Carino on The Gauntlet
- Thread starter dpwhite
- Start date
We're not expecting to dance this year, and going 0-3 in this stretch is far more likely than going 3-0. And while it could be said that this is a good learning experience for a young team, it would have been nice to spread these games out a bit to increase the likelihood of the team stealing a game or two.
Nonetheless, I am still hoping the team, fresh off a few days rest, gets a win in Miami and uses that to propel them to a win Friday in a packed RAC.
Just get one win in this stretch please
I still think the B1G is “punishing” us in hoops and football scheduling. The degree of difficulty is absurd.
I'd say going 0-3 is far more likely than even going 2-1. Brutal stretch, with no time between games to really prep for the next.
Meh. Poor us. We're in the B1G. Illinois is probably another bottom feeder in the league and they've already played Georgetown, Gonzaga, Iowa State and Xavier and they play at Notre Dame tonight - before they play any league games. That's how you get better.
is it really that bad...I think the quick turnaround after Miami is tough but MSU is at home. Wisconsin while probably going to be a NCAA team was not good last year and RU beat them. Miami by the scores are not exactly world beaters. This team had 5 home games to start the season, it needs a challenge. It all evens out. RU has sat home at the RAC while most of the Big 10 has traveled all around the country. I think its overblown.
I don't agree that Rutgers has a young team with a starting lineup of one senior, two juniors and two sophomores.There are teams throughout the country with comparable situations with the loss of players to graduation and other reasons.Rutgers situation is complicated because they are a bottom tier B1G team and need immediate offensive contributions from newcomers.
You can keep repeating that all you want, but the statistics show we are the 2nd youngest team in the B1G and KenPom has us ranked below 300 in returning experience. What you "agree" to is meaningless.
I think the NIT is possible. 8-4 in the first 12 games and 9-9 in the rest of league play. 17 wins and a local team.
After this stretch, from December 4 through January 4, we play only four games, and only one against a high major (SHU). That's a lot of practice time to work on things.
As dkostus said, it doesn't matter what you believe or not.
We're 321st nationally in average # of years of experience, out of 351. That's in the bottom 10%.
Even if you just look at our starting lineup (which is foolish, because no team in the country only plays a rotation of five guys, but let's at least start there).... our one senior has fewer game minutes than our true sophomore PG.
Here are the 9 players who have seen more than 6 min/g so far (min/g, player, career min):
33.8 - Baker (1213)
27.6 - Thiam (1694)
26.4 - Omoruyi (1221)
25.0 - Kiss (1050)
19.8 - Harper (99)
18.6 - Doorson (1024)
18.0 - Johnson (90)
16.2 - Mathis (81)
6.8 - McConnell (34)
By contrast, Ethan Happ is a 4th year starting senior, and has 3217 min (almost twice our most experienced player, and more than 3x our 5th year senior center). Carsen Edwards is a 3rd year starter as a junior, and has 2090 min.
This team is still very wet behind the ears. The great part of that, though, is that next year we only lose Doorson - and we'll have a team full of kids with a lot of experience relative to the rest of the conference.
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anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy
Guest
I agree in that I think it's overblown. These are basketball games, not football games. People often times forget, a lot of these kids are used to playing in up to sometimes 6 competitive games in a weekend at AAU tourneys. These are 18-22 year olds, they have fresh legs. The only difficult part might be the mental side of things if they get pounded in one of these first two games, coming back and bouncing back.
9-9 in the B1G? What are you on? Have you seen the B1G this year. Probably a 7 bid league with the middle tier being strong
I don't know, but with a young team, I would rather play teams that would be a long shot to win earlier and more winnable games later in the season once the team has grown.
RU goes 6-1 versus PSU, Minn, Ill, and NW. Goes 3-8 against the rest of the league for 9 wins and an NIT bid after starting 8-4.
As much as anyone can post something like this, winning road games in the B1G, is very rare for rebuilding programs. RU has 1 road win in the conference in the last 2 seasons (At Penn State) and even the better/NCAA caliber teams, struggle at times to win road games.
RU has to gain the experience with a very young roster first, which may take a season and a half, just to adjust to the tempo and discipline of winning games at home vs better competition.....then we can discuss whether they can win multiple league road games.
There have been closer than expected road games on a couple of occasions, but it's not expected to happen this season IMO. The learning process between tomorrow at Miami and mid to late February will be vicious and at times painful to watch, BUT it's part of the progression of learning how to play for 25 to 30 to 35 minutes to maybe 37 to 38 minutes...and then possibly a full consistent effort for 40 minutes, win or lose..... Actually the progression from Miami to Seton Hall in the next 3 weeks, will have 4 road games, all different and challenging.....
One where RU lacks experience and overall talent (Miami), .....
One where an annual NCAA team in Wisconsin rarely loses at home (last years aberration of injuries not withstanding, they had a streak of 16 straight NCAA seasons, snapped last year)
One where RU should be expected to matchup nicely and win on the road at Fordham.....
The final one where RU has then digested 3 road games and gets a short trip to Newark to play a familiar opponent/rival in Seton Hall....a team that has more experience in spots, but it also young and green in others.....a team that would have played St. Louis, Hawaii, Miami, Louisville and Kentucky before getting to host RU. Both teams will look and feel drastically different in 3 weeks than they do today.
I don't agree with the gauntlet either, it's a very fair schedule that gets difficult games out of the way earlier and allows the coaching staff to really evaluate whether some of the steps forward by Eugene, Thiam, Doorson are real or are they a mirage that needs more time to develop .......and how do our freshman play and perform, when a 8-0 run hits them and do they stick to the game plan or deviiate??....do they just play and take open shots when presented to them by our opponents or do they see ghosts that don't exist on the road??
I think in some ways, a Jacob Young is freewheeling enough and confident enough as a shooter and scorer, that he may become a spark next year that helps give RU some scoring on the road. The look and feel of the roster in spots like this next year with Young and Mulcahy and a full year under it's belt for the freshmen, will be beneficial.
Kyk, there is no defense played in those AAU tournaments, so six "competitive" games is possible over a weekend.
I don't know how anybody can say that this three-game stretch is overblown. Jerry's article proves that it's the worst 3-game schedule in the B1G during the same stretch. We're playing three top 25 teams (including a top 10 team) in six days, and two of those games are on the road.
That is absolutely a "gauntlet."
to me, this is the start of the learning process, assuming that we have our core that can grow/develop...I want to see where RU is at the end of next season, when Baker is a junior, our frosh are sophs, Eugene is a senior...and how that plays into the following season...Baker/Mulcahy/Mathis/Harper/Johnson with Kiss, Young, senior leader in Eugene, others...
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anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy
Guest
I agree. There is very very minimal defense played. I played aau ball in 8th grade but stopped playing bball in high school. And thinking back on it, 6 games was probably average for the weekend and defense was only really played in the final 5 minutes or so
they just played a tough tourney and then have some other power 5 school tonight...big deal..you play how you are dealt...Carino trying to drum up controversy when there really isnt any
I agree. I like the more difficult opponents we play.
I don’t think people are saying it’s the opponents that make the schedule extra difficult, it’s the quick turnaround of one day off between games to prepare and get that extra day of rest. Pike has mentioned that a couple of times also.
When the ball goes up, let’s win a game against a tough opponent. It’s the only way we get cred.
What’s all this discussion about whether we can go 9-9 in our conference? Don’t we play 20 B1G games this year (plus at least one tourney game)?
C’mon Billy. They are predicting two ties. 9-9-2. Get with it!
Tough stretch but not the toughest week Rutgers men’s basketball has had, even this decade. A few seasons ago we became the first ever basketball team to play #1, #2, and #3 in the AP poll in the same week. I think it was UNC, Pitt, and Louisville. The UNC game was at Madison square garden as a Rutgers home game, block R at mid court and all. A stupid UNC girl behind me at the game asked if Rutgers played all its games at Madison Square Garden
I saw the Hall had two recent commits.
Carino said with those two commits, and what they currently have, they should have one of the best, if not the best front court next year.
Lol, a real homer statement given what of a stretch it is.
Carino said with those two commits, and what they currently have, they should have one of the best, if not the best front court next year.
Lol, a real homer statement given what of a stretch it is.
