non conference game.
Similar threads
