We are incredibly defended!

[zappaa]

Probably the best defended team in the country who’s on the NCAA bubble.
Everyone says devoid of offensive talent and athleticism, yet we’re athletic enough to play good defense for the most part.

Our players are so well defended they have no where to go, drives to the net get swatted, we are constantly trapped in no man’s land with no good pass options available. Cliff gets double teamed down low and has nowhere to go with the ball, there’s no pass for him to make because we have no one in position to receive a pass, it makes Cliff and all our players look far worse than they really are.
Not good shooters is one thing, this is another.

 

[RUChoppin]

We are well defended because we are easy to defend.

 

[zappaa]

We are well defended because we are easy to defend.

These kids are strong D1 athletes, I beg to disagree.
Very few could perform under the constant duress and pressure they face.
They are not in position to succeed and have no idea how to use 2nd or 3rd options, it’s obvious.

Your excuse is WAY to easy to use

 

[RUtix4me]

These kids are strong D1 athletes, I beg to disagree.
Very few could perform under the constant duress and pressure they face.
They are not in position to succeed and have no idea how to use 2nd or 3rd options, it’s obvious.

Your excuse is WAY to easy to use

I would have to watch it again, but the wing defending our guy in the corner was sprinting in, and our guy would just stand in the corner leaving no passing lane. It would seem to me that that should swing up from the corner. We also never brought the guy from the corner up through a screen for a three pointer up top. They seem to just stand there like fourth grade rec players going to their “position”.

 

[RUChoppin]

These kids are strong D1 athletes, I beg to disagree.
Very few could perform under the constant duress and pressure they face.
They are not in position to succeed and have no idea how to use 2nd or 3rd options, it’s obvious

It is nothing to do with their level of athleticism. We have a lot of guys who are one dimensional offensively, and no one who can step up into a lead scoring role if our top two scorers are cut off.

 

[zappaa]

I would have to watch it again, but the wing defending our guy in the corner was sprinting in, and our guy would just stand in the corner leaving no passing lane. It would seem to me that that should swing up from the corner. We also never brought the guy from the corner up through a screen for a three pointer up top. They seem to just stand there like fourth grade rec players going to their “position”.

There’s a reason our players seem lost with no one to receive a pass

 

[zappaa]

It is nothing to do with their level of athleticism. We have a lot of guys who are one dimensional offensively, and no one who can step up into a lead scoring role if our top two scorers are cut off.

Forget about scoring, how about being in a position to score

 

[GoFish2]

Probably the best defended team in the country who’s on the NCAA bubble.
Everyone says devoid of offensive talent and athleticism, yet we’re athletic enough to play good defense for the most part.

Our players are so well defended they have no where to go, drives to the net get swatted, we are constantly trapped in no man’s land with no good pass options available. Cliff gets double teamed down low and has nowhere to go with the ball, there’s no pass for him to make because we have no one in position to receive a pass, it makes Cliff and all our players look far worse than they really are.
Not good shooters is one thing, this is another.

Not having good shooters is why we are so easy to defend.

 

[MadRU]

Cliff has to make quicker decisions in the post. He is too deliberate in starting his move and identifying double teams.

When Mag was playing he would dive thru the lane and we would get an easy bucket now and again.

But we have way too many turnovers from this post up action.

 

[RUChoppin]

Forget about scoring, how about being in a position to score

At some point you actually have to put the ball through the hoop - we shot 36.4% from the floor, 11.8% from the arc, and 52.4% from the FT line. Even the FT line hasn't been a "position to score" for us the last few games.

 

[zappaa]

Not having good shooters is why we are so easy to defend.

BS
These kids are so hounded and so pressured it’s insane

 

[zappaa]

At some point you actually have to put the ball through the hoop - we shot 36.4% from the floor, 11.8% from the arc, and 52.4% from the FT line. Even the FT line hasn't been a "position to score" for us the last few games.

The foul line lack of success is the culmination of a complete collapse and failure of the offense.
It’s called lack of confidence in game situations and it’s contagious

 

[bethlehemfan]

BS
These kids are so hounded and so pressured it’s insane

I’m not going to dwell on this because it would get negative and I don’t want to do that but if you look at personnel across the league the answer is very obvious.

 

[ru8081]

I looked over the the recruiting classes from 2019 through 2023. Three NJ players! I know Pike is not ignoring NJ at all. Some of this can be laid at NJ HS ABR mindset. Might not be a popular post.

 

[RUChoppin]

BS
These kids are so hounded and so pressured it insane

Couple of things.... the scouting report is to get out on our guards and pressure them, because they aren't penetrating ball handlers who can punish defenses for extending well beyond the arc. We are more easily disrupted because we don't have multi-dimensional scorers who can exploit you if you sell out against one aspect of their game.

Also, it's not like these teams aren't defending our other conference peers at the same level of intensity - it's just that those teams have more flexible offenses that can find the weaknesses in those defenses more easily.

 

[GoFish2]

BS
These kids are so hounded and so pressured it’s insane

I'm not sure what your angle is. Are you blaming coaching or bad luck?

 

[RUChoppin]

The foul line lack of success is the culmination of a complete collapse and failure of the offense.
It’s called lack of confidence in game situations and it’s contagious

And where does a lack of confidence come from? A lack of success. There's definitely a level of frustration because they can't score - the scouting report is out, and defenses are working to take away our top scoring options. We haven't had any secondary options rise up to force defenses to change their approach.

 

[greenknight]

Probably the best defended team in the country who’s on the NCAA bubble.
Everyone says devoid of offensive talent and athleticism, yet we’re athletic enough to play good defense for the most part.

Our players are so well defended they have no where to go, drives to the net get swatted, we are constantly trapped in no man’s land with no good pass options available. Cliff gets double teamed down low and has nowhere to go with the ball, there’s no pass for him to make because we have no one in position to receive a pass, it makes Cliff and all our players look far worse than they really are.
Not good shooters is one thing, this

Okay here's my take. Offensively we have 2 statues that stand in corners. There are only 4 guys on the team that can handle the ball. 3 of them are virtually the same player PM, CS & CM. They all play virtually the same speed, they all primarily have 1 speed and none can push ball up for fast breaks and really cannot get to nthe basket or playmaker consistently. Derek Simpson is the only guard on the team that is dynamic and can get downhill fast but he's a frosh your going to have to live with his good days & bad days. The ball should be in his hands at PG

When you have a team w/o dynamic players you need to create shots other ways. It's called moving and cutting w/o the ball. Think Princeton maybe not to that extreme but that's the principle. Nobody fears us because we have no shooters or anyone that can go 1V1. Oscar has been with program for 4 yrs and can only put ball on floor for 1 dribble in a weave pass off situation only
At this level ever player needs a degree of playmaking ability . Every single team has that but us.

Maybe we expend so much time on the defensive end of things that we do not put enough work in or invest into the offensive end. Cliff needs to get the ball facing and moving to the basket not posting up. Outside of MN game where he posted up and scored it's not in his repertoire.

We are not a very athletic team. PM has lots of heart but gets smoked off the dribble and when he sits back gets smoked on 3 pters. At 6'7 he should be covering forwards not guards he does not have the athleticism

 

[zappaa]

I'm not sure what your angle is. Are you blaming coaching or bad luck?

Not being statues off the ball would help greatly

 

[rubjk]

Probably the best defended team in the country who’s on the NCAA bubble.
Everyone says devoid of offensive talent and athleticism, yet we’re athletic enough to play good defense for the most part.

Our players are so well defended they have no where to go, drives to the net get swatted, we are constantly trapped in no man’s land with no good pass options available. Cliff gets double teamed down low and has nowhere to go with the ball, there’s no pass for him to make because we have no one in position to receive a pass, it makes Cliff and all our players look far worse than they really are.
Not good shooters is one thing, this is another.

Simpson manages to score when incredibly defended. Others try to force through defenders or hold the ball too long. Cam manages to drive to basket too and score.

 

[GoFish2]

Not being statues off the ball would help greatly

So...coaching

 

[zappaa]

So...coaching

It is what it is, doesn’t matter why

 

[zappaa]

Simpson manages to score when incredibly defended. Others try to force through defenders or hold the ball too long. Cam manages to drive to basket too and score.

You watch the games, do you want the offense to be Simpson flying to the basket making incredibly low percentage shots more than a few times a game.

 

[RuBird]

Good points but……..how about our FTs or lack of effort going for 50/50 balls? Or having balls just plain knocked out from our hands. That has little to do with NW talent and more to do with horrible focus/lack of confidence

 

[rubjk]

You watch the games, do you want the offense to be Simpson flying to the basket making incredibly low percentage shots more than a few times a game.

He scored 12 points doing it. How’d others do. You gotta drive, shoot, dish and pass quickly just like NW did. Playing ring around the rosy along the three point line for 15 seconds and then Paul driving into someone’s chest and getting stuffed isn’t working.

 

[RUJMM78]

Not having good shooters is why we are so easy to defend.

The half court offense doesn't run plays to get open shots for stationary shooters like Spencer and Hyatt.Rutgers lacks players that can create and make shots off the dribble which means the offense will be ineffective .Poor recruiting and the lack of player development has caught up with Rutgers at the end of the season.

 

[zappaa]

Good points but……..how about our FTs or lack of effort going for 50/50 balls? Or having balls just plain knocked out from our hands. That has little to do with NW talent and more to do with horrible focus/lack of confidence

I see no lack of effort for the most part anywhere.
Pike has created a culture where that isn’t the case…imo.
As I said free throws are we result of an incompetent offense that leads directly to no confidence.
No confidence and pressure because we can’t make field goals is why we’re struggling at the line

 

[zappaa]

He scored 12 points doing it. How’d others do. You gotta drive, shoot, dish and pass quickly just like NW did. Playing ring around the rosy along the three point line for 15 seconds and then Paul driving into someone’s chest and getting stuffed isn’t working.

Than you want that to be the offense, I get it.
I don’t think that’ll work as a game plan or over the course of a game.
Quick isolated spurts… yes
Just my opinion

 

[NewJerseyHawk]

The team is well-coached if you understand and mask the limitations of the individual players.

A lot of post game press conferences have coaches flat out telling reporters that RU is not great on an individual player to player basis in terms of offense in the half court. Listen to the 1st minute of Kevin Willard press conference after the RAC loss by Maryland here.

kevin willard press conference vs rutgers - Google Search

www.google.com

 

[FIJI'83]

Probably the best defended team in the country who’s on the NCAA bubble.
Everyone says devoid of offensive talent and athleticism, yet we’re athletic enough to play good defense for the most part.

Our players are so well defended they have no where to go, drives to the net get swatted, we are constantly trapped in no man’s land with no good pass options available. Cliff gets double teamed down low and has nowhere to go with the ball, there’s no pass for him to make because we have no one in position to receive a pass, it makes Cliff and all our players look far worse than they really are.
Not good shooters is one thing, this is another.

You are indirectly criticizing Pikell. However, he is here to at least 2030. Hopefully, he learns from this end of year collapse and grows as a coach both recruiting and Xs and Os.

 

[rubjk]

Than you want that to be the offense, I get it.
I don’t think that’ll work as a game plan or over the course of a game.
Quick isolated spurts… yes
Just my opinion

No I want the team to move quickly without the ball, pass quickly, drive, dish, do what NW did to us.

 

[RuBird]

I see no lack of effort for the most part anywhere.
Pike has created a culture where that isn’t the case…imo.
As I said free throws are we result of an incompetent offense that leads directly to no confidence.
No confidence and pressure because we can’t make field goals is why we’re struggling at the line

Are you seriously saying you don’t see a lack of effort? FTs have nothing to do with an incompetent offense, other than maybe not being able to get to the line as much. When you get there you have to hit your shots. As I said before we went thru a stretch earlier in the season when we did. Lately just horrible.

 

[zappaa]

You are indirectly criticizing Pikell. However, he is here to at least 2030. Hopefully, he learns from this end of year collapse and grows as a coach both recruiting and Xs and Os.

I am criticizing what I see and feel bad for the players because no one can perform under the duress they see.
I don’t know if they aren’t carrying out Pikes wishes or aren’t capable, it doesn’t matter, what is is

 

[zappaa]

Are you seriously saying you don’t see a lack of effort? FTs have nothing to do with an incompetent offense, other than maybe not being able to get to the line as much. When you get there you have to hit your shots. As I said before we went thru a stretch earlier in the season when we did. Lately just horrible.

With all due respect Bird.
You have no idea about the importance of confidence or what the lack of it does to you

 

[greenknight]

Good points but……..how about our FTs or lack of effort going for 50/50 balls? Or having balls just plain knocked out from our hands. That has little to do with NW talent and more to do with horrible focus/lack of confidence

Cliff getting ball knocked out of hands is 100% due to weak hands not alot you can do about that. You play with the hands you were dealt with (no pun intended)

 

[zappaa]

Cliff getting ball knocked out of hands is 100% due to weak hands not alot you can do about that. You play with the hands you were dealt with (no pun intended)

He’s friggen enveloped by defenders

 

[MiloTalon13]

I’m not going to dwell on this because it would get negative and I don’t want to do that but if you look at personnel across the league the answer is very obvious.

Yup - we just don't have guys who do the things offensively that guys on other teams do - most notably, put the ball in the basket, but also stuff like quick ball movement and smart reads.

We also get bogged down running 100% ball screens and always guard to big. Predictable and easy to defend.

 

[greenknight]

With all due respect Bird.
You have no idea about the importance of confidence or what the lack of it does to you

PM is there right now. Alot of it he brought on himself with showing up the refs but his confidence is not there

 

[Shell21]

Okay here's my take. Offensively we have 2 statues that stand in corners. There are only 4 guys on the team that can handle the ball. 3 of them are virtually the same player PM, CS & CM. They all play virtually the same speed, they all primarily have 1 speed and none can push ball up for fast breaks and really cannot get to nthe basket or playmaker consistently. Derek Simpson is the only guard on the team that is dynamic and can get downhill fast but he's a frosh your going to have to live with his good days & bad days. The ball should be in his hands at PG

When you have a team w/o dynamic players you need to create shots other ways. It's called moving and cutting w/o the ball. Think Princeton maybe not to that extreme but that's the principle. Nobody fears us because we have no shooters. Oscar has been with program for 4 yrs and can only put ball on floor for 1 dribble in a weave pass off situation only
At this level ever player needs a degree of playmaking ability . Every single team has that but us.

Maybe we expend so much time on the defensive end of things that we do not put enough work in on the offensive end. Cliff needs to get the ball facing and moving to the basket not posting up. Outside of MN game where he posted up and scored it's not in his repertoire.

We are not a very athletic team. PM has lots of heart but gets smoked off the dribble and when he sits back gets smoked on 3 pters. At 6'7 he should be covering forwards not guards he does not have the athleticism

excellent post. If you don't have athletes and handlers to create shots, you need to move people around with your offense or have a dominant low post player to play off of; we have neither yet we play offense like we do. Makes no sense. If you are Alabama with athletes all over the floor, you can spread it out and drive and kick. We don't have people like that, yet we stand in the corners like we do.

 

[AdventureHasAName]

I could defend 5 telephone poles, too.