rpiseman said:

Guys wrestling for 10 years and the same teams having 5 guys in the finals year after year isn’t helping the sport either.

Who really needs to see 28 year old Gable Stevenson win another NCAA title. It’s boring at this point.

Click to expand...

RutgersClassof2004 said:

You are, by far, the most optimistic person on the outlook for remainder of season. This team isn't winning the Big Ten Tournament. Harper will likely be "banged up" rest of season, and there is probably some chance he doesn't even suit up again for RU. Even if he does, he's going to be rusty. And the other guys on this team like Martini, Acuff, JMike, JWill, Hayes...they have given literally zero reason for optimism....night in night out playing terrible ball. Plus with Ogbole done now we just lost a big body who was starting to grab boards.

Click to expand...

ScarletDog said:

Go to other large schools and they have enormous merch shops on campus and often really great non-university shops as well. In Knoxville there are at least 3 Alumni Hall stores in the surrounding area with enormous amounts of really great Tennessee stuff. It’s like Christmas morning when you walk in the store. Every brand and style you can imagine.

Click to expand...

Big Ten Team Shop l Officially Licensed Big Ten Team Merchandise, Apparel & Collectibles

shop.bigtenstore.com

bethlehemfan said:

In my case I never thought Dylan should be “gutting it out” with the flu. I also didn’t think he would be 100% today or close really. When I saw him limping around pregame I knew he would be ineffective if he played. Why can I see this and our coaches can’t ?

Click to expand...

rume said:

What they accomplished was elite! Even with tradition and facilities, they were the best. I think you are underestimating how difficult that level of success is to achieve. What Pike has done here is nowhere near that.

Click to expand...

bethlehemfan said:

Obviously winning a National championship isn’t comparable but none of them took over a program as horrible as Rutgers. Not even the same stratosphere. Not to mention shittier facilities no history less money etc.

Click to expand...

RU848789 said:

We were 1-1 against PSU and OSU in December with a healthy Harper/team, but still not yet playing Grant. And then DH missed the Indiana game, barely played against WI and played more, but very ineffectively against Purdue with all 3 of those games being losses. DH was close to 100% for the UCLA game which we won, and clearly 100% for the NE game on the road, our best game of the year - and Grant finally started playing in those two games, also.

And then we lost to PSU on the road after a very close first half with Harper turning the ankle late in that first half. He clearly wasn't himself after that and we lost. Same thing today. And if one is looking for silver linings, Harper was a non-factor today and Ace shot the ball terribly (but rebounded and played pretty good D), but with much bigger contributions from other players than we normally get (especially Derkack who played far and away his best game), we played a very good MSU team tightly.

I know these are small sample sizes, but just by my eyeballs, I still believe this team, with a healthy Harper and Bailey and an improved rotation with Grant getting major minutes and some of the other supporting players doing at least a bit better (and even without EO), can win more than half of its B1G games. Problem is I don't know when DH is going to be healthy again and if that takes 2-3 more games our only chance to make the Dance will likely be by winning the B1G tourney. And I guarantee you nobody in the B1G wants to face a healthy and hungry RU in that tourney (which we'll make if Dylan doesn't miss more than another 2 games, IMO). Not the season anyone was looking for, but we might still get an exciting last 9-10 games.

Click to expand...

rume said:

How does what Pike has done here compare quite well to what Wright and Bennett did? Pike has done a good job at Rutgers. Wright and Bennett are elite. They built programs that won national championships and had multiple final four appearances. No slight to Pike. Very few coaches are in the class of Wright and Bennett.

Click to expand...

King of S said:

They won’t be remember.

Click to expand...

bethlehemfan said:

He saying those guys quit. He’s not comparing them. If you were to compare them though bringing Rutgers from where they were relatively to what they became and the other schools from what they were to what they became pike actually compares quite well.

Click to expand...

The RUT said:

We all clown on Izzo for being scared of the RAC, but we should be clowning on the athletic department for allowing it to happen.

Click to expand...