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GAME 20 PENN STATE: A Disgrace

We sucked tonight, but this team is better than that, which makes me wonder whether there are chemistry problems on the team. Our effort wasn't there, we didn't get any loose balls, and guys just look like they didn't want to be out there. Hyatt and Mag being benched most of the 2nd half. Something is just not right. Have heard a few other knowledgeable folks wondering the same thing. Pike needs to sort this out as we're headed towards his worst season since coming here. This performance was LittleJordanPage-esque. Not sure I'll be going to the next home game, as I want no part of that again.
 
This is the worst shooting team Pike has had since his very first group at Stony Brook in 2006. We are the worst shooting team in 2024 that doesn’t play in the MEAC or SWAC.

It’s just utterly baffling. Are the players donating plasma to pay for Dylan and Ace’s NIL? Talent is the primary variable but talent alone doesn’t explain this.
 
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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 ultra 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 reps are. That can be fixed via the portal for 1 or 2 spots
Hey so have you noticed that our offense is bad yet?
 
This is the worst shooting team Pike has had since his very first group at Stony Brook in 2006. We are the worst shooting team in 2024 that doesn’t play in the MEAC or SWAC.

It’s just utterly baffling. Are the players donating plasma to pay for Dylan and Ace’s NIL? Talent is the primary variable but talent alone doesn’t explain this.
I mean this is why I keep saying there almost has to be a bad luck component here.

Pike has not given us tons of offense over the years but it's not been like this. We are #300 adjusted offense in Kenpom. #300 is bad for a SWAC team. It's just almost impossible they're actually this bad long run.
 
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We sucked tonight, but this team is better than that, which makes me wonder whether there are chemistry problems on the team. Our effort wasn't there, we didn't get any loose balls, and guys just look like they didn't want to be out there. Hyatt and Mag being benched most of the 2nd half. Something is just not right. Have heard a few other knowledgeable folks wondering the same thing. Pike needs to sort this out as we're headed towards his worst season since coming here. This performance was LittleJordanPage-esque. Not sure I'll be going to the next home game, as I want no part of that again.
i would call this more of a Fred Hill type game with no desire, offense and sputtering Jr Inman, Griffin, Farmer, Chandler
 
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.
Pike definitely needs a great portal year to add to the mix to add to the potential but alas I am not confident of his ability to do that
 
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i would call this more of a Fred Hill type game with no desire, offense and sputtering Jr Inman, Griffin, Farmer, Chandler
There was desire. Most of the game our D was very good. You hold a team to 61 points in 68 possessions you are doing something right.

Our offense was tge worst i have ever seen. Maybe need to watch the Louisville BET game again
 
Pike definitely needs a great portal year to add to the mix to add to the potential but alas I am not confident of his ability to do that
Is there $?
Do players want to come to get scraps left from Ace and Dylan?

If i were advising a player i would tell them stay clear away from Rutgers
 
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There was desire. Most of the game our D was very good. You hold a team to 61 points in 68 possessions you are doing something right.

Our offense was tge worst i have ever seen. Maybe need to watch the Louisville BET game again
Hilariously, the last game in which we had a lower adjusted offensive efficiency was a game we won.
 
why?

Jamike hustles but his shot selection is bad and he doesnt pass.

We finally play Gavin minutes. We see him most of tge time as the 4th guard. Why do you think that is?
he is the only one able to hit a jumper and not be a mess...yes he is a freshmen, i love the desire he is showing, he is better than derek who at this point is just a guy to get us free throws

J Mike was 5-9 fg in limited time, he needed more and should have started the 2nd

it was criminal Pike trotted the same starting lineup to start the 2nd half

Austin Williams had a brief flash of games but I warned people that he was a role player, some players are not meant to start

he immediately needs to be pulled out of the starting lineup

JMike and Gavin played 47 minutes combined and scored 21 of RUs 45 on 10-21 shooting, they were the only ones with a pulse and clue on offense, i am more than willing to overlook some mistakes they make compared to the veterans
 
I’ve been batting a cold and was on the fence about trekking the 90 minutes to the game from Philly. Unfortunately I made the wrong decision and went.
Is ‘batting a cold’ a Philly expression ?
 
I mean this is why I keep saying there almost has to be a bad luck component here.

Pike has not given us tons of offense over the years but it's not been like this. We are #300 adjusted offense in Kenpom. #300 is bad for a SWAC team. It's just almost impossible they're actually this bad long run.
SQ expected ADJ O Rating is up to 1.08, so yea that’s a crazy contrast to the .997 (KenPom) or .973 (Bart) and speaks to a crazy swing of luck.

I hate to wade into the “mental” aspect but we just look so broken. I think back to that wide-open Simpson foul line jumper barely drawing iron.
 
There was desire. Most of the game our D was very good. You hold a team to 61 points in 68 possessions you are doing something right.

Our offense was tge worst i have ever seen. Maybe need to watch the Louisville BET game again
Agreed except our rebounding effort was non-existent too second half.
 
Horrible loss to #127 NET Penn State.
At home too. How do you shoot 3-pointers and free throws that bad at home?
Seems like we tipped a lot of balls on defense that went right back to Penn State.
Hate to lose to those guys.
 
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Horrible loss to #127 NET Penn State.
At home too. How do you shoot 3-pointers and free throws that bad at home?
Seems like we tipped a lot of balls on defense that went right back to Penn State.
Hate to lose to those guys.
The same way you do it on the road.
 
I have left many losses in the past 15 years disgusted by effort. Rosario year i was so done i posted all my tickets on stubhub (jerk move be me) and stop going. I left tonight stunned. JaMike and Simoson played their a$$es off. They just sucked badly
 
We sucked tonight, but this team is better than that, which makes me wonder whether there are chemistry problems on the team. Our effort wasn't there, we didn't get any loose balls, and guys just look like they didn't want to be out there. Hyatt and Mag being benched most of the 2nd half. Something is just not right. Have heard a few other knowledgeable folks wondering the same thing. Pike needs to sort this out as we're headed towards his worst season since coming here. This performance was LittleJordanPage-esque. Not sure I'll be going to the next home game, as I want no part of that again.
There is no on court leadership

There no alpha go to scorer

There is no guard able to create and make others around them better
 
I would give bac a pass on tonight. We didn’t handle the pressure well and while our guards are not great to be kind I blame some of that on inadequate prep.
Stopped clock etc.

I mean, I'm being overly harsh, bac makes a ton of good observations and analysis of the game too. But we could've had zero turnovers, gotten 75 wide open three pointers, gone 2/75, and coaching/effort would still be rated poor.
 
Pay attention to who and who wasn’t engaged with the team and the court in time outs and while the team is on the floor

That’s going to tell you who is and who isn’t going to be back next year

On top of that …we have a big time chemsiry issue on this team.
 
Take a good hard look out there ..and ask, who really looks like they really want to play….and is playing with effort .
 
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