GAME 12 PRINCETON: Season slipping away as every game is exactly the same

[RU-ROCS]

The recipe almost has to be 7-1 at home in B1G rest of the way and find 3 away games and hope it is good enough.

The problem is we aren't really improving at all as a team. Seems like every game we get closer to writing off 1 of the "role" players as not very good.

Acuff has always been hurt
Hayes can't play defense
Martini took a bunch of games to figure out he is more a guard than a center
Derkack we are slowly finding out he actually hurts us on the defensive end. We know he can't shoot
JaMike playing by default

It is not so much about individual defensive ability of a particular player. This team as a whole still has ZERO connectivity on defense and they provide absolutely no help on D. As I mentioned in another thread help defense has been a hallmark of every good Pike team. But whatever Pike is selling to this team, they are not buying in. How many times did a Princeton player beat a perimeter RU defender and then go in for an uncontested layup? On the other end, PU could not stay in front of our guards, but when we penetrated, they had help defense and made scoring difficult at the rim. We also look like we’ve never seen the pick and roll before. Just awful in defending that too.

 

[Scarlet Shack]

Here is how they could get my faith bac

beat Columbia
win at Indiana
sweep 3 games at home vs Wisconin, Purdue, UCLA


get 3 of those 4 league and I might be mildly interested that they could be on to something

but nothing short of 4-1 to keep them alive

This is a requirment …
4-2/11-6….is a must to have a chance to dance

That means a 8-6 finish to get to 12-8/19-12.

Defending the RAC is critical until we ….hopefully, figure it out . And means 4 of 5

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Youre smoking crack. We didnt even make the tourney. And youre saying if we had a 6th man wed make the final 4? Smoking crack

A team capable of. For a long stretch we were a Top 5 team. Metrics show it

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Define "fine"?
The next to last place finish and maybe barely making the NCAA tournament at best once every couple of years?

Is that "fine" we're supposed to be happy with?
Isn't HC Pike one of the top paid coaches in the Big Ten?

1st we have to define how much currency we have. I am very happy with Pike the last 5 years. More than fine.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

It is not so much about individual defensive ability of a particular player. This team as a whole still has ZERO connectivity on defense and they provide absolutely no help on D. As I mentioned in another thread help defense has been a hallmark of every good Pike team. But whatever Pike is selling to this team, they are not buying in. How many times did a Princeton player beat a perimeter RU defender and then go in for an uncontested layup? On the other end, PU could not stay in front of our guards, but when we penetrated, they had help defense and made scoring difficult at the rim. We also look like we’ve never seen the pick and roll before. Just awful in defending that too.

My hypothesis going in to the season that i didnt want to be proven correct was a shot blocking 5 was the foundation of the Pike defense over the past 6 years.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

For 3 minutes.

Something about my aunt having balls.....

1st step in that is to have an aunt.

We were damn good for a long stretch….not 4 or 5 games getting hot.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

To me the come back line in my thinking HAS to be……but we had Cliff and Myles for 6 years and multi year really good players in Ron and Geo and Caleb.

It isnt to tear down and forget what he accomplished it should be more he cant win in todays changed college basketball landscape.

 

[NickRU714]

1st we have to define how much currency we have. I am very happy with Pike the last 5 years. More than fine.

Good point about defining currency.

Looks like HC Pike is 26th in the country in salary.
Obviously prior seasons were lower. But going forward his salary increases I believe.

We certainly aren't getting 26th in the country this year.

https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/mens-basketball/coach

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Good point about defining currency.

Looks like HC Pike is 26th in the country in salary.
Obviously prior seasons were lower. But going forward his salary increases I believe.

We certainly aren't getting 26th in the country this year.

https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/mens-basketball/coach

Are you going to Devils game?

 

[KK1827]

Good point about defining currency.

Looks like HC Pike is 26th in the country in salary.
Obviously prior seasons were lower. But going forward his salary increases I believe.

We certainly aren't getting 26th in the country this year.

https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/mens-basketball/coach

With his $300K retention bonus paid on July 1, he is actually 20th highest paid.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Good point about defining currency.

Looks like HC Pike is 26th in the country in salary.
Obviously prior seasons were lower. But going forward his salary increases I believe.

We certainly aren't getting 26th in the country this year.

https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/mens-basketball/coach

My currency is more the NIL landscape, BUT now that players can be paid one can start saying the amount you pay your staff in thoery could be part of the overall budget AND then questiom whether paying that much for a coach in RU situation makes sense.

Now we know Pike isnt going anywhere because buyout. He is a sunk cost.

 

[NickRU714]

Are you going to Devils game?

No!!!

Daughter (who came to the Rutgers game) doesnt want to go and neither does wife.
Son (who didn't come to the game wants to go).

Maybe i can talk daughter into it since they are back inside from the snow.

 

[bac2therac]

We were terrible in the beginning of the year because Caleb and Paul were hurt. We were Top 5 team in the stretch I referenced. I am a negative guy and I was thinking the team had the ability to win it all.

sorry thats not really top 5, we didnt even get ranked

 

[bac2therac]

Statements like this should get you a time out for a few weeks.

agree, its over the top...we had one of the top defenses, he can say that but our offense was still below average

 

[bac2therac]

1st we have to define how much currency we have. I am very happy with Pike the last 5 years. More than fine.

his recruiting has sunk the team that past 3 years...happy with that

 

[bac2therac]

To me the come back line in my thinking HAS to be……but we had Cliff and Myles for 6 years and multi year really good players in Ron and Geo and Caleb.

It isnt to tear down and forget what he accomplished it should be more he cant win in todays changed college basketball landscape.

and....you act like that is like gods gift...you realize 85% of the Big 10 also had those players and more and then replace them

 

[bac2therac]

1st step in that is to have an aunt.

We were damn good for a long stretch….not 4 or 5 games getting hot.

and the team was so fragile that one player got injiured and the whole house of cards collapsed into an anemic disaster on offense

 

[Nycrusupporter]

I have never seen so many back door passes and guys blowing by defenders. Not sticking between their man and the rim.

They did it to us last year . . . and it is pretty much the same blueprint Notre Dame used when they beat us in the tournament.

 

[RAC93]

yeah complete hype....from the mods here that run the site, to all the RU media beat reporters to the NJ beat writers to the national writers....they led us to believe that something special wasnt going to happen here...we were stupid to buy into it. 2 players do not make a team...and it seems like many also blew smoke up our asses about the supporting cast Pike brought in.

Who would have thought that a 7-5 football season that could have had 2 or 3 more wins would seem like a massive success compared to the debacle that this basketball season has become. I didn’t see that one coming, but it has arrived.

 

[bac2therac]

They did it to us last year . . . and it is pretty much the same blueprint Notre Dame used when they beat us in the tournament.

another reason not to play them

Pike has a blindspot to certain kind of teams...Iowa is another, Nebraska....these type of teams he throws his hands up in the air. The Notre Dame tourney game a few years back was criminal how bad our defense was

 

[RUskoolie]

Less than 2 years ago we were one of the best teams in college basketball.

I think you mean NJ right?

 

[RUskoolie]

2 years ago we were 1 more rotational piece and Mag staying healthy from a Legit Final 4 team. That isn't low ceiling

Holy fvck you have lost your marbles FIG. Sign off and return after the Holidays.

 

[RUGiddy777]

We were terrible in the beginning of the year because Caleb and Paul were hurt. We were Top 5 team in the stretch I referenced. I am a negative guy and I was thinking the team had the ability to win it all.

You’re not wrong. They were on pace to win 13-14 games in the B1G until the Mag injury. 8-3 when Mag went down (and Cam got cold).

Edit - don’t agree with the final 4 take. But second weekend of the tourney was possible.

 

[RUskoolie]

He does a bunch of good things and then does stuff he shouldn't. We really need him to be a little more efficient.

I was also hoping that we'd get Lee or Pierce out of the game. Did we even try?

I didn't understand it. Someone has 4 fouls I am going at that guy almost every possession and going right to the hole. He will foul out or let you blow by for 2.

 

[RUskoolie]

Due to buyout the soonest he’d be let go would be March 2027. Hobbs extended coaches with massive buyouts after any halfway decent win

There is no chance we go 2 more seasons of no post season and he is still here. If we do not dance this year it will be a massive fail and the fanbase will turn on him. New AD will look to make a splash hire if Pike goes down in flames the following season. No way 2 years and I am a big Pike fan.

 

[bac2therac]

There is no chance we go 2 more seasons of no post season and he is still here. If we do not dance this year it will be a massive fail and the fanbase will turn on him. New AD will look to make a splash hire if Pike goes down in flames the following season. No way 2 years and I am a big Pike fan.

I think he has two more seasons after this no question

 

[RUGiddy777]

I didn't understand it. Someone has 4 fouls I am going at that guy almost every possession and going right to the hole. He will foul out or let you blow by for 2.

Really don’t understand the last 20 seconds. I’d rather play for OT and get the last shot rather than give them the ball down a point with 15 seconds. Also don’t understand not fouling with them shooting 30% at the line and only having a bonus.

 

[RUSCFORMERLYRULOU]

I think he has two more seasons after this no question

Don’t be so sure

 

[PiscatawayMike]

RU players need to heed the advice of this song...

You're fooling yourself if you don't believe it
You're killing yourself if you don't believe it
Get up, (Get up!) get back on your feet
You're the one they can't beat, and you know it
Oh, come on, (Come on!) let's see what you've got
Just take your best shot and don't blow it
Whoa whoa whoa whoa
Oh oh oh oh oh oh

 

[bac2therac]

Really don’t understand the last 20 seconds. I’d rather play for OT and get the last shot rather than give them the ball down a point with 15 seconds. Also don’t understand not fouling with them shooting 30% at the line and only having a bonus.

well Ace was wide open right..why not take it..he feels he has the confidence to make that....on the other end his defense was no existent and its just a team that cannot make stops..too easy

 

[bac2therac]

Don’t be so sure

its a lot of money.....there will be little heat on him coming into next year...now next year based on who we have coming back, who we signed and Pikes poor record in the portal looks to be a mess..like sub 500 mess...that puts all the pressure on the following year to make substantial progress and you know that half the board would think getting to 17-15 would be enough to save him.

 

[RUskoolie]

I think he has two more seasons after this no question

Bounced first 4 in the tournamnent
Next year epic meltdown NIT 1 seed bounced day 1
No tournament
No tournament (this year)
New AD arrives
No tournament (next year)

That would be 5 years of downtrend...no way you get a 6th. It's massive hypothetical but I don't see it, especially if Schiano continues to stabilize the football program and you don't need to worry about him. Then you make your move with basketball and start fresh.

 

[RUnTime]

Pikiell Is a meathead playing man on the last Princeton possession(s)

He needs to move on to browner pastures

 

[bac2therac]

Bounced first 4 in the tournamnent
Next year epic meltdown NIT 1 seed bounced day 1
No tournament
No tournament (this year)
New AD arrives
No tournament (next year)

That would be 5 years of downtrend...no way you get a 6th. It's massive hypothetical but I don't see it, especially if Schiano continues to stabilize the football program and you don't need to worry about him. Then you make your move with basketball and start fresh.

Pike will not get penalized at all for that year that RU got snubbed so thats the difference with the timeline. He will get every benefit of the doubt because he pulled the program out of a 30 years hole. The heat on him will not come until the results start coming in next year. We are just a subset of fans....believe me...THERE ARE HARDCORE FANS MANY OF THEM WITH $$$ THAT DO NOT SEE AN ISSUE WITH HIM YET AND WONT UNTIL ALOT MORE LOSING HAPPENS

 

[RUGiddy777]

well Ace was wide open right..why not take it..he feels he has the confidence to make that....on the other end his defense was no existent and its just a team that cannot make stops..too easy

Then I don’t get not fouling and giving them a 1:1 and at least giving us time to get a 2 for the win.

 

[biazza38]

Then I don’t get not fouling and giving them a 1:1 and at least giving us time to get a 2 for the win.

You’re gonna put them on the line to win the game with seconds left?
Basketball is a fast game, not having a timeout to set up the defense really hurt us. You’re not gonna foul to put them on the line to win it. Even with DH on our team, that’s crazy

 

[RUGiddy777]

You’re gonna put them on the line to win the game with seconds left?
Basketball is a fast game, not having a timeout to set up the defense really hurt us. You’re not gonna foul to put them on the line to win it. Even with DH on our team, that’s crazy

Foul on the inbound. They were in the bonus, not double bonus. If they make 2, they’re only up 1 with us having 20 seconds for a 2 for the win rather than the 7 seconds we ended up with. They were horrid from the FT line - like 45%. If they missed the first and we get the board, they’re sending us to the foul line to shoot 2 to go up 3. At this point, I’m not betting on our ability to stop them on D.

 

[Ridge 22]

1st we have to define how much currency we have. I am very happy with Pike the last 5 years. More than fine.

You are also pathetic

 

[biazza38]

Foul on the inbound. They were in the bonus, not double bonus. If they make 2, they’re only up 1 with us having 20 seconds for a 2 for the win rather than the 7 seconds we ended up with. They were horrid from the FT line - like 45%. If they missed the first and we get the board, they’re sending us to the foul line to shoot 2 to go up 3. At this point, I’m not betting on our ability to stop them on D.

I understand what you’re saying. No coach would ever foul up 1 to give their opponents a chance to win. Thats crazy talk and sends a terrible message to your team
And as bad as our defense was all day, it was our defense in the final minutes that got us back in it

 

[bac2therac]

Then I don’t get not fouling and giving them a 1:1 and at least giving us time to get a 2 for the win.

cant do that up 1..just play defense