The flowers you gave me
Are just about to die
When I think about
What could've been
It makes me want to cry
The sweet words you whispered
Didn't mean a thing
I guess our song is over
As we begin to sing
Could've been so beautiful
Could've been so right
Could've been my lover
Every day of my life
Could've been so beautiful
Could've been so right
I'll never hold what could've been
On a cold and lonely night
The mem'ries of our lovin'
Still linger in the air
Like the faded scent of your roses
They stay with me everywhere
Every time I get my hopes up
They always seem to fall
Still what could've been is better than
What could never be at all
How could I hold what could've been
On a cold and lonely night?
Where are my Tiffany lovers out there.? Lamenting the lost season. Perhaps the door not official shut given there are still 11 games left plus the Big 10 tournament. I will never say never because hey two winnable road games and RU is 7-4 with Sparty coming in to a juiced RAC. So yes the window is still open a crack. The margin of error might be down to 1 at this point. After tonights debacle, Rutgers is down to its last gasp. What happened this year? We all know what happened and its been hashed and rehashed about 1000 times on this board. Not really interested into going through the laundry list of why this season went the way it did. We all know. Just go back to the Lehigh game. Go back to the awful starts on the road. The inept offense, the brutal runs such as tonight's embarrassing 21-3 which would balloon to 31-8, missed opportunities to seize momentum, the mind boggling rotations, the utter no show in adversity. We got tricked. We got duped. The Purdue game was a hard fought game that they deserved to win. The Maryland comeback win was quite a pleasant surprise to see RU build some resiliency. The Iowa game brought the most stifling defense we may have ever seen at the RAC. Deep down though Rutgers resume is what it is. When they are locked in and on they can beat anyone. When they are not they can lose to anyone. But making the NCAA tournament involves being consistent and Rutgers just is not consistent and time is running out.
The Minnesota loss left a bitter taste in my mouth because it was an enormous missed opportunity against a depleted team. I hated our defense in that game letting one guy go off because it reminded me of early season games vs Lafayette and UMass. I thought they were passed that. It crept back. I picked RU to win tonight but I told Rock and Phil that I did not have a good feeling about this game and was thinking they were going to lay an egg. Its was much more than an egg. It was an ugly spawn of reality. A harsh dose for Rutgers fans who thought we could be sometiing this year. We were fooling ourselves. Tonight Maryland just whipped us in every sense of the word. The 8 point losing margin not even close to representing how this game went. Runs of 21-3 eventually 31-8 and there was no looking back. Rutgers down 35-15 at the half and the game was over. RU run to get it to 12 did not mean much as they could not really do much in the 2nd half. It was an ill fated comeback attempt that never got serious. RU probably played Maryland pretty even and at times outplaying them but when you get down 20, it does not matter much. Should anyone be surprised by tonight...not at all, not if you are being honest. We are exactly the team we have shown on our stat sheet and on our win/loss column. I see no reason why that will change much the rest of the season.
Will not go into any specific in this game except to say that Pike's subs were abysmal and ill timed. Pulling Cliff really changed the game, I realize Cliff was scored on 3 straight times but Pike's insertion of Reiber and Miller so quickly led to the beginning of the Maryland run. By the time Cliff came back in he would be ineffective and things snowballed from there as every single starter stunk up the joint for Pike to even do the unthinkable..actually play Jaden Jones, also poor Jaden didnt even get a shot attempt before neve seeing the court again. The combo of Ayala and Fats took over and simply made Geo, Caleb and Ron look small on their home court. Rutgers defense was simply atrocious, it was Minnesota all over again. It was UMass all over again. It was Lafayette all over again. Caleb McConnell should not be shooting 16 times I will leave it at that. Geo gave nothing on offense in the 2nd. Ron came up small when it mattered. Paul was brutally ineffective. Cliff had his moments after his rough start, 9 points, 13 boards just a small positive. RU was outrebounded 20-11 in the first half really showing the lack of awareness and hustle by RIU. Credit Maryland and Manning, he must have emphasized rebounding and it showed. 2nd half RU outboarded the Terps and actually ended up winning the battle of the boards but so what.
The bench was non existent yet again and yes we need to talk about recruiting. This loss comes back to just some gigantic misses or guys who will take 4 years to develop. Not going to single anyone out because its the whole group of non starters. Not their fault. Most do not have the talent to be more than spot role players here. Yet here we are and we are expected to belive that this bunch is going to be the key players for the next 3 years....FRIGHTENING. Sorry I like Pike, but you cannot have that many misses on the recruiting trail all playing on the same team. The inability to develop a guy or two to come off the bench and provide an instant spark is on Pike and his staff. He simply JY, recruit a 4 for how many years now or land a guy to back Cliff up. So when the starters are crapping the bed, its a scary proposition looking to the bench since most of them have seen very little playing time including the prized recruit who couldnt even get a shot attempt today in a game screaming for someone to spark the offense. Horrible recruiting and roster management. Pike has done a pretty good job of cobbling together wins by getting his team to play defense and just squeezing out enough from his bench but its such a shaky blueprint to use long term and now we are seeing it biting RU.
RU heads into Nebraska like a jalopy with the gas tank running on fumes. Can Rutgers manage to claw out a win there or will the engine fall out and the season be lost forever somewhere in the Great Plains. The cold cold reality setting in. No matter how we wish or bargain or beg some things are just not met to be. Still what could've been is better than what could never be at all. We are all frustrated right now as Rutgers fans. This is a great group of kids and coaching staff that gave us an incredible run. Be disappointed but remember the good times and what was done to even put Rutgers basketball on the map. Recalibrating expectations for the 2021-2022 Rutgers basketball season and trying not to become negative will not be easy. Rutgers will almost certainly knock off one if not two top 25 schools at the RAC by the end of the season. And that is what makes games like tonight or Lafayette so exasperating because we all know what could have been......
Are just about to die
When I think about
What could've been
It makes me want to cry
The sweet words you whispered
Didn't mean a thing
I guess our song is over
As we begin to sing
Could've been so beautiful
Could've been so right
Could've been my lover
Every day of my life
Could've been so beautiful
Could've been so right
I'll never hold what could've been
On a cold and lonely night
The mem'ries of our lovin'
Still linger in the air
Like the faded scent of your roses
They stay with me everywhere
Every time I get my hopes up
They always seem to fall
Still what could've been is better than
What could never be at all
How could I hold what could've been
On a cold and lonely night?
Where are my Tiffany lovers out there.? Lamenting the lost season. Perhaps the door not official shut given there are still 11 games left plus the Big 10 tournament. I will never say never because hey two winnable road games and RU is 7-4 with Sparty coming in to a juiced RAC. So yes the window is still open a crack. The margin of error might be down to 1 at this point. After tonights debacle, Rutgers is down to its last gasp. What happened this year? We all know what happened and its been hashed and rehashed about 1000 times on this board. Not really interested into going through the laundry list of why this season went the way it did. We all know. Just go back to the Lehigh game. Go back to the awful starts on the road. The inept offense, the brutal runs such as tonight's embarrassing 21-3 which would balloon to 31-8, missed opportunities to seize momentum, the mind boggling rotations, the utter no show in adversity. We got tricked. We got duped. The Purdue game was a hard fought game that they deserved to win. The Maryland comeback win was quite a pleasant surprise to see RU build some resiliency. The Iowa game brought the most stifling defense we may have ever seen at the RAC. Deep down though Rutgers resume is what it is. When they are locked in and on they can beat anyone. When they are not they can lose to anyone. But making the NCAA tournament involves being consistent and Rutgers just is not consistent and time is running out.
The Minnesota loss left a bitter taste in my mouth because it was an enormous missed opportunity against a depleted team. I hated our defense in that game letting one guy go off because it reminded me of early season games vs Lafayette and UMass. I thought they were passed that. It crept back. I picked RU to win tonight but I told Rock and Phil that I did not have a good feeling about this game and was thinking they were going to lay an egg. Its was much more than an egg. It was an ugly spawn of reality. A harsh dose for Rutgers fans who thought we could be sometiing this year. We were fooling ourselves. Tonight Maryland just whipped us in every sense of the word. The 8 point losing margin not even close to representing how this game went. Runs of 21-3 eventually 31-8 and there was no looking back. Rutgers down 35-15 at the half and the game was over. RU run to get it to 12 did not mean much as they could not really do much in the 2nd half. It was an ill fated comeback attempt that never got serious. RU probably played Maryland pretty even and at times outplaying them but when you get down 20, it does not matter much. Should anyone be surprised by tonight...not at all, not if you are being honest. We are exactly the team we have shown on our stat sheet and on our win/loss column. I see no reason why that will change much the rest of the season.
Will not go into any specific in this game except to say that Pike's subs were abysmal and ill timed. Pulling Cliff really changed the game, I realize Cliff was scored on 3 straight times but Pike's insertion of Reiber and Miller so quickly led to the beginning of the Maryland run. By the time Cliff came back in he would be ineffective and things snowballed from there as every single starter stunk up the joint for Pike to even do the unthinkable..actually play Jaden Jones, also poor Jaden didnt even get a shot attempt before neve seeing the court again. The combo of Ayala and Fats took over and simply made Geo, Caleb and Ron look small on their home court. Rutgers defense was simply atrocious, it was Minnesota all over again. It was UMass all over again. It was Lafayette all over again. Caleb McConnell should not be shooting 16 times I will leave it at that. Geo gave nothing on offense in the 2nd. Ron came up small when it mattered. Paul was brutally ineffective. Cliff had his moments after his rough start, 9 points, 13 boards just a small positive. RU was outrebounded 20-11 in the first half really showing the lack of awareness and hustle by RIU. Credit Maryland and Manning, he must have emphasized rebounding and it showed. 2nd half RU outboarded the Terps and actually ended up winning the battle of the boards but so what.
The bench was non existent yet again and yes we need to talk about recruiting. This loss comes back to just some gigantic misses or guys who will take 4 years to develop. Not going to single anyone out because its the whole group of non starters. Not their fault. Most do not have the talent to be more than spot role players here. Yet here we are and we are expected to belive that this bunch is going to be the key players for the next 3 years....FRIGHTENING. Sorry I like Pike, but you cannot have that many misses on the recruiting trail all playing on the same team. The inability to develop a guy or two to come off the bench and provide an instant spark is on Pike and his staff. He simply JY, recruit a 4 for how many years now or land a guy to back Cliff up. So when the starters are crapping the bed, its a scary proposition looking to the bench since most of them have seen very little playing time including the prized recruit who couldnt even get a shot attempt today in a game screaming for someone to spark the offense. Horrible recruiting and roster management. Pike has done a pretty good job of cobbling together wins by getting his team to play defense and just squeezing out enough from his bench but its such a shaky blueprint to use long term and now we are seeing it biting RU.
RU heads into Nebraska like a jalopy with the gas tank running on fumes. Can Rutgers manage to claw out a win there or will the engine fall out and the season be lost forever somewhere in the Great Plains. The cold cold reality setting in. No matter how we wish or bargain or beg some things are just not met to be. Still what could've been is better than what could never be at all. We are all frustrated right now as Rutgers fans. This is a great group of kids and coaching staff that gave us an incredible run. Be disappointed but remember the good times and what was done to even put Rutgers basketball on the map. Recalibrating expectations for the 2021-2022 Rutgers basketball season and trying not to become negative will not be easy. Rutgers will almost certainly knock off one if not two top 25 schools at the RAC by the end of the season. And that is what makes games like tonight or Lafayette so exasperating because we all know what could have been......