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GAME 14 #1 PURDUE: Prove it all Knight....

bac2therac

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Wow

Is this real? Taking time to process this because "potentially" this win is a game changer for the program with all kinds of endless possibilities for us to discuss. For Coach Pikiell and the players, its just another victory and goal accomplished, just one win in a 20 game season Big 10 season where each game evolves in its own way and seizing victory by making the necessary plays down the strech is always the goal. To them, they keep their heads on straight because that is how Coach Pikiell has always run his program. Celebrate tonight, start preparing for Maryland. Their work is not done. For us the fans though, this is why we follow our favorite teams whether its professional or college. Much like the win at Purdue in 2020 to clinch a spot in the ill fated NCAA tourney, the Harper shot to beat Purdue at the RAC in 2021 and the Cam 3 to knock off #1 for the 2nd straight year but this time at their building, these are the days to remember. Everything is coming up roses.

And nothing's gonna stop us 'til we're through!
Honey, everything's coming up roses and daffodils!
Everything's coming up sunshine and Santa Claus!
Everything's gonna be bright lights and lollipops!
Everything's coming up roses for me and for you!


This time its different. Beating Purdue at the RAC last year when they were #1 was a shock for sure given that RU had struggled losing to Lafayette and UMass. Purdue was ripe for a loss there. Things are different at the RAC. Not to downplay that win but it took one in a thousand shot to pull it out. RU won at the RAC yet in the rematch at Mackey, Rutgers was dispatched rather easily. Tonight's win at Mackey vs a #1 was on another level. Rutgers just beat #1 on their home court. In NCAA tourney resume speak that is a win that will keep giving and giving and giving, a win worth 4 or 5 feathers in their cap. Picking up a quality road win this earlier ends the road argument before we get to the end of the first week on January. Rutgers won tonight and had nothing to do with playing at the RAC nor did it have to do with Purdue having an off night. Rutgers won because they belong on the same court and took it right to Purdue on their home court. Rutgers was more physical. Rutgers made the winning plays. Rutgers in a close matchup is probably the slightly better team. Process that in your mind, Rutgers just beat the supposed best team in the Big 10 because they could actually be better than them. Add in a win over preseason fave Indiana and a virtual win at Ohio State stolen by a missed ref call. Rutgers has just come out 2-1 really 3-0 vs the top 3 schools in the league. How do you like them apples Mr Tagliabue????

The most impressive part of the triumph is how it unfolded, how it evolved and how it finished. Now backing up a bit, obviously its become clear that without Paul and Caleb its pretty much unfair to critique the losses to Temple and even Miami all that much. That was a team without key cogs and that does not work in Pikiell's system. Still its fair to say RU made some mistakes in those games and even at Ohio State that RU could clean up. Even though they had elevated themselves as a top half Big 10 program the previous 3 years, RU has not been taken as serious as a legit top 3-4 school in the league. To do that it takes more than winning at the RAC and coming close on the road. Sure RU won at Wisconsin last year and that was a start but past Pikiell teams have never been able to pack their defensive luggage on the road like they did tonight. This year's edition of Pike's Working Dogs came of age tonight. RU showed it was good enough to waltz into Mackey and go up 10 at half, simply shutting down the Purdue offense and holding them to just 6 points the last 9 minutes of the first half.. Much of that with Edey saddled with foul trouble. RU would extend it to 13 but were they going to be good enough MENTALLY to close the game out when you knew "Here Comes Edey" and you knew that the place would turn into a snake pit once the Boilermakers got it to one or two possessions. What separates the title contenders who go 15-5 in league and those who go 11-9 is not just who is more talented. What separates the elite from the good is having mental toughness, leadership, and being able to overcome all kinds of adversity to being thrown at you.

Tonight was a game you see all the time in college hoops. Ranked team struggles earlier, rallies and then escapes with a win in the end. How many times have you seen Rutgers lose this kind of game over the years. Call it run out steam, choke, or blow out. Rutgers was put to the mental test tonight. We all saw it. We all felt it. It was slip sliding it away. How many times do we see that dagger. I asked in the game thread about we need leadership. RU was gambling a bit on defense, fouling alot. Their offense was losing any sense of purpose and went through a hideous 2-12 fg stretch over 10 minutes where the lead went from 13 to just up 2 at the under 8 timeout. Mulcahy was having a solid yet unspectacular game and seemed to be disappearing from making plays in the 2nd half. Someone needed to DO SOMETHING It was as if Mulcahy was summoned. Not sure what was said in the timeout at 5:38 that Pike called with the game tied at 52. I am sure Paul was a big part of that conversation because after that we saw a kid unleashed taking the team on his back. Coming out of the timeout, Paul nailed a jumper on a nifty assist from Cliff. On the next possession Paul would bully his way in, even as he was warily covered by two Purdue players nearby. Paul missed shot, but scooped the board underneath everyone for a put back and got an and one. Paul again on the next possession..its good and suddenly Rutgers is up 5, simmering the crowd down, giving them just that little bit of breathing room. Paul responsible for 7 of RU's last 8 but he wasnt done...Paul again for a layup. Its now 62-57. Purdue cannot stop him until they did. Paul missed his next 2 and when Loyer made that 3 to put Purdue up 64-62, Rutgers was going to need something special. Mulcahy you would think would be the option yet some of us thought Pike perhaps had inadvertently set up the perfect decoy. Purdue was going to key on Paul and a kick out to Cam would be the proper call and that was exactly what happened. A little adjustment by Cam and he got a great look and it was onions for him. RU up 65-64. Rutgers was able to withstand some in and out passing from Purdue and ultimately gave up an open 3 to Newmann who was short. The ball went out of bounds to RU and despite the uncomfortable finish with Caleb turning it over before inbounding...that was it, RUTGERS HAD WON! UN****INGBELIEVABLE!

No one is going to hand you wins in the Big 10 especially on the road and especially against #1 and with the likely Big 10 player of the year. I know our fans like the get on the refs. The game thread is a tough read with alot of posts reference refs. The refs were not easy on Rutgers. 24 fouls called on RU to just 11 for Purdue. Purdue went to the line 28 times and RU just 11. Some of that is understandable given RU doesnt make many drives to draw the foul which Painter explicitly was going to do in the 2nd half. The gambles RU made on defense in the 2nd half turned out to hurt them. Just a tad overaggressive in defending Edey moreso from the back rather than denying him the ball. Ref bias? Maybe but if you do not think Edey and the home team will not get those calls you are mistaken. Certainly those calls allowed Purdue to keep chipping away at the lead but at the same time, RU was not helping themself on offense and letting themselves get frustrated. The refs were not going to bail Rutgers out. Fair disparity or not. Rutgers needed to do something to change what was happening. The D on Edey was oh so slightly different and RU was a little more willing to give Purdue the open shot on the perimeter which did burn them a couple times. Still Rutgers was going to have to do something special offensively and that they did with Paul Mulcahy and then the game winner by Cam. As a thread by Mildone alluded to, you cannot defend the free throw line. Despite all the foul issues, RU found themselves in an even game with just a few minutes left. That RU pulled it out despite having to overcome the refs makes it all sweeter and proves how RU deserved this victory. Remember vs Ohio State or Miami or Notre Dame RU just was not making that one stop, one rebound or one shot. You have to prove you deserve that win. Rutgers did. They proved it all knight. That hunger I talked about in early game recaps. Its traveled. Feed this bunch.

Stats wise, Paul and Cam really standout by games end obviously yet this was a team effort. Even the minutes by Woolfolk and Reiber were huge. Cliff getting two fouls on Edey was enormous. It allowed RU to flex its muscle and force a talented but youthful Boilermaker team to be put in go to roles. Those youngins did not fare too well. Rutgers exploited them with their physicality and no one could stop Cliff in the paint in the first half who had some sweet dunks. Cliff was 4-6 in the first half with 1 points, including a 3. I believe Cliff only finished with 12 points and just 6 rebounds. RU just couldnt get Cliff the ball and when they did, Cliff missed all 5 of them in the 2nd half. Yet while Edey was able to be more successful in the 2nd half, Cliff and Mag and Hyatt still extended alot of energy into doubling him and even one stop is considered a big success. Paul had that slower start but finished 7-13 fg, 16 points with a team leading 8 boards, 6 assists, 4 steals. A game for the ages for Paul that he will nor Rutgers fans will forget. Cam ice in his veins with the game winner but it looked so easy. Cam was 6-8 fg and 14 points including a couple of real tough jumpers. I think its safe to say any of us who were worried that Cam could not play at this level were wrong. Caleb gave his typical yeomans work on defense with a couple of steals and 4 boards. Hit a couple shots early but not much offense as the game wore on just 6 points Just his harrassment of Purdue guards really gets them just out of sync enough especially in the first half. Hyatt in 25 minutes played his role, hit some shots early, not so much late but this is exactly the kind of game we need him to play. Grabbed 6 boards, had 8 points played very good D. Mag not as sharp tonight early out of the game playing just 15 minutes. Good call for Pike to be aware that tonight might not have been the night for him as those early fouls hurt him. Derek got a huge 3 and made a few free throws in the 2nd half. Those points were needed. Like he was under control except for one rushed shot, yes only 1-5 but he didnt hurt the team. Instant energy that makes us even faster. Notable stats are RU just turned it over 10 times and I believe only 3 in the 2nd half. RU was outboarded 34-31 and 12-11 offensively but it was pretty even in the 2nd half. 6-14 from 3 and 9-11 ft are very good for this team. Limiting Purdue to 10 less shots and
39.6% including forcing them into a woeful 7-23 from 3 were difference makers.


How you win sometimes is more important that you won. This was not just a win. I think its a statement. The whys and hows of this win HAD to happen if the program has aspirations to take it further than a "last 8 team in". Legitimacy and respect are learned. The biggest win for Pikiell in his tenure at Rutgers IMO. We can debate what comes next and eventual worries about guarding against the proverbial letdown. There is so MUCH to talk about it but that is best left to other threads. Rutgers proved themselves. They proved themselves to Purdue. They proved themselves to the Big 10, They proved themselves to the college basketball world. But most importantly Rutgers proved themselves to themselves. When you know you know. We'll prove it all knight for you......


 
Thanks for all the effort, good read! As I said from the beginning of this season. I believe this is Pikes best team. No disrespect to our 2 all time greats who just graduated the program! What ever this team accomplishes it doesn’t happen without those 2
 
Thanks for all the effort, good read! As I said from the beginning of this season. I believe this is Pikes best team. No disrespect to our 2 all time greats who just graduated the program! What ever this team accomplishes it doesn’t happen without those 2
I was NOT of the opinion this was his best team but I am about 2 wins in the next 5 days from fully declaring I was wrong and it is his best team. Harper and Geo individually better but this years teams as a whole so much better than its parts...its so different in how we approach things from the previous 3 teams...its not a model that would work on 99% of college teams but it works for Pike
 
Great read thx. Only quibble is in Mulcahy’s post game interview, he said that final shot was not how it was drawn up. Sounds like Cam was not the first option.
 
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Great read thx. Only quibble is in Mulcahy’s post game interview, he said that final shot was not how it was drawn up. Sounds like Cam was not the first option.


interesting....I guess they were going for 2...perhaps something inside for Cliff. Was Hyatt in? I cant imagine him being the option.

or maybe they were suppose to take it as a last shot...13 seconds leaves a ton of time and usual more clock would get run
 
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Great read thx. Only quibble is in Mulcahy’s post game interview, he said that final shot was not how it was drawn up. Sounds like Cam was not the first option.
I heard him say the first option was still Cam but Purdue played us for what was drawn up, so we had to improvise a different winning shot for Cam. Paul said Cam was telling everyone he was going to make the shot.
 
I was NOT of the opinion this was his best team but I am about 2 wins in the next 5 days from fully declaring I was wrong and it is his best team. Harper and Geo individually better but this years teams as a whole so much better than its parts...its so different in how we approach things from the previous 3 teams...its not a model that would work on 99% of college teams but it works for Pike
I agree next 2 games are huge
 
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Wow

Is this real? Taking time to process this because "potentially" this win is a game changer for the program with all kinds of endless possibilities for us to discuss. For Coach Pikiell and the players, its just another victory and goal accomplished, just one win in a 20 game season Big 10 season where each game evolves in its own way and seizing victory by making the necessary plays down the strech is always the goal. To them, they keep their heads on straight because that is how Coach Pikiell has always run his program. Celebrate tonight, start preparing for Maryland. Their work is not done. For us the fans though, this is why we follow our favorite teams whether its professional or college. Much like the win at Purdue in 2020 to clinch a spot in the ill fated NCAA tourney, the Harper shot to beat Purdue at the RAC in 2021 and the Cam 3 to knock off #1 for the 2nd straight year but this time at their building, these are the days to remember. Everything is coming up roses.

And nothing's gonna stop us 'til we're through!
Honey, everything's coming up roses and daffodils!
Everything's coming up sunshine and Santa Claus!
Everything's gonna be bright lights and lollipops!
Everything's coming up roses for me and for you!


This time its different. Beating Purdue at the RAC last year when they were #1 was a shock for sure given that RU had struggled losing to Lafayette and UMass. Purdue was ripe for a loss there. Things are different at the RAC. Not to downplay that win but it took one in a thousand shot to pull it out. RU won at the RAC yet in the rematch at Mackey, Rutgers was dispatched rather easily. Tonight's win at Mackey vs a #1 was on another level. Rutgers just beat #1 on their home court. In NCAA tourney resume speak that is a win that will keep giving and giving and giving, a win worth 4 or 5 feathers in their cap. Picking up a quality road win this earlier ends the road argument before we get to the end of the first week on January. Rutgers won tonight and had nothing to do with playing at the RAC nor did it have to do with Purdue having an off night. Rutgers won because they belong on the same court and took it right to Purdue on their home court. Rutgers was more physical. Rutgers made the winning plays. Rutgers in a close matchup is probably the slightly better team. Process that in your mind, Rutgers just beat the supposed best team in the Big 10 because they could actually be better than them. Add in a win over preseason fave Indiana and a virtual win at Ohio State stolen by a missed ref call. Rutgers has just come out 2-1 really 3-0 vs the top 3 schools in the league. How do you like them apples Mr Tagliabue????

The most impressive part of the triumph is how it unfolded, how it evolved and how it finished. Now backing up a bit, obviously its become clear that without Paul and Caleb its pretty much unfair to critique the losses to Temple and even Miami all that much. That was a team without key cogs and that does not work in Pikiell's system. Still its fair to say RU made some mistakes in those games and even at Ohio State that RU could clean up. Even though they had elevated themselves as a top half Big 10 program the previous 3 years, RU has not been taken as serious as a legit top 3-4 school in the league. To do that it takes more than winning at the RAC and coming close on the road. Sure RU won at Wisconsin last year and that was a start but past Pikiell teams have never been able to pack their defensive luggage on the road like they did tonight. This year's edition of Pike's Working Dogs came of age tonight. RU showed it was good enough to waltz into Mackey and go up 10 at half, simply shutting down the Purdue offense and holding them to just 6 points the last 9 minutes of the first half.. Much of that with Edey saddled with foul trouble. RU would extend it to 13 but were they going to be good enough MENTALLY to close the game out when you knew "Here Comes Edey" and you knew that the place would turn into a snake pit once the Boilermakers got it to one or two possessions. What separates the title contenders who go 15-5 in league and those who go 11-9 is not just who is more talented. What separates the elite from the good is having mental toughness, leadership, and being able to overcome all kinds of adversity to being thrown at you.

Tonight was a game you see all the time in college hoops. Ranked team struggles earlier, rallies and then escapes with a win in the end. How many times have you seen Rutgers lose this kind of game over the years. Call it run out steam, choke, or blow out. Rutgers was put to the mental test tonight. We all saw it. We all felt it. It was slip sliding it away. How many times do we see that dagger. I asked in the game thread about we need leadership. RU was gambling a bit on defense, fouling alot. Their offense was losing any sense of purpose and went through a hideous 2-12 fg stretch over 10 minutes where the lead went from 13 to just up 2 at the under 8 timeout. Mulcahy was having a solid yet unspectacular game and seemed to be disappearing from making plays in the 2nd half. Someone needed to DO SOMETHING It was as if Mulcahy was summoned. Not sure what was said in the timeout at 5:38 that Pike called with the game tied at 52. I am sure Paul was a big part of that conversation because after that we saw a kid unleashed taking the team on his back. Coming out of the timeout, Paul nailed a jumper on a nifty assist from Cliff. On the next possession Paul would bully his way in, even as he was warily covered by two Purdue players nearby. Paul missed shot, but scooped the board underneath everyone for a put back and got an and one. Paul again on the next possession..its good and suddenly Rutgers is up 5, simmering the crowd down, giving them just that little bit of breathing room. Paul responsible for 7 of RU's last 8 but he wasnt done...Paul again for a layup. Its now 62-57. Purdue cannot stop him until they did. Paul missed his next 2 and when Loyer made that 3 to put Purdue up 64-62, Rutgers was going to need something special. Mulcahy you would think would be the option yet some of us thought Pike perhaps had inadvertently set up the perfect decoy. Purdue was going to key on Paul and a kick out to Cam would be the proper call and that was exactly what happened. A little adjustment by Cam and he got a great look and it was onions for him. RU up 65-64. Rutgers was able to withstand some in and out passing from Purdue and ultimately gave up an open 3 to Newmann who was short. The ball went out of bounds to RU and despite the uncomfortable finish with Caleb turning it over before inbounding...that was it, RUTGERS HAD WON! UN****INGBELIEVABLE!

No one is going to hand you wins in the Big 10 especially on the road and especially against #1 and with the likely Big 10 player of the year. I know our fans like the get on the refs. The game thread is a tough read with alot of posts reference refs. The refs were not easy on Rutgers. 24 fouls called on RU to just 11 for Purdue. Purdue went to the line 28 times and RU just 11. Some of that is understandable given RU doesnt make many drives to draw the foul which Painter explicitly was going to do in the 2nd half. The gambles RU made on defense in the 2nd half turned out to hurt them. Just a tad overaggressive in defending Edey moreso from the back rather than denying him the ball. Ref bias? Maybe but if you do not think Edey and the home team will not get those calls you are mistaken. Certainly those calls allowed Purdue to keep chipping away at the lead but at the same time, RU was not helping themself on offense and letting themselves get frustrated. The refs were not going to bail Rutgers out. Fair disparity or not. Rutgers needed to do something to change what was happening. The D on Edey was oh so slightly different and RU was a little more willing to give Purdue the open shot on the perimeter which did burn them a couple times. Still Rutgers was going to have to do something special offensively and that they did with Paul Mulcahy and then the game winner by Cam. As a thread by Mildone alluded to, you cannot defend the free throw line. Despite all the foul issues, RU found themselves in an even game with just a few minutes left. That RU pulled it out despite having to overcome the refs makes it all sweeter and proves how RU deserved this victory. Remember vs Ohio State or Miami or Notre Dame RU just was not making that one stop, one rebound or one shot. You have to prove you deserve that win. Rutgers did. They proved it all knight. That hunger I talked about in early game recaps. Its traveled. Feed this bunch.

Stats wise, Paul and Cam really standout by games end obviously yet this was a team effort. Even the minutes by Woolfolk and Reiber were huge. Cliff getting two fouls on Edey was enormous. It allowed RU to flex its muscle and force a talented but youthful Boilermaker team to be put in go to roles. Those youngins did not fare too well. Rutgers exploited them with their physicality and no one could stop Cliff in the paint in the first half who had some sweet dunks. Cliff was 4-6 in the first half with 1 points, including a 3. I believe Cliff only finished with 12 points and just 6 rebounds. RU just couldnt get Cliff the ball and when they did, Cliff missed all 5 of them in the 2nd half. Yet while Edey was able to be more successful in the 2nd half, Cliff and Mag and Hyatt still extended alot of energy into doubling him and even one stop is considered a big success. Paul had that slower start but finished 7-13 fg, 16 points with a team leading 8 boards, 6 assists, 4 steals. A game for the ages for Paul that he will nor Rutgers fans will forget. Cam ice in his veins with the game winner but it looked so easy. Cam was 6-8 fg and 14 points including a couple of real tough jumpers. I think its safe to say any of us who were worried that Cam could not play at this level were wrong. Caleb gave his typical yeomans work on defense with a couple of steals and 4 boards. Hit a couple shots early but not much offense as the game wore on just 6 points Just his harrassment of Purdue guards really gets them just out of sync enough especially in the first half. Hyatt in 25 minutes played his role, hit some shots early, not so much late but this is exactly the kind of game we need him to play. Grabbed 6 boards, had 8 points played very good D. Mag not as sharp tonight early out of the game playing just 15 minutes. Good call for Pike to be aware that tonight might not have been the night for him as those early fouls hurt him. Derek got a huge 3 and made a few free throws in the 2nd half. Those points were needed. Like he was under control except for one rushed shot, yes only 1-5 but he didnt hurt the team. Instant energy that makes us even faster. Notable stats are RU just turned it over 10 times and I believe only 3 in the 2nd half. RU was outboarded 34-31 and 12-11 offensively but it was pretty even in the 2nd half. 6-14 from 3 and 9-11 ft are very good for this team. Limiting Purdue to 10 less shots and
39.6% including forcing them into a woeful 7-23 from 3 were difference makers.


How you win sometimes is more important that you won. This was not just a win. I think its a statement. The whys and hows of this win HAD to happen if the program has aspirations to take it further than a "last 8 team in". Legitimacy and respect are learned. The biggest win for Pikiell in his tenure at Rutgers IMO. We can debate what comes next and eventual worries about guarding against the proverbial letdown. There is so MUCH to talk about it but that is best left to other threads. Rutgers proved themselves. They proved themselves to Purdue. They proved themselves to the Big 10, They proved themselves to the college basketball world. But most importantly Rutgers proved themselves to themselves. When you know you know. We'll prove it all knight for you......


Great summary. I also wasn't convinced this was Pike's best team until seeing us destroy Indiana and Wake and "beat" OSU on the road once healthy (with SHU being a wtf game) and now I'm 100% convinced after this win. We all know what this team is now capable of and we're not talking about just "making the NCAAs" - long way to go though.

However, I have to say it seemed odd to quote lyrics from Gypsy, the musical, featuring Ethel Merman, than to quote lyrics from the Bruce song. Given the win we'll let it slide, lol.
 
Wow

Is this real? Taking time to process this because "potentially" this win is a game changer for the program with all kinds of endless possibilities for us to discuss. For Coach Pikiell and the players, its just another victory and goal accomplished, just one win in a 20 game season Big 10 season where each game evolves in its own way and seizing victory by making the necessary plays down the strech is always the goal. To them, they keep their heads on straight because that is how Coach Pikiell has always run his program. Celebrate tonight, start preparing for Maryland. Their work is not done. For us the fans though, this is why we follow our favorite teams whether its professional or college. Much like the win at Purdue in 2020 to clinch a spot in the ill fated NCAA tourney, the Harper shot to beat Purdue at the RAC in 2021 and the Cam 3 to knock off #1 for the 2nd straight year but this time at their building, these are the days to remember. Everything is coming up roses.

And nothing's gonna stop us 'til we're through!
Honey, everything's coming up roses and daffodils!
Everything's coming up sunshine and Santa Claus!
Everything's gonna be bright lights and lollipops!
Everything's coming up roses for me and for you!


This time its different. Beating Purdue at the RAC last year when they were #1 was a shock for sure given that RU had struggled losing to Lafayette and UMass. Purdue was ripe for a loss there. Things are different at the RAC. Not to downplay that win but it took one in a thousand shot to pull it out. RU won at the RAC yet in the rematch at Mackey, Rutgers was dispatched rather easily. Tonight's win at Mackey vs a #1 was on another level. Rutgers just beat #1 on their home court. In NCAA tourney resume speak that is a win that will keep giving and giving and giving, a win worth 4 or 5 feathers in their cap. Picking up a quality road win this earlier ends the road argument before we get to the end of the first week on January. Rutgers won tonight and had nothing to do with playing at the RAC nor did it have to do with Purdue having an off night. Rutgers won because they belong on the same court and took it right to Purdue on their home court. Rutgers was more physical. Rutgers made the winning plays. Rutgers in a close matchup is probably the slightly better team. Process that in your mind, Rutgers just beat the supposed best team in the Big 10 because they could actually be better than them. Add in a win over preseason fave Indiana and a virtual win at Ohio State stolen by a missed ref call. Rutgers has just come out 2-1 really 3-0 vs the top 3 schools in the league. How do you like them apples Mr Tagliabue????

The most impressive part of the triumph is how it unfolded, how it evolved and how it finished. Now backing up a bit, obviously its become clear that without Paul and Caleb its pretty much unfair to critique the losses to Temple and even Miami all that much. That was a team without key cogs and that does not work in Pikiell's system. Still its fair to say RU made some mistakes in those games and even at Ohio State that RU could clean up. Even though they had elevated themselves as a top half Big 10 program the previous 3 years, RU has not been taken as serious as a legit top 3-4 school in the league. To do that it takes more than winning at the RAC and coming close on the road. Sure RU won at Wisconsin last year and that was a start but past Pikiell teams have never been able to pack their defensive luggage on the road like they did tonight. This year's edition of Pike's Working Dogs came of age tonight. RU showed it was good enough to waltz into Mackey and go up 10 at half, simply shutting down the Purdue offense and holding them to just 6 points the last 9 minutes of the first half.. Much of that with Edey saddled with foul trouble. RU would extend it to 13 but were they going to be good enough MENTALLY to close the game out when you knew "Here Comes Edey" and you knew that the place would turn into a snake pit once the Boilermakers got it to one or two possessions. What separates the title contenders who go 15-5 in league and those who go 11-9 is not just who is more talented. What separates the elite from the good is having mental toughness, leadership, and being able to overcome all kinds of adversity to being thrown at you.

Tonight was a game you see all the time in college hoops. Ranked team struggles earlier, rallies and then escapes with a win in the end. How many times have you seen Rutgers lose this kind of game over the years. Call it run out steam, choke, or blow out. Rutgers was put to the mental test tonight. We all saw it. We all felt it. It was slip sliding it away. How many times do we see that dagger. I asked in the game thread about we need leadership. RU was gambling a bit on defense, fouling alot. Their offense was losing any sense of purpose and went through a hideous 2-12 fg stretch over 10 minutes where the lead went from 13 to just up 2 at the under 8 timeout. Mulcahy was having a solid yet unspectacular game and seemed to be disappearing from making plays in the 2nd half. Someone needed to DO SOMETHING It was as if Mulcahy was summoned. Not sure what was said in the timeout at 5:38 that Pike called with the game tied at 52. I am sure Paul was a big part of that conversation because after that we saw a kid unleashed taking the team on his back. Coming out of the timeout, Paul nailed a jumper on a nifty assist from Cliff. On the next possession Paul would bully his way in, even as he was warily covered by two Purdue players nearby. Paul missed shot, but scooped the board underneath everyone for a put back and got an and one. Paul again on the next possession..its good and suddenly Rutgers is up 5, simmering the crowd down, giving them just that little bit of breathing room. Paul responsible for 7 of RU's last 8 but he wasnt done...Paul again for a layup. Its now 62-57. Purdue cannot stop him until they did. Paul missed his next 2 and when Loyer made that 3 to put Purdue up 64-62, Rutgers was going to need something special. Mulcahy you would think would be the option yet some of us thought Pike perhaps had inadvertently set up the perfect decoy. Purdue was going to key on Paul and a kick out to Cam would be the proper call and that was exactly what happened. A little adjustment by Cam and he got a great look and it was onions for him. RU up 65-64. Rutgers was able to withstand some in and out passing from Purdue and ultimately gave up an open 3 to Newmann who was short. The ball went out of bounds to RU and despite the uncomfortable finish with Caleb turning it over before inbounding...that was it, RUTGERS HAD WON! UN****INGBELIEVABLE!

No one is going to hand you wins in the Big 10 especially on the road and especially against #1 and with the likely Big 10 player of the year. I know our fans like the get on the refs. The game thread is a tough read with alot of posts reference refs. The refs were not easy on Rutgers. 24 fouls called on RU to just 11 for Purdue. Purdue went to the line 28 times and RU just 11. Some of that is understandable given RU doesnt make many drives to draw the foul which Painter explicitly was going to do in the 2nd half. The gambles RU made on defense in the 2nd half turned out to hurt them. Just a tad overaggressive in defending Edey moreso from the back rather than denying him the ball. Ref bias? Maybe but if you do not think Edey and the home team will not get those calls you are mistaken. Certainly those calls allowed Purdue to keep chipping away at the lead but at the same time, RU was not helping themself on offense and letting themselves get frustrated. The refs were not going to bail Rutgers out. Fair disparity or not. Rutgers needed to do something to change what was happening. The D on Edey was oh so slightly different and RU was a little more willing to give Purdue the open shot on the perimeter which did burn them a couple times. Still Rutgers was going to have to do something special offensively and that they did with Paul Mulcahy and then the game winner by Cam. As a thread by Mildone alluded to, you cannot defend the free throw line. Despite all the foul issues, RU found themselves in an even game with just a few minutes left. That RU pulled it out despite having to overcome the refs makes it all sweeter and proves how RU deserved this victory. Remember vs Ohio State or Miami or Notre Dame RU just was not making that one stop, one rebound or one shot. You have to prove you deserve that win. Rutgers did. They proved it all knight. That hunger I talked about in early game recaps. Its traveled. Feed this bunch.

Stats wise, Paul and Cam really standout by games end obviously yet this was a team effort. Even the minutes by Woolfolk and Reiber were huge. Cliff getting two fouls on Edey was enormous. It allowed RU to flex its muscle and force a talented but youthful Boilermaker team to be put in go to roles. Those youngins did not fare too well. Rutgers exploited them with their physicality and no one could stop Cliff in the paint in the first half who had some sweet dunks. Cliff was 4-6 in the first half with 1 points, including a 3. I believe Cliff only finished with 12 points and just 6 rebounds. RU just couldnt get Cliff the ball and when they did, Cliff missed all 5 of them in the 2nd half. Yet while Edey was able to be more successful in the 2nd half, Cliff and Mag and Hyatt still extended alot of energy into doubling him and even one stop is considered a big success. Paul had that slower start but finished 7-13 fg, 16 points with a team leading 8 boards, 6 assists, 4 steals. A game for the ages for Paul that he will nor Rutgers fans will forget. Cam ice in his veins with the game winner but it looked so easy. Cam was 6-8 fg and 14 points including a couple of real tough jumpers. I think its safe to say any of us who were worried that Cam could not play at this level were wrong. Caleb gave his typical yeomans work on defense with a couple of steals and 4 boards. Hit a couple shots early but not much offense as the game wore on just 6 points Just his harrassment of Purdue guards really gets them just out of sync enough especially in the first half. Hyatt in 25 minutes played his role, hit some shots early, not so much late but this is exactly the kind of game we need him to play. Grabbed 6 boards, had 8 points played very good D. Mag not as sharp tonight early out of the game playing just 15 minutes. Good call for Pike to be aware that tonight might not have been the night for him as those early fouls hurt him. Derek got a huge 3 and made a few free throws in the 2nd half. Those points were needed. Like he was under control except for one rushed shot, yes only 1-5 but he didnt hurt the team. Instant energy that makes us even faster. Notable stats are RU just turned it over 10 times and I believe only 3 in the 2nd half. RU was outboarded 34-31 and 12-11 offensively but it was pretty even in the 2nd half. 6-14 from 3 and 9-11 ft are very good for this team. Limiting Purdue to 10 less shots and
39.6% including forcing them into a woeful 7-23 from 3 were difference makers.


How you win sometimes is more important that you won. This was not just a win. I think its a statement. The whys and hows of this win HAD to happen if the program has aspirations to take it further than a "last 8 team in". Legitimacy and respect are learned. The biggest win for Pikiell in his tenure at Rutgers IMO. We can debate what comes next and eventual worries about guarding against the proverbial letdown. There is so MUCH to talk about it but that is best left to other threads. Rutgers proved themselves. They proved themselves to Purdue. They proved themselves to the Big 10, They proved themselves to the college basketball world. But most importantly Rutgers proved themselves to themselves. When you know you know. We'll prove it all knight for you......


Excellent recap as always Bac. Thanks for putting in the effort. Always enjoy your perspective. One note............every year in the Pike era that we would have a big win I was always immediately concerned about a letdown.... which happened often. The makeup of this team is different. Not that a letdown can't happen, just seems far less likely with this group. Combination of excellent leadership, coach and players, a notable lack of dependence now on star players (Harper, Geo) being leaned on to play at an elite level and then if not the team would fold, and a defense that has taken the next step..............all of this gives me far more confidence that a letdown this Thursday and Sunday are far less likely.
 
This was such a statement win for this team after some really tough early season breaks with injuries and the ref stealing OSU. Some were still pointing to some of these losses when projecting the team this season.

We took it to Purdue and lead most of the way. Cliff was huge in the first half. The gameplan was great. Defense was active and engaged all game. The players kept on working hard despite constant whistles.

Purdue was always going to fight back being an undefeated #1 ranked team at one of the toughest venues in the country. We held them off for a long stretch finally surrendering a lead. Basketball is a game of runs and it was our turn to show Purdue we weren't going to fall apart and the team answered the bell

Getting Paul the ball with momentum to his right hand was a huge adjustment. Paul thrives in this scenario and he stepped up B1G

Purdue hits a dagger 3 but Cam answers with one of his own. It was a great sequence as Rutgers forced a switch and Paul had a mismatch that lead to the help which freed up Cam

We can beat anyone in the B1G. We can win on the road. We can win close games. We don't need to fear who will take the last shot. This team is excellent and plays as a TEAM better than any Rutgers team I've seen

This year could be special
 
Great summary and recap but the biggest takeaway from last night was we beat Purdue playing their game. They run the #1 half court offense in the country and Pike had Paul walk the ball up every trip and go toe to toe. I did not like it eliminating fast breaks but Paul willed us to victory and made sure we did not wilt.

I guess the amount of ridiculous fouls called , and without Mag, had Pike call off the press that was so effective on the first half disrupting Purdue’s every offensive possession. We got away from what has made us the top 3 elite defense in the country with the best pressing team since the Final Four team , and still won . Damn that is impressive .
We won despite being outscored badly at the foul line , which is hard to do , and with some of the toughest whistles. At one point in the mid to late second half it just appeared the refs got the memo from the Big 10 , “ Do not let Purdue lose “. First , Loyer steps on Caleb’s foot and a foul is called , Cam strips Edey clean an a foul is called. Caleb doubles Edey and swaps the ball cleanly out of bounds and a foul is called. Paul is just guarding I think Loyer and with next to no contact a foul was called. They missed some but refs gave Purdue 8 foul shots to stay in the game. Most impressively , we overcame it all. That is mental toughness that this team has that our past teams the last 2-3 years did not have. ,.
I tried telling Greene and BAC that we would beat Purdue because we are a better overall team. I advised this team is different . Well we were the better team , the tougher team , playing on the road. But most surprisingly , the first half with our press showed why I thought so. The second half and mostly due to foul trouble , our half court team with no pressing and no fast breaks is not the way we want to play to beat anyone. We have to full court press , disrupt , get deflections , get steals and get out and run because that is where this team’s spurtability comes from that also separates this team from the last 3.

So damn proud of this team, the coaching staff and all the toughness, which is what allows us to compete and win against any team in the country. This will be another great test of mental toughness. Coming off of beating # 1 Purdue and all the accolades , very quick turnaround with 2 day prep and 6:30 tip on Thursday. Maryland coming of their worst 35 point loss since they joined the conference in 2014 will want to atone . Will need our elite defense and RAC crowd to bring home the victory. But if we get it , sets up a really nice next 3 game stretch to get us to the top of this league. Love this team , love the ride and journey. We are in for something special this year.
 
The game spoke for itself. No need to say too much. Great defensive effort from start to finish. If that does not happen, we don't weather the scoring drought in the first 12 minutes of the second half. I don't think those freshman Purdue guards had previously saw the constant pressure and long arms that they experienced last night, particularly in the first half. Those were forced turnovers not sloppiness by Purdue. The game stats from last night clearly indicate this was not a fluke win in any respect. We made our limited FT's while Purdue was less efficient.

Good contributions from nearly everyone who played. Cliff was explosive in the first half and Paul was big down the stretch. Paul's stat line was indicative of how he can help in so many facets of the game. Cam was good all night. The team stepped up in a hostile environment and Simpson and Woolfolk did not seem at all intimidated by the Mackey crowd.

While we ultimately overcame some tough calls, I thought we were on the verge of losing our composure and could have picked up what could have been a very damaging T on a couple of occasions. I know it is an emotional game but we just need to play through these situations. The game thread is a tough follow since nearly every call is thought to be the continuation of a conspiracy against us. Tough defensive teams commit fouls and we need to expect some questionable calls particularly on the road.

I will hold off on trying to place this team amongst earlier editions. Let's let the body of work develop before making such an assessment. I do think there is a lot of parity in the league. Being a consistently good defensive team should be a significant advantage. Let's see how it plays out.
 
Great summary and recap but the biggest takeaway from last night was we beat Purdue playing their game. They run the #1 half court offense in the country and Pike had Paul walk the ball up every trip and go toe to toe. I did not like it eliminating fast breaks but Paul willed us to victory and made sure we did not wilt.

I guess the amount of ridiculous fouls called , and without Mag, had Pike call off the press that was so effective on the first half disrupting Purdue’s every offensive possession. We got away from what has made us the top 3 elite defense in the country with the best pressing team since the Final Four team , and still won . Damn that is impressive .
We won despite being outscored badly at the foul line , which is hard to do , and with some of the toughest whistles. At one point in the mid to late second half it just appeared the refs got the memo from the Big 10 , “ Do not let Purdue lose “. First , Loyer steps on Caleb’s foot and a foul is called , Cam strips Edey clean an a foul is called. Caleb doubles Edey and swaps the ball cleanly out of bounds and a foul is called. Paul is just guarding I think Loyer and with next to no contact a foul was called. They missed some but refs gave Purdue 8 foul shots to stay in the game. Most impressively , we overcame it all. That is mental toughness that this team has that our past teams the last 2-3 years did not have. ,.
I tried telling Greene and BAC that we would beat Purdue because we are a better overall team. I advised this team is different . Well we were the better team , the tougher team , playing on the road. But most surprisingly , the first half with our press showed why I thought so. The second half and mostly due to foul trouble , our half court team with no pressing and no fast breaks is not the way we want to play to beat anyone. We have to full court press , disrupt , get deflections , get steals and get out and run because that is where this team’s spurtability comes from that also separates this team from the last 3.

So damn proud of this team, the coaching staff and all the toughness, which is what allows us to compete and win against any team in the country. This will be another great test of mental toughness. Coming off of beating # 1 Purdue and all the accolades , very quick turnaround with 2 day prep and 6:30 tip on Thursday. Maryland coming of their worst 35 point loss since they joined the conference in 2014 will want to atone . Will need our elite defense and RAC crowd to bring home the victory. But if we get it , sets up a really nice next 3 game stretch to get us to the top of this league. Love this team , love the ride and journey. We are in for something special this year.
Well done!!
 
Great recap BAC.

I agree with Goru7. So so impressive that we won without success in transition - a pure halfcourt game where we shot only 43% from the floor. Cutting down on those turnovers was huge and the key to sustaining success. The defense is incredible - good enough to overcome the shortcomings on offense as long as we protect the ball.
 
Great recap. You did leave out one important stat in Paul’s game - ZERO turnovers. That is quite a do-everything right stat line!

Excellent point. It’s why it’s hard to put much stock in blowing the double digit Miami lead.

I’d hope if we take care of business against the weaker BIG teams, the Temple loss would be disregarded by the seeding committee? We should’ve won anyway, but without both Paul and Caleb we are a completely different team on both sides of the ball. It wouldn’t be fair to the team we’d be matched up with to factor that game in.
 
Bac another great recap.
Here’s a song to use. Lyrics really appropriate for this team. By McFadden and Whitehead . “Ain’t no Stopping us Now”
 
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bac and others have covered the key themes of last night. I’ll just add some unsung heroes and moments:

1. A brilliant coaching move by Pike to put Reiber on the inbound with 0.4 seconds left, and Reiber deflects the inbounds pass. Great job of coaching and execution there.

2. Woolf (5 minutes) and Miller (3 minutes) played sparingly, but they did their jobs. Woolf (50% foul shooter) calmly sinks two FTs in the first half after getting fouled on an explosive spin move in the lane. Miller provides tight on-ball defense in the first half after both McConnell and Mag get 2 fouls.

3. How efficient was Spencer?! Aside from the dagger three at the end, he goes 6-8 overall, hitting clutch shot after clutch shot. We need to get him more than the 5 to 8 shots per game he’s been getting. He has finally “settled in” as a P6 guard, and now he is poised to take the next step as a consistent 13-14 ppg scorer.

4. Masterful job by Pike and the assistants in managing the roster after just about everyone got 2 (and then 3) fouls.

5. We have beaten Purdue 5 out of 6, and Indiana 8 out of 9, so Pike has won 13 of 15 against teams from Indiana in the Big Ten. Indiana shall henceforth be known as Piscatawest.
 
BAC - one thing to point out. Technically, it was mostly the refs who limited Purdue to 10 less shots than us by putting them on the FT line for so many of their possessions. We did have a few less turnovers than them but they had an extra offensive board too.
 
Excellent recap per usual albeit trey snarky!

“There’s so much that RU wants, we deserve much more than this”

Like it or not once again officiating was a crucial aspect of the game and we once again got the short end of the proverbial stick. A tough read or in significant denial?

How about commentary is spot on!

Purdue had a 28-11 advantage in free throw attempts.
Purdue had a 24-11 advantage in fouls called.
Purdue outscored us 19-9 at the line.

Rutgers led at the half 34-24. Purdue scored 10 points at the line. In fact in the last nine minutes before the half, Purdue made one basket from the field. BAC may not want to read it but intelligent hoops fans know it was one of the biggest stories of the game.

RU player gets elbowed in face and a foul on Rutgers? Purdue player travels and steps on Rutgers foot, foul on Rutgers? We have a player who is third in the nation in steals and makes two great steals and fouls on Rutgers? Talk about bias and no respect?

Anyone notice the irony that the refs did make the right call on Caleb at the end of the game? Where were the attentive officials at the Ohio State game?? Cost us OSU and SHU!

“You hear BAC’s voice telling RU fans not to go… but he’ll never know…the refs… steal to cheat… to lie… RU lives and dies…”

“If Dreams came true, oh wouldn’t that be nice. But this ain’t no dream we’re living through tonight”

We are not dreaming, we beat the #1 team in the nation on the road at one of the toughest gyms in America.

We are not dreaming, Ron Harper just hit a half court shot at the buzzer and we just beat #2 Purdue. We R going to the dance!

We are not dreaming, Jacob Young just dunked over 7’ 3” Matt Haarms as we beat Purdue and end Haarm’s Purdue career. We are going to the dance!

We are not dreaming. We begin the 75-76 season coming off a 22-7 season and a NCAA bid. We start off the season against Purdue. We beat Purdue! Wow wouldn’t it be nice if we could get to the Final Four!

“This ain’t no dream. We want it, we take it, we pay the price!!”

“Baby just one kiss will get these things for RU.
A kiss to seal our fate tonight
A Kiss to prove it all night.”

Admittedly it’s not quite the same but we were able to partially exorcise the demons of Joe Weiskamp and Yinka Dare!
It was so nice to see our improbable three point shot from the left baseline as Hyatt’s shot kissed the backboard and kissed the rim and fell in. It sealed our fate. We proved it all night.

“ RU’s been working real hard, trying to get their hands clean,
Drive that dusty road from Brunswick to Lafayette.”

As good as Gio and RHJ were and now Cliff and Cam, I think we are at our best when Paul takes over from the top of the key. Such a match up nightmare. No turnovers against Purdue is amazing.

Cliff had a monster first half. His dunks are things of beauty. I’m still apprehensive with the three but he made it. Woolfolk with the huge foul shots and nice move. Reiber did some nice things in a limited amount of time. Thought he was fouled on shot attempt.

Cam proving doubters wrong is wonderful. Such a savvy player and that shot is so pure. Third in nations in steals and it was criminal that two were taken away and he was called for fouls. What a game! What a shot!

Mags scares me. Great D but offense scares me. Still think Hyatt more complete player and getting better by the day.

Great win! We Proved it all Knight in spite of the officiating!

Maryland beat us at home last year. Willard deserves crap for ducking us!
Dream Big Dreams and Prove it All Night!
 
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I was NOT of the opinion this was his best team but I am about 2 wins in the next 5 days from fully declaring I was wrong and it is his best team. Harper and Geo individually better but this years teams as a whole so much better than its parts...its so different in how we approach things from the previous 3 teams...its not a model that would work on 99% of college teams but it works for Pike
Great recap, of course! But early on it started to occur to me that this COULD be his best team because the way the team shared the ball but, more importantly, has allowed Pike to play more exotic (aka mixed) defenses has been KEY. It doesn't hurt to have a one man PRESS in Mag along with Caleb to anchor it, but these men are playing some of the best college defense I've ever seen.
 
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Matt Painter sums it up, as have a lot of Big 10 coaches over the Pikiell era. You can't out-tough Rutgers. You can only hope to match their physicality. Yes, SHU was a hangover loss. But the main reason for that loss was that SHU played very physical and lights out defense. Based on their record, it's obvious they can't conjure that up for every game but we seem to be capable of it. And if we can do it consistently, we will be sitting at the top of this conference in March.

I'm not predicting we're running away with it. There will be nights when the opponent shoots 50% from three and it won't be our night. But over the course of a season, if we stay healthy and keep playing like this, we'll be the team nobody wants to play in the postseason.
 
According to Purdue, Mackey hit 122.2 DB last night, which is the 2nd loudest the arena has ever been. Hard to overstate how difficult it is to knock off the #1 team at their place in arguably one of the toughest arenas in the country. Incredible win. That said, can we please get an official court side DB meter at the RAC!!
 
Great summary. I also wasn't convinced this was Pike's best team until seeing us destroy Indiana and Wake and "beat" OSU on the road once healthy (with SHU being a wtf game) and now I'm 100% convinced after this win. We all know what this team is now capable of and we're not talking about just "making the NCAAs" - long way to go though.

However, I have to say it seemed odd to quote lyrics from Gypsy, the musical, featuring Ethel Merman, than to quote lyrics from the Bruce song. Given the win we'll let it slide, lol.
The Seton Hall game is going to be an outlier for us. It’s truly the only game we lost thus far at full strength, and we gave up 45 points. This team is going to play some mediocre PAC12 or Big12 team in round 1 and beat them by 25.
 
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Bac

Good stuff

Really thought this was a type of gut check win we needed without geo and Ron …this group is quickly getting its own identity …while keeping to the program mantra

Got to use the bench the next three and get theee wins …then we get some better Soacing bwtween games after northwestern through the end of January
 
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This team is legit 9, maybe 10, deep. Not "all conference" 9/10 deep, but guys that can hold their own for 5-10 minutes. That's a major difference from the past 3+ seasons when we had to hold our breath for 5+ minutes of Mamadou, Gonzalez-Agee, and to some extent Reiber. My only criticism is the team always seems to find an 8ish minute stretch in the second half where they seem to lose their offensive identity. The offense runs through Paul, Cliff, and the occassional iso from Caleb and Cam. I believe an angel loses its wings every time Mag takes a midrange jumper.
 
Great read thx. Only quibble is in Mulcahy’s post game interview, he said that final shot was not how it was drawn up. Sounds like Cam was not the first option.
The last shot probably designed for Paul but that would only tie the score.On the road the 3 pointer was the correct call with Spencer because it would win the game.OT would favor Purdue playing home.
 
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