2019/20 Expectations for Rutgers per Jon Rothstein and Jerry Carino
- Thread starter BigEastPhil
- Start date
Don't forget Illinois OT road loss. Another free throw made and we could have won that game.
13-21 for 61.9%.
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The old "see what you wanna see" analysis walks right by things like an OT win against Columbia, other close wins and the "luck" stat at Kenpom and comes out where it always wanted to come out.
We need a major improvement in shooting to break into the top half of the league. Do we have the personnel to achieve that now? Here's hoping that Mulcahy can take the pressure off some of our players to make it happen. If not, I expect we'll end up around .500 next year, still improvement in record but with no postseason.
Very realistic assessment for next season.It all depends on player development and the performance of the new players two of which have not yet been recruited/selected.The absence of even one go to scorer is a problem that needs to be corrected ASAP.
The only issue I have with your comment, Willis, is I think it was pretty clear this team was different in the second half of the seasons and wouldn't let Columbia and Fordham's happen. Of course, there is always a possibility of a WTF loss--that's why they play the games, but the team that played poorly in those early games was still learning their roles.
Now I'm sure I'll be proven wrong by game 3 next year because that's the way it goes.
I think you should think about looking at this year’s team as two teams, since after the Maryland home game in early January, Pike let the freshman get more run, and played Issa and Kiss significantly less, and Doorson a little less. Looking back, I could care less about the OOC games this past year. We were a different, and much more competitive team against much higher competition after the Maryland game in January.
While every game matters, what truly matters to me this year is the last 17 or so games, because that when Pike played the core of our team going forward for the next few years. And we played those games against our conference foes.
Next season, every game matters to me as I believe we have a realistic chance to earn an NCAA bid.
When long time basketball fans look at the end of the Iowa home game this season and say “I’ve never seen anything like that in my entire lifetime watching basketball,” it’s easy to say that RU should have finished in the top 10 of this league.
GO RU
Michigan St, @ Wisconisn, Maryland to start B1G season wasn’t great either
I agree the league looks to be just as good next year.
But not everyone is going to be better. Some will deal with injuries. Some will deal with chemistry issues. Some teams are going to be better than advertised, others will be worse
We have to make sure that we are the former
But not everyone is going to be better. Some will deal with injuries. Some will deal with chemistry issues. Some teams are going to be better than advertised, others will be worse
We have to make sure that we are the former
I get that you're saying "the team also had moments where they got away with one" - but a loss against Columbia wouldn't have had any impact on our conference standing, either.
At the end of the day, there was very little separating 6th-12th in the league this year, and a few bounces in other directions across just a handful of games for those teams could have scrambled that order in any number of ways.
Rutgers was two games from being in the top half of the league. The youth and inexperience may have cost them a shot at reaching that level. Minnesota finished 7th in the B1G with a record of 9-11. Rutgers was 7-13. I don't think any other team in the B1G return as many players as Rutgers returns.
The young players improved as the year went on and the team got better. Positive year. But it also lost its last 3 games and 8 of its last 11. This team, if it continues to improve, is more likely to do so slowly. So I would warn against jamming your stake in the ground and giving a particular expectation, like top half of the league, and suggesting that the team won't have moved forward if that doesn't happen. Right now, the team's biggest problem is shooting, and it's entirely possible that the shooting will not improve much next year. Maybe ball handling will. Maybe the inside game will continue to improve. Maybe other things. But there's little new blood coming in next year, and it's not clear any of the new blood will be good shooters. Small improvements are still improvements, and until Pike starts landing difference-maker shooters/scorers, that's what we may get. I'd be happy with that, and I'm willing to give him time.
the ones that are not are bringing in pretty good classes, that is the thing with this conference..it reloads. Iowa, Illinois and Penn State return alot of young talent
I know teams reload, but you can't discount experience. Rutgers was a great example of this late in the season. Unless those teams reloading with nothing but 4 and 5 stars, the advantage goes to teams like Rutgers for next year.
In the case of Iowa, Illinois, and PSU I like how Rutgers matches up, and Pike has shown the ability to out-coach each of them.
Consider the starting point for each of these teams. Rutgers had the biggest hill to climb and they closed the gap between the other schools rather quickly. Those schools no longer enjoy the advantages they once had over Rutgers. In fact, gone are the regular 20 point losses to everyone including the bottom half of the league.
Having a far better won/loss record at home is the best indicator of future success.
Which means most schools bring more new bodies in. The way most schools recruit that could be dangerous
most schools...I would say maybe 12 to 13 schools are recruiting at a higher level than RU and half of them are plug in and play types
We're the only conference school that has that distinction, too.
RU is the only school not to have a win over Michigan in the last 5 years.
RU and NW are the only schools not to have a win over MSU or over MD over the last 5 years
RU, NW, and PSU are the only schools not to have a win over Purdue in the last 5 years
Are you saying 12 to 13 B1G schools are recruiting at a higher level than Rutgers? Also, there is more to having a good team than recruiting plug and play kids. PSU is recruiting better than Rutgers but PSU coach has not done a great job of developing the talent. Minnesota is another underachieving team due to a suspect coach. Some posters here, not you, think once you get a quality recruit the job is completed. Now sit back and watch them win.
Have you looked at the standings at the end of each year RU has been in the B1G?
You fall for that crap? There was an article post not long ago about rivals and 247 ranking a kid who they never saw, but gave the recruit a ranking because of the offers from blue bloods. It turn out some kids ran a prank just to test how recruits receive their rankings. It proves you have to take some of the rankings with a grain of salt.
Methinks you misunderstand the difference between the year-end standings in the B1G's basketball league and whatever ranking services you're going on about.
Fair to say that I don't understand how you could be surprised that someone has the opinion that 12 or 13 B1G schools are recruiting better than RU when over the last 3 years RU has finished in last, last and twelfth place.
Yes i am saying 12 or 13 schools are recruiting better. Is Pikiell coaching better relative to his talent yes but he will clearly have to upgrade the talent level
Minnesota is back in the Ncaa tourney as is Iowa
Ugh, I missed a word. Meant to write "They're NOT going to go back to being the old Nebraska." I think Hoiberg will consistently keep them near the bubble or better.
