Transfer F Rafael Maia (Brown) -> Pitt

[AuroranHusker]

[Silverbacked1]

Well they must have a Rodezio Grill closer than we do! Bummer.

[hhcmatt]

If you read through this thread it's funny how Maia went from meh to must have.

He would have been a good get but we're talking about a guy we were looking to play part time for a year.

Let us hope plan B, C, or etc is going to pan out.

[Huskerpapa]

NM

[AuroranHusker]

If you read through this thread it's funny how Maia went from meh to must have.

He would have been a good get but we're talking about a guy we were looking to play part time for a year.

Let us hope plan B, C, or etc is going to pan out.

 

There was likely a similar reaction at nearly a half dozen other places for this guy, it would seem. Kind of interesting that a one-year 'big' is that coveted at so many programs on a bigger stage than where he came from in the Ivy's...

[Silverbacked1]

Well we are a country of what is next and how do I get it.

[Red Don]

Well they must have a Rodezio Grill closer than we do! Bummer.

 

But We can still go, Silver.         YUM!

(as Will Rogers might have said:  Never met a buffet I didn't like!)

 

 

Oh, and as far as recruiting:  'NEXT' 

[Norm Peterson]

Let's say you're a recent college grad looking for somewhere to play your senior year of college basketball.  Let's say you're 6'9" and about 250 pounds.  And let's say you've been averaging about 28 minutes, 10 points and about 8 rebounds over the course of your college career at an Ivy League school. 

 

Do you want to upgrade to a better conference?  See a bit stiffer competition?  Test yourself against the best players in the college game?  Maybe prepare yourself for a pro career overseas? 

 

You'd want playing time, right?  A chance to maybe step into a starting role, perhaps.

 

If so, why on EARTH would you choose Pittsburgh?

 

Steve Pederson jokes aside, Pitt is not exactly an ideal place for a big man looking for playing time. 

 

1.  So, you averaged 10 and 8 for an Ivy League also-ran, huh?  Nice.  Impressive.  But, did you know Pitt returns a guy who'll be a junior who's just as tall as you, not quite as heavy, but who put up 13.5 and 7.3 in his sophomore season at Pitt, a reasonably decent ACC hoops program?  Yeah, Michael Young.  Look it up.

 

2.  And, while you're looking, you'll notice Pitt carries some depth down low already. 

 

There's Jamel Artis at 6'7" and 220# who's putting up 14 and 6.  You also have a couple of other underclassmen in the 6'8" to 6'9" range.  And that's not counting the two bigs who decided to transfer because they weren't seeing the floor.

 

3.  And then you have Pitt's recruiting class.  The guys who signed in November.  Your claim to fame, Rafael, is that you're big and stout and can throw Ivy Leagers around in the paint and steal their lunch money.  Allow me to introduce you to Rozelle Nix.  That would be MISTER Rozelle Nix to you.  You're tall?  He's taller.  You're big?  He's bigger.  Try 6'11" and 345# tall and big. 

 

He was the leading scorer and rebounder for a pretty decent Pensacola (Florida) junior college team.  Granted it was just junior college (in Florida) but he scored more points than you and pulled down more rebounds than you.  How do you suppose your Brown team (2nd to last in the Ivy League) would have fared against Florida junior college competition?  Yeah, probably not great.

 

Soooooooo ...

 

Why Pitt?

[kldm64]

Probably liked the coaching staff better and just felt more at home there. 

[AuroranHusker]

Probably liked the coaching staff better and just felt more at home there. 

 

And  since it's still in the east, Rafael might have more contacts & friends in the region. Perhaps Pitt has the grad program Maia's most interested in, as well. Who knows what RM sees that we don't. What we know is that RM likely won't see significant PT that he would have at Nebraska!

[Norm Peterson]

Probably liked the coaching staff better and just felt more at home there. 

Plus, the padded seats on their bench are a lot more comfortable.

[49r]

I've heard that they make some pretty tasty sammiches at Primanti's

[Silverbacked1]

He is an East Coast kind of guy. Too much space around here.

[kldm64]

 

Probably liked the coaching staff better and just felt more at home there. 

Plus, the padded seats on their bench are a lot more comfortable.

 

 

Not doubt that must have factored into his decision.  Rumor has it they have another full 1 1/2 inches of padding on their bench chairs.  NU needs to step it's game up or we'll keep losing more recruits due to this issue.

[hhcmatt]

If so, why on EARTH would you choose Pittsburgh?

 

Steve Pederson jokes aside, Pitt is not exactly an ideal place for a big man looking for playing time. 

 

1.  So, you averaged 10 and 8 for an Ivy League also-ran, huh?  Nice.  Impressive.  But, did you know Pitt returns a guy who'll be a junior who's just as tall as you, not quite as heavy, but who put up 13.5 and 7.3 in his sophomore season at Pitt, a reasonably decent ACC hoops program?  Yeah, Michael Young.  Look it up.

 

2.  And, while you're looking, you'll notice Pitt carries some depth down low already. 

 

There's Jamel Artis at 6'7" and 220# who's putting up 14 and 6.  You also have a couple of other underclassmen in the 6'8" to 6'9" range.  And that's not counting the two bigs who decided to transfer because they weren't seeing the floor.

 

3.  And then you have Pitt's recruiting class.  The guys who signed in November.  Your claim to fame, Rafael, is that you're big and stout and can throw Ivy Leagers around in the paint and steal their lunch money.  Allow me to introduce you to Rozelle Nix.  That would be MISTER Rozelle Nix to you.  You're tall?  He's taller.  You're big?  He's bigger.  Try 6'11" and 345# tall and big. 

 

He was the leading scorer and rebounder for a pretty decent Pensacola (Florida) junior college team.  Granted it was just junior college (in Florida) but he scored more points than you and pulled down more rebounds than you.  How do you suppose your Brown team (2nd to last in the Ivy League) would have fared against Florida junior college competition?  Yeah, probably not great.

 

Soooooooo ...

 

Why Pitt?

 

Just because their depth at the 4/5 is greater than ours doesn't mean they have great depth at the 4/5. They don't.

If Maia doesn't play 20+ minutes for these guys next year it's because he wasn't good enough, not because of their overabundance of talent and depth at the 4/5.

 

An interview with Maia somewhere would probably clear up how much of his decision was based on playing time, possible team success, and/or academics.

[Norm Peterson]

 

 

Probably liked the coaching staff better and just felt more at home there. 

Plus, the padded seats on their bench are a lot more comfortable.

 

 

Not doubt that must have factored into his decision.  Rumor has it they have another full 1 1/2 inches of padding on their bench chairs.  NU needs to step it's game up or we'll keep losing more recruits due to this issue.

 

Yeah, the padded bench seats are definitely a factor to consider for any potential recruit who plans on spending a lot of time sitting there.

[Norm Peterson]

Just because their depth at the 4/5 is greater than ours doesn't mean they have great depth at the 4/5. They don't.

If Maia doesn't play 20+ minutes for these guys next year it's because he wasn't good enough, not because of their overabundance of talent and depth at the 4/5.

 

An interview with Maia somewhere would probably clear up how much of his decision was based on playing time, possible team success, and/or academics.

Last year, Jamie Dixon played 8 guys double-figure minutes.  Only one of those 8 guys was a senior, and that senior was a guard, and they're bringing in a Rivals 4-star SG to replace him.  Their senior big man from last year -- 6'9", 240# Derrick Randall -- averaged less than 8 minutes/game.  I'd say their rotation is pretty well set.  Not a lot of available minutes for two more big men to fight over.

 

"Good enough" to break into their rotation at the 5 and "good enough" to break into ours are two entirely different things based on the degree of need that each program currently has for a guy at that position.  Remember, this is a one-year shot for Maia.  He's got next year and that's it.  If his hope was to get playing time, Pitt might not have been the best option.  Perhaps his goals were not basketball related, but then why go through the process of being recruited, etc.?

[Huskerpapa]

I have heard that Pitt is closer to his Sao Paulo, Brazil home than Lincoln is --- 4920 miles to Pittsburg and 5492 miles to Lincoln

[hhcmatt]

 

Just because their depth at the 4/5 is greater than ours doesn't mean they have great depth at the 4/5. They don't.

If Maia doesn't play 20+ minutes for these guys next year it's because he wasn't good enough, not because of their overabundance of talent and depth at the 4/5.

 

An interview with Maia somewhere would probably clear up how much of his decision was based on playing time, possible team success, and/or academics.

Last year, Jamie Dixon played 8 guys double-figure minutes.  Only one of those 8 guys was a senior, and that senior was a guard, and they're bringing in a Rivals 4-star SG to replace him.  Their senior big man from last year -- 6'9", 240# Derrick Randall -- averaged less than 8 minutes/game.  I'd say their rotation is pretty well set.  Not a lot of available minutes for two more big men to fight over.

 

"Good enough" to break into their rotation at the 5 and "good enough" to break into ours are two entirely different things based on the degree of need that each program currently has for a guy at that position.  Remember, this is a one-year shot for Maia.  He's got next year and that's it.  If his hope was to get playing time, Pitt might not have been the best option.  Perhaps his goals were not basketball related, but then why go through the process of being recruited, etc.?

 

 

Your argument that their minutes/rotations are set is flawed.

Gallegos played 36+ minutes per game as a Jr. He sure didn't as a senior.

We had obvious depth issues at the post yet Moses didn't play sometimes at all

Last year they had post players who didn't play not because of so much depth but because they weren't good.

 

Their front court was missing a guy in terms of depth...it's up to Maia where he fits in that rotation.

If he can't crack that rotation are you at all upset that he didn't pick us instead?

[Norm Peterson]

Dimes, it depends on who else we can get.  Our need is more urgent than Pitt's.

 

If we had signed him, the starting post spot would have gone to either him or to Hammond.  Considering Hammond played all of 36 minutes last year, I'd say Maia's odds of winning the starting job would have been pretty good.

 

He might have played 20-25 minutes for us.  But, even being reasonably good, he might not see much floor time for them.  They can fill 5 spots and, right now, we maybe can't.  Unless we play really small.  Or Hammond has a sudden epiphany.  If he gets there and doesn't see the floor much, it won't necessarily mean he wasn't any good.  It just means they had better options.  Including a 6'9" returning starter who was putting up 13 ppg last year.

 

On paper, we clearly represented a better opportunity for playing time.  I suspect KLDM was right.  I suspect that was not what was motivating him.