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OT: Nations Face-Off 2025

Don’t mix Politics and Sports !

Russia should be in this tournament!

It would have added some much more excitement!
How do you know that politics had anything to do with it? I am not saying that it didn't, it might have. I have not heard either way. I would think that a 6th team would be needed also. Who would that be AND would there have been enough time to play all the games in 2 weeks? Does the NHL stop the season for a longer amount of time for this? 2 weeks is long enough IMO. I need my Devils back.

More of a reason for this season

Got to analyzing and I want all your opinions on these two choices. Granted there are many other choices but I used to think it was all A, but the more I think about it B plays a big part. What is more of a reason for this massively disappointing season:

A) the lack of talent brought in
Or
B) the lack of accountability, discipline and structure/schemes in the environment around the players

I used to think almost 100% A. But with time to think I’m more of a 60/40, 55/45 A.

What do you all think analytically? Thanks.
This year didn’t go as planned for sure. I said it early on. They would need time to gel and relying on freshmen rarely works. Well they never really gel’d (injuries, bad roster management, etc). It was a failed experiment. Pike needs to go back to what works for him. Athletic, long, defenders that can get out and run and defend. Get guys that buy into his system. He didnt do that with this roster. He tried to add individual pieces ( shooters and scorers) to Ace and Dylan but none of them really fit his system. Derkack is probably the closest fit but his shooting has made it difficult to play him. The roster was the biggest issue. Skill wasn’t the biggest issue, fit was.

GAME 25: Iowa short recap

Bonus points for “lackluster” and “amalgamation”.
I’ll try and work in “cacophony” and “cornucopia” next time. This has just been a lackluster season. Like @robjknight said, can’t bring on football season soon enough. Even if Schiano may botch a game, don’t care, much rather watch their season as football is on the rise of the roller coaster ride while basketball has flown off the rails of the ride and crashed.

More of a reason for this season

After last night’s debacle and putting all the pieces of the puzzle together thru 25 games, it is definitely B. I would say about 70/30 B. I think a lot of better coaches would have done better with this roster with their accountability, discipline and schemes. We still grabbed lame talent in the portal, so there is that, and that would not change, but still say it’s 70/30 B.
basing you decision on the worst game of the year? Smart

Season Tickets

This season has been the least enjoyment I’ve had with my season tickets (6 years).

Least amount of games I’ve gone to and there’s been virtually no interest on this board when I try getting my tickets in the hands of Rutgers fans since December.

I don’t know if Pikiell can ever build a team again like he did with Geo, Ron, Caleb, Cliff, Mulcahy etc. in the NIL era.

Following a team every year that has 50-75% + turnover just isn’t fun, especially if we stink.

I’ll be keeping my tickets next year in the 200s but it could be the last. It’s not cheap to have season tickets and it’s a massive commitment, especially if you live an hour away.
BS. You enjoyed last season more? Last year everyone bitched the team could not score and they would rather lose in a high scoring offense. Now we have Ace and Dylan. There have been highlights all year. Maybe your expectations were higher and that’s what created the disappointment.

GAME 25: Iowa short recap

Good summary of a lackluster and effortless game. This game was like an amalgamation of this teams flaws, all ready to be on full display in Game 25. They were at full strength, back to being healthy, Ace and Dylan together, no flu, no nagging injuries, no excuses. And what did they do? They completely laid down on the court, except for several role players. Instead of this team getting better as they played more games and getting to full health, this game was a display of them just packing it in as it appeared they had the self-realization that they are in fact a bad team. No fight, no pushback, no resistance when Iowa took over. The less talented, but better team, better coach and better program won that game last night. To steal a page from bac’s book, a song to summarize this team and season for me:

Woke up this morning my house was cold
Checked out the furnace she wasn't burnin'
Went out and hoped in my old Ford
Hit the engine but she ain't turnin'
We've given each other some hard lessons lately
But we ain't learnin'
We're the same sad story that's a fact
One step up and two steps back
Bonus points for “lackluster” and “amalgamation”.
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Rotation going forward - play for next year

This is silly talk. Benching top NBA draft picks in favor of a rag tag rotation of hacks will guarantee no player with NBA aspirations will ever come here again.

Lost in this debate is the fact that Pike has to bend over backwards to keep these two happy. He’s got nothing more important to pitch to recruits than the positive experience of Harper and Bailey

GAME 25: Iowa short recap

Been hit with a nasty flu Boy its not a joke but I will spit out some points here off the top of my head

Main takeway is that last night put to bed any of the notions that oh if they just were not hurt they would have x more amount of wins...no, this team is exactly what it is and not meant to be. Try not to get sucked in too much by the wins...there likely will be one coming in the future.

Team loves the underdog role more than being favorites. Team disrespected their opponents. They assumed at full strength they would win. Got up by 11 and then thought that would just continue in the 2nd half without working for anything.

To have to hear TV announcers and TV analysts talk about RU being non chalant in warmups is damning..pay attention.

Dix and Sanfordt....i would take 5 each of them on the my team. They were the best players on the court period...and its got to be a humbling lesson for Dylan and Ace how ordinary they looked last night

Pike says its 100% on him but I think its 100% on Ace/Dylan..you got to walk the walk if you are going to talk the talk and both pulled no shows.

The bench players were the best part of the night so kudos to Zak and J Mike and Acuff for stepping up.

Cant have a team that lacks leadership

I know I will get flak for this but many others will agree....Ace/Dylan have a years and years of money and NBA fame coming their way, this 5 month stay at Rutgers is just a pimple on their life course. They are competitors though clearly last night they were not, their goal is hardly NCAA tournament appearances, their immediate goals are making it healthy to NBA workout season.

RU could have had Fran back in 2010 if Pernetti just fired Hill at the conclusion of the season like a normal coach would do. Who knows what would have happened but Pernetti likely still to be AD here.

Pikes resume does not come to close to Frans...Fran won a Big 10 tournament.....Pikiells teams are terrible in Big 10 tourney save for his first year where they still only made the quarters.

the RAC has a top home court is over with. Last season it was perfectly on was 2020. Sure we had the Purdue win a couple years later and that season was pretty good at the RAC but all the blue hair wistfully remeniscing about the RAC from the 80s and 90s and 2000s...that is gone and it aint coming back. The incessent use of noise and t shirt tosses has turned into an irritating spectacle. The students have to be the lamest as a group that I have ever seen. There is some ridiculous number that RU has lost like 13 of 21 rac league games..is this accurate.

damn you Pat Hobbs, he should be in jail for the extension and money he handed out

unless Pike leaves on his own, he is here two more years and maybe more but will the fanbase already have checked out.
Feel better my friend !

You didn’t miss anything last night!

Knew we were in for a strange night when PJ Hayes was first sub off bench and during the game he’s having a convo with fans. 😂

Knew game was lost in first few minutes of 2nd half with our lackadaisical play

Inability to defend the only 2 players who can score for Iowa - Sandfort and Dix - was difficult to watch !

Agree with you 100% that kids like them are a coaches ‘ delight !

Pertaining to current culture with BB team is damning towards Pike and Staff !

For years we waited for Pike to get a T.

Now we desperately need for him to become Mick Cronin !

More of a reason for this season

Shelby, so much respect for you! But I have to agree to disagree. The offense RU runs is so simplistic, easy enough to guard, and has been the same for years regardless of personnel. Having talented kids run a system isn’t always to cover kids that can’t play. Some systems require a lot of skill to even execute. A weak link would kill the system but any talent can thrive in it. Also structure and systems produce wins.

I’ve spent a half a lifetime teaching kids to not stand still for more than 2-3 Mississippi, watching RU makes me pull the little hair I have left out of my head. And while I would agree Pike and Knight know a ton about offense in their brains, maybe it’s their inability to Put it into a a grand plan, or their inability to Be versed in enough teaching methods to relay it to their players so they’ll execute the vision. It is possible he has that skill for teaching defense but not offense. Defense is built on athleticism, aggression and organized chaos. Offense is more skill and finesse. It’s a different mindset.

Also beg to differ about your HS hack comment. Most hs coaches couldn’t hold a candle to Pike or Knights minds, I’m an example of one who certainly couldn’t. However I’ve known a few who id bet are just as sharp. I’ve witnessed their knowledge and teaching styles. Some were good college players, some pros, some trained under great coaches themselves (Hurley Sr for example). One of those bright minds taught me something once. “Attitude and effort beats talent alone everytime”. While that doesn’t display their offensive knowledge it does really apply to this years RU team and some of their head scratching losses.

Anyway. I’m not looking to Argue, and I respect your thoughts, just don’t put Pike and Knight too high on a coaching pedestal. Offensively they’ve proven they don’t deserve it. And please don’t sell short all HS coaches just because they didn’t coach in a power five Conf. There’s a few very good coaches out there at the hs level.
Not all hs coaches, obviously. Some are great hoops teachers. But by and large, college coaches are much more competent. It’s their profession and the cream rises to the top.

Most all hs coaches have a different day job in a classroom
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More of a reason for this season

But HC Pike chose the players.
The offense fits the players because HC Pike picked the players to fit the offense he wanted.

Look at this way:
Would Iowa ever recruit a 25% 3pt shooter like Derkack or JWill? Or start a 25% 3pt shooter (until recently) like Davis?

If it was the players holding back the grand plan for the offense - then the offense would look different with different players. But it’s looked the same year over year.
100%. Shelby agrees. The stem of the problem with the offense you see is the players he recruits. He knows offense and he doesn’t get outcoached game after game.

He’s limited in what he can run based on the players’ abilities. They are just plain shitty or unwilling passers. That’s why you see less motion and less of an emphasis on passing. He mostly recruits kids who can iso. Even Baker and RHJ were iso players not suited to passing. Geo was as ball dominant as DH and Ace are and also not a willing passer. How often did he run 15 seconds off the shot clock dribbling beyond the arc and then try to beat his defender with a pull up on the the elbows ? A lot.

So it’s fair to rip Pike for recruiting a certain skill set but then not logical to also slam him for running the optimal offense for those players to be successful.

We just don’t have players suited to run the kind of offense Iowa does.

Pony up or Shut Up

Most of our issues have always been financially based...right from the beginning, the genesis of our "bigger time" athletics aspirations in the 70's. We have ALWAYS wished to have success BEFORE making any real commitment of resources and/or funding. Just think about all the coaching changes there have been here over the last 50+years. Has there EVER been any stampede of qualified, "name" candidates for any open coaching spots in the major sports here??? Of course not! Our cheap reputation is widespread and well known in the marketplace. Any facilities improvements take years to just get plans drawn...forget about actually getting anything built. THEN, we always want to build and hire on the cheap. Do we really think that Schiano and Pikiell do NOT want to be able to bid with the big boys for the highest rated HS recruits and portal transfers?????? The would love to be able to do so...but it's not likely to ever happen here. It is what it is...and, additionally, we here do not seem to remember that most of NJ has never given a rat's mass about RU sports. In fact, most politicians and the general population seem to resent $$$$ spent on RU sports. There have been times when I have questioned the sanity of coaches and players when they decide to come to RU...it also explains why I love them all for coming to try and help out in straightening out this sh**show that we have here.

Thank you for listening. Sorry for rambling. This last loss was a really tough one. Hard to figure how a performance like last night's is rationally explained away. The issues are so systemic it is not possible to get anywhere near the root of the problem, like blaming a player(s) or a coach(es). What other institution of higher learning takes months and months to replace Presidents and Athletic Directors?????? Been here, done this too for long....rutgersal is right....SOMEONE/SOMEBODY/SOMETHING has to make a decision that Rutgers really DOES want to play in the big time col!ege sports sandbox and finally act the part....and pony up or shut up.

Phil Sellers must be turning in his grave after performances like last night's second half.

Gonna go away for a while in a dark room now. Go RU!
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