“I’m worried for Steve Pikiell”: Coaching Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper might be challenging for Rutgers HC, claims basketball analyst

[Greene Rice FIG]

When do you have optimism, Greene? I must have missed that! Lol

I was very optimistic a few weeks before Mag went down...that didn't go well.

There have been many times over the past 6 seasons where I was optimistic. I can go through the archives to demonstrate that. A few years ago i actually got push back with a few posts when during a losing streak I posted things aren't as bad as they seem.

 

[RUsojo]

This is something Pikiell has never done it’s not outrageous to wonder if he can do it and certainly all outcomes are possible to some degree.

There have also been rumors from year to year, some public some not, of the team not necessarily gelling, or particular cliques of the team not gelling, so a potential lockeroom issue with two guys focused on a larger goal is a scenario that could lead to lack of chemistry or buy in situations.

Ace and Dylan seem to be good dudes though from what the public sees ( I did not see what @Westcoast saw at the exhibition game but seems overplayed that stuff is normal ).

 

[RUPete]

I have to admit - I am approaching this season with caution. As Sojo said, this is new territory for Pike and us. Finding chemistry can be a difficult thing too. Even though it was a much different era, remember when Duncan and Hughes became eligible after the surprise NCAA year? It took that team all year to find itself and squeak into the NIT. They were much better the following season after playing together for a year and bringing in Dabbs.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

This is something Pikiell has never done it’s not outrageous to wonder if he can do it and certainly all outcomes are possible to some degree.

There have also been rumors from year to year, some public some not, of the team not necessarily gelling, or particular cliques of the team not gelling, so a potential lockeroom issue with two guys focused on a larger goal is a scenario that could lead to lack of chemistry or buy in situations.

Ace and Dylan seem to be good dudes though from what the public sees ( I did not see what @Westcoast saw at the exhibition game but seems overplayed that stuff is normal ).

Chemistry is ALWAYS great 11/1. Chemistry is very important, but to me our best team ever (Pike era) actually had chemistry problems.

@Westcoast is a good poster and has no reason to lie so that concerns me a little.

 

[Scarlet83]

I was very optimistic a few weeks before Mag went down...that didn't go well.

There have been many times over the past 6 seasons where I was optimistic. I can go through the archives to demonstrate that. A few years ago i actually got push back with a few posts when during a losing streak I posted things aren't as bad as they seem.

I believe you. Just funning around.

 

[G- RUnit]

What are you talking about ? Kyrie returned for Duke after an injury when he could have just shut it down

Everybody’s fan favorite, Mawot Mag, shut it down.
Fans drove a player who gave heart and soul and 100 % effort in Simpson off the team.
Cant help being humored by the irony.
Never know what may happen.

 

[RUsojo]

It can turn out great we’ll wait and see. I’m hoping to make the tournament. I like that we dodged Houston. If we are on the bubble we may be in a position to get the benefit of the doubt for a change with Dylan and Ace. I think it can go either way.

Pike is a coach em up type of coach. We’ve seen him bring our program to respectability by getting kids whose realistic motivation is good college player success.

Ace and Dylan are already higher up the basketball community food chain the Pike is - that’s seismic shift in team dynamics.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Everybody’s fan favorite, Mawot Mag, shut it down.
Fans drove a player who gave heart and soul and 100 % effort in Simpson off the team.
Cant help being humored by the irony.
Never know what may happen.

teammates might have been driving this bus too

 

[NewJerseyHawk]

I know this is difficult for some fans to digest, but recruiting is about guidance AND allowing the freedom of kids to experience and make mistakes, so the coaching can actually correct those mistakes along the way.

And those kids also add valuable coaching experience on how to coach other high caliber, high maintenance or high profile recruits. In the Greene world, he doesn't embrace the "referral factor".....that means that perhaps Pike or RU could be more strict or hammer kids to dive for loose balls and risk a separated shoulder, but how do we think we landed these better players to begin with?? By being inflexible and rigid?? LMAO

We have the blessing of a multiyear NBA champion in Harper's Dad and he and his Mom signed off on RU. To think Pike has final say on anything, would be laughable....it's not different than Calipari or Hubert Davis or Tom Izzo etc. To acquire higher level talent, requires flexibility.

Enjoy the process because it will be other higher level recruiting people asking Dylan and Ace for their thoughts on RU.....treating them like they aren't different is silly....if Ace and Dylan are built and wired the right way, that is part of why they picked RU to begin with. I think trusting Pike, BKnight. TJ, Smoke and Jay Young etc, is what we all want to see....and let the RAC environment and fanbase, take over the excitement/energy factors.

RU is blowing up in hoops social circles, social media and that's all what the goal should be, when we hire any coach, add visibility and become an attractive option, near NYC...... I don't think anyone can really appreciate what this will ultimately mean for RU, it may be a decade long term positive impact, in my opinion.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

NJH and I kind of agree on things here and he kind of agrees with Goodman's premise.

This isn't fantasy baseball. You don't just draft a bunch of good pitchers (bad strategy IMO) and all of a suddenly be a team that wins with pitching.

Pike isn't Dan Hurley. Pike is a Top 10 coaching in college basketball and he put us on the map by winning with defense, rebounding and toughness. He isn't an offensive mind and we don't have offensive minds sitting as assistant coaches. We had Gavin last year and quite frankly the staff didn't know how to use him in the offense. i think a grand total of 5 times did we actually run the 1 play we had for him that had Cliff set a down screen.

when we win at Rutgers it is because of defense.

Now it is OK to have 40% of our lineup not to play 100% and dive for loose balls and aggressively go after rebounds?

I am not concluding that Ace and Dylan won't be wired to play harder when the ball isn't in their hands or the man they are guarding have the ball. I think there is a good chance we see significant improvement over what we saw in the exhibition game.

In 1 year we aren't going from the 1986 Bears to St. Louis Rams of what ever the F the year was.