2019/20 Expectations for Rutgers per Jon Rothstein and Jerry Carino

[knightinaz]

The old Nebraska? They have really never been good. I believe no ncaa tourney win ever

I just saw Jeff Goodman saying Fred Hoiberg is leading candidate at Nebraska. That could change things there quickly

 

[RutgHoops]

Rutgers' KenPom Rankings:

2019: 77
2018: 130
2017: 135
2016: 279
2015: 198
2014: 170
2013: 106
2012: 120
2011: 78

Its been a while since a Rutgers team has played as well as we did this past season. And I firmly believe there is large room for improvement amongst the current roster. And we are adding talent. Tough not to be somewhat optimistic, although reading thru the thread I do see it's possible.

 

[cubuffsdoug]

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

First Rome wasn't built in a day. Next, Minnesota and Iowa are back in the NCAA tourney, but that didn't look much better than Rutgers when the teams met. I was looking at the situation through the lens of Rutgers past, present, and future. I was keeping it in that context. You know as well as any poster on this board, there are some who put opposing teams on a pedestal while underestimating our players. How many fans called for Carter and McConnell to transfer after two weeks into the season? Also, the talent may not be as bad as some of the recruiting services rated them. Harper is clearly better than what Rivals originally rated him. Johnson is much better than he's given credit coming out of HS. His injuries knocked him down. McConnell is solid all around, but people view him as a throw-in recruit to fill out the class. Turns out McConnell is more than that. I think from a public viewpoint, Coach Pike needs recruits with 4 and 5 stars next to their name to help with the perception of the program. At the end of the day, the kids have to want it and work harder to see the results (wins) on the court.

FYI: over the last two years Rutgers is 7-6 against Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. That's better than what Rutgers has done against the lower half of the B1G like Illinois, PSU, and Northwestern.

 

[cubuffsdoug]

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.

Everything is about context. Before Coach Pike's arrival, Rutgers invested in the basketball program like it was the plague. The program is rising faster than you think and because you don't see Rutgers in the top 7 doesn't mean they are a ways off. Rutgers youth and inexperience cost them a chance to finish higher. Plus, some of you have to stop hanging on to recruiting rankings as if its the final answer to when each team ends the season. Players still have to develop once they step foot on campus. I don't know basketball like I know football, but those mid-2000 teams under Schiano were not close to being highly rated. Somehow they competed every year and produced. The differences in talent level are minuscule, and it comes down to the player's commitment, the coach's system, and the coach being able to develop the talent he has recruited.

 

[AreYouNUTS]

I’m kinda surprised how a lot are downplaying our roster and saying that “we willed our way to 7 wins”

I kinda see it as the opposite...I think we got by on pure individual basketball skill way too much this season ...and the youth really hurt us in team basketball ...which is why our team defense suffered (though we looked better on the ball than our numbers when we played man) and we had a lot of scoring droughts ...a lot of them

I think we will be better in record along IF the team learns for having some experience of playing big ten basketball ...and grows from it on the macro level....even with margin skill level improvement of our returning players

Very optimistic ...because I think the skill development will be there ....question is...how fast does this team grow up next year ?

I’m with you buddy.

 

[willisneverrana43]

Everything is about context. Before Coach Pike's arrival, Rutgers invested in the basketball program like it was the plague. The program is rising faster than you think and because you don't see Rutgers in the top 7 doesn't mean they are a ways off. Rutgers youth and inexperience cost them a chance to finish higher. Plus, some of you have to stop hanging on to recruiting rankings as if its the final answer to when each team ends the season. Players still have to develop once they step foot on campus. I don't know basketball like I know football, but those mid-2000 teams under Schiano were not close to being highly rated. Somehow they competed every year and produced. The differences in talent level are minuscule, and it comes down to the player's commitment, the coach's system, and the coach being able to develop the talent he has recruited.

Everything in here was reasonable enough to be debatable, even though some of it involved arguing against something someone else must have said to you. But then you got to this statement regarding recruits and rosters: "The differences in talent level are minuscule." That is absurd. The differences in talent is massive. Saying that coaching matters is true, and that talent isn't everything is also true. But not recognizing that RU's talent level has been so substandard that it cannot even get out of the gate is willful blindness. Pike seems like a very good coach. And, as a very good coach, he'll never have any meaningful success at RU without improving the talent. Fortunately, he knows that.