To me this is actually alarming. Sends just an awful message.
GAME 14 INDIANA: Disappointment
- Thread starter bac2therac
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Martini, Dercack, Hayes, and Ogbole combined 0-10 from the field in 56 minutes. Yet they combined for 12 fouls.
That is almost impossible to do.
That is almost impossible to do.
Blue Ribbon was onto something when they projected Rutgers to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten this year
Part of me says you’re right but then I remember everyone clamoring (including myself) to play Jaden Jones and Gavin Griffiths only to eventually realize that Pike was right and they both were terrible. Pike is probably right here too, but then he’s probably wrong in recruiting him if he can’t break into this pathetic lineup.
Need to go 8-1 at home somehow and figure out how to steal games on the road. Time is ticking.
I know there are a multitude of issues with Pike’s coaching but selecting Ace to take those FT’s has pushed me over the edge. If you can’t even get that simple choice right what hope have you in getting the more difficult decisions correct.
What were our multiple assistant coaches doing during this,did none of them think to say “hang on a second coach maybe Lathan or PJ should take these shots.”
Yes, Hayes was on the floor and Somerville, both were options to take the technical free throws. Both of those two have been better at the line than Ace. I couldn’t believe what I was watching when I saw Ace go to the line. Plus, PJ Hayes is clearly struggling, why not throw him on the line with a shot at seeing his shot go in the basket and possibly helping him awake from his slumber? The fact that he is a better free throw shooter than Ace and the fact that he sure needs to make shots to possibly jumpstart his season (currently his battery is dead, along with the other transfers) adds up to him being the right choice to shoot the technical.
They didn’t lose the game based upon this decision, but this was a basic and elementary coaching decision. Pike failed it immensely. What other decisions is he failing? Certainly begs the question. Why not play Grant when no one else you play ahead of him does anything (looking at you Martini)? This team needs a massive shakeup as they are 4-6 in their last 10 games. They feel like a 6-8 wins or so Big Ten team. I don’t see a shakeup or a wake up call happening for them, the car is dead, we’re stuck in the middle of the desert, and Triple AAA is not coming as we have no signal. But Pike still has to try something, at this point could Grant and Dortch do worse if they got some of the Martini and Hayes minutes? That’s not going to save our season though, there is no magic pill like an Ozempic to change our ways or act as a miracle cure as there really is not much to pivot to on this roster that can suddenly get the car to start up again.
I have held my comments regarding this season until now. After watching last night's game I can't hold back how disappointed I am in Pikiell as I am right now. He's done a great job returning the team to respectability but I'm concerned that he may have hit his ceiling. Unfortunately BAC you are right. This is a very poor team , poorly constructed roster , no clue about defense or rebounding ( especially boxing out) , no rim protector , and no offensive contributions beyond Ace and Dylan. Pike recruits outside shooters but relies on an "iso ball " offense so they don't get open looks. It is , as KyK surmised , like having a triple option head coach running an air raid offense. Last night was a horror show. JWill doing his best imitation of Dylan and falling all over the floor while making ill-fated drives to the hoop. For the life of me --what did Pike see in Martini's game to give him a scholarship? He plays unbelievably soft , doesn't rebound and can't play defense. Does anyone rebound besides Dylan , Ace and occasionally Summerville? Help defense is non-existent. This team may go through an entire season without anyone fouling out. Think about that. This team plays soft .... I thought Derkack would be a big plus but he can't hit an outside shot. Boy could this team use a player like Cliff Omorunyi.
No he wasn't....I am talking about when we were playing man. So many possessions where he had no idea where his man was on the weak side.
Except, if the team gave to the ball to Ace, Pike isn't going to embarrass him by taking it out of his hands in front of everyone. Half his team mates are in as awe of him as Robbie Hummel was.
Well, the guy who gets pulled for Sommerville to play more averages at least two more rebounds per 40 minutes and three more per 100 possessions than any of these three. Ogbole isn't great, but he rebounds well.
Can't fault Ace (too much) for being sorta happy at the end of the game. Rather have him be miserable but I mean he put on a clinic tonight. And yes his defense in the 2-3 was god awful...but that is what you get when you just decide to change defenses on the fly. How many practice reps has he gotten in that spot? He was ball watching and guys were back cutting on him at will but I actually thought he did give good effort I mean he had four blocks all coming from weak side help.
Him shooting those tech FTs was criminal. It was like we were trying to get him 40 instead of trying to win. To me that is really one of the main issues with the team. It just feels like this team is more the Dylan and Ace show than a team trying to win games. Last game was the Dylan triple double and how it was the first time since 83. Last night was the near 40 ball and how it's the most points an opponent scored at Assembly since blah blah blah. It just doesn't feel like we are a team and I think it's one of the main reasons the defense is so bad they just are never connected. And offense went from a team that shared the ball great during the St Johns scrimmage to now being a ton of iso crap and announcers begging for more movement and whatnot.
Him shooting those tech FTs was criminal. It was like we were trying to get him 40 instead of trying to win. To me that is really one of the main issues with the team. It just feels like this team is more the Dylan and Ace show than a team trying to win games. Last game was the Dylan triple double and how it was the first time since 83. Last night was the near 40 ball and how it's the most points an opponent scored at Assembly since blah blah blah. It just doesn't feel like we are a team and I think it's one of the main reasons the defense is so bad they just are never connected. And offense went from a team that shared the ball great during the St Johns scrimmage to now being a ton of iso crap and announcers begging for more movement and whatnot.
I agree with most of this, but Pike's major failure is not getting this team to listen to him. Clearly, the past 8 years demonstrate that he can coach defense, show how to defend the pick and roll, stop dribble penetration to the hoop, and how to crash the boards and prevent offenisve rebounds. Yet this team more than one third of the way through the season does NONE of those things. IU owned the pain last night and had 34 points off offensive rebounds! I don't care how many points we score, we are not beating anyone with stats like that! Maybe it is becuase he cannot use a stick with 2 NBA draft picks on the roster? Maybe its something else. Who knows. But it is killing this team.
It’s not even a team. It’s two studs and whoever else is sitting around to play the next game at the Y.
it was one of his parents that said that. C. Spencer never stated that publicly.
I considered that although I don’t know that “embarrass” is the right word. Maybe it was just a vote of confidence.
But the norm is you always give the ball to the best shooter on the floor and that was Lathan at 80%. That’s what was best for the team at the moment and would have been easily explainable to Ace.
Publicly is the key, We all know he said it, if you’re a parent you know who said it.
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Add a little forward thinking and strategy good opportunity to allow a struggling 3 point shooter to find the bottom of the net. Like maybe Hayes who took and missed a 3, 2 possession later.
Let’s say he makes the free throws allowing him some confidence to hit the 3, which is a common belief in the game on every level
5 points in a 10 point game.
Love Pikes and I agree. He’s got 2 more after this one - and I hope he’s able to get it done. I haven’t given up on the season, but definitely disappointed and the realist in me wonders if we’re almost out of runway. Also appreciate the challenges of bringing together a full roster - at the same time, replacing 50%+ of your roster each year and making it work is going to be the new reality facing all coaches and Pike will need to adjust to that. Much of his recruiting seemed to be finding complements to a core group, guys like mawot and Andre who could snag 5-10 mins a game and develop before they were counted on. He’s going to have to adjust to replacing a core group more often.
The guys that Pike brought in, Derkack, Hayes, Martini and Acuff haven’t done much of anything.
Makes one wonder if we would have been far better off with Simpson, Woolfolk and Oskar.
Pike appears to have misjudged big time. I would like their experience speed and size and occasional shooting.
Still have hopes for Acuff if he can get in shape and healthy but so far Fernandes has been a better pickup.
How many of you still think playing in the Garden by giving up a B1G home game is a good idea??
Makes one wonder if we would have been far better off with Simpson, Woolfolk and Oskar.
Pike appears to have misjudged big time. I would like their experience speed and size and occasional shooting.
Still have hopes for Acuff if he can get in shape and healthy but so far Fernandes has been a better pickup.
How many of you still think playing in the Garden by giving up a B1G home game is a good idea??
From his father:
“Cam had been speaking with Rutgers about what the following year was going to look like, and he just wanted to play at the highest level he possibly could play,” Bruce said. “That doesn’t mean Big Ten players don’t make it to the NBA, but for Cameron, for the style of play in the Big Ten and the way he plays the game, and the perception of him as being less athletic than the next kid, being in a more athletic environment to see whether he would sink or swim was pretty important in our eyes.”
From his mother:
“I remember being at the airport after the UConn visit and saying to Bruce, ‘If he doesn’t come here, he’s crazy,’” Donna said. “Bruce was like, ‘You can’t say that, it has to be his decision.’ The four of us, when we sat down, it was just a no-brainer and he’s never looked back. It’s been such a great experience. The Rutgers opportunity was fantastic and he’s very appreciative of it, but I think what he loves about UConn is the way they hold them accountable."
Summerville is a good foul shooter.I see him prior to games practicing foul shots.
Early in the game when we were competitive and then had a lead Martini had two wide open threes...clunk...clunk
Exclude him and the sentiment doesn’t change. But You’re right. Guy couldn’t miss last night!
I just don't buy that. Somerville, Dercack, Williams, Davis and Acuff when healthy are all good enough to be complementary players with our two studs. It is just that there is yet to be any team-wide commitment to rebound and play defense. All of those guys are capable of doing so.
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