Bad taste in my mouth after this game
- Thread starter RUinSC
- Start date
Without a doubt Minnesota is the better athletic team. But still watching that game I understand the OP. We shot 45% (10--22) from the FT line not including missing several opportunities for a second FT on a one and one. Minnesota shot 86% or 12 of 14. We shot eight more FT's. We easily should have won this game from the FT line. It's frustrating to see how poorly we shoot from the charity stripe.
you cannot just say we easily would have won the game...the game changes on made free throws, Minnesota's approach would change as the game is nip/tuck....it would be a closer game where RU MIGHT win but they also could lose in a one or two possession situation.
this team CONSISTENTLY does not make free throws so its not a one or two off. Its a major characteristic of this team and it will not change this year.
That's where I think you're wrong BAC. If we make some crucial FT's and hit the front end of a one and one it makes a big difference. The difference if you make both FT's is you can set up your defense, where we are very good. When we missed it enabled Minnesota to jump on out there in transition for some easy baskets and easy looks. The only thing I wish Pikiell did in this game was go more to the 2-3 zone. Minnesota was not shooting well from the outside all game and they were killing us on the glass with second and third opportunities.
Minnesota's recruiting under Pitino Jr. has been in the Top half of the B1G for the last two years, so this is a game where your talent in the front court is just quicker, faster and more skilled than anything RU could throw at them.....and Mason canceled out Sanders, so there wasn't much of an advantage. There isn't an advantage that RU had at any position on the floor....I'm not saying Minnesota is North Carolina or Duke, but they have as complete a Top 7 players as anyone else in the B1G.
Even with a better FT shooting game, it's not a game where you felt RU was dictating tempo.....every basket RU made, was answered....sometimes you have to tip your cap and acknowledge what Minnesota put together and have to hope RU builds a roster in two to three years worth of recruits at that level.
RU's points were on putbacks, a couple of leak out dunks and a couple of flurries....I think this was more about Minnesota stepping up their game more than RU not doing something or playing over their heads....If RU goes 17-22 from the line, you make it closer but at no point in the game, did I get the sense that Minnesota was in trouble.
Sanders has been used an awful lot in the last 3 games and he's wearing down from the minutes played on both ends....his offense suffered today in the second half because of it and we have to find more spots to get him rest. The lack of a 4th true capable guard at Mike Williams or better as far as talent on this roster eventually was going to catch up to RU, today was that day....Chasing Mason, through screens and working as hard as he has to, made it tough today.....if you have a 4th guard capable of defending Mason and allowing Sanders more rest, you may have a closer game or different outcome.
I do like the fan base raising the expectations, but I'd rather play Wisconsin 10 times, Maryland 10 times and Northwestern 10 times, vs asking RU to play Minnesota or Michigan State....those two front courts are clearly the most athletic/quick leaping and fastest in the conference and it's not even close vs the rest of the league....
If this game was at Minnesota and not here, it would have never been in doubt....crowd today was excellent again, but these are legitimate programs with 3-4 year head starts on building their rosters, recruiting and shedding players that were from the prior staff.....RU is going to get there...
Probably going to Kean to see Doucoure live and in person to see how he looks....game is at 5 or 5:30 today vs Gill St Bernard....
Even with a better FT shooting game, it's not a game where you felt RU was dictating tempo.....every basket RU made, was answered....sometimes you have to tip your cap and acknowledge what Minnesota put together and have to hope RU builds a roster in two to three years worth of recruits at that level.
RU's points were on putbacks, a couple of leak out dunks and a couple of flurries....I think this was more about Minnesota stepping up their game more than RU not doing something or playing over their heads....If RU goes 17-22 from the line, you make it closer but at no point in the game, did I get the sense that Minnesota was in trouble.
Sanders has been used an awful lot in the last 3 games and he's wearing down from the minutes played on both ends....his offense suffered today in the second half because of it and we have to find more spots to get him rest. The lack of a 4th true capable guard at Mike Williams or better as far as talent on this roster eventually was going to catch up to RU, today was that day....Chasing Mason, through screens and working as hard as he has to, made it tough today.....if you have a 4th guard capable of defending Mason and allowing Sanders more rest, you may have a closer game or different outcome.
I do like the fan base raising the expectations, but I'd rather play Wisconsin 10 times, Maryland 10 times and Northwestern 10 times, vs asking RU to play Minnesota or Michigan State....those two front courts are clearly the most athletic/quick leaping and fastest in the conference and it's not even close vs the rest of the league....
If this game was at Minnesota and not here, it would have never been in doubt....crowd today was excellent again, but these are legitimate programs with 3-4 year head starts on building their rosters, recruiting and shedding players that were from the prior staff.....RU is going to get there...
Probably going to Kean to see Doucoure live and in person to see how he looks....game is at 5 or 5:30 today vs Gill St Bernard....
Better FT shooting today doesn't automatically make this an easy win but it would have given us s great chance to win. Can't just take our FT misses, add them to the score and say we win. If we made some of them, kept it closer the whole dynamic of the game would change.
Lots of people will tell you that you don't play any better interior defense in a zone than you do in man to man.
I was at the game----pretty typical----RU played hard-----didn't play well.
Minn has better players----way better-----scary thing is that's a young team. Both them and Iowa and PSU look to have a bright future.
RU just has a roster of too many guys who aren't Big Ten level players.
Hopefully in a few years that isn't the case.
I was at the game----pretty typical----RU played hard-----didn't play well.
Minn has better players----way better-----scary thing is that's a young team. Both them and Iowa and PSU look to have a bright future.
RU just has a roster of too many guys who aren't Big Ten level players.
Hopefully in a few years that isn't the case.
Be born. Then roll over . Then crawl. Then stumble. Then walk.We are in the first year of a 3 year process.I think we are a wee bit ahead of schedule.
Read my followup to BAC. We both pretty much agree. But I will say this: if we make our FT the dynamics change, because we could set up our half-court defense and Minnesota would have had trouble getting so many easy baskets in transition.
The fact the roster lacks Big Ten talent supports my conclusion that some players need to transfer at the end of the season to a level of competition where they can be successful.
This was not a winnable game. Our players did everything they could to not get blown out. Every time Minn got to a double digit lead we fought back. Minn is a better version of us. Play great D and pound the boards. Their bigs are more athletic and guards are better shooters.
Coaching is clearly there. Hopefully we get our players in before our good assistant coaches get swooped away. Missing FTs is talent. Seeing the same players last year and this year, it's clear that the coaching can do wonders. Geo Baker in 2-3 years with more Pike players and we'll be rolling
I guess you weren't at the game. No argument Minnesota had control for most of the game but they answered every early run with an and one and hit some ridiculous shots . But not late , I posted the end game disaster execution in the other thread, but if Nigel hits that three to get it to 68-66, we likely win because of the juice in the RAC at that point in time . To say it was not a winnable game is silly and uninformed .
Yo, SC that bad taste in your mouth is probably the Taylor Ham... You should have went with the Pork Roll!
You start with a statement that it was not a winnable game and then you say Minnesota tightened up and we were terrible executing . You are almost completely wrong . Eugene didn't dunk and after being fouled missed 2 , Nigel missed an open three that would have cut it to 2, then still down 5, Corey goes hard to the hole , looks like he got hit on the arm and lost the ball at the rim. The end game disproves your point and it surely doesn't make your point. And since you admittedly was not at the game , it was getting real loud at the RAC down the stretch that would have helped us pull it out. It wasn't that Rutgers made it entertaining , it was that Rutgers botched it and tortured us for yet another game. Make no mistake , this was a very winnable game
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No doubt Minnesota was more talented than us which you can say about everyone frankly. That said, if we shot like 65% in a few of these games we could easily have stolen 2 or 3 games. Easily,. And perception wise, there's a big difference in a first year coach taking over a 1-18 team and going 5-13 or 6-12 vs. 2-16. Big difference. The record matters.
The record always matters especially at Rutgers where they have a grand total of 5 league wins in 3 years.After every game the lame excuses come out but the results remain the same and so does the lack of talent.
I understand your frustration because I came into today's game thinking we win. But; what I didn't realize is that Minnesota is pretty damn athletic and the guy who wrote matchups was absolutely correct.
Think about it like this? With the match up problems and the horrendous free throw shooting and difficulty we had on the boards we were still in this game. Think about how crazy that is?
I'm really happy about our program right now. Pikiell can't make free throws for these guys and that we get better. If there are tickets to the awards banquet at the end of the season, I want to be there. Last time I went was in the Wenzel years.
Think about it like this? With the match up problems and the horrendous free throw shooting and difficulty we had on the boards we were still in this game. Think about how crazy that is?
I'm really happy about our program right now. Pikiell can't make free throws for these guys and that we get better. If there are tickets to the awards banquet at the end of the season, I want to be there. Last time I went was in the Wenzel years.
It was most certainly a winnable game. If we are close, crowd and pressure becomes a great RU bonus. The idea that Minny is better than us is a cop out. Every team in the league is better than us on paper. We make some free throws and another outside shot or two we do indeed win this game. There's hope.
I'm sure the atmosphere was great. I'm happy that RU fans were entertained. Everything you stated above would've gotten us closer to tie the game. But at no point did we get it down to one possession in the last 10 min of the game. All the things you stated would've made it a winnable game. But we didn't come through.
You are clueless and the problem that your u make a conclusion when you weren't in the arena. You make a general statement without what the atmosphere was the last 5-6 minutes . I can only tell you it was nothing like what you wrote.
The more perplexing question is why do we play better on the road than at the RAC. We did not even play well today and still had a chance to win. On the road we are spaced better, we get out to early leads , but at home the last few games we go down early and cannot fully recover. We do not even shoot foul shots well at home where they practice them. So so frustrating!
i thought at times we looked fatigued. not normal for us to get killed on the defensive end. freeman was not himself, didnt seem in to it. this was before he left the game to get a cut fixed. murphy absolutely owned him and was the difference in the game, along with FT.
we played 29-29 in 2nd half...1st half was NOT RU basketball, 2nd half was
we played 29-29 in 2nd half...1st half was NOT RU basketball, 2nd half was
Maybe I am clueless. I based my analysis on the play and not the atmosphere. Everything I wrote were all facts. Wisc was a winnable game. This was a keep it close game. Crowd can pump up the D but our issue is O. You can cheer loud as you want, it's not going to make our players shoot better.
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