FIJI'83 said:

At its core this is a coach problem.

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convenient....it is a player problem. For 8 years we didn't have a coach problem and then in Year 9 we do?

Fans need to wake up and realize the 2 stars are failing us on the defensive end and are a big part of the problem.

Players and coaches are bashed mercilessly every game by the cheapest fanbase in America. Everyone knows full well how teams are constructed in 2024 2025. We got Ace and Harper for free because they came from outside NIL. The rest of you diehards LMFAO gave nothing absolutely nothing but worthless opinions. It’s why we have a roster of players that do not belong here.

fluoxetine said:

We played 11 guys which is the same as we did against Illinois. This is more that there is not a clear group that should play as opposed to "thinks its a rec league" or whatever. Go back and look at some box scores from 2022 for example, towards the end there were 4 guys playing like 34-38 minutes every game. Do you really think last night was because Hayes and Acuff got a few minutes each?

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No it was meant to be sarcasm but still an indictment that we don’t have a set rotation 25 games into the season. It’s a dumpster fire led by a nice guy who is clearly WAY in over his head.

RUAldo said:

Yeah and they were throwing haymakers that weren’t within 6 inches of anybody’s head. Looked the like Tyson-Paul nonsense. It was a set-up. Nobody on the ice or on the penalty box were even pissed afterwards.

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If you watch hockey as much as you claim you would know that, while tough guys, none of the 6 players involved are known for their fighting or even fight much.

No one who could fit the fighting standard you are looking for is a good enough hockey player to make a team that is the best of his country’s players.

NickRU714 said:

They just signed a 11y/$76B media contract.
Previous deal was 9y/$24B

I think they'll do fine if you didn't watch the ASG.

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It's in the fine print. Of course Silver was going to get something that looked good in the headlines. These sports media contracts are always overstated and subject to deductions when ratings tank. Some of that $ is from streaming which is a deal with the devil. They get more money but fewer people see the game, hardcore working class fans get turned off, turned away. Playoff games on streaming will kill interest altogether.

Good-Knight said:

This one time, 5 months ago, I was right about shorting RU MBB, and I don't think the world has sufficiently kissed my ass enough about being right.

You cannot make it, long term, as a Rutgers fan unless you can find optimism that tantalizes logic. It no big trick to be Eeyore.

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Please the smell from the garbage that is coming from your mouth. One it wasn’t just me. There are many in here who got beat down. Two it wasn’t one time. We’ve Been sounding the alarm regarding poor recruiting, development, rotations, offensive schemes and accountability for a few years. Those burying their heads in the sand have ignored them. Fundamentally it wasn’t rocket science to see the signs. In no way I was bragging I was wiser than anyone. Just looking for more harmony so some can relax in setting crazy expectations and some can try to be more optimistic.

Also, perhaps the most foolish thing I’ve read on here. Cant be a long term fan unless you have illogical optimism. Wow! Tell me you enjoy losing and love mediocrity without actually telling me. I enjoyed the early 80s, 89, 91, 2019-22. There’s nothing wrong with wanting that to be sustained and calling out the analytical reasons you observe why we’re deviating from that path.

RUAldo said:

Spend a few minutes to re-watch the fights. Look at the punches, the refs reactions, etc. IMO it looked like the NHL or players realize the WNBA was putting up better viewership numbers. If the NHL’s numbers continue to drop I bet fighting will increase dramatically.

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They looked like most other hockey fights. Many punches don't connect and they lose balance and land on top of each other because they're fighting on ice. How did you want the refs to react? You think any player actually gives a rat's ass about ratings, especially in a heated rivalry game fueled by national pride? Jeez man, now I remember why I stopped bothering with the hockey threads on here.

Ronnie_B said:

Holy **** you're serious 😂

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people will be conspiracy theorists about EVERYTHING. Hell, there were people here who didn't think the Will Smith / Chris Rock slap was real! 🫤

seansherm said:

Hit the wall at 22 games? IDK, this is the time most real good freshman are starting to pick it up, have adjusted to the speed and length of defenders, ect. He played 10 more HS games last year, granted not the same thing. I'd say tired could be a factor, but it's built in with a lack of desire/interest, maybe injury as well. I'm sure it's more than one thing.

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agreed it's more than one thing...

but for sure he is not himself. probably road him too hard early in the season but obviously we needed to. i think his body must be a mess. you go back and watch his early season highlights and no one could stay in front of him. even with help coming over he was just getting to the rim at will. now he has trouble getting around his main defender, forget about when help comes.

i think the physicality of the B1G is probably wearing him down. teams are hitting him...hard...anytime he's trying to fight through a screen. anytime he does take the ball downhill. try shooting a jump shot after you've just taken a few shoulders to the chest and a knee to the thigh...lol harder than one would think.

hoping we see the real dylan again before the season is over.

The coaching staff had seven months prior to the season starting to teach defensive fundamentals.Other teams had many changes in the team roster and yet they play far better man to man defense than Rutgers.Its too late in the season to expect meaningful changes.

Had dinner at Federico's in Belmar next to St. Rose HS last night around 7:00pm. The wind was incredible to say the least. On my phone it said wind gust were hitting 65+, crazy. PS. They have the best chicken Francese

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Good-Knight said:

JK. I didn't watch it. You didn't watch it. Ratings down 25% from last years unwatched product.
McClung is not even in the NBA. Might as well have the frisbee dogs.
NBA looking at a future where it's rating fall another 50%. At that point weaker franchises that are leveraged beyond their asset value will start to teeter. Adam Silver is hoping the 2032 asteroid solves his problems.

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They just signed a 11y/$76B media contract.
Previous deal was 9y/$24B

I think they'll do fine if you didn't watch the ASG.

RUAldo said:

I watched the fights a half dozen times. Fast flying fists that didn’t connect once. Look at the players afterwards - not a scratch. Then the helmets come off and they grab each other in a hug to the ice and the refs come in. NHL viewership has been dropping to the point that the WNBA put up some better numbers. The fact that friends who don’t even care about hockey were texting me about the fights means it worked.

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Holy **** you're serious 😂

We played 11 guys which is the same as we did against Illinois. This is more that there is not a clear group that should play as opposed to "thinks its a rec league" or whatever. Go back and look at some box scores from 2022 for example, towards the end there were 4 guys playing like 34-38 minutes every game. Do you really think last night was because Hayes and Acuff got a few minutes each?

Derkack should never get off the bench. He is awful.

I’m not sure we’ll ever get a major snowstorm again here in cnj

RocktheRac said:

JMike and Somerville are gone. Thanks Steve for listening to a 17 yo on how to recruit.

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Unfortunately JMike is not gone. He will be here another 3 years because no other power 4 will take him let alone play starting minutes.

This basically sums up nearly every player on the roster after they have 1 good game.

Remember when Davis went 4/7 from 3 one game?
Derkack lit up MSG?

I don’t get his game. Undersized power forward with poor offensive skills?

I think Ford and Nini will be good. We're going to have a log jam at 157/165 with Magro coming in. I wouldn't rule Chapman out at 184 since he's been bumping up to wrestle Luddington. I think a redshirt would help Harer, if Ford or Barbosa could get down to 157 or if Magro is capable of getting the nod for a year, before he redshirts. Ideally, if either Ford or Barbosa could grow into 174, then that would be huge too. I haven't really seen anything of Blanchette, so I can't speak of him, but he's that 165/74 weight.