Did the refs have it in for us again?

[NiTeKnight]

No seems to be complaining about the refs, but Nebraska had 32 free throws and RU had 11.
That is almost three times as many free throws. And the personal fouls were 25 for RU and 13 for Nebraska - about twice as many. The 22 turnovers were a huge reason for the loss but so was Nebraska getting 14 more points than RU at the free throw line. Coach Pikiell in his post game said something like "you can't defend the free throw line". Do you think he meant that RU fouled too much playing defense or that the refs seemed to favor Nebraska?

 

[kcg88]

That's an excuse. 12 of the FTs came in the final 90 seconds when Rutgers was intentionally putting them on the line. So the real differential was something like 20 to 11.

The game was lost entirely due to turnovers. We outshot them percentage-wise from 2-point, from 3-point, and from the FT line. They simply had more shots because we ended a third of possessions with a turnover (ie no shot attempt).

 

[RUChoppin]

Their guards were also much more aggressive toward the basket, and our guards frequently found themselves a step behind on defense and fouling. By contrast, our guards seemed content most of the game to pass around the perimeter looking for jump shots. Even Omoruyi ended up taking something like 4-5 longer range jumpers instead of working inside.

It was a tighter whistle last night than we've been used to, and Nebraska exploited that much better than we did.

 

[DHajekRC84]

Both of the 2 replies direct above. We didn't defend well and we dug little to make them.
No one to blame but ourselves.

 

[superfan01]

This loss on pike.

 

[Mr Magoo]

This loss on pike.

...And the players. It was a team shitshow for all involved except Eugene and Johnson, who BTW, weren’t even on the floor for some bizarre reason with 5 minutes left, the game tied and Nebraska on a run.

 

[RUJMM78]

Their guards were also much more aggressive toward the basket, and our guards frequently found themselves a step behind on defense and fouling. By contrast, our guards seemed content most of the game to pass around the perimeter looking for jump shots. Even Omoruyi ended up taking something like 4-5 longer range jumpers instead of working inside.

It was a tighter whistle last night than we've been used to, and Nebraska exploited that much better than we did.

Palmer is a better guard at driving to the basket and getting fouled.Rutgers players simply lack that skill set .

 

[RUChoppin]

Palmer is a better guard at driving to the basket and getting fouled.Rutgers players simply lack that skill set .

Mathis has the skillset and did it very well against Nebraska the first time out, en route to 20 pts and 10 trips to the line (6/10). Unfortunately, yesterday he managed to commit 5 fouls in just 15 minutes. I'd say Harper also has the skillset, but he only took 2 shots inside the arc yesterday (and went 2/2).

 

[bac2therac]

Shocked to read some other sites bring up the refs. Sorry that wasnt the issue. As said earlier in the thread about a dozen late in the game.

Defense was bad yesterday. Step too slow and so many silly fouls...Caleb...Gene fir starters. The amazing that that our bigs were not fouling at all. What does that say?

We turned it over 1/3 of our possessions. We were playing from behind alot if possessions and even on made baskets Nebby was pushing the pace and penetrating at all

Ru did nothing to draw fouls. As Choppin said content to throw it around the perimeter run the shot clock down and hoist jumpers or turn the ball over.

 

[RutgersRaRa]

When considering the factors that contribute to free-throw disparity, biased refs isn't my default rationale. One of the least discussed factors by our fans is the quickness of other teams' guards versus the quickness of ours. Simply put, our guards are not quick because they're not point guards, they're shooting guards. When Cory left it was up to Geo to fill the role this year, but he isn't a quick guard and doesn't drive the lane very often unless we're in transition. In order to get into the lane you have to blow past the guy who's on you, and that requires quickness. Nebraska has a guard with quickness, and he exploited it last night. Indiana has a quick guard. The entire roster of (gag) PSU has quickness. Iowa is not quick, and we matched up well against them. Teams with a point guard willing to drive and draw contact, and who could make FTs, was a big problem for us.

The good news is that next year Young is quick and should be able to drive, the question will be what he does with the ball when he does. Same thing with Mulcahy. Refs weren't our problem, having an incomplete roster personnel-wise, especially at the 1, was.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

STOP IT!

This loss was on the players.......and to a much, much lesser extent the coach.

 

[G- RUnit]

Yes it’s safer to keep our head in the sand and ignore that we were in the double bonus and they never got in the bonus the whole 2nd half.

By the way it was the same in the first half. It makes a difference and was just as much a factor as playing poorly.

 

[koko2315]

polar opposite of what we saw in bloomington
whistle swallowed for the whole game until we forced the issue in the end
TO's and lazy ballhandling lost this game
Game was reffed evenly, but inconsistently from the standpoint of any other B1G whistle snoozefest

 

[richthedentist]

Mathis has the skillset and did it very well against Nebraska the first time out, en route to 20 pts and 10 trips to the line (6/10). Unfortunately, yesterday he managed to commit 5 fouls in just 15 minutes. I'd say Harper also has the skillset, but he only took 2 shots inside the arc yesterday (and went 2/2).

and the problem is when Mathis gets fouled he can't shoot foul shots

 

[RUChoppin]

and the problem is when Mathis gets fouled he can't shoot foul shots

Sure... but in this game, just getting into the lane and getting fouled would have been a big help even without making the FTs. Racking up fouls on Watson, Palmer, and Roby was more important than getting points at the line yesterday.

Through the first 19:30, we had managed to draw just one foul each on Watson, Palmer, and Roby. Then we managed to get a 2nd on Watson right before half, and a 3rd 21 seconds into the second half..... and not a 4th until the 1:20 mark when we were already down by 10.

With 8 min left in the game, Watson had 3 fouls, Roby had 2, and Palmer had just 1. Borchart had 2 more, and Trueblood had none.

 

[AshCatchEm]

No..we sucked

 

[Night Man]

I don't think this one was based on some "screw RU" agenda, I think it was that they knew they had the capability to completely gut Nebraska by calling a tight game on them and they decided the players were going to decide it. Not sure a tightly called game would have gone that well for us either. But at the same time, the 26-13 foul disparity is not indicative of the physicality of each team. I think RU committed a few more fouls than Nebraska did, not TEN more (before intentional fouls at the end). Some of this is that many of our opponents have guys who are foul drawing machines, and we don't have that (Harper may be the furthest along in this regard). Palmer, Langford, Murphy, they're often on the Harden plan. And big picture, of course, the turnovers were the main reason for the loss, not the calls.

Sorry to the "refs were fine" crowd but you guys are refusing to acknowledge that this disaster was multidimensional. You're angry that RU played like garbage and deserved to lose, but that doesn't mean the game was called evenly. Even Pikiell referenced it... when does he ever bitch about the refs? He's not your typical board member here freaking out about every missed call and blaming the refs for every loss. He has a better perspective than any of us and he thought it appropriate to say something about it. That should tell you something.

 

[G- RUnit]

It drives me nuts. All year Nebraska was most foul prone team in the league. Except when they play RU and we have double the fouls. Awful!

We played poorly but refs made a huge difference.

And next year I want Pike to get a T first game and lose silly streak so we can visibly show we won’t take crap anymore.

 

[bac2therac]

the Big 10 refs do not call fouls like the Big East...we are used to foul fest..not happening anymore, they do penalize teams with poor defense and are a step behind and foul like RU did last night. They alot of the challenge plays go.....they let all kinds of contact go in the PSU-Minny game and quite frankly I sort of like it

 

[G- RUnit]

Not buying it. We do get the short end on coverage and with the refs.

Sick of B1G ripping us when we always get the short end of the stick.

 

[RUsince52]

If you don't attack the rim you're chances of drawing foul is greatly reduced. Despite our shooting percentage, how many of our shots were blocked ? Except for EO and he has to work to to get an easier basket, we have no inside game period. Johnson and Carter can't score from 6 feet away because they have no shot unless they're wide open. CS better start teaching.

 

[bac2therac]

we do not draw contact....we miss so many chippies by almost moving away from the rim if that makes sense. Lots of teaching to do.

Carter missed a easy layup in crunch time yesterday that could have stopped the bleeding in crucial moment..great pass by Geo and then a bad miss

 

[Night Man]

We draw relatively little contact but it's basketball, there's often contact and it wasn't called most of last night. Multiple times in the 2nd half I saw Eugene flex his biceps after a finish. Why might he be implying it took strength to finish... it's not that the air is extra heavy in the United Center... or that they're going into hurricane force wind... or that Nebraska was staying strictly vertical on defense...

 

[bac2therac]

you should have seen the no call on Minny against Stevens, guy literally hooked and pulled Stevens arm on a layup and no foul called. Stevens was incredulous and the announcers were like wow as they showed it 3 times, there was no debate.

 

[RUJMM78]

we do not draw contact....we miss so many chippies by almost moving away from the rim if that makes sense. Lots of teaching to do.

Carter missed a easy layup in crunch time yesterday that could have stopped the bleeding in crucial moment..great pass by Geo and then a bad miss

Missed layups, missed foul shots and the absence of 3 point shooters have far greater impact than calls by refs.

 

[RUChoppin]

we do not draw contact....we miss so many chippies by almost moving away from the rim if that makes sense. Lots of teaching to do.

I've noticed this too. What looks at first to be a foul on a shot you then see on replay, or by rewinding/rewatching, that our guy managed to contort himself to avoid contact... and then missed the shot. I can see contorting to make sure the shot goes down around a shot blocker, or something... but to try to avoid contact going to the rim doesn't make sense most of the time. Especially when the altered shots aren't going down, anyway. Take the licks, go to the line, and put foul pressure on the opposing team's rotation.

 

[satnom]

Make no mistake BIG refs will do RU no favors. There are a number of games this season where RU had the lead or playing close with opponent and you could make an argument that the referees played a role in the flow of the game that disadvantaged RU. RU simply has to start winning bigger over opponents to start getting respect with the whistle and that starts with winning out of conference games and learning how to close out games. Off the top of my head RU missed opportunities to win this season against Iowa home, MSU away, Wis away, Iowa home, PSU home, Ill away, and NW home. That’s seven more conference wins that were achieveble that RU did not know how to overcome the obstacles presented to get a W. I know some of you are still wallowing about the end of the season and don’t want to hear this team is young but damn this team IS young. I look forward to seeing Myles, McConnell, Mathis, Harper and Geo building upon this season. Omoyuri is a beast player and leader. I look forward to seeing Young and Mulcahy join the party and this thing taking off. RU just needs to add another shooter that can hit open shots and a four or five with good feet, can bang and be a threat to score. I think PM gives us a selfless PG that can dish over defenses and Young will be able score and guard athletic guards.

RU basketball is trending in the right direction and don’t be surprised if pre season prognosticators pick RU to finish in the top half of the conference next season.

GO RU

 

[G- RUnit]

Wasn't Nebraska the most foul prone team in the league? Against RU they are suddenly choir boys. The only reason they stayed in the game in the first half was hitting foul shots. In the second half they never even got in the bonus. You can stick you head in the sand if you so choose but it was a crucial factor in the game. I would like the Iowa game back with a goal tending call here, a breakaway foul there, etc. Refs were stacked against us all year.

 

[4theknights]

The refs were brutal at the Iowa game and we lose on the miracle shot. At CC meeting, Coach Young had a interesting spin... says they have a tough job and they get evaluated plus teams can send in tapes to the BIG on questionable calls... he says the refs are really trying to do a good job. I try not to get too caught up with the refs because it ruins enjoying the game. I have some folks sitting in my area who complain and yell on every call against us.