Why don't you just tell us the answer? There's isn't a game on right now.
GAME 20 PENN STATE: A Disgrace
- Thread starter bac2therac
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Davis Simpson and Gavin were all over the floor giving effort IMO
We shot 34% overall and 6% from 3. You are going to lose to just about anyone (except maybe Stonehill) shooting like that.
Why? If you are the likes of a Cam Spencer two years ago, why the heck wouldn't you want to play for Rutgers and its massive incoming talent next year?
Actually, I think you are wrong, this team is not better than that. This is a historically bad offensive team. When you consistently shoot in the mid 30s, and less than 20% from 3, you are going to lose a lot of games.
Actually this team is better offensively than last year... per Hawk's latest post on the Round Table
From what I have gathered, the NIL going to Harper and Bailey are mainly from brands and sponsors trying to get in early on expected top 5 NBA draft picks, and his little to nothing to do with Rutgers. I have no idea what money will still be available for portal players, but it doesn’t seem like Ace and Dylan reduce the pot.
Disagree. I'm saying we're better than we showed tonight. We do have some decent wins and we played Purdue tough, so we're capable of playing much better than being embarrassed at home by one of the worst teams in the league. Agree we're a terrible shooting team and it's a simple game - if you can't make shots or FTs, it's hard to win.
Our only decent win is against SHU, we should have lost to Stonehill. This is a bad team.
I hate to say it but it starts and ends with the lack of development with Cliff. He is brutal. With him as a liability in the post, we have no chance with the guards creating on their own
Yes. Cliff has been overall a big disappointment, though I will say he has little to work with this year.
This is partially accurate, though no one can deny that Cliff has been a significant let down.
Put two of our games together and we are an 80 point team.
Pikes recruiting is awful
Absolutely awful
You don’t make the tournament in back to back seasons and then bring in the guys that he brought in.
The issues I have with him is that it looks like he’s trying to build around defense. That might work in football, but and maybe even for an extended time in bball, but how do you go from recruiting guys like Harper, Geo, McConnell, Mathis, and Myles to what we have now.
Pike leaves A LOT to be desired. PSU pretty much replaced their entire roster last year and whooped our ass
Absolutely awful
You don’t make the tournament in back to back seasons and then bring in the guys that he brought in.
The issues I have with him is that it looks like he’s trying to build around defense. That might work in football, but and maybe even for an extended time in bball, but how do you go from recruiting guys like Harper, Geo, McConnell, Mathis, and Myles to what we have now.
Pike leaves A LOT to be desired. PSU pretty much replaced their entire roster last year and whooped our ass
I’m not sure Pike is the coach for us as a program to take the next step. No excuses next year, I hope Pike can learn to coach on the other end of the floor
KKK stopped following team because Eugene is not there anymore.
This team is like teams Vivian had at end. Could not throw ball in ocean. Austin Williams from the line? He gets fouled I go OMG.
The team (before last night's debacle) averages 2 more PPG than last year's team, once you subtract the nonsense of Central Connecticut State and Rider etc.
The numbers are the numbers, the goal (I believe) is not to be the most efficient team, it is to actually score more points per game.
If you or others disagree with the actual numbers, then that's fine. But this notion that RU was some sort of scoring outfit that was way more effective last year vs this year, is simply not true.
I got up and left with a couple minutes to go after a particularly egregious lack of effort by Noah to go after a loose ball. Not to pick on him, he wasn't the only one.
Hard to find the right adjectives to describe how bad that was last night. I resorted to trying to crack funny one liners in the game thread to alleviate the pain. Unfortunately I am just not that funny. I don't have much to add to what has already been said but looking at the big picture, Pike is not going anywhere for a few years given the extension our gracious AD bestowed upon him recently.
He needs to take a hard look at his coaching staff and see if he has the right balance between recruiting and coaching/player development. This roster contains too many recruits that just are not good enough. I also think his record for player development is generally weak,
While defense and effort should be a constant and requirement for minutes, you need to find some guys with offensive skills as well. I like to watch what players do on the offensive end when they don't have the ball. I still can't figure out what we are trying to accomplish most of the time in a half court set. Run better off ball motion set screen and move the ball. Yes this group might not make an open shot but it will look like you have a clue. Seems like on many possessions little happens until the shot clock is winding down and then someone tries an iso move. Even some of the few JMike and Simpson makes last night had a high degree of difficulty associated with them
Roster management is too volatile year to year to take any consolation in a longer term view of where the program is headed. If you have a big NIL bag you will get more shots at the apple but in RU's case a season like this is very damaging. Pike has done some very good things here but the recent trend line of results is not good and he needs to own that. Either he adapts or gets put on the hot seat. Having such a highly regarded recruiting class can be a blessing or a curse.
He needs to take a hard look at his coaching staff and see if he has the right balance between recruiting and coaching/player development. This roster contains too many recruits that just are not good enough. I also think his record for player development is generally weak,
While defense and effort should be a constant and requirement for minutes, you need to find some guys with offensive skills as well. I like to watch what players do on the offensive end when they don't have the ball. I still can't figure out what we are trying to accomplish most of the time in a half court set. Run better off ball motion set screen and move the ball. Yes this group might not make an open shot but it will look like you have a clue. Seems like on many possessions little happens until the shot clock is winding down and then someone tries an iso move. Even some of the few JMike and Simpson makes last night had a high degree of difficulty associated with them
Roster management is too volatile year to year to take any consolation in a longer term view of where the program is headed. If you have a big NIL bag you will get more shots at the apple but in RU's case a season like this is very damaging. Pike has done some very good things here but the recent trend line of results is not good and he needs to own that. Either he adapts or gets put on the hot seat. Having such a highly regarded recruiting class can be a blessing or a curse.
The goal is to actual score more points per game..... than the other team.
Points per game in a vacuum isn't that meaningful. If you're getting two more points on four more possessions, that's not good.
We're playing faster, but less efficiently. It's better to score 60 points in a 58 possession game than to score 62 points in a 64 possession game.
Believe it or not, I think you were a little too positive. Don’t know about Gavin and JMike being bright spots. Everything is relative, but they, too, we’re pretty meh.
We take bad shots because we run zero offense to get our players open
Hawk always respect your takes but 100% disagree with you as Pike runs zero offense no back screens no off the ball movement his coaching is based on a high screen and pick and roll which Cliff doesn’t do well or the guard breaking down the defense and kicking the ball out which our guards who are too small can’t do
And when we actually kick it out our guys can’t shoot anyway and this falls back on Pike for his lack of recruiting
Ye
yep didn’t want to say it out loud but it was obvious.
Absolutely true! Preseason
Cliff big ten and wooden nominee
Gavin all world recruit
Fernandes one of the best 3 pt shooters in the country
Mag all we heard was if healthy last year were a different team
Wolf second year after showing promise
DS closed year strong and dominated big ten tournament and NIT
J Mike nice surprise
They run the offense with zero purpose and have lost this whole 12 sec shot clock quickly.
-Pandemic year Pikes best team canceled
-Next year Tournament but Pike loses the Houston game
-Play in game Pikes strategy against ND fails . Don’t dance
-Misses the tournament because he wanted to ride Paul as we melted down
-This year last in the Big ten
Pike going in the wrong direction and concern should be for the incoming class .
Penn St isn't good but they also aren't horrible. They are higher in the standings than us and have wins over OSU and Wisconsin. They aren't great on offense but are active and aggressive on defense and will force turnovers if you don't protect the ball. We average 12 TO's a game and had 20 last night.
So according to you all of the stats pointing to how bad our offense is this year don’t matter or mean anything.
Except the this very one stat that you want to use - PPG.
LOL Hawk still going strong with his wild takes.
This is almost unbelievable that you haven’t just said we aren’t anywhere close to as good as you told us we would be for the past 6 months.
Just say it dude.
Coaching could be better but this is way more of a talent issue
We stink.
We can’t do very simple things (make free throws, layups, wide open shots, box out). Coaching can’t really fix most of that.
BAC--My biggest disappointment last night? ....that the Purdue -Northwestern game didn't go to 10 overtimes . That way I and the BTN audience would have missed this monstrosity. Last night I thought I was watching a school yard pick up game. This was the single worst exhibition of basketball I've seen in the entire Pikiell era. The guard play in particular was an abomination. Last night we had no point guard when J Mike sat; we had a shooting guard who couldn't shoot or pass to a team mate (Simpson) ; another guard who can't hit a foul shot if his life depended on it ( A.W.) , and another guard (Noah) who has yet to figure out why he's on the court. And that's just the guard play. As far as forwards, other than Gavin, they were worthless. Gavin is taking baby steps and beginning to look more comfortable on the floor. Mag has to be hurting. He's not moving or jumping like he had been. Hyatt is Hyatt--if he's not chucking up 3's , he's useless. Palmquist does nothing so he wasn't any worse than usual. Cliff was neutralized with double teaming.... and Pikiell's coaching was terrible. Why he doesn't sit Simpson when he's selfish with the ball is beyond me . And Gavin needs to get more playing time--let Palmquist cheer lead . It's too bad J Mike and Simpson can't be on the floor together when their opponent has bigger more physical guards .....
Ps--can't wait for spring football practice to begin.!!!
The problem is not the type of offense, it's the absence of guys who can put the ball in the basket. Must have at least one guy who's an automatic drop-dead shooter, with a couple more high-level shooters. If you have those guys, the type of offense being run isn't irrelevant, but it's far less important.
He's got some ego to not say he's wrong. I like how he also removes random games here and there to get the PPG numbers where he wants.
Coaches can't shoot for players but coaches can show Derek Simpson film of himself shooting a three pointer and help him understand that if he's off balance with his feet the shot is going to be off balance. Like... what is this? It's a wide open three pointer, what are you doing with your feet my dude? Splaying them out and then landing like THAT? And you think that shot has a prayer?
If the staff is doing this and Simpson isn't working on it, then yeah, that's on him.
You're dead on. We'll have talent but it will take time for the team to gel. Even Calipari's Kentucky teams often needed half a season to begin playing well and understanding their role.
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