I said enjoy it while you can after the Nebraska win. The two game stretch at Illinois and home to Purdue had the potential to be ugly and today's performance was confirmation. Reality is Rutgers does not have enough to win regularly in this leagu. You cannot fix what you do not have. Talent is so limited. Blah blah blah..insert other game recaps. Nothing surprised me today. I did not like that were sort of flatfooted early on and Illinois got an early lead but I felt as the game wore on in the 2nd, RU started to at least compete. To me in these games vs schools that are simply better, the #1 thing I look at is competing and even if the game got out of hand at the end, RU did that. We can dwell on the negatives but sometimes you just have to try and scrape to find small positives in situations like this.
Illinois is a very very good team. Without Shannon perhaps a Sweet 16 team, with Shannon perhaps a Final 4 team. Underwood has done a fantastic job navigting the absence of Shannon. He is such a good coach. Watch out Illinois moves the ball and works hard and just does not settle for one on one shots. Commitment to succeeding offensively. They can take it to the hoop or kick it out and they didnt particularly shoot the 3 well today. So many options. Did anyone expect a win today? If you watched RU this year, you would know in your heart this was not a winnable game and if Shannon played RU still would not have won. Credit Illinois, there is no shame losing this game. Fans can harp on whether Shannon should or should not play but if charges were made against one of our players, its likely most of our fans would be supporting our player playing and cheering them. RU fans and Nj residents do not have some sort of moral chromosone any different than the fans in Illinois.
RU showed me something in that stretch where they went on a 15-4 run and cut the 16 point defecit to 55-51 with 10 minutes to go. It was about a 4 minute plus stretch of play where RU was simply outplaying Illinois and taking advantage of every Illinois mistake. That scarp and claw and never give up trait is admirable by a team that is severely overmatched. Unfortunately like vs Michigan State and Wake Forest, it fell apart from there. If you want to pinpoint the turning point of the game it was Cliff failing to convert 2x at the rim with RU down 56-51. On the following play, it was Shannon juking for a layup on the break which he followed up with another layup on a terrible Mag turnover that put Illinois up 60-51. Effectively the game was over. The Illini completed a punishing 25-8 run as RU would hit just 2fg in 6f minutes. Good effort to the 10 minute point but Underwood got Illinois to respond and have to really give them credit. RU's spirit was broked and lets be honest. Look at the options Illinois has vs Rutgers. Its men vs boys. RU would only make 4 fg the last 10 minutes while being outscored 31-12
We can take some solace that Cliff is back and unlike with some other players up and down play, we know Cliff can play at a high level so this is important. He outplayed Hawkins totally on the offensive end and Hawkins is not a slouch. Cliff needs to get all the kudos and applause he can get. After some dreadful performance and deferring to lesser talented inexperienced players, Cliff said no more. I am the man. He is following through. Another monster performance on the heels of the Nebby breakout. 22 points on 10-19 shooting...unbelieve 19 shots! 9 boards, 5 on the offensive end. Cliff carried the whole team tonight. Unfortunately no one else showed up but that is not Cliffs fault. I fully expect Cliff to keep leading by example going forward. Do not sleep on the significance of Cliff back to becoming an offensive threat which will change how other defensive have to cover RU
In trying to find some other positives. I like that J Mike got back into the rotation after limited minutes vs Nebby. Not perfect but I am not expecting that for a freshmen point guard thrust into a situation he should not be. 24 minutes, only 1-3 fg, 7 points, 3 boards, 0 assists, 2 turnovers. J Mike had the last 5 RU points in the last 4 minutes...all free throws. Not the greatest line but to me its great Pike getting him minutes vs TOP competition to toughen him up so he can learn from his mistakes now. Noah was a plus today with 10 points in 17 minutes on 4-7 fg shooting but continues to be spotty. He will give you some really good stretches but unfortunately too many stretches were he gives you nothing. Griffiths only 8 minutes and its a damn shame that Pike is not giving him the experience especially in a game that was over by the 7 minute mark. Oskar 17 minutes and that he plays that many minute says alot of the talent level right now. He made a 3 but i think fans expectations level need to be more than that. Hyatt disappeared for too long in this game. Predictably padded his stats to double digit scoring when the game was out of reach. No chance to win when he is ghosting so much in the first half. So much for Austin Williams being the consistent savior. 17 minutes of ineffective play, just 0-3 fg and was never in the flow and seemed overmatched in a game like this. Likely will have better matchups but just remember he is only capable of so much. Pike must know his role. Derek Simpson continues to be a bad shooter....3-10 fg today in only 19 minutes and people expecting him to take a leap at consistency after a really good game vs Nebby are mistaken. He is what he is. He will be effective against some teams but simply does not have the hops against the Illinois men. Mag who has been sensational and so consistent offensively for RU had an awful game. Might have been bothered by Illinois size and he never got into any rhythm and with him being the heart of the RU defense its no surprise the RU defense never approached elite level today. Woofolk just 13 minutes, 1-4 fg, only 1 rebound, active in garbage time. Just overmatched in league play. Chol 3 minutes..nuff said.
Onto Purdue at the RAC. RU has had great success vs Purdue in victory and defeat. Cliff has limited Edey as well. I expect RU to compete in front of a raucous RAC crowd. RU will have to have their absolute best shooting night of the season to pull the giant upset. The gap between the two schools is much larger than in the previous 2 seasons even as Purdue remains at the lofty perch at the top of the rankings. I know there were some clinging to some fantasy NCAA run and that they were not giving up on this team but without being Purdue, you can shut the door definitively on any possibility of that. RU currently has 8 losses and all the losses are to NCAA likely or bubble schools. The schedule lessens considerably after Purdue. Remember that. Thats is what Pike needs to be setting goals for in these games because instead of being overwhelmed, RU will have the ability to compete and win games vs the Michigans, Penn States, and Marylands of the world.
Illinois is a very very good team. Without Shannon perhaps a Sweet 16 team, with Shannon perhaps a Final 4 team. Underwood has done a fantastic job navigting the absence of Shannon. He is such a good coach. Watch out Illinois moves the ball and works hard and just does not settle for one on one shots. Commitment to succeeding offensively. They can take it to the hoop or kick it out and they didnt particularly shoot the 3 well today. So many options. Did anyone expect a win today? If you watched RU this year, you would know in your heart this was not a winnable game and if Shannon played RU still would not have won. Credit Illinois, there is no shame losing this game. Fans can harp on whether Shannon should or should not play but if charges were made against one of our players, its likely most of our fans would be supporting our player playing and cheering them. RU fans and Nj residents do not have some sort of moral chromosone any different than the fans in Illinois.
RU showed me something in that stretch where they went on a 15-4 run and cut the 16 point defecit to 55-51 with 10 minutes to go. It was about a 4 minute plus stretch of play where RU was simply outplaying Illinois and taking advantage of every Illinois mistake. That scarp and claw and never give up trait is admirable by a team that is severely overmatched. Unfortunately like vs Michigan State and Wake Forest, it fell apart from there. If you want to pinpoint the turning point of the game it was Cliff failing to convert 2x at the rim with RU down 56-51. On the following play, it was Shannon juking for a layup on the break which he followed up with another layup on a terrible Mag turnover that put Illinois up 60-51. Effectively the game was over. The Illini completed a punishing 25-8 run as RU would hit just 2fg in 6f minutes. Good effort to the 10 minute point but Underwood got Illinois to respond and have to really give them credit. RU's spirit was broked and lets be honest. Look at the options Illinois has vs Rutgers. Its men vs boys. RU would only make 4 fg the last 10 minutes while being outscored 31-12
We can take some solace that Cliff is back and unlike with some other players up and down play, we know Cliff can play at a high level so this is important. He outplayed Hawkins totally on the offensive end and Hawkins is not a slouch. Cliff needs to get all the kudos and applause he can get. After some dreadful performance and deferring to lesser talented inexperienced players, Cliff said no more. I am the man. He is following through. Another monster performance on the heels of the Nebby breakout. 22 points on 10-19 shooting...unbelieve 19 shots! 9 boards, 5 on the offensive end. Cliff carried the whole team tonight. Unfortunately no one else showed up but that is not Cliffs fault. I fully expect Cliff to keep leading by example going forward. Do not sleep on the significance of Cliff back to becoming an offensive threat which will change how other defensive have to cover RU
In trying to find some other positives. I like that J Mike got back into the rotation after limited minutes vs Nebby. Not perfect but I am not expecting that for a freshmen point guard thrust into a situation he should not be. 24 minutes, only 1-3 fg, 7 points, 3 boards, 0 assists, 2 turnovers. J Mike had the last 5 RU points in the last 4 minutes...all free throws. Not the greatest line but to me its great Pike getting him minutes vs TOP competition to toughen him up so he can learn from his mistakes now. Noah was a plus today with 10 points in 17 minutes on 4-7 fg shooting but continues to be spotty. He will give you some really good stretches but unfortunately too many stretches were he gives you nothing. Griffiths only 8 minutes and its a damn shame that Pike is not giving him the experience especially in a game that was over by the 7 minute mark. Oskar 17 minutes and that he plays that many minute says alot of the talent level right now. He made a 3 but i think fans expectations level need to be more than that. Hyatt disappeared for too long in this game. Predictably padded his stats to double digit scoring when the game was out of reach. No chance to win when he is ghosting so much in the first half. So much for Austin Williams being the consistent savior. 17 minutes of ineffective play, just 0-3 fg and was never in the flow and seemed overmatched in a game like this. Likely will have better matchups but just remember he is only capable of so much. Pike must know his role. Derek Simpson continues to be a bad shooter....3-10 fg today in only 19 minutes and people expecting him to take a leap at consistency after a really good game vs Nebby are mistaken. He is what he is. He will be effective against some teams but simply does not have the hops against the Illinois men. Mag who has been sensational and so consistent offensively for RU had an awful game. Might have been bothered by Illinois size and he never got into any rhythm and with him being the heart of the RU defense its no surprise the RU defense never approached elite level today. Woofolk just 13 minutes, 1-4 fg, only 1 rebound, active in garbage time. Just overmatched in league play. Chol 3 minutes..nuff said.
Onto Purdue at the RAC. RU has had great success vs Purdue in victory and defeat. Cliff has limited Edey as well. I expect RU to compete in front of a raucous RAC crowd. RU will have to have their absolute best shooting night of the season to pull the giant upset. The gap between the two schools is much larger than in the previous 2 seasons even as Purdue remains at the lofty perch at the top of the rankings. I know there were some clinging to some fantasy NCAA run and that they were not giving up on this team but without being Purdue, you can shut the door definitively on any possibility of that. RU currently has 8 losses and all the losses are to NCAA likely or bubble schools. The schedule lessens considerably after Purdue. Remember that. Thats is what Pike needs to be setting goals for in these games because instead of being overwhelmed, RU will have the ability to compete and win games vs the Michigans, Penn States, and Marylands of the world.
