The screen names change over the years but the carping remains the same. How many times did people bemoan the loss of Corey Sanders? How many times did people criticize Pike last season, saying the offense should be doing this or that or the defense should be doing this or that? It is the nature of message boards and the Era of the Hot Take. The carpers certainly know our personnel better than the coaches do and know how to coach better than Pike and his staff do. That is a given. This is the most talented roster we have had in many years and Rutgers has become a plausible destination for good HS kids. To bad prospective signees cannot see what the RAC is like in normal times, but this is 2020.
Most every team is scuffling with the lack of practices and scrimmages and playing in empty arenas. We are also missing Geo. Did you people even hear the announcers talking often about how disorganized we were without him? How guys like JY were styling some and looking for their own shot? As for missing Yeboah and Caleb--fine. But give our freshmen a chance. Three games after the preseason, 2020 style? Really? Those who complain about Paul Mulcahy not progressing offensively forger he has had two excellent floor games with a bunch of rebounds and assists. In this era of shoot-first PGs he may be an anachronism. All great PG's have been good scorers--John Stockton averaged 13 PPG in the NBA, or something like that, Paul is just starting his soph year. He showed glimpses of offense at times last year, and scored well in HS. It will come. Is there anyone out there who, after reflection, doesn't think our four freshmen are a talent upgrade and as the season progresses, will more than make up for the losses of Yeboah and Shaq and Caleb's red shirt? Perspective, people. Know this is a message board and fans are irrational creatures. But reading the game threads--and the game thread of our win over Purdue in that game with helmets was unnerving.