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GAME 20 PENN STATE: A Disgrace

ink Pike coached a good game tod

I mean to be quite honest going 1/18 from three and underperforming SQ rankings by that much… the first explanation I can come up with for that is like bad luck.

I’m starting to get pissed off so I don’t want to give them the excuse, but I don’t actually believe that it’s possible for this group of players (or really any group recruited at this level) to actually be this bad at putting the ****ing ball in the basket. And Pike managed to put together at least mildly competent offense with previous teams so I cannot entirely believe that he solely is responsible for this (from a coaching standpoint). I dont know man.
We need to look beyond just the %

These players are taking BAD Shots. Shot selection by these players is abysmal. Thing is coaches should be coaching them on this.
We have a low bball IQ team and why many of our shots become forced too. Noah dribbles around and waits until 5 secs to get the ball to Cliff...makes no sense.

Coaches are just letting them play like it is street ball. its terrible
 
This is hilarious. Pike doesn’t have a clue but you do? Lol. You’re a funny dude.
I dont. Hed coach circles around me. I do hoop with some of the top aau guys in NJ though, one of whom also serves as an nba scout.

Again, its not really an opinion as much as its a fact. Pike isnt a good offensive coach.
 
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I know people are upset, I would be too, but at this point I am just not that surprised, this is a very flawed team, as bad offensively as any team in the country. This is a lost season, but many programs go through years like this. With that in mind I have a couple of comments, not so much about this game or season, but about the future.

-Pike has struggled in most years to get off to a good start. Early in the season, we look unprepared, no one seems to know their roles, and rotations don’t seem to make much sense. Next year Pike needs to work all this out in the preseaon, and have the team ready to play when the season starts,

-The comment above also applies to individual games. We actually started with the lead today, which is an aberration this season, but PSU is terrible, normally we fall behind by 10 within the first 8 minutes of the game. Next year we need to be better prepared every night, and come out with a more effective game plan.

-For whatever reason, Pike is enamored with an ISO offense. The good news is that we have two players coming in who should flourish playing that way, but good teams win 25+ games in a season by getting their secondary players some good shots, and Pike should think hard about his offensive philosophy, and use more motion and screening to get players good looks.
 
Some of this is an amplifying effect. These are all supporting players - but without anyone to support, they become less than the sum of their parts. It's like an Avengers team that's all Hawkeyes and Black Widows without any heavy hitters.

Thats an insult to Hawkeye and Black Widow...
 
We may not win another game this year, next year may be a major disappointment, and Pike may be fired the following year if these debacles continue. He is a terrible coach with no offensive strategy. Tonight's disaster is not his first nor will it be his last. The man has been exposed.
 
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I dont. Hed coach circles around me. I do hoop with some of the top aau guys in NJ though, one of whom also serves as an nba scout.

Again, its not really an opinion as much as its a fact. Pike isnt a good offensive coach.
You seem to be confused about what a fact is. Let me ask you a question. Can you run an effective offense if your guards cant bring the ball up the court against pressure? I realize you haven’t watched the team but do you understand what the roster is? You’re smart enough to understand the issue if you watch.
 
Just when fans thought the offense couldn't get any worse,we had to endure a total fiasco against Penn State at the RAC.The team had 20 turnovers many unforced.They shot a pathetic 1-17 from the 3 point line.They scored a grand total of 46 points.Hyatt missing a fast break layup summarizes the total futility of this team.I don't know what goes on at practice .Based on the performance during games there is very little evidence of any cohesion in running a half court offense,Penn State stinks but they at least looked like a team that knew how to run a motion offense with picks and screens even without Cleary playing.
 
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You seem to be confused about what a fact is. Let me ask you a question. Can you run an effective offense if your guards cant bring the ball up the court against pressure? I realize you haven’t watched the team but do you understand what the roster is? You’re smart enough to understand the issue if you watch.
8 years, its not just this year. Again, if you cant see it, god bless.
 
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The fact Pike decides not to play his best most consistent offensive player Hyatt (15 min played) for Noah Fernades (22 minutes played) says it all. Surely Noah must’ve positively effected todays game? Nope. Look at this stat line.. 0 Pts 3 Ast 0 REB 0-4 FG 0-2 3ptFG 2 TOs. Crazy this player gets this much playing time over players who have been in the program for 3+ years.
Didn't get that one at all. Was Pike trying to send some kind of message playing Palmquist AND Fernandes over Hyatt most the second half?!?
 
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I mean to be quite honest going 1/18 from three and underperforming SQ rankings by that much… the first explanation I can come up with for that is like bad luck.

I’m starting to get pissed off so I don’t want to give them the excuse, but I don’t actually believe that it’s possible for this group of players (or really any group recruited at this level) to actually be this bad at putting the ****ing ball in the basket. And Pike managed to put together at least mildly competent offense with previous teams so I cannot entirely believe that he solely is responsible for this (from a coaching standpoint). I dont know man.
I get it, night’s ruined for me. I don’t really have an explanation for the last two years either. Some probable bad luck, an untalented team clearly lacking in confidence and not having Ron Harper Jr./guards competent to throw lobs to Cliff. Maybe?
 
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We may not win another game this year, next year may be a major disappointment, and Pike may be fired the following year if these debacles continue. He is a terrible coach with no offensive strategy. Tonight's disaster is not his first nor will it be his last. The man has been exposed.
My issue with Pike is the last few classes have yielded nothing. Their last impact player recruited from high school may be Cliff. He is a senior. Not being able to consistently recruit year after year is problematic. Hopefully next years class changes that.
 
Overall terrible game. My son is 20 months, I let him stay up since we were playing psu, a sure win, so I thought. But I quickly covered his eyes and brought him upstairs and put him down in his crib. I wanted to save him from nightmares.

But can we go back to Hyatt, how it was him vs the rim on the breakaway and missed a layup. Bruh.
 
Didn't get that one at all. Was Pike trying to send some kind of message playing Palmquist AND Fernandes over Hyatt most the second half?!?
That was I think more Pike trying to get 3 ball handlers on the floor to stop turning it over. Helps that we have a talented, veteran stable of guards to turn to.
 
That was I think more Pike trying to get 3 ball handlers on the floor to stop turning it over. Helps that we have a talented, veteran stable of guards to turn to.
That's what he just said in the presser. Wanted guards to handle the presser and get downhill and attack
 
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There are no words

Dogshit effort

Dogshit coaching

2 bright spots...J Mike and Gavin. Only ones who belonged in a uni tonight

The awful maac level recruiting playing a role and Pike has gotten away with murder there

Next year...good luck. ive seen much better coaches than Pikiell struggle with talent

Have at it folks.
Overall, the staff stinks at everything except maybe team defense. If they finish last and lose one their prize recruits Pike should maybe get one more year and then shown the door.
 
That's what he just said in the presser. Wanted guards to handle the presser and get downhill and attack
Still scratching my head at that one. Trading one semi consistent scorer for a guard who brings little else to the game than bring the ball up. I know PSU is handsy but I think Derek and JMike would have sufficed.
 
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Honestly, i dont follow the bball team that closely this season but i told you guys every single year of pike that he really didnt run any type of offense. I was constantly laughed at for saying that. He had some good one on one guys who covered it up.

Hes a great guy, great defensive coach but he and his staff genuinely dont have any clue on offense. He needs to hire a coach to run the offense. He leans on b-knight too much and I hate to break it to you but b-knight aint exactly known as the best and brightest in NJ basketball circles

Knight was also a pretty bad offensive player at Pitt…was BIG EAST POY because he was a defender and floor general but he was an awful shooter and was almost Austin Williams bad at the line…Dude is more concerned with being a social media hardass than putting together a coherent half court offense…Also, the fact that Noah was the guy that Pike and Knight HAD to go out and get early in the portal is inexcusably bad player evaluation at this point in their tenure.
 
Didn't get that one at all. Was Pike trying to send some kind of message playing Palmquist AND Fernandes over Hyatt most the second half?!?
In his postgame presser he said he wanted a guard heavy line up to beat the pressure and get more ball handlers who can create lol that really worked out for us
 
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P.s. everytime I see Woolfolk he looks skinnier.

If I ever have a chance to say 5 words to Pike, it isn’t anything about any of these guys, it’s why the hell isn’t woolfolk on his way to being jacked at the end of his sophomore season?
 
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Still scratching my head at that one. Trading one semi consistent scorer for a guard who brings little else to the game than bring the ball up. I know PSU is handsy but I think Derek and JMike would have sufficed.
I was amazed that he brought Derek Simpson to the press conference, who shot 1-7 tonight. Probably should have brought no one. . . .
 
In his postgame presser he said he wanted a guard heavy line up to beat the pressure and get more ball handlers who can create lol that really worked out for us
Well, Noah is definitely not that guy. His minutes need to be cut, and until Williams finds his foul shot same goes for him.
 
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We need to look beyond just the %

These players are taking BAD Shots. Shot selection by these players is abysmal. Thing is coaches should be coaching them on this.
We have a low bball IQ team and why many of our shots become forced too. Noah dribbles around and waits until 5 secs to get the ball to Cliff...makes no sense.

Coaches are just letting them play like it is street ball. its terrible
It's weird how when they execute better and make shots the shot selection gets better, huh?

A lot of you guys, like kyk for instance, don't really seem to understand what you're watching (and in kyk's case doesn't understand why he's being laughed at).

I get it, night’s ruined for me. I don’t really have an explanation for the last two years either. Some probable bad luck, an untalented team clearly lacking in confidence and not having Ron Harper Jr./guards competent to throw lobs to Cliff. Maybe?
If we even had last year's offense we'd be a bubble team.
 
Knight was also a pretty bad offensive player at Pitt…was BIG EAST POY because he was a defender and floor general but he was an awful shooter and was almost Austin Williams bad at the line…Dude is more concerned with being a social media hardass than putting together a coherent half court offense…Also, the fact that Noah was the guy that Pike and Knight HAD to go out and get early in the portal is inexcusably bad player evaluation at this point in their tenure.
this

Knight was a very tough defensive minded player and ran the show as well as anybody but not a good shooter and would never be catagorized a solid offensive threat

too much of pass for mind numbing rotation and coaching
 
Pass? Like half the board wants him fired for this game alone.


Yes I'm exaggerating.
 
Everyones minutes need to be cut
200w.gif
 
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1. Stripe out came out far better than I thought. Shame. Still not sure with the green Exit 9 flags. Amused and bemused. Season tix holder for 30 years they ask to see my ticket today? Same ushers! SMH.
2. Far left of Student section wasn’t great with white.
3. Hey Marco did you get the memo, email?
When your head fund raiser doesn’t participate in the Stripe out? Come on Marco you have to do better! No excuse. All front row was red in a white section? These are the high rollers? For shame and Boo!
4. Trumpet National Anthem was highlight of day.
5. Don’t understand B1G Logic or timing of Purdue v Northwestern at 6:30 and RU v PSU at 8:30? Makes no sense.
6. Governor and future Governor in white was very cool regardless of your political affiliations.
7. We started out well so can’t blame a slow start.
8. Williams took all the air out of the RAC with missed foul shots. We could have built up an insurmountable lead
9. Worst stat of game?
A. 20 Turnovers?
B. 1 for 17 from 3
C. 11 for 22 from the line
D. 17 for 50 from the field
E. 46 points against PSU at home
10. Davis played very well but his free throw form might be worse than Williams if that’s humanly possible.
11. Gavin played very well and love that he’s playing aggressive.
12. Can not and will not defend Simpson’s shooting but his free throw shooting kept us in the game in the first half and he did have 8 rebounds and 3 assists.
13. Fernandes had a nice assist to Cliff.
14. MIA: Mags. Three games in a row absolutely nothing. Is he hurt? If so shouldn’t be playing as hurting team.
15. MIA: Hyatt? Don’t know what happened to him today.
16 MIA: Pike. We played good D but offense is atrocious. Have to take a long look at your staff as offense is not getting it done. Can not be out rebounded by 8 at home to PSU.
28. Semi MIA: Cliff? Consecutive walks. Have to outplay PSU center. He didn’t.
29. Have a chance to cut it two to start 2nd half within seconds Williams commits an off ball offensive foul in front of ref 40 feet from the basket. Later in 2nd half misses crucial free throws again. He hurt us immensely.

Just an unmitigated disaster. Worst game since Jordan era. Sad. No excuse for it.
 
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This is more recruiting than coaching. Which is also the coaches fault but it’s not an x and o issue. It’s not substitution patterns. It’s talent. We don’t have it. Our guards are not good enough. Some are frosh and may develop but the others just aren’t very good period.
Agree. It’s a transition game roster incapable of half court team offense. Complaining about 3 guard offense isnt logical because the bigger guys sucked more. Woolfolk is useless on both ends, Mag is unskilled, Hyatt didn’t show up today,etc.

The roster is Pike’s fault for sure but no amount of coaching this squad can fix the offense.
 
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Unfortunately, the ability to make a play, when a defense pressures you OR on either end of the floor is reduced to 3 players.

Davis
Simpson
Griffiths

The remaining pieces of the roster are not skilled enough or individually athletic enough to create their own offense OR playmake on defense.

Cliff erases mistakes on defense and rebounds, but is now just learning how to get to the basket and score.

The 5 players incoming, can all make an individual play, a scramble play, a 1 on 1 play, if the defense isn't strong enough to stop you or quick enough to defend those players.

Noah should have been able to score, but seems to have no confidence.

All will look a lot better next year, as long as the 2 portal additions, are also capable of making their own play

In terms of who is or can return next year, the players who cannot generate their own play on offense are Ogbole,, Chol
Woolfolk and Mag. Gotta figure Ogbole is a 11th to 13th player. Wolf is in a gray area, he showed flashes last year, but not much in terms of consistency.

It's very difficult to build a cohesive roster, with so many stationary players. There are 4 of the names above that are going to be mixed with 9 players, who can playmake or generate their own offense (5 frosh, J Williams, Davis, Simpson and Gavin

The other 4 are ultimately replaceable. I don't know what steps can be made to do anything substantially different with Mag and Woolfolk, the skill level or playmaking on either end of the court, just isn't there.

The more skilled the players are, the more cohesive the offensive reps are. That can be fixed via the portal for 1 or 2 spots.
 
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