Early thoughts

[bac2therac]

Things are different. You know why things are different. Because for the first time in 3 years, you can see passion, hard work, energy, focus, eager to learn, buying in, hustle, depth, basketball iq, sticktuitiveness, teamwork, selflessness. It is night and day. We finally have the pieces to build a solid team. It does not mean that all of a suddenly RU is going to go over 500 this year but it means that program has stablized under Pikiell and stopped the bleeding of losing before even taking the court. Molloy went as it should have, a total blowout with many contributing. Drexel, a program that embarrassed RU at the RAC two years ago was dispatched with total ease. True a big dropoff from the Dragon squad from two years ago but a great test for RU because its exactly the kind of game that RU was in life and death matches over the past few years. To secure a resounding win was impressive in game 2 of the Pikiell regie.


Like...no love the added depth this year and love that everyone seems to be getting a chance to prove themselves. Its early so its hard to judge based on the competition. I love that that finally this team is rebounding....56 today! finally its playing defense. I love that Sanders is getting work drills as a point guard rather than have to bail RU out as the only real scoring threat. I love that we actually have a big man Gettys who can play the paint with poise and score. Nigel Johnson has looked impressive in his first two games and shows the quickness and offense prowess the program needs. Early returns look good on Thiam and Sa. Freeman looks to pick off where he left off before being injured. Laurent showing big time growth in his game from frosh to sophomore. Doorson seems to getting less minutes than the others so we will see if that picks up or not. Diallo looks to be odd man out and Bullock will struggle to get minutes at least at this point.

Pikiell has passed his first test and that was getting the players to buy into a new coach and change their mindset. Thats going to be half the battle this year as the opponents become tougher, it will be harder for RU to win games but Im fully confident that this team is going to work hard through losses and be resilient in working to build the program

De Paul is a big time swing game next week on the road. Another great test to see just where the program is. Based on the first two games, its certainly winnable but win or lose I am curious to see how this team plays against the steps up in competition like De Paul, Miami and Seton Hall. Wins to me are not important to me as much as seeing eagerness and energy and growth in each segment of the schedule.

Steve Pikiell and staff...I am impressed with what you have done so far in just two games and a month of practiced....ask the last staff I am not easily impressed lol

 

[knight82]

Great post, Bac. I really believe that when we lose games this year, it will be solely because the opponent was better. Effort, defense, and rebounding will not be an issue under this coaching staff.

 

[richthedentist]

Agree 100% this team is night and day better!! The only thing I thought I would see more of today was off the ball movement and back screens did not see alot of that but loved the effort

 

[shields]

Nice job BAC!

 

[RUPete]

Can't add much, I have the same impressions. I'll add that the team looks in much better shape, the half court sets are much more efficient and the rebounding win tonight was insane. On a side note, there were at least two or three times when we called time out, needed a hoop and got it after a good set. Good to see. It's early, but I'm real happy with Pike and staff.

 

[ScarletLongIsland]

Things are different. You know why things are different. Because for the first time in 3 years, you can see passion, hard work, energy, focus, eager to learn, buying in, hustle, depth, basketball iq, sticktuitiveness, teamwork, selflessness. It is night and day. We finally have the pieces to build a solid team. It does not mean that all of a suddenly RU is going to go over 500 this year but it means that program has stablized under Pikiell and stopped the bleeding of losing before even taking the court. Molloy went as it should have, a total blowout with many contributing. Drexel, a program that embarrassed RU at the RAC two years ago was dispatched with total ease. True a big dropoff from the Dragon squad from two years ago but a great test for RU because its exactly the kind of game that RU was in life and death matches over the past few years. To secure a resounding win was impressive in game 2 of the Pikiell regie.


Like...no love the added depth this year and love that everyone seems to be getting a chance to prove themselves. Its early so its hard to judge based on the competition. I love that that finally this team is rebounding....56 today! finally its playing defense. I love that Sanders is getting work drills as a point guard rather than have to bail RU out as the only real scoring threat. I love that we actually have a big man Gettys who can play the paint with poise and score. Nigel Johnson has looked impressive in his first two games and shows the quickness and offense prowess the program needs. Early returns look good on Thiam and Sa. Freeman looks to pick off where he left off before being injured. Laurent showing big time growth in his game from frosh to sophomore. Doorson seems to getting less minutes than the others so we will see if that picks up or not. Diallo looks to be odd man out and Bullock will struggle to get minutes at least at this point.

Pikiell has passed his first test and that was getting the players to buy into a new coach and change their mindset. Thats going to be half the battle this year as the opponents become tougher, it will be harder for RU to win games but Im fully confident that this team is going to work hard through losses and be resilient in working to build the program

De Paul is a big time swing game next week on the road. Another great test to see just where the program is. Based on the first two games, its certainly winnable but win or lose I am curious to see how this team plays against the steps up in competition like De Paul, Miami and Seton Hall. Wins to me are not important to me as much as seeing eagerness and energy and growth in each segment of the schedule.

Steve Pikiell and staff...I am impressed with what you have done so far in just two games and a month of practiced....ask the last staff I am not easily impressed lol

Great post and on point!

 

[jonS]

What's really impressive is that every player made solid contributions. Even with sanders , Williams and Freeman having relatively quiet games the score wasn't close. With these three having off nights , last year's team would have lost to Drexel by 18.....Gettys is a major addition with a Big Ten body and soft hands. Sa looks to be a very fine player and Johnson really picked up the slack when Sanders struggled with his outside shooting. Rebounding was vey impressive. I can't recall Drexel getting very many second chance shots.

 

[RUJMM78]

The first two games already show player development taking place which was sadly missing last season.The coaching staff are fully involved throughout the game making substitutions and talking to players when they are sitting on the bench.I can't remember when Rutgers had 56 rebounds in a game but it must be at least a decade from today.A very impressive aspect of this team is that double digit scoring is happening with more than four players contributing 10 plus points.As the season progresses the competition will get far tougher and as fans expectations should be kept under control.Its not easy to go from one of the worse college basketball teams to one that can play competitive basketball in the B1G.

 

[Rutgers84]

Love the hustle and unselfishness of this team. In the 2nd half coach Pikiell had both Gettys and Doorson on the floor at the same time. When was the last time Rutgers had two 7-footers playing together.

 

[RU MAN]

As I stated in my post, I firmly believe we are finally seeing a well coached team again. Yes, it's early, but I like what I see from defense and rebounding, to quality offensive set plays. I also love that we brought in new faces and they are immediate factors in turning this program around. I love Gettys. I love Nigel and Thiam. With Issa and Laurent, I feel we can get more scoring out of them from beyond the arc and not rely on just Williams. Issa has a great stroke. Also, we have five players over 6' 9". When was the last time we had so many frontcourt players of this size? How about never.

All I want to see this season is competitive BB once again. This 2-0 start certainly helps.

 

[TruJerz]

biggest Corey Sanders fan on here but he has to stop forcing shots. Keep moving the ball and the shots will come. Other than that I like what I see from this team for the most part.

Will have to do a better job moving the ball against quality defenses and running plays to get guys open (Issa, Nigel, Williams). Offense can still be a bit stagnant at times but still a lot better than last season.

Love Nigel Johnson. Kid is a fierce competitor and can flat out ball.

CJ and Sa are legit big men but still have to see how they do against Big 10 bigs since Molloy and Drexel are no where near what they'll face..but gotta like what you see from those 2.

Defense looks pretty good and should improve as season goes on so that's a good thing.

So far so good.

 

[RU-ROCS]

Things are different. You know why things are different. Because for the first time in 3 years, you can see passion, hard work, energy, focus, eager to learn, buying in, hustle, depth, basketball iq, sticktuitiveness, teamwork, selflessness. It is night and day. We finally have the pieces to build a solid team. It does not mean that all of a suddenly RU is going to go over 500 this year but it means that program has stablized under Pikiell and stopped the bleeding of losing before even taking the court. Molloy went as it should have, a total blowout with many contributing. Drexel, a program that embarrassed RU at the RAC two years ago was dispatched with total ease. True a big dropoff from the Dragon squad from two years ago but a great test for RU because its exactly the kind of game that RU was in life and death matches over the past few years. To secure a resounding win was impressive in game 2 of the Pikiell regie.


Like...no love the added depth this year and love that everyone seems to be getting a chance to prove themselves. Its early so its hard to judge based on the competition. I love that that finally this team is rebounding....56 today! finally its playing defense. I love that Sanders is getting work drills as a point guard rather than have to bail RU out as the only real scoring threat. I love that we actually have a big man Gettys who can play the paint with poise and score. Nigel Johnson has looked impressive in his first two games and shows the quickness and offense prowess the program needs. Early returns look good on Thiam and Sa. Freeman looks to pick off where he left off before being injured. Laurent showing big time growth in his game from frosh to sophomore. Doorson seems to getting less minutes than the others so we will see if that picks up or not. Diallo looks to be odd man out and Bullock will struggle to get minutes at least at this point.

Pikiell has passed his first test and that was getting the players to buy into a new coach and change their mindset. Thats going to be half the battle this year as the opponents become tougher, it will be harder for RU to win games but Im fully confident that this team is going to work hard through losses and be resilient in working to build the program

De Paul is a big time swing game next week on the road. Another great test to see just where the program is. Based on the first two games, its certainly winnable but win or lose I am curious to see how this team plays against the steps up in competition like De Paul, Miami and Seton Hall. Wins to me are not important to me as much as seeing eagerness and energy and growth in each segment of the schedule.

Steve Pikiell and staff...I am impressed with what you have done so far in just two games and a month of practiced....ask the last staff I am not easily impressed lol

You had me at "things are different." ;)

 

[ScarletRunner]

Great write-up Bac.

I am excited, though I realize we have a long way to go. But I am now hoping for competing against teams the likes of Penn State, Minnesota, and Northwestern, and winning our fair share of those games. Do that and steal another game or two and we may be able to get to 5 or 6 conference wins.

 

[RUMBA-JK]

Two data points - and against two marginal opponents - but if the essential elements of determination and hustle that were on display carry forward throughout this year
- well, welll, well we may see a wonderful scenario unfold ! players with talent will look at RU as a place where they will want to be - NY & Philly & local media will mention scores & carry highlights - downside - other teams will try to steal the assistant coaches - but that will take a bit & but then there will be good choices with strong interest to step in.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Let me hijack here.....

I'll conclude after 2 games we are a lot better than last year. I still would like to see at least through the Miami game (Game 7) to see how much of the gap we have potentially closed on the Penn state, Nebraska, Minnesotas. Let's be realistic here we beat Molloy and 290th ranked Drexel. Both teams without size. So much to like, but not sure how it translates vs. B1G foes.

2 games is not an adequate sample size.....if so we would conclude.....I AM NOT CONCLUDING THESE THINGS
1. CJ Gettys is Bryant Reeves. Big Country Reeves was a great college basketball player and was a starter in the NBA. Can't teach 7' and love his enthusiasm. Interior D???
2. Nigel Johnson is better than Corey Sanders. He has the quickness, athleticism, and is a better shooter. Now 2 games isn't enough of a sample and I like the way sanders is playing his position. However, I really have to question his ability to make a shot without a dribble. Let me repeat 2 games is not a sample size and I love how "patient" Sanders is. It is great 2 have 2 players like Sanders and Johnson. Nigel has had 3 out of 4 good halves.
3. Being a player's coach and not getting upset at mistakes works. Nothing negative from Pikiell towards players. We have seen careless turnovers and not a peep. Let's watch this play out. the good news with our depth playing time is the whip and the carrott. The way it ought to be.
4. We aren't a bad perimeter shooting team. Let's reassess.
5. Issa Thaim has disappointed. The fact that he EARNED a starting spot tells me we will see better.

I like.....
coaching staff
staff trying to change culture with huddles
substiution patterns
chemistry-comraderie
depth
balanced scoring
2 games opponents comfortably under 1 point per possession
halftime entertainment game 1

I dislike....
turnovers and too many lollipop passes
guards not making free throws
inability to score in transition vs. weak opponents
too many points inside, r williams got too many last night
the way we started defensively half #2 vs. Molloy
halftime entertainment game 2

 

[RUBubba]

Seems to me that those of us commenting (most of us at least) are watching the same team.

Last year, Corey was the best player on the floor for RU by a wide margin. That is not the case this year, and this is no where a knock on him. He very well may have the biggest ceiling, but with more players and more scoring options, I don't expect him to be the scoring dynamo he was last year. If he is scoring 10-12 points a game but with 5-7 assists, RU is MUCH improved. I agree with GreeneRiceFig too about his jump shot. He needs to be moving to hit it. Its not the worst thing in the world, but too much time for him isn't a good thing.
Laurent being forced to play all over the floor last year is going to pay dividends moving forward. He looks a lot more comfortable.
Having the two bigs in there, Gettys and Freeman can not be overstated. They are viable options inside which opens up shots and lanes outside. The first bucket last night was Gettys getting a pass at the foul line then hitting Laurent underneath. Next time, I see that pass getting kicked back out for a open look.
The unselfish nature as a whole is awesome to see. I saw one play in the second half with 3 passes around the court to the open guy. Haven't seen that in years.
Did anyone else know that RU is allowed to run a real play on an inbound? I thought they could only throw a long lob past halfcourt... (sarcasm).

Two items to be worked on. Lazy passes. Still a bunch that are telegraphed resulting in transition the other way. Better teams will KILL RU on these.
Also, during a run, it seems as if guys get the mentality of "I gotta get mine!" and force a shot, usually by being too aggressive to the hoop. Its not the worst offense, guys being aggressive, but several times they turn into a turnover or bad shot and fast break the other way.

Again, as others have said, its two games against inferior opponents, but at the same time, when has anyone been inferior to RU.

 

[RickB113]

Let me hijack here.....

I'll conclude after 2 games we are a lot better than last year. I still would like to see at least through the Miami game (Game 7) to see how much of the gap we have potentially closed on the Penn state, Nebraska, Minnesotas. Let's be realistic here we beat Molloy and 290th ranked Drexel. Both teams without size. So much to like, but not sure how it translates vs. B1G foes.

2 games is not an adequate sample size.....if so we would conclude.....I AM NOT CONCLUDING THESE THINGS
1. CJ Gettys is Bryant Reeves. Big Country Reeves was a great college basketball player and was a starter in the NBA. Can't teach 7' and love his enthusiasm. Interior D???
2. Nigel Johnson is better than Corey Sanders. He has the quickness, athleticism, and is a better shooter. Now 2 games isn't enough of a sample and I like the way sanders is playing his position. However, I really have to question his ability to make a shot without a dribble. Let me repeat 2 games is not a sample size and I love how "patient" Sanders is. It is great 2 have 2 players like Sanders and Johnson. Nigel has had 3 out of 4 good halves.
3. Being a player's coach and not getting upset at mistakes works. Nothing negative from Pikiell towards players. We have seen careless turnovers and not a peep. Let's watch this play out. the good news with our depth playing time is the whip and the carrott. The way it ought to be.
4. We aren't a bad perimeter shooting team. Let's reassess.
5. Issa Thaim has disappointed. The fact that he EARNED a starting spot tells me we will see better.

I like.....
coaching staff
staff trying to change culture with huddles
substiution patterns
chemistry-comraderie
depth
balanced scoring
2 games opponents comfortably under 1 point per possession
halftime entertainment game 1

I dislike....
turnovers and too many lollipop passes
guards not making free throws
inability to score in transition vs. weak opponents
too many points inside, r williams got too many last night
the way we started defensively half #2 vs. Molloy
halftime entertainment game 2

Great post. I agree with everything. I also still think we are giving up way too many open threes. Our guards get caught inside too much. But so far happy with the team. Sa is legit. I think his minutes will increase. My favorite 5 right now would be

Sanders
Johnson
Laurent
Freeman
Sa

I like Getty just not sure his game will translate in big ten play.

 

[ScarletLongIsland]

I like this quote from Laurent after the Drexel game. Reflects our depth and the fact that there is balanced scoring which IMO is one of the biggest positives along with improved D, improved rebounding and the fact that it looks like there is a solid gameplan (and the players are doing the best to execute).

Laurent on the rotation growing: "It's exciting, because you know you can go hard now, give it all you got while you're on the court, and then you can sit out with someone ready to come in for you. They'll give it their all, too, and their just as good as you, so you don't have to worry about saving too much energy. It's a great feeling when you can go all out, do what you have to do, then sit back and watch somebody else do it, too."

 

[seels2662]

I like this quote from Laurent after the Drexel game.
....
Laurent on the rotation growing: "It's exciting, because you know you can go hard now, give it all you got while you're on the court, and then you can sit out with someone ready to come in for you. They'll give it their all, too, and their just as good as you, so you don't have to worry about saving too much energy. It's a great feeling when you can go all out, do what you have to do, then sit back and watch somebody else do it, too."

This is so huge for our 4 and 5. There will be a bunch of games where a player will be in foul trouble there and its so great that the next man in can be aggressive because there's someone behind him. How many years in a row has it been that we had zero defensive in the paint because the guy there is at four fouls and can't get a fifth because noooe can back him up.

 

[RU-ROCS]

Let me hijack here.....

I dislike....
turnovers and too many lollipop passes
guards not making free throws
inability to score in transition vs. weak opponents
too many points inside, r williams got too many last night
the way we started defensively half #2 vs. Molloy

Amid all of the optimism, these are serious red flags against vastly inferior competition. I hope and expect Pikiell to clean this up, but it is concerning.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Great post. I agree with everything. I also still think we are giving up way too many open threes. Our guards get caught inside too much. But so far happy with the team. Sa is legit. I think his minutes will increase. My favorite 5 right now would be

Sanders
Johnson
Laurent
Freeman
Sa

I like Getty just not sure his game will translate in big ten play.

I think the beauty of this team, especially vs. the past few years, is that the optimal lineup changes based on our opponent.

 

[PaKnight]

Amid all of the optimism, these are serious red flags against vastly inferior competition. I hope and expect Pikiell to clean this up, but it is concerning.

Sanders and Johnson shot 75% from the line against Drexel.

What teams aren't a little sloppy this early in the season?

 

[rucoe89]

If I had to guess, Johnson is not starting so that he is available to come in relief of Sanders. We don't really have a backup PG that can play consistently at B1G level yet, so Coach is developing one in Johnson, who was otherwise a 2 guard. This rotation also allows each of them to see the game flow when they are out. All this may change as the season moves on. In the meantime, both Sanders and Johnson some questionable stretches yesterday, came out, but then came in and played better. Coach also had both in at he same time for some stretches.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

If I had to guess, Johnson is not starting so that he is available to come in relief of Sanders.

My guess is that Thiam outplayed Johnson in preseason. Johnson and Sanders could both start and have Williams come in at the 16 minute mark and relieve one of them.

 

[RUBubba]

I'm with Rucoe. Johnson is the only real viable backup PG, so letting him come in with fresh legs is a good thing. Starting a 6'9 shooting guard is a tough matchup for most teams. Getting the "instant" offense from Johnson and Williams off the bench can be a great spark.

 

[goru7]

Things are different. You know why things are different. Because for the first time in 3 years, you can see passion, hard work, energy, focus, eager to learn, buying in, hustle, depth, basketball iq, sticktuitiveness, teamwork, selflessness. It is night and day. We finally have the pieces to build a solid team. It does not mean that all of a suddenly RU is going to go over 500 this year but it means that program has stablized under Pikiell and stopped the bleeding of losing before even taking the court. Molloy went as it should have, a total blowout with many contributing. Drexel, a program that embarrassed RU at the RAC two years ago was dispatched with total ease. True a big dropoff from the Dragon squad from two years ago but a great test for RU because its exactly the kind of game that RU was in life and death matches over the past few years. To secure a resounding win was impressive in game 2 of the Pikiell regie.


Like...no love the added depth this year and love that everyone seems to be getting a chance to prove themselves. Its early so its hard to judge based on the competition. I love that that finally this team is rebounding....56 today! finally its playing defense. I love that Sanders is getting work drills as a point guard rather than have to bail RU out as the only real scoring threat. I love that we actually have a big man Gettys who can play the paint with poise and score. Nigel Johnson has looked impressive in his first two games and shows the quickness and offense prowess the program needs. Early returns look good on Thiam and Sa. Freeman looks to pick off where he left off before being injured. Laurent showing big time growth in his game from frosh to sophomore. Doorson seems to getting less minutes than the others so we will see if that picks up or not. Diallo looks to be odd man out and Bullock will struggle to get minutes at least at this point.

Pikiell has passed his first test and that was getting the players to buy into a new coach and change their mindset. Thats going to be half the battle this year as the opponents become tougher, it will be harder for RU to win games but Im fully confident that this team is going to work hard through losses and be resilient in working to build the program

De Paul is a big time swing game next week on the road. Another great test to see just where the program is. Based on the first two games, its certainly winnable but win or lose I am curious to see how this team plays against the steps up in competition like De Paul, Miami and Seton Hall. Wins to me are not important to me as much as seeing eagerness and energy and growth in each segment of the schedule.

Steve Pikiell and staff...I am impressed with what you have done so far in just two games and a month of practiced....ask the last staff I am not easily impressed lol

Bac excellent post and I hope you and can agree more often than the opposite positions we took last year. I thought Nigel was going to be good, I thought Freeman coming back healthy would be good and Corey and Jonathan would be a year older and more experienced and get better. I also thought Shaquille would come back much improved from the injury and a big man project takes more time than a guard. Well a healthy team would give us a chance to compete and try to get 14-15 wins. All but Shaquille seems to have occurred so far.

Then Pikiel changes the defensive and rebounding culture, Eddie's failure, brings in Cj, Sa, Thiam and Omoruyi, and all can play , can rebound, can shoot , can pass, and can defend and block shots. Home runs get for a program as bad as we have been for so long . Plus he is a really good college basketball coach with an excellent well paid assistant staff that he interacts with and listens to to change a game plan on the fly.
We have not seen rebounding like this in 15-20 years and although the first 2 teams were not big , we dominated on the boards unlike in past years where teams smaller than us out rebounded us. It will be the key moving forward.
The beauty of the Drexel game was that we had 17 turnovers, a lot just sloppy not necessarily because the defense truly caused them , and for most of the game got little out of Corey! Mike, or Deshawn and still won by over 20. That bodes well.
The depth of this team will allow coach to play different ways, 3 guards small, 4 bigs and 1 guard , and cause the other team to adjust to us instead of us adjusting to the other team. Very nice to have at Coach's disposal .
Early returns say we will be competitive in the Big 10 because we have height , length , rebounders and defenders. Although I do not like the guards sagging into the paint where they got caught getting out late giving up 3 pointers which should not have happened. If we can shoot decently from 3, Mike, Jonathan, Nigel, and Thiam and Corey we have a chance for a winning record.
Better days are ahead for this long suffering basketball fan base. The amount of disagreements on these boards will be reduced and the interest will or has already spiked coming off the apathy that was setting in. Enjoy the ride folks ! P. S. just remember that except for CJ, the whole team is back for another year.

 

[soundcrib]

I like this quote from Laurent after the Drexel game. Reflects our depth and the fact that there is balanced scoring which IMO is one of the biggest positives along with improved D, improved rebounding and the fact that it looks like there is a solid gameplan (and the players are doing the best to execute).

Laurent on the rotation growing: "It's exciting, because you know you can go hard now, give it all you got while you're on the court, and then you can sit out with someone ready to come in for you. They'll give it their all, too, and their just as good as you, so you don't have to worry about saving too much energy. It's a great feeling when you can go all out, do what you have to do, then sit back and watch somebody else do it, too."

Pikiell is comfortable going with 10. I like it. This is probably how they go at each other at practice, too. That cannot be understated:

Gettys
Freeman
Laurent
Thiam
Sanders

Doorson
Sa
Omoruyi
Williams
Johnson

 

[Arizona Knight]

This is so huge for our 4 and 5. There will be a bunch of games where a player will be in foul trouble there and its so great that the next man in can be aggressive because there's someone behind him. How many years in a row has it been that we had zero defensive in the paint because the guy there is at four fouls and can't get a fifth because noooe can back him up.

I was just about to post a new thread about this exact topic. It is enjoyable to watch a game without the fear of one guy getting in foul trouble. I can't remember the last time I could watch a Rutgers game without worrying about early fouls in the post. Next man up!

It's been about two posts since I mentioned my man crush on Sa. So let me reiterate, this dude is going to be big for us over the next two years.

 

[Randal7]

Love the banter. It all feels so positive, and I can't remember the last time I felt that way. It's been at least 10 years.

One example from the Drexel game that really just epitomizes how "in control" Pikiell and the coaching staff are came late in the 1st half. Pace of play was quickening and we were playing slightly out of control. Freeman got a rebound and made an extremely poor, long pass down the court which was easily intercepted by Drexel. Pikiell yanked Freeman from the game after that play. He also yanked Laurent when he (unnecessarily) drove into the heart of the zone and tried to go up over 2 defenders, with one of the Drexel players taking the charge and forcing the TO.

In both instances, those guys were playing "outside the system". They were playing hero ball, or getting too fancy. Both times, Pikiell yanked the guys. And he doesn't berate them on the sideline after he pulls them. He's teaching, not embarassing. By consistently holding our guys to high standards, he's instilling discipline. We completely lacked discipline under Eddie, so this was good to see. And the bench is deep enough with serviceable players that Pikiell can swap guys in and out and the dropoff isn't monumental.

Really looking forward to this season

 

[RU-ROCS]

Love the banter. It all feels so positive, and I can't remember the last time I felt that way. It's been at least 10 years.

One example from the Drexel game that really just epitomizes how "in control" Pikiell and the coaching staff are came late in the 1st half. Pace of play was quickening and we were playing slightly out of control. Freeman got a rebound and made an extremely poor, long pass down the court which was easily intercepted by Drexel. Pikiell yanked Freeman from the game after that play. He also yanked Laurent when he (unnecessarily) drove into the heart of the zone and tried to go up over 2 defenders, with one of the Drexel players taking the charge and forcing the TO.

In both instances, those guys were playing "outside the system". They were playing hero ball, or getting too fancy. Both times, Pikiell yanked the guys. And he doesn't berate them on the sideline after he pulls them. He's teaching, not embarassing. By consistently holding our guys to high standards, he's instilling discipline. We completely lacked discipline under Eddie, so this was good to see. And the bench is deep enough with serviceable players that Pikiell can swap guys in and out and the dropoff isn't monumental.

Really looking forward to this season

Those are two excellent examples. Among the other noticeable improvements are the almost seamless substitution patterns, key timeouts followed by good execution for a score when play resumes, and a staff of assistants who are totally engaged during the game.

 

[Caliknight]

Nice having a coach who understands details and coaches to them. This team already reflects that.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Freeman and Laurent were both yanked for picking up their 2nd foul. Pikiell has let them play through silly mistakes like those passes.

 

[ColonelRutgers]

Sa was a great and necessary late pickup as we really need him to spell Freeman and Gettys. Really versatile and fits in well. Can hit an open three, nifty in the paint, will block a shot. Just need to figure out how to pronounce his name. Everybody but Pikiell calls him Saw, Coach calls him Say.

 

[Sideline20]

In sports, just as in business, organizations take on the personality of its leader.

Rutgers Basketball is no different. It looks like we are now playing with a sense of urgency. I bet Coach P's personality matches that sense.

 

[Randal7]

Freeman and Laurent were both yanked for picking up their 2nd foul. Pikiell has let them play through silly mistakes like those passes.

I didn't realize it was Laurent's second foul. That's possible. Felt like Freeman was pulled for the pass, but i could be wrong. I guess we'll never know exactly why substitutions are made

 

[higgins3]

It is early,and we are very young. The excitement is good. We will not be perfect. Coach P will not be perfect.

 

[rucoe89]

Those are two excellent examples. Among the other noticeable improvements are the almost seamless substitution patterns, key timeouts followed by good execution for a score when play resumes, and a staff of assistants who are totally engaged during the game.

As noted by others, not sure if for play or second foul. However, Coach did pull Sanders in second half when he seemed to be playing a bit out of control. Johnson came in and settled things. Sanders reappeared after a bit and seemed to be more in control.

 

[Arizona Knight]

He also pulled Doorson after what appeared to be a sub par effort for a rebound.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I didn't realize it was Laurent's second foul. That's possible. Felt like Freeman was pulled for the pass, but i could be wrong. I guess we'll never know exactly why substitutions are made

He should have been :)

 

[RUonBrain]

Although I do not like the guards sagging into the paint where they got caught getting out late giving up 3 pointers which should not have happened.

Great point

Drove me nuts seeing this multiple times.

Why?
Bad habits from last year?

Makes no sense. The bigs can handle themselves.
COVER THE 3!!
Fix that!