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GAME 1 Columbia: Beginnings

bac2therac

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Jul 30, 2001
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Only the beginning
Only just the start
Oh oh oh oh oh oh woah oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh woah oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh woah oh oh oh

The Geo Baker and Ron Harper Jr era ended with a heartbreaking loss to Notre Dame in Dayton 8 months ago yet every new beginning comes from some others beginnings end. How appropriate it was that Ron and Geo sat on the sidelines as fans as a new group led by some familiar faces along with some heady newcomers. Paul and Cliff are the main cogs as will Caleb but make no doubt about it, the is an entirely new Rutgers vehicle that is being constructed and refined and processed ready to be shipped back to the NCAA tournament in March. This Rutgers vehicle may take some time get all its parts together but what we saw tonight was a little of preview of what could be to come

Always good to beat a cupcake up like a drum. Always good to win by 40. Always good to hold your opponent under 40. Always good to get almost everyone involved in some sort of positive moment in the game. And considering what happened last year in a few of the early season OOC games it was really nice to see Pikiell and staff motivate his charges to come out playing like their hair was on fire the first 5 minutes. Starting with a sudden scintillating alley oop from Paul to Big Cliff that got the crowds attention right away. RU looked smooth as they convinced us that they were playing for something. The defense was on point, the passing, the vision for those first 5 minutes were all outstanding and Columbia was just so overwhelmed going down 15-0. Great to see the players hard work in practice pay immediate dividends on the court. Could not ask for a better beginning.

Then the first subs started and here is where RU got sloppy and lost their focus. Suddenly the well oiled machine was sputtering big time. A pretty poor stretch of ball, not only in executing but in decision making led Columbia on a 16-4 run over about 9 minutes of the first half. Did I think RU was in danger of losing? Nope...did I think RU was getting outplayed..sure did and I said so in the game thread. Seemed like RU got a bit ahead of themselves and forced some issues instead of letting the game come to them. A ton of blown layups and ill advised decisions so at 25-21 with just 1:48 left RU got back to some basics. What was so impressive in the early going was their speed and transition game. Well RU got back to what they needed to do on D. Getting a dunk from Cliff and then Cam Spencer forcing two turnovers both of which led to Mag buckets and RU went into the lockerroom 31-21

I know Pike usually wins halftime and he did once again. It was almost good that RU had that poor 9 minute stretch because Im almost certain that Pike was able to get his players to refocus and continue to be confident in their games. No one took that more to heart than Cam Spencer who began his story tonight. Sometimes with new guys they dont get their breakout game right away but when they do it always gets appreciated by the crowd. Cam's came in the 2nd half and he had his moment in front of the student section. That all important bond built. A new cog in the arsenal was built. Cam had a sensational one minute stretch scoring 8 including a 3 and then followed that up later with a steal, rebound, and layup in the next couple minutes but Cam was hardly done....another steal and another drained 3 and suddenly RU was up 46-23 and Cam had scored 12 of RU's first 15 points in the first 5 and half minutes of the 2nd half. Cam was king of the RAC...beginnings.

Cam's play just seemed to spark everyone else from there. We saw Mag really pick up his play defensively. Hyatt converted a beautiful dunk that got Geo and Ron on their feet. Derek Simpson shook of his cold first half shooting and Dean gave us his patented Threeiber. Before we knew it the run was 43-6 and Columbia was left looking for smelling salts.

Truth to be told, Columbia was as bad as their 4-22 record from last year adverstised. Yet give them some credit after getting punched in the face at 15-0, Ingels still had his team hanging in to outscore RU 21-10 and they were playing a scrappy D. You do not want to go overboard with praise for RU since the competition was so bad but one thing about this game was the 2nd half was played at a pretty high level for RU even when the subs came in. This was great to see. There wasnt any dip like we saw in the first half. The guys were on a mission and they completed it. Its about as good a test as you will get. Strong start, bad stinky stretch and then working to overcome it and finishing strong and pummeling the opposition.

This game was hardly about Paul or Cliff. We know what they provide. They got their moments tonight. They could have got more but that was not part of the blueprint for tonights game. It was about trying to get Mag and Hyatt up to speed as starters and while both had a bit of struggle early with that role, they finished strong. I see Hyatt with a team leading 29 minutes with a double double, is that right...12 points and 10 boards. Much better in the 2nd half with his shot. Mag was impressive defensively and to me with him he has so much energy its about refining that and just tuning it down a bit. Liked what I saw tonight.

More on Cam. I mean this kid can play. IF this can translate to the tougher competition in the Big 10, we could have a very special season here. His headiness, vision, and confidence was on display. What a stat line, 29 minutes, 7-13 shooting , 3-5 from 3, 17 points, 6 steals, 5 assists and only one turnover. The confidence he had not deferring to others and taking over the game like he has every right to was what makes tonight performance so impressive.

Derek Simpson quick and athletic, you see the talent there, unfortunately maybe tried to do too much in that first half stretch. 0-7 shooting but Pike put him in that spot and certainly Pike giving him 22 minutes, 6th on the team means that Pike has alot of belief in the kid. Derek shook that off in the 2nd half with some nice assists and a sweet jumper that reminded me of Geo. Dont want to push those expectations on him. Let him develop, he looks like he has the goods to get there. I like that Woolfolk got 12 minutes and got on the board. Already he is a better big man backup then we are used to having here. Would have liked to see more minutes of Reiber but I almost think Pike is going to pick and choose his minutes with Reiber this year but I think Threebier can be an excellent role player for us. Looks like Miller is down on the depth charges behind Simpson, obviously because Derek brings an offensive game that Jalen does not possess. Oskar also seems further down the rotation but good to see him at least get on the board.

I can guarantee the next game Sacred Heart will be totally different than this game. They are picked to finish 2nd in the Northeast Conference even as they struggled to finish 10-20 last year. New challenges and new blueprint for a victory. There is a certain excitement in watching a new era begin and that is going to keep these usual ho hum non conference games more interesting than they usually might be. Another thing with new beginnings is that you can sometimes taste the hunger from a new group as opposed to a previous group that might have become somewhat complacent. Not to knock the previous group but it might explain some of their wildly up and down performances. Its only the beginning, only just the start...oh oh ah

 
Only the beginning
Only just the start
Oh oh oh oh oh oh woah oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh woah oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh woah oh oh oh

The Geo Baker and Ron Harper Jr era ended with a heartbreaking loss to Notre Dame in Dayton 8 months ago yet every new beginning comes from some others beginnings end. How appropriate it was that Ron and Geo sat on the sidelines as fans as a new group led by some familiar faces along with some heady newcomers. Paul and Cliff are the main cogs as will Caleb but make no doubt about it, the is an entirely new Rutgers vehicle that is being constructed and refined and processed ready to be shipped back to the NCAA tournament in March. This Rutgers vehicle may take some time get all its parts together but what we saw tonight was a little of preview of what could be to come

Always good to beat a cupcake up like a drum. Always good to win by 40. Always good to hold your opponent under 40. Always good to get almost everyone involved in some sort of positive moment in the game. And considering what happened last year in a few of the early season OOC games it was really nice to see Pikiell and staff motivate his charges to come out playing like their hair was on fire the first 5 minutes. Starting with a sudden scintillating alley oop from Paul to Big Cliff that got the crowds attention right away. RU looked smooth as they convinced us that they were playing for something. The defense was on point, the passing, the vision for those first 5 minutes were all outstanding and Columbia was just so overwhelmed going down 15-0. Great to see the players hard work in practice pay immediate dividends on the court. Could not ask for a better beginning.

Then the first subs started and here is where RU got sloppy and lost their focus. Suddenly the well oiled machine was sputtering big time. A pretty poor stretch of ball, not only in executing but in decision making led Columbia on a 16-4 run over about 9 minutes of the first half. Did I think RU was in danger of losing? Nope...did I think RU was getting outplayed..sure did and I said so in the game thread. Seemed like RU got a bit ahead of themselves and forced some issues instead of letting the game come to them. A ton of blown layups and ill advised decisions so at 25-21 with just 1:48 left RU got back to some basics. What was so impressive in the early going was their speed and transition game. Well RU got back to what they needed to do on D. Getting a dunk from Cliff and then Cam Spencer forcing two turnovers both of which led to Mag buckets and RU went into the lockerroom 31-21

I know Pike usually wins halftime and he did once again. It was almost good that RU had that poor 9 minute stretch because Im almost certain that Pike was able to get his players to refocus and continue to be confident in their games. No one took that more to heart than Cam Spencer who began his story tonight. Sometimes with new guys they dont get their breakout game right away but when they do it always gets appreciated by the crowd. Cam's came in the 2nd half and he had his moment in front of the student section. That all important bond built. A new cog in the arsenal was built. Cam had a sensational one minute stretch scoring 8 including a 3 and then followed that up later with a steal, rebound, and layup in the next couple minutes but Cam was hardly done....another steal and another drained 3 and suddenly RU was up 46-23 and Cam had scored 12 of RU's first 15 points in the first 5 and half minutes of the 2nd half. Cam was king of the RAC...beginnings.

Cam's play just seemed to spark everyone else from there. We saw Mag really pick up his play defensively. Hyatt converted a beautiful dunk that got Geo and Ron on their feet. Derek Simpson shook of his cold first half shooting and Dean gave us his patented Threeiber. Before we knew it the run was 43-6 and Columbia was left looking for smelling salts.

Truth to be told, Columbia was as bad as their 4-22 record from last year adverstised. Yet give them some credit after getting punched in the face at 15-0, Ingels still had his team hanging in to outscore RU 21-10 and they were playing a scrappy D. You do not want to go overboard with praise for RU since the competition was so bad but one thing about this game was the 2nd half was played at a pretty high level for RU even when the subs came in. This was great to see. There wasnt any dip like we saw in the first half. The guys were on a mission and they completed it. Its about as good a test as you will get. Strong start, bad stinky stretch and then working to overcome it and finishing strong and pummeling the opposition.

This game was hardly about Paul or Cliff. We know what they provide. They got their moments tonight. They could have got more but that was not part of the blueprint for tonights game. It was about trying to get Mag and Hyatt up to speed as starters and while both had a bit of struggle early with that role, they finished strong. I see Hyatt with a team leading 29 minutes with a double double, is that right...12 points and 10 boards. Much better in the 2nd half with his shot. Mag was impressive defensively and to me with him he has so much energy its about refining that and just tuning it down a bit. Liked what I saw tonight.

More on Cam. I mean this kid can play. IF this can translate to the tougher competition in the Big 10, we could have a very special season here. His headiness, vision, and confidence was on display. What a stat line, 29 minutes, 7-13 shooting , 3-5 from 3, 17 points, 6 steals, 5 assists and only one turnover. The confidence he had not deferring to others and taking over the game like he has every right to was what makes tonight performance so impressive.

Derek Simpson quick and athletic, you see the talent there, unfortunately maybe tried to do too much in that first half stretch. 0-7 shooting but Pike put him in that spot and certainly Pike giving him 22 minutes, 6th on the team means that Pike has alot of belief in the kid. Derek shook that off in the 2nd half with some nice assists and a sweet jumper that reminded me of Geo. Dont want to push those expectations on him. Let him develop, he looks like he has the goods to get there. I like that Woolfolk got 12 minutes and got on the board. Already he is a better big man backup then we are used to having here. Would have liked to see more minutes of Reiber but I almost think Pike is going to pick and choose his minutes with Reiber this year but I think Threebier can be an excellent role player for us. Looks like Miller is down on the depth charges behind Simpson, obviously because Derek brings an offensive game that Jalen does not possess. Oskar also seems further down the rotation but good to see him at least get on the board.

I can guarantee the next game Sacred Heart will be totally different than this game. They are picked to finish 2nd in the Northeast Conference even as they struggled to finish 10-20 last year. New challenges and new blueprint for a victory. There is a certain excitement in watching a new era begin and that is going to keep these usual ho hum non conference games more interesting than they usually might be. Another thing with new beginnings is that you can sometimes taste the hunger from a new group as opposed to a previous group that might have become somewhat complacent. Not to knock the previous group but it might explain some of their wildly up and down performances. Its only the beginning, only just the start...oh oh ah

Excellent recap as BAC. Always look forward to these.
 
Excellent as usual.
Still you juxtaposed Beginnings with Closing Time in your opening. Left me wondering why? Or was it just an Easter egg?
 
Cam Spencer showing why he was a 4 star transfer and advanced metrics darling stuffing the stat sheet. He can really do it all. Fears that he may be only a spot up shooter were completely unfounded.

Cam is the best all around player on the team. His balling handling, vision, and passing are all excellent. The calming presence on the ball is so valuable when things get hectic. Spencer can put the ball on the floor and score or dish. His reading of the game is top notch. Quick hands. Plays passing lanes at an elite level

Simpson is a complete stud and future Rutgers superstar. Elite quickness and explosion. Already shows the vision and willingness to pass once he gets into the lane

Mag breakout is coming. He needs to finish better around the rim still but his defense, energy, athleticism add so much to this team

Hyatt double double hitting a couple 3's and a gorgeous move into the lane and dish to Cliff for a slam. Really needs to finish better under the rim

Cliff hit a 3. Struggled under the basket. Hit the back and side of the backboard. A couple travels. Not his best game offensively but we didn't need it tonight.

Paul came out firing and set the tone early. We know what we have with him and Cliff

Woolfolk is very good. A couple rebounds squirted out of his hands but he's in there fighting for them battling. Plays awesome D. He's also a very good passer and can finish around the rim which we struggled with today

This team could be very very good. There's no team in the B1G we can't beat. No reason the goals for this team shouldn't be very high. If things break right and the development is there, we can be in the mix at the top of the conference. It's a real possibility, not just a pipe dream
 
Most impressive were Cam then Derek. Also like Woolfolk—will be fun to watch him develop. Dean looked good in his minutes.

Am not yet sold on Mag or Aundre, esp. given level of competition. Looking forward to adding Caleb to the mix.

Columbia is really bad.

Oh, yes--Final Score: 75-35.
 
As you said, Pike usually wins halftime. One of the things I'm sure he did was tell Cam to be more assertive. That was the most obvious difference at the start of the second half
 
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Thanks, as always, BAC! I always look forward to your recaps.

I think the thing that struck me the most was the determination to get after it in the second half....regardless of the competition that's something we haven't seen a lot of early in the season, at least from what I remember, under Pike.

Maybe they realize it's about team ball and they can't rely on Geo and Ron to bail them out late in the game?
 
Only the beginning
Only just the start
Oh oh oh oh oh oh woah oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh woah oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh woah oh oh oh

The Geo Baker and Ron Harper Jr era ended with a heartbreaking loss to Notre Dame in Dayton 8 months ago yet every new beginning comes from some others beginnings end. How appropriate it was that Ron and Geo sat on the sidelines as fans as a new group led by some familiar faces along with some heady newcomers. Paul and Cliff are the main cogs as will Caleb but make no doubt about it, the is an entirely new Rutgers vehicle that is being constructed and refined and processed ready to be shipped back to the NCAA tournament in March. This Rutgers vehicle may take some time get all its parts together but what we saw tonight was a little of preview of what could be to come

Always good to beat a cupcake up like a drum. Always good to win by 40. Always good to hold your opponent under 40. Always good to get almost everyone involved in some sort of positive moment in the game. And considering what happened last year in a few of the early season OOC games it was really nice to see Pikiell and staff motivate his charges to come out playing like their hair was on fire the first 5 minutes. Starting with a sudden scintillating alley oop from Paul to Big Cliff that got the crowds attention right away. RU looked smooth as they convinced us that they were playing for something. The defense was on point, the passing, the vision for those first 5 minutes were all outstanding and Columbia was just so overwhelmed going down 15-0. Great to see the players hard work in practice pay immediate dividends on the court. Could not ask for a better beginning.

Then the first subs started and here is where RU got sloppy and lost their focus. Suddenly the well oiled machine was sputtering big time. A pretty poor stretch of ball, not only in executing but in decision making led Columbia on a 16-4 run over about 9 minutes of the first half. Did I think RU was in danger of losing? Nope...did I think RU was getting outplayed..sure did and I said so in the game thread. Seemed like RU got a bit ahead of themselves and forced some issues instead of letting the game come to them. A ton of blown layups and ill advised decisions so at 25-21 with just 1:48 left RU got back to some basics. What was so impressive in the early going was their speed and transition game. Well RU got back to what they needed to do on D. Getting a dunk from Cliff and then Cam Spencer forcing two turnovers both of which led to Mag buckets and RU went into the lockerroom 31-21

I know Pike usually wins halftime and he did once again. It was almost good that RU had that poor 9 minute stretch because Im almost certain that Pike was able to get his players to refocus and continue to be confident in their games. No one took that more to heart than Cam Spencer who began his story tonight. Sometimes with new guys they dont get their breakout game right away but when they do it always gets appreciated by the crowd. Cam's came in the 2nd half and he had his moment in front of the student section. That all important bond built. A new cog in the arsenal was built. Cam had a sensational one minute stretch scoring 8 including a 3 and then followed that up later with a steal, rebound, and layup in the next couple minutes but Cam was hardly done....another steal and another drained 3 and suddenly RU was up 46-23 and Cam had scored 12 of RU's first 15 points in the first 5 and half minutes of the 2nd half. Cam was king of the RAC...beginnings.

Cam's play just seemed to spark everyone else from there. We saw Mag really pick up his play defensively. Hyatt converted a beautiful dunk that got Geo and Ron on their feet. Derek Simpson shook of his cold first half shooting and Dean gave us his patented Threeiber. Before we knew it the run was 43-6 and Columbia was left looking for smelling salts.

Truth to be told, Columbia was as bad as their 4-22 record from last year adverstised. Yet give them some credit after getting punched in the face at 15-0, Ingels still had his team hanging in to outscore RU 21-10 and they were playing a scrappy D. You do not want to go overboard with praise for RU since the competition was so bad but one thing about this game was the 2nd half was played at a pretty high level for RU even when the subs came in. This was great to see. There wasnt any dip like we saw in the first half. The guys were on a mission and they completed it. Its about as good a test as you will get. Strong start, bad stinky stretch and then working to overcome it and finishing strong and pummeling the opposition.

This game was hardly about Paul or Cliff. We know what they provide. They got their moments tonight. They could have got more but that was not part of the blueprint for tonights game. It was about trying to get Mag and Hyatt up to speed as starters and while both had a bit of struggle early with that role, they finished strong. I see Hyatt with a team leading 29 minutes with a double double, is that right...12 points and 10 boards. Much better in the 2nd half with his shot. Mag was impressive defensively and to me with him he has so much energy its about refining that and just tuning it down a bit. Liked what I saw tonight.

More on Cam. I mean this kid can play. IF this can translate to the tougher competition in the Big 10, we could have a very special season here. His headiness, vision, and confidence was on display. What a stat line, 29 minutes, 7-13 shooting , 3-5 from 3, 17 points, 6 steals, 5 assists and only one turnover. The confidence he had not deferring to others and taking over the game like he has every right to was what makes tonight performance so impressive.

Derek Simpson quick and athletic, you see the talent there, unfortunately maybe tried to do too much in that first half stretch. 0-7 shooting but Pike put him in that spot and certainly Pike giving him 22 minutes, 6th on the team means that Pike has alot of belief in the kid. Derek shook that off in the 2nd half with some nice assists and a sweet jumper that reminded me of Geo. Dont want to push those expectations on him. Let him develop, he looks like he has the goods to get there. I like that Woolfolk got 12 minutes and got on the board. Already he is a better big man backup then we are used to having here. Would have liked to see more minutes of Reiber but I almost think Pike is going to pick and choose his minutes with Reiber this year but I think Threebier can be an excellent role player for us. Looks like Miller is down on the depth charges behind Simpson, obviously because Derek brings an offensive game that Jalen does not possess. Oskar also seems further down the rotation but good to see him at least get on the board.

I can guarantee the next game Sacred Heart will be totally different than this game. They are picked to finish 2nd in the Northeast Conference even as they struggled to finish 10-20 last year. New challenges and new blueprint for a victory. There is a certain excitement in watching a new era begin and that is going to keep these usual ho hum non conference games more interesting than they usually might be. Another thing with new beginnings is that you can sometimes taste the hunger from a new group as opposed to a previous group that might have become somewhat complacent. Not to knock the previous group but it might explain some of their wildly up and down performances. Its only the beginning, only just the start...oh oh ah

Very good summary as usual. Cam Spencer looks like a really nice addition --smart heady ballplayer with some nice steals . If he can do it against quicker more physical guards in the Big Ten then he'll really contribute. I agree about Woolfolk--he showed some quickness and ball skills when he scored and could help with back up minutes. Mag impressed and will get his points, rebounds and tough defense. But the player that stood out the most for me was Derek Simpson. He made some great passes and super athleticism. He could end up being a terrific point guard.
 
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I think you can’t ask for a better opening game. Walk ons get in and cool to see one get an And-1 like that.

Columbia is bad but the exhibition game addition this year is big-time and so we already look more polished than you would expect

all that said, you can’t take any of these 40 points from the win and use them later. SHU could beat us by 1 and there goes all the laurels. Have to come out on fire like the start of this game against all these little teams and not make it any harder for ourselves like last year. I was very impressed jumping out to 15-0 and hope they can keep that focus going
 
My takeaways are that Columbia is VERY bad and you can't take much more away from the game.

Cam had a rough first half and really turned it on in the second half.
Cliff's game was fine. Going to need more from him once the competition ramps up.
Paul looked to be right about where I expected.
Hyatt and Mag both looked good.
Simpson is going to need some time catching up to the college level. Feed him all the minutes now to get him ready for January.

Can't wait for Thursday
 
Hard to be a Debbie Downer when you win by 40. But we were a way different team when Cliff was on the bench. I could be mistaken but if I had to guess, we were +50 with Cliff on the floor and -10 when he wasn't. Columbia had absolutely no answer for him. And while Simpson had a rough first half, between him and Mulcahy, it's clear Cliff is going to get a lot of nice feeds this season.
 
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Great summary per usual. Does anybody really care about time?
 
As you said, Pike usually wins halftime. One of the things I'm sure he did was tell Cam to be more assertive. That was the most obvious difference at the start of the second half
That is everything for our offense. He needs to shoot more. He can not pass up lightly contested looks with 4 seconds on the shot clock.

One thing I loved seeing with him. Twice in transition he made the text book correct decision dribbling hard to the foul line and then passing.

In the 1st half I saw 3 separate strange (being kind) decisions in transition where the wrong pass was made at the wrong time. One by Paul who in his 4th year and the starting point guard can't be making.
 
That is everything for our offense. He needs to shoot more. He can not pass up lightly contested looks with 4 seconds on the shot clock.

One thing I loved seeing with him. Twice in transition he made the text book correct decision dribbling hard to the foul line and then passing.

In the 1st half I saw 3 separate strange (being kind) decisions in transition where the wrong pass was made at the wrong time. One by Paul who in his 4th year and the starting point guard can't be making.
That's amazing because the first full court dribbling and passing drill I remember doing in 7th grade is "jump stop" at the foul line and pass either right or left.....lol.
 
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You didn’t work on passing after you cross half court to the 4 who is on the wing contested not even at free throw line extended?
 
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Cam's ability to penetrate and dish is very very good. He also seems to protect the ball very well. His handle is truly excellent. The vision and reading the game all top notch. I want the ball in his hands more often as not just a scorer but a creator as well

Simpson also showed he can drive and dish. This was one of the biggest concerns offensively heading into the season, but Cam and Simpson both showing they are capable of creating plays for others. This is huge bc it puts so much less pressure on Paul to constantly create every possession. The much improved ball movement as well
 
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BAC, great write up. You have not lost your touch.
If I may add, a few things. The great 15-0 start, showed a combination of athleticism , shooting and superb defense from almost all our players. That is the way you are supposed to come out to start a season . Then the incredible sloppiness to the end of the first half with some nerves manifesting themselves as Simpson looked overmatched and each player , Mag, Aundre , Simpson and Woodard took turns missing bunny after bunny after first making a good play getting the offensive rebound. Left you feeling a little disappointed at halftime.

But then the brilliant second half came ,with Cam taking over scoring 12of the first 15 and the lead ballooned to over 20 and then the clamp down on defense was beautiful to watch. For have not had a heady player like Cam always know where to go and is in the right place on the court at all times. Very impressive with the athletes we have that Cam was the best player on the court and that includes Cliff. We finally have someone who our opposition has had and kills us , like a PG Winston at Michigan State or Javier Simpson at Michigan. Cam will be the difference maker in 3-4 games where we do not play at our peak but he will get us over the top.
What is also clear is we are quicker and are geared to run more on offense. But even more so , our close outs were impressive and our defense will be pretty elite. Probably even better when Caleb comes back.
Let’s see if we can put together a few of these games against the cupcakes and then we can reassess where the season’s going. But from the first game 20 assists to 2 and 26 turnovers to 9 is a really good way to having us contending for the BiG 10 championship. The defense will likely be the best in the league. Pike’s calling card.
 
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Cam Spencer showing why he was a 4 star transfer and advanced metrics darling stuffing the stat sheet. He can really do it all. Fears that he may be only a spot up shooter were completely unfounded.

Cam is the best all around player on the team. His balling handling, vision, and passing are all excellent. The calming presence on the ball is so valuable when things get hectic. Spencer can put the ball on the floor and score or dish. His reading of the game is top notch. Quick hands. Plays passing lanes at an elite level

Simpson is a complete stud and future Rutgers superstar. Elite quickness and explosion. Already shows the vision and willingness to pass once he gets into the lane

Mag breakout is coming. He needs to finish better around the rim still but his defense, energy, athleticism add so much to this team

Hyatt double double hitting a couple 3's and a gorgeous move into the lane and dish to Cliff for a slam. Really needs to finish better under the rim

Cliff hit a 3. Struggled under the basket. Hit the back and side of the backboard. A couple travels. Not his best game offensively but we didn't need it tonight.

Paul came out firing and set the tone early. We know what we have with him and Cliff

Woolfolk is very good. A couple rebounds squirted out of his hands but he's in there fighting for them battling. Plays awesome D. He's also a very good passer and can finish around the rim which we struggled with today

This team could be very very good. There's no team in the B1G we can't beat. No reason the goals for this team shouldn't be very high. If things break right and the development is there, we can be in the mix at the top of the conference. It's a real possibility, not just a pipe dream

I loved what I saw from Cam Spencer last night, but let's pump the breaks and hope he can do it against big time competition. Let's not forget that in his RU opener, Peter Kiss put up 17 points on 7-9 shooting and a scintillating 3-4 from three-point land against a much better FDU team. People were equally ecstatic then. But when the better competition came, Kiss was a bust.
 
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We scored 75 points in 74 possessions against a terrible defensive team.

If we finished in the 1st half we probably would have added 10 points to the total and the adjusted offensive efficiency would not have been shaded red.

On the flip side 35 points allowed in 74 possessions shaded it DARK GREEN.

In today's day of NET with adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency (code for scoring margin!) last nights effort goes a long way. We impressed the computers enough for them to give us a 20th projected win.

 
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I loved what I saw from Cam Spencer last night, but let's pump the breaks and hope he can do it against big time competition. Let's not forget that in his RU opener, Peter Kiss put up 17 points on 7-9 shooting and a scintillating 3-4 from three-point land against a much better FDU team. People were equally ecstatic then. But when the better competition came, Kiss was a bust.
Peter Kiss...will be fan favorite of students....7-9 shooting/3-4 on 3s, 17 points. Leading scorer, brought big time emotion and huge new offensive option which this team desperately needed. Havent had a guy like him for a while on the banks....test will be if he can bring against Big 10 competition, I think he can.

@bac2therac Our program desperately needed this new offensive option. nice call! HA HA HA HA HA

 
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Peter Kiss...will be fan favorite of students....7-9 shooting/3-4 on 3s, 17 points. Leading scorer, brought big time emotion and huge new offensive option which this team desperately needed. Havent had a guy like him for a while on the banks....test will be if he can bring against Big 10 competition, I think he can.

@bac2therac Our program desperately needed this new offensive option. nice call! HA HA HA HA HA


Exactly. How quickly we forget.
 
Most impressive were Cam then Derek. Also like Woolfolk—will be fun to watch him develop. Dean looked good in his minutes.

Am not yet sold on Mag or Aundre, esp. given level of competition. Looking forward to adding Caleb to the mix.

Columbia is really bad.

Oh, yes--Final Score: 75-35.
This. And it concerns me giving these 2 guys extended minutes in B1G play, especially if they're on the floor together.
 
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Peter Kiss...will be fan favorite of students....7-9 shooting/3-4 on 3s, 17 points. Leading scorer, brought big time emotion and huge new offensive option which this team desperately needed. Havent had a guy like him for a while on the banks....test will be if he can bring against Big 10 competition, I think he can.

@bac2therac Our program desperately needed this new offensive option. nice call! HA HA HA HA HA



shameful to compare Cam Spencer to Peter Kiss...not even the same class of character..please delete
 
Great recap as usual Bac.

Best of Luck,
Groz
 
I loved what I saw from Cam Spencer last night, but let's pump the breaks and hope he can do it against big time competition. Let's not forget that in his RU opener, Peter Kiss put up 17 points on 7-9 shooting and a scintillating 3-4 from three-point land against a much better FDU team. People were equally ecstatic then. But when the better competition came, Kiss was a bust.
He did it against UNC last year
 
This. And it concerns me giving these 2 guys extended minutes in B1G play, especially if they're on the floor together.
I'm not concerned about Mowat or Hyatt. I'm not convinced that Mag will all of a sudden become a polished offensive player. But he adds a lot of value in every other aspect of the game. If he was also a polished scorer he'd be an All-American. We don't need every player to be an All-American.
 
He did it against UNC last year
And Peter Kiss lit up Seton Hall and Gonzaga when he was only a freshman at Quinnipiac. It doesn’t guarantee anything. Let’s just hope that Cam is better and ready for prime time, I am cautiously optimistic.
 
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