And with that the 2024-2025 Rutgers basketball season has come to a close....This team has all but run out of their nine lives to salvage a successful season. A successful season means an NCAA tournament appearance. A successful season rests on a blind faith miracle at this point. Mathmetically possible with an enormous 16 games left but that is the issue isn't. 15 games into the season sitting at 8-7 with 16 left, Rutgers has done zero to even put themselves in a resume. They are an afterhought nationally. They are going to be fighting just to make the Big 10 tournament. There is no resume. There is just one semi quality win. There are bad losses. There are bad metrics and bad predictive numbers. But beyond that the eye test is everything with this team. There is no metamorphis coming to turn an ugly worm into a beautiful butterfly and give flight to all our hopes and aspirations. There is nothing to even hint that Rutgers is capable of digging themselves out of this grave they reside in. Many saw the trouble early and perhaps now even the last holdouts are cognizant.
Obviously the loss of Dylan effected the trajectory of this game and the Indiana game. No I cannot say just if he was at 100%, the outcome of the past 2 games would have been changed. Dylan did not even look 50%. He appeared to be an old man who couldnt move out there. That means he was totally ineffective and likely hurt the team by having him in and played a big part in going down 33-17 early. Whether its flu or any other kind of injury it sucks because he is Rutgers only consistent and difference maker on offense that you can rely on each game. Its his team and it runs a certain way with him. Without him Rutgers actually played more like the Pike pounding nails, we are going to try to thread the needle with tough defense and a couple of timely shots in an ugly scrapfest. There were moments that it looked like Pike was going to pull it off. RU got so close within 3 and then was just repelled and the door rudely slammed in their face. A return in the late stages of the 2023 and 2024 offenses which we know are brutal.
For starters, RU was not ready to play this game and defend its home court. Struggled to score early and let Wisconsin just get confident right from the get go. RU down 12-3 early and that is not how you beat a Wisconsin team who is beatable but coming off an offensive high of 116. By the time RU could stablize itself and adjust, they spotted the Badgers a 33-17 and that was too much to overcome. Its a shame because played its best defense of the year in the latter stages of the first half and much of the 2nd. They chipped away and fought and hung around through adversity and got pokeways and got steals forcing Wisconsin into 16 turnovers converting them into points while generally protecting the ball themselves. For a moment there we could believe in them. The hard work and the pounding nails, you could see a classic Pikiell win in the hazy distance. At 60-57 nearing the 6 minute mark, RU had held Wisconsin to just 17 second half points in 14 minutes. An incredible stat to see given the defensive woes all year long. Alas just like this season it was not meant to me. Wisconsin closed the game out like men and did it in impressive fashion. RU's offense was shutdown while Wisconsin made shot after shot. Big credit to them because the Badgers had to work hard to get this one. In the end, a quick and deadly 13-2 over the course of the next 5 minutes sealed Rutgers fate and there with the last gasp of breath for the 2024-25 season.
I can tell you one thing though. With Dylan out, Rutgers played differently. It was not the same Rutgers. Rutgers slowed the possessions down, mucked it up and concentrated on turning Wisconsin over. That kind of gameplan does not happen with Dylan in the game. Its not a knock on Dylan, it is what it is. When Dylan it is in the game, he runs the show along with Ace. The focus is 100% on offense. That dye was cast a long time ago. Two players in particular one on offense...Tyson Acuff and one on defense Dylan Grant were unexpected highlights. I will admit and eat some crow on Grant. I said he was unplayable. Obviously I was wrong. Pike must have his methods to why he didnt play but DG stepped up big time given the opportunity in really buoying this team in the comeback. Some 3s and some blocks and some boards. 3-8f g, 8 points, 2 blocks and 3 offensive boards...probably the best all around off the bench performamce I have this year by anyone on Rutgers. Acuff made shots at times and was leading scorer with 17 points albeit on a shaky 6-15 fg in 30 minutes. How much do we take from these performances. On the latter, Acuff was the main option for offense besides Ace who was brick city. As
@The RUT pointedout, Acuff was more comfortable in his position tonight with the ball. That does not happen when Dylan is in the game. While certainly it helps Acuff as volume shooter to see the ball go in the hoop, I would hesitate to put too much into this peformance given his role changes drastically when Harper comes back. Making back to back 3s and 3 overall definitely a plus but he also threw up some ugly bricks especially in the closing minutes and also had a key turnover. Certainly some plusses but still not convinced long term. Grant on the other hand has a higher ceiling right now and will be getting more minutes going forward. How many is the question and can he replicate this performance when the pace and tempo is slower than it would be with Harper in the game. I think off of this performance we will see less Martini and Hayes and less Egobole and more Summerville.
Further cementing the vultures circling the season were dismal performances from Jeremiah Williams just reduced to 22 minutes, 2-7 fg shooting and 4 points. 2 years ago, prominent posts and mods heralded his coming and that he was he a game changer. After his initial 3 game debut last year, everyone figured out and he was expected to be a leader and pivotal bridge player but now has turned into an afterthougt. J Mike had his moments today but again as a bridge player its just not enough. The bar was set so low for him early, we praise the improved play but its simply not nearly enough. Just 2 assists and if he is taking 10 shots that is simply too many for my liking. Ace Bailey was a disaster tonight. 3-16 fg, this was even worse than his debacle at Kennesaw. Plus he was in foul trouble and then goaded into an immature technical that fouled him out. Went from a phenomenal performance to a bricklaying performance in one game. Shot selection caught up with him tonight on a night we desperately needed him to perform to his press credentials. EO was awful...13 minutes and 1 board and blew his layup. He takes a small step forward then another large step back. Just not good enough. Lathan really didnt have a good game tonight, 6 points, but 4 of those on the last 2 possessions. He was a boy amongst the Wisconsin men. Derkack was okay today but again some good and his typical mistakes. He is a role player who has to be forced into more minutes because there simply isnt anyone else. Hayes had one layup but played only 4 minutes for some reason. Martini was lost as usual in 8 minutes. Pretty sobering and a reminder that this roster is not the kind of roster you compete for a NCAA bid.
Wisconsin...you see Wisconsins roster is. I know some were down on them after the departure of Hepburn and others but they brought back Crawl and Blackwell who has really blossomed this year and Tonje from Colorado State has been a super portal addition for Gard. They are so well coached and I was impressed with their ball movement. Even when their shots didnt go down, they were all great shots and everyone knew where they were suppose to be on the court. Experience and coaching matters and there was a clear difference..and without Dylan, Wisconsin easily had the talent advantage tonight. They will contend for the Big 10 title and be a tough out in the tourney. I think they struggled with RU throwing some wrinkles at them and kept the door open for RU to win the game. However their poise down the stretch in a tough environment was impressive and you can just see the stark difference between the two clubs.
There were positives tonight and that is a shock considering a double digit loss but in the grand scheme of things it seems too little too late too hollow. I refuse to fall for it. I felt going into the 3 game home stretch, RU had to win 2 to keep ANY hopes alive but likely needed 3 if we were being REALISTIC about things. Well this was likely the easiest of the 3 and each one gets progressively harder for different reasons. Now with Purdue and UCLA each one is a must win but this program is headed in the wrong direction. Nothing I saw tonight or at any other point this year shows me they are ready to turn a corner and sweep these next 2. Mathematically yes, but come on man. I am not living on blind faith and blind loyalty. I see the Fat Lady and she is near.
