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GAME 20 PENN STATE: Take a bow, Aundre Hyatt

Hyatt throws a simple bounce it is an easy bucket for Cliff. Anyone could have scored on the dunk he had.

I am happy for him he could be the hero. Tonight made me feel no better about him and how he can help us.
This is pretty ridiculous. He makes a big drive and dunk and your response is....."Anyone could have scored on the dunk he had". 😳😳😳😳

Your anti-Hyatt crusade is getting ridiculous. You need to stop. You're better than that.
 
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Hyatt throws a simple bounce it is an easy bucket for Cliff. Anyone could have scored on the dunk he had.

I am happy for him he could be the hero. Tonight made me feel no better about him and how he can help us.
My god, man, if you really can’t see that Hyatt scoring 14 points in the second half — including an 8-Pt flurry that put our opponent on the mat — was a decisive factor in this win, you’re just blind.

That doesn’t mean that McConnell’s defense wasn’t ALSO a decisive factor. It’s possible for BOTH things to be true.

We FINALLY show some life and energy on offense — primarily because of Hyatt — and your assessment is that (1) anybody could’ve driven down the lane for the dunk, and (2) the corner three was a bad shot because he could’ve fed Cliff in the post?!

An awful take all around.
 
I am looking at the path of getting out of the 65 point range and not being reliant on elite defense on every possession and Hyatt and Simpson are the keys to getting from 65 to 70 or 75 points (Iowa type opponents).

In order to do that in a big picture, there's two options off the bench to provide that.....Hyatt and Simpson. Ironically, both players are the two that either have the physical ability to go crash the boards on offense OR make an individual slashing play (Simpson).

If Cam Spencer is going to be the focus of offense by opponents, that's impacting Spencer's offense on the other end.

PSU was making Cam Spencer fight over screen after screen and then the ball went to Pickett, who tried to orchestra his offense.....that made Spencer chase his man on the perimeter and is tiring him out on defense.

So when Spencer has to work harder on defense, his ability to get right to his preferred spots to shoot are just a step further away or guarded much closer by opponents.....which then puts pressure on Spencer to think he has to shoot, when he does finally get room.

With the amount of attention Spencer is receiving by opponents is simply believing that opponents now think "if you stop Cam Spencer from getting open looks, you can beat RU".

So Greene or others that are seeing Hyatts man getting more room to shoot than perhaps they would like......? That's OK to me.

On the offensive end, Hyatt has the complete offensive game, which is where Mags game is trying to get to.

Hyatt crashed the offensive glass, drew a foul.....the pivot and turn around 2 pointer was clinic, straight out of the text book.

The dunk was a result of Hyatt finally slowing down his footwork, not shuffling his feet and getting called for a travel. He did everything right on the offensive play....showed the ball, jab step, pumped one way, then properly moved left and had the lane open because PSU has no paint presence.....DUNK....!!

Hyatt is not a perfect player, but he is the one that can play through contact on drives and when spotted up in the corners, he's capable there too. Mag is developing right in front of us, in real time, Hyatt is just better on offense in all phases.

I think if Mag can squeeze 8 to 10PPG as a starter in 30+ minutes, you have to have double figures from someone off the bench to get into the 70s.

If Spencer went 3 of 7 from the floor instead of 1-7, RU gets into the 70s. I don't see how anyone could have an issue with Hyatt getting on track, especially heading to Iowa, where holding Iowa in the 60s, in their own building, is highly unlikely/impossible.

Iowa looms and Hyatt had his best game of the season. That's a HUGE advantage to now know we can get it done.

Next up for the staff.....get Simpson back on track.....if the staff can get Simpsons attention (playing Jalen Miller might be good for Miller too and RU in February), then we can get from a 6 man scoring roster, up to 7 or more.

This is not about PSU, this is about Hyatt and the remaining dozen or so games. I have been adamant that Hyatt should be playing more and Mag less.....and the staff went with Mag, hoping it would accelerate his development......CORRECT move in the long run, with short term pain. Which I was wrong about and not willing to wait on Mag to develop.

Now with Mag looking more comfortable, we now have a carve out for Hyatt.....come off the bench, look for your offense when available and score.

The Pike post game stressing that they're looking for Hyatt to be offense off the bench, is great.

If Hyatt can stay in the 4 of 12 to 6 of 12 range from the floor and get 25 minutes a night, RU becomes very dangerous.

We need someone to help Spencer with the 3s made, so the timing couldn't have been better for Hyatt and RU.

Let's go to Iowa and back to Minnesota with Hyatt clicking and see if he can string together 2, then 3, then 4 good games in a row and I'm pretty certain that Spencer will get back on track ......add that to Hyatt clicking and that spells trouble for opponents game plans to stop Spencer meaning you can beat RU.
 
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Great game by Hyatt but I still get that feeling like back during my kid's 7th grade travel team when one kid in particular would blow up... Little voice inside my head telling me "we WILL pay for this" sometime soon
 
Great game by Hyatt but I still get that feeling like back during my kid's 7th grade travel team when one kid in particular would blow up... Little voice inside my head telling me "we WILL pay for this" sometime soon
No, because Pikiell knows who is hot and playing well. He rides them and puts others on the bench. Just like Cam yesterday.
 
Sorry, but you guys know I am a defense 1st guy. I saw how hard Caleb (and Mag) worked on defense on Pickett (and Funk). We held PSU 30+ points under their average. To see Hyatt being recognized as the star after being yanked twice in the 1st half because of defense doesn’t sit well with me.

Obviously we desperately need what Hyatt gave us in the 2nd half. I was very happy leaving the game with the W and how we played, but am very concerned as the bench minus Hyatt was awful again.

Our starting 5 is very good together. I’d put them up right now with any team in the country. We have to get Simpson on track. We have to play Wolf more too. With this win and a few more Pike will have that luxury.
 
This game is Exhibit A on why a shot blocker is so important. Without a shot blocker on PSU the game plan was to get in to the paint no matter who you were (all 5)
 
Not to overreact on the results of the last two games, but given the defense first mentality of this team, perhaps it best to start Hyatt over Spencer? Maybe Cam is better suited for our offensive spark plug off the bench?
 
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Great Review!

Best games of year by Caleb and Hyatt (maybe 2nd best)and we won going away. Hyatt’s dunk the turning point and it times was unstoppable. Thought Caleb’s best defensive stretch of the year.

Secret Stat of the game we also won this game because we went 15 of 19 from the line.

We also won this game because we had little to no turnovers.

For awhile it was a bizzaro game as Penn State could not hit any threes whatsoever and they were staying in the game because they were posting up. Irony?

I thought should have posted up more with Cliff and Paul in the 2nd half as there were times it was too close for comfort but in the end I think our D did wear them down.

Thought game was officiated well. It was a rather quick game. Surfer Dude ref isn’t bad. He was out of position on 2nd Cliff Foul which just wasn’t. Cliff just out jumped him for the ball. There was one travel underneath where PSU player took four or five steps. But on the whole, thought fine.

Paul secretly had another great all around game lost in the Hyatt and Caleb heroics and a great game offensively by Cliff.

I think Cam’s shooting will come around. And his defense was still pretty darn good and I think he still had six rebounds in a short stint. Still worried no playing time for Reiber and thought Simpson would have turned on the jets this game. Woolfolk had some nice minutes though.

Like BAC, I was petrified of this game. Saw PSU blow out some good teams like Indiana. There were no match today but doubt they go 4 for 23 at home. So can’t sleep on them at home. First RU v PSU game in years that was not a nail biter.

I know football is king but does hurt giving up so many seats. I think you can pack them in a little tighter. Love the 6:30 start but do think crowd was late ariving.

Just a nice win and stellar defensive effort!

Beat Iowa!!
 
The poster 1984 summed it up Hyatt the best in the game thread in a typo....Hyatt is pretty steaky, adding sometimes raw, sometimes well done. Hyatt has probably been the most impossible and maddening player here at RU in the last couple of years. Its not because of lack of effort for he is always giving his all. Its because you can see the ability he has and at times the matchup advantage he can provide Rutgers. And Aundre does not need to be a first or 2nd option for RU, he simply needs to play his role as 6th man off the bench providing some offense and be a tough rebounder and defender. Before the last 2 games, it looked like Hyatt was settling into a nice pattern....taking 7 or 8 shots, making 3 or 4 including a 3, got some rebounds, provided quality defensive minutes. The last two games though vs Ohio State and Michigan State saw Hyatt the Horrible....averaging just 17.5 minutes and 0-11 combined. Had to effect his confidence. Even saw on BTN where Raphael Davis called out Hyatt saying if RU is to be successful come tourney time, Hyatt needs to step up. The early going for Hyatt was rough highlighted by an ill advised drive to the hoop and fouling on a 3. Bac could be found in the game thread saying Hyatt shouldnt play the rest of the game....what a maroon. Marinate on this, Hyatt was 0 for his last 13 fg attempts as he was inserted into the lineup when Caleb picked up his 3rd foul of the game early in the 2nd half. Less than 10 minutes of game time later Hyatt taking a bow flexing his muscles as he singlehandedly put 3 daggers into the Penn State players hearts turning them into corpses to be sent back to Happy Valley in a meat wagon.

Rutgers who had played so well defensively in the first half was leaving points on the table and suddenly Penn State had clawed within 3 as Pike was trying to get his starters some rest with a bizarre looking lineup. Ru was able to get a bit of seperation with a bucket by Caleb and 2 free throws from Cliff but what transpired for the next 90 minutes was Aundre Hyatt shining bright like a diamond. A heady drive right up the lane right by everyone for a dunk put RU up 9 and sent the RAC crazies into a frenzy. The momentum clearly shifted and when Hyatt drained a corner 3 on the next possession, the Nittany Lions were on the ropes. Then came the encore, Hyatt with a dead center 3 feeling it, drained and the RAC went bonkers and Shrewsbury called timeout. Suddenly what was looking like a close finish turned into a 13 point lead. There was 8 and half minutes left but the game was effectively over. Aundre Hyatt knew it. The RAC knew it. Coach Shrewsbury knew it. A punishing 16-4 run over 8 minutes of time. All was left was for RU to close it out by turning the vice grips of its unrelenting and unforgiving defense. Mission accomplished.

Perhaps some similarities in this game to Indiana where RU looked great on defense but sputtered a bit on offense in the 2nd half. In that game it was Derek Simpson who reeled off 10 straight points to turn a close game in a comfortable win. Tonight it was another bench player in Hyatt reeling off 8 straight. As maligned as the bench as been...some game providing nothing, the bench has been a key cog in two rousing victories at the RAC. The game itself seemed to follow the same exact Pikiell blueprint. Play elite level defense from the get go and hope the offense can do enough. Playing at home helps thats for sure. When shots fall and you get contributions from unsung guys it does not have to get down to 55-55 in the late stages. Hyatt finished 6-12 fg, 14 points, 2 3s, 4 boards, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal. His most impactful overall game as a Knight. We know what Paul, Caleb and Cliff can do. Cam has written his book with his big shots this year. We saw Mag write his chapter a few games ago. We had yet to see Hyatt step into the spotlight and play his role to the hilt. Take a bow Aundre and let your play marinate for a while.

And while Hyatt "won" the game, make no mistake this was another team effort. Again starting with elite level defense. RU was locked and loaded from the beginning. Pickett was kept to I think just 5 points in the first half. Lundy was the only one really with any offensive success. RU bothered the Penn State offense. Their passes were a bit late. The shots were often deep into the shot clock and missing badly. The shot delivery was sped up. A much more effective defense than at Michigan State. RU was committed to locking down Pickett and PSU just was not comfortable to deliver those 3s. They were 4-26 for the night which is just horrific and they usually hit on at least 10-24 attempts so you can see it was a night of futility for them. Many of them in the last 5 minutes or so were just heaves, a sign of a team that had been emasculated on the court. The PSU coach said it best. His team was soft. Rutgers looked like men. PSU were boys. Rutgers punched back and the Nittany Lions jumped into their coffin.

So great to get Cliff involved early and back on track. Dominated inside using his height advantage hitting on 5-6 fg in the first half. Inexplicably Cliff went about 19 minutes during the game without taking another shot and he was fouled on that one. Cliff ended up 6-7 fg, a team leading 16 points but his defensive effort was enormous....10 boards, 3 blocks. Cliff was back to being the Cliff we all know and love. Caleb got back to that too. Caleb's offensive and decision making in the last couple of games was a bit questionable. Tonight Caleb had a distinct matchup advantage which he used attacking the rim and hitting some sweet jumpers. This is when he is most effective. 3-7 fg, 4-4 ft, 10 points, 7 boards. Calebs strength is when he isnt forcing his shots, its when he is exploiting the other teams defense. Speaking of defense Caleb was really really good tonight. Mag...not a big offensive night, just 3 shots, one made 3 but some crafty moves to the hoop that got him to the foul line. A whopping 35 minutes and on the court the same time as Hyatt which hadnt been a successful combo this year. Mag ended up with 8 points, 7 boards, 2 steals in yet another sparkling defensive peformance. He is getting so good so quietly. Paul Mulcahy a warriors effort tonight in 38 minutes. This is the kind of senior leadership games you just love from Paul. 6 assists, 5 boards, 5-11 fg, 12 points. Some nice moves underneath the basket and also providing that needed boost to the offense in the first half. Woofolk wasnt bad at all in his 9 minutes hitting a layup. Derek was not effective in his 7 minutes and didnt get back in. Miller got the call for a few minutes likely because Pike wanted to emphasize defense. Last but not least Cam. Oh boy he is in a real slump and it happened so quick. Following up on his brutal 3-14 shooting performance at Michigan State, Cam threw up a goose egg in the first half and connected on just one 3 in the opening few minutes of the 2nd half. Cam finished just 1-7 fg in 20 minutes but more telling was that he didnt play after being yanked around the 14-15 minute mark. Turns out that was the right move. Although Pike had me pulling my hair out for a lineup that saw Miller and Wolf in with Hyatt, Mag and Paul. The move to limit Cam was the right move. Some of those shots were forced. I know you want to have him shoot his way out of the funk, but I did not like some of those shot decisions. I think he was frustrated on offense and it was effecting his defense. Thats a brass balls move for Pike to keep his leading scorer on the bench and ride the hot hand of Hyatt on offense and Mag/Caleb on defense. Cam will break out of it eventually. If you told me RU would beat Penn State by 20 and Cam would only have 3 I would order a straightjacket for you.

To be honest, I was scared of this game. All week the board built up gloom and doom about this game saying it was a bad matchup and on paper it seemed like it was. These teams who rely on 3s have given us fits in 2 of the last 3 games. Its the type of game that RU would drop in the past but that was yesterday..right Phil? I felt this really was a MUST win even this earlier because with Iowa coming up, you just dont want the possibility of a three game skid. Every team in this league will hit a rough patch at some point. You want to put off that rough patch as long as possible and build up some cushion. I do not have a feel on what will go down at Iowa. We had our worst game of the year defensively at home, now we hit the road. Coach Pike gets paid the big bucks to figure it out so I am sure there will be some kind of adjustment in the approach we take. All I ask is that we show up and compete. Minnesota bac at the rac next week and then a three game gauntlet of Michigan State, at Indiana, at Illinois. So this is why Rutgers desperately needed this one. For Penn State I will say they did not impress me as much as I thought they would. They looked better and tougher in games I have watched. I know the RU D has something to do with it but the Lions need to get their act together in a hurry because they did not look like a NCAA team tonight and they already are on the last 4 in/first 4 out lines in early bracketology. They need to start picking up quality wins somewhere.

As for the atmosphere. Students packed their section big time. I absolutely loathe we are giving up almost the entire 110 section to a shitty football program pardon my french but students seats are at a premium and bumping that many is a bridge too far for me. The RAC was just so so for the first 38 minutes but really did its job the last 12 minutes and when RU got up double digits. It became the fun experience we love so much about the RAC. There are some lesser names coming up like Minnesota and Nebraska so the fans will have to help make these games have big time atmospheres too. Good to quickly run into Mrs Screw and Scangg post game. Its always good to meet some of the biggest Rutgers fans on the planet.
Excellent summary as always..... Pike's bread and butter--Defense and rebounding . That's what stood out to me. Other than Hyatt, Rutgers didn't particularly shoot well from outside but its stout defense and control of the boards were key. Nice to see Hyatt make a positive difference ---too often he's guilty of a stupid offensive foul or takes a poor shot but tonight he contributed. Cliff and Paul-usual contributions. But kudos for Caleb whose defense really stood out... Special note about Mag--as you've said , he quietly makes his contributions and has begun to reveal the player that Pike talked about pre-season. Cam will break out of his slump and it wouldn't surprise me if it happens in Iowa. All shooters have slumps but he's too good to have it last long and just needs some easy layups to get started. When Cam's hitting from outside Rutgers is capable of beating anyone. What's best about this Rutgers team is that everyone who plays contributes ---past teams just had no depth and relied on one or two players to carry them. Not this team. Finally, nice to see Woolfolk get some minutes over Reiber. He's raw but you can see his athleticism and with more playing time and experience he can be good. Same with Derek..Boy with these players and talented recruits coming next year and in 2024, the sleeping giant has finally awoken.
 
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My take-aways:

- PSU tried to use MSU's game plan (drive to attract defenders to dish for a 3) 3 things went wrong..
1) Rutgers watched the MSU game tape too
2) Rutgers defenders did not abandon their areas/man to help on penetration
3) PSU did not hit enough 3s to matter. If they did the game would have been a bit closer as they would have made 3 or 4 more 3s. If closer, maybe they could have closed on us.

- Rutgers did not really go to the team offense thing (passing ball crisply around.. did it maybe twice) and that disappointed me.. until someone mentioned that this was Rutgers plan because of the height advantages.. it worked.

- Cliff and McConnell did not take threes... YEAH! 21% says stop taking threes! Same for Mag who is at, what, 24% 25%? STOP.. and Mag's ability to bound on offense.. especially in that game vs PSU.. just STOP it. That said, Hyatt ain't much better, percentage-wise, and look what he did last night.

- Hyatt had a nice assist before he went on his tear. I think maybe that should be a rule for Hyatt and Simpson and maybe Mag... get an assist or near one before you shoot (unless in transition or off a O-rebound). They all seem to look to shoot a bit too soon... but the flip-side is how we used to have so many shot clock violations... quickly becoming a distant memory of years past.. happily.

- PSU coach complaining about the refs.. what nonsense. He got exactly what he needed from the refs. That call against Miller where a PSU player body-checked him into making contact with he ball-handler... TERRIBLE CALL in PSU's favor. It really smacked of wanting to help PSU score with the clock stopped. The refs allowed a lot of contact and a lot of travels. PSU was grabbing, holding, pushing the whole game. It was nasty. And the travels.. UNBELIEVABLE that Rutgers got called for the first travel and the only one called on PSU was when a ball-handler fell with the ball.

About TRAVELS.. Rutgers defense.. the effort to cut passing lanes, etc.. that effort CAUSES travels by offensive players. They begin to start the process of picking up a dribble to pass or to move their pivot foot to pass.. and then a Rutgers player pops into the picture and they change their mind. PSU players had MANY travels and the Rutgers defense EARNED the calls that were not made. This has happened against many teams.. but none as badly as last night. If the PSU coach wants to send game tape to the league he should show his players getting away with travels over and over and over.

I don't mind the occasional carries and palms that don't amount to a huge advantage.. (actually I do mind them but don't count that as a poorly ref'd game.. more of what is commonly allowed).. but when the defensive effort EARNS a travel from a ball-handler and no call is made and that results in an easier pass or shot and a score by the opponent it is criminal. And then to see a meaningless travel called against us... criminal.
 
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The poster 1984 summed it up Hyatt the best in the game thread in a typo....Hyatt is pretty steaky, adding sometimes raw, sometimes well done. Hyatt has probably been the most impossible and maddening player here at RU in the last couple of years. Its not because of lack of effort for he is always giving his all. Its because you can see the ability he has and at times the matchup advantage he can provide Rutgers. And Aundre does not need to be a first or 2nd option for RU, he simply needs to play his role as 6th man off the bench providing some offense and be a tough rebounder and defender. Before the last 2 games, it looked like Hyatt was settling into a nice pattern....taking 7 or 8 shots, making 3 or 4 including a 3, got some rebounds, provided quality defensive minutes. The last two games though vs Ohio State and Michigan State saw Hyatt the Horrible....averaging just 17.5 minutes and 0-11 combined. Had to effect his confidence. Even saw on BTN where Raphael Davis called out Hyatt saying if RU is to be successful come tourney time, Hyatt needs to step up. The early going for Hyatt was rough highlighted by an ill advised drive to the hoop and fouling on a 3. Bac could be found in the game thread saying Hyatt shouldnt play the rest of the game....what a maroon. Marinate on this, Hyatt was 0 for his last 13 fg attempts as he was inserted into the lineup when Caleb picked up his 3rd foul of the game early in the 2nd half. Less than 10 minutes of game time later Hyatt taking a bow flexing his muscles as he singlehandedly put 3 daggers into the Penn State players hearts turning them into corpses to be sent back to Happy Valley in a meat wagon.

Rutgers who had played so well defensively in the first half was leaving points on the table and suddenly Penn State had clawed within 3 as Pike was trying to get his starters some rest with a bizarre looking lineup. Ru was able to get a bit of seperation with a bucket by Caleb and 2 free throws from Cliff but what transpired for the next 90 minutes was Aundre Hyatt shining bright like a diamond. A heady drive right up the lane right by everyone for a dunk put RU up 9 and sent the RAC crazies into a frenzy. The momentum clearly shifted and when Hyatt drained a corner 3 on the next possession, the Nittany Lions were on the ropes. Then came the encore, Hyatt with a dead center 3 feeling it, drained and the RAC went bonkers and Shrewsbury called timeout. Suddenly what was looking like a close finish turned into a 13 point lead. There was 8 and half minutes left but the game was effectively over. Aundre Hyatt knew it. The RAC knew it. Coach Shrewsbury knew it. A punishing 16-4 run over 8 minutes of time. All was left was for RU to close it out by turning the vice grips of its unrelenting and unforgiving defense. Mission accomplished.

Perhaps some similarities in this game to Indiana where RU looked great on defense but sputtered a bit on offense in the 2nd half. In that game it was Derek Simpson who reeled off 10 straight points to turn a close game in a comfortable win. Tonight it was another bench player in Hyatt reeling off 8 straight. As maligned as the bench as been...some game providing nothing, the bench has been a key cog in two rousing victories at the RAC. The game itself seemed to follow the same exact Pikiell blueprint. Play elite level defense from the get go and hope the offense can do enough. Playing at home helps thats for sure. When shots fall and you get contributions from unsung guys it does not have to get down to 55-55 in the late stages. Hyatt finished 6-12 fg, 14 points, 2 3s, 4 boards, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal. His most impactful overall game as a Knight. We know what Paul, Caleb and Cliff can do. Cam has written his book with his big shots this year. We saw Mag write his chapter a few games ago. We had yet to see Hyatt step into the spotlight and play his role to the hilt. Take a bow Aundre and let your play marinate for a while.

And while Hyatt "won" the game, make no mistake this was another team effort. Again starting with elite level defense. RU was locked and loaded from the beginning. Pickett was kept to I think just 5 points in the first half. Lundy was the only one really with any offensive success. RU bothered the Penn State offense. Their passes were a bit late. The shots were often deep into the shot clock and missing badly. The shot delivery was sped up. A much more effective defense than at Michigan State. RU was committed to locking down Pickett and PSU just was not comfortable to deliver those 3s. They were 4-26 for the night which is just horrific and they usually hit on at least 10-24 attempts so you can see it was a night of futility for them. Many of them in the last 5 minutes or so were just heaves, a sign of a team that had been emasculated on the court. The PSU coach said it best. His team was soft. Rutgers looked like men. PSU were boys. Rutgers punched back and the Nittany Lions jumped into their coffin.

So great to get Cliff involved early and back on track. Dominated inside using his height advantage hitting on 5-6 fg in the first half. Inexplicably Cliff went about 19 minutes during the game without taking another shot and he was fouled on that one. Cliff ended up 6-7 fg, a team leading 16 points but his defensive effort was enormous....10 boards, 3 blocks. Cliff was back to being the Cliff we all know and love. Caleb got back to that too. Caleb's offensive and decision making in the last couple of games was a bit questionable. Tonight Caleb had a distinct matchup advantage which he used attacking the rim and hitting some sweet jumpers. This is when he is most effective. 3-7 fg, 4-4 ft, 10 points, 7 boards. Calebs strength is when he isnt forcing his shots, its when he is exploiting the other teams defense. Speaking of defense Caleb was really really good tonight. Mag...not a big offensive night, just 3 shots, one made 3 but some crafty moves to the hoop that got him to the foul line. A whopping 35 minutes and on the court the same time as Hyatt which hadnt been a successful combo this year. Mag ended up with 8 points, 7 boards, 2 steals in yet another sparkling defensive peformance. He is getting so good so quietly. Paul Mulcahy a warriors effort tonight in 38 minutes. This is the kind of senior leadership games you just love from Paul. 6 assists, 5 boards, 5-11 fg, 12 points. Some nice moves underneath the basket and also providing that needed boost to the offense in the first half. Woofolk wasnt bad at all in his 9 minutes hitting a layup. Derek was not effective in his 7 minutes and didnt get back in. Miller got the call for a few minutes likely because Pike wanted to emphasize defense. Last but not least Cam. Oh boy he is in a real slump and it happened so quick. Following up on his brutal 3-14 shooting performance at Michigan State, Cam threw up a goose egg in the first half and connected on just one 3 in the opening few minutes of the 2nd half. Cam finished just 1-7 fg in 20 minutes but more telling was that he didnt play after being yanked around the 14-15 minute mark. Turns out that was the right move. Although Pike had me pulling my hair out for a lineup that saw Miller and Wolf in with Hyatt, Mag and Paul. The move to limit Cam was the right move. Some of those shots were forced. I know you want to have him shoot his way out of the funk, but I did not like some of those shot decisions. I think he was frustrated on offense and it was effecting his defense. Thats a brass balls move for Pike to keep his leading scorer on the bench and ride the hot hand of Hyatt on offense and Mag/Caleb on defense. Cam will break out of it eventually. If you told me RU would beat Penn State by 20 and Cam would only have 3 I would order a straightjacket for you.

To be honest, I was scared of this game. All week the board built up gloom and doom about this game saying it was a bad matchup and on paper it seemed like it was. These teams who rely on 3s have given us fits in 2 of the last 3 games. Its the type of game that RU would drop in the past but that was yesterday..right Phil? I felt this really was a MUST win even this earlier because with Iowa coming up, you just dont want the possibility of a three game skid. Every team in this league will hit a rough patch at some point. You want to put off that rough patch as long as possible and build up some cushion. I do not have a feel on what will go down at Iowa. We had our worst game of the year defensively at home, now we hit the road. Coach Pike gets paid the big bucks to figure it out so I am sure there will be some kind of adjustment in the approach we take. All I ask is that we show up and compete. Minnesota bac at the rac next week and then a three game gauntlet of Michigan State, at Indiana, at Illinois. So this is why Rutgers desperately needed this one. For Penn State I will say they did not impress me as much as I thought they would. They looked better and tougher in games I have watched. I know the RU D has something to do with it but the Lions need to get their act together in a hurry because they did not look like a NCAA team tonight and they already are on the last 4 in/first 4 out lines in early bracketology. They need to start picking up quality wins somewhere.

As for the atmosphere. Students packed their section big time. I absolutely loathe we are giving up almost the entire 110 section to a shitty football program pardon my french but students seats are at a premium and bumping that many is a bridge too far for me. The RAC was just so so for the first 38 minutes but really did its job the last 12 minutes and when RU got up double digits. It became the fun experience we love so much about the RAC. There are some lesser names coming up like Minnesota and Nebraska so the fans will have to help make these games have big time atmospheres too. Good to quickly run into Mrs Screw and Scangg post game. Its always good to meet some of the biggest Rutgers fans on the planet.
Hey, what else can I say but "Well Done"! 🤝
 
This game is Exhibit A on why a shot blocker is so important. Without a shot blocker on PSU the game plan was to get in to the paint no matter who you were (all 5)
I'd add that Cliff staying home more to block shots and/or board was a nice change. Despite playing against a 3-point happy team where Cliff might be out near the 3 arc too often.
 
Why I oughta.... Just for that I sentence you to watching NBA games (no college) for the remainder of the basketball season.
That is like a oxymoron or something like that. The NBA isn't really basketball it is part 3 point shooting contest and part 1950s NFL with moving screens looking like blocking schemes that RBs can run (or dribble) through.
 
I found the game very interesting from a strategy point of view of PSU having no bigs on the floor and Myles Dread guarding Cliff on D. Clifff did OK on D and Myles actually did a very good job on Cliff. Mildly disappointing we didn't really take enough advantage of a guard playing our center.
 
Another great recap Bac. As we never know what goes on behind the scenes, when I heard Hyatt say in the post game that he was under the weather the last two games, I thought maybe Cam’s now under the weather and that’s why he is slumping and sat most of the second half. Who knows?
 
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This is pretty ridiculous. He makes a big drive and dunk and your response is....."Anyone could have scored on the dunk he had". 😳😳😳😳

Your anti-Hyatt crusade is getting ridiculous. You need to stop. You're better than that.
The play starts at 3:20 and it is very interesting to watch in slow motion and/or pausing frame by frame.

Anyone who says we don't run an offense?!?
Why was 0 not in a better help that much respect for Paul's perimeter game?
Cliff had his man pinned and a lob pass to the top right corner of the backboard is an easy dunk
Great job by Cliff sealing his man when the pass wasnt coming
Great job for Hyatt taking it strong when he decided not to pass.
Where was weakside help on the play?

 
Sorry, but you guys know I am a defense 1st guy. I saw how hard Caleb (and Mag) worked on defense on Pickett (and Funk). We held PSU 30+ points under their average. To see Hyatt being recognized as the star after being yanked twice in the 1st half because of defense doesn’t sit well with me.

Obviously we desperately need what Hyatt gave us in the 2nd half. I was very happy leaving the game with the W and how we played, but am very concerned as the bench minus Hyatt was awful again.

Our starting 5 is very good together. I’d put them up right now with any team in the country. We have to get Simpson on track. We have to play Wolf more too. With this win and a few more Pike will have that luxury.
If you had said this first time, you would have saved these guys some vitriol.

I agree the player of the game was Caleb. But you can't diminish that Hyatt is the reason this game was a blowout instead of a nail biter.

We've won all of two games (Indiana and PSU) when Spencer hasn't played well. Simpson saved us the first time and Hyatt last night. Hawk's post makes a lot of sense on how we get going on all cylinders.
 
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Watching that play.....PSU coach ripped in to his players. Maybe some self reflection needs to be done. Did they prepare enough to scout what Rutgers can and can't do on offense?

0 doesnt needs to be in a better help position. Paul isn't going to beat you with a quick catch and shoot 3. When Hyatt puts the ball on the floor the weakside defenders need to ditch their men and be in the paint. Aundre isn't going to make that pass to the corner. If he does Caleb isn't a huge threat from3.
 
AS many have said , Hyatt has talent, it is visible in every game. However he was not a finisher, meaning he misses lay ups after a good move to the basket. He just misses his 3 pointers by an inch.

He could be something special if he finished his plays
 
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Cant just win with defense, we know that. Without Hyatts 8 point barrage you are then biting your finger nails at 43-40 hoping Derek Simpson can hit a shot
Spot on comment.Most of Rutgers games have been decided by five or less points which leaves very little margin for error.Winning by 20 points without Spencer scoring was a great team win on offense and defense.This game was decided in Rutgers favor because Penn State made only four 3 pointers which might not happen in the rematch.
 
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Great recap once again Bac. We really turned up the D when we needed to and Hyatt hit the big shots.

Best of Luck,
Groz
 
He made perimeter shots. great
He had a nice block on the guy who beat him off the dribble. Great
He made a dunk on a wide open lane created by the seal Cliff created. Great

He was in the right spot at the right time.

This game was won on the defensive end. Primarily it was Caleb and Mag doing the heavy lifting.
You are way too tough on Hyatt. He won the game for us with his big shots in combination with our overall great defense.

Yes, Caleb and Mag and the rest of the team won the game with our hard nosed defense, but you are really poo-pooing Hyatt's contributions.

If you want to say that Hyatt is maddening to our fan base and the team because you never know what you are going to get, it is one thing, but at least be fair and give him his props for last night.

Best of Luck,
Groz
 
Watching that play.....PSU coach ripped in to his players. Maybe some self reflection needs to be done. Did they prepare enough to scout what Rutgers can and can't do on offense?

0 doesnt needs to be in a better help position. Paul isn't going to beat you with a quick catch and shoot 3. When Hyatt puts the ball on the floor the weakside defenders need to ditch their men and be in the paint. Aundre isn't going to make that pass to the corner. If he does Caleb isn't a huge threat from3.

Penn State settled on their bread and butter rather than working for more high percentage shots. Shrews is somewhat to blame because this is a team that shoots 25 or so 3s a game. He instilled this in them. Yes they have had some success this year by doing it that to mask their lack of inside game. They have not played a D as tough as RU. Shrews isnt Izzo or Fran. Their players are not as talented overall as Michigan State or Iowa. Their offense was rattled and panicked. Last week RU fans said if we just made 4 more 3s we would be in a tight game with Sparty. Well not sure they are saying the same about Penn State which hit only 4-26. There are reasons why teams shoot poorly so it never comes down to just one thing.

PSU was soft and petite. I would imagine the game in Happy Valley will be much different. PSU is at a crossroads in their season. Straddling the bubble on either side isnt a good position to be in with so many tough games to come.
 
Nice win. I thought this game would be a lot closer. I didn't realize the impact of our size advantage and what it meant from a rebounding perspective. PSU essentially had a shooting performance similar to our game at MSU. Just hard to overcome particularly when you don't get many second shots. Yes we played good defense but they also missed open looks. The best part of our defense last night was staying on the ground and not going for shot fakes.

After a miss on his first shot, Cliff really took advantage of his match up early on. He forced PSU to double him. He still needs to work on passing out of that. He has become better at the foul line ,which is not an insignificant development. Good all around game.

Aundre was really good in the second half. Just need to temper expectations (similar to Mag) on what to expect from game to game from him. Hopefully this helps with his confidence if that had become an issue during the drought.

I liked Woof getting minutes at the expense of Dean and thought he did OK. I also got a little concerned with us trying to get by for too long with a 5 that included Miller, Woof, Mag...etc. Not too worried about Cam....yet.

I think 65 is the magic # for this team. We need to hold teams around that number to win games. I just don't think we can score much more than that on a regular basis. That is a challenging way to win against offensive teams like Iowa.

Shrewsbury went old school in his presser. That is certainly unique for a second year coach in these times. I didn't feel like RU got away with much in how it guarded Pickett yet that seemed a focal point of his comments. I am sure PSU filed away the Hyatt dunk at the end of the game.
 
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Sorry, but you guys know I am a defense 1st guy. I saw how hard Caleb (and Mag) worked on defense on Pickett (and Funk). We held PSU 30+ points under their average. To see Hyatt being recognized as the star after being yanked twice in the 1st half because of defense doesn’t sit well with me.

Obviously we desperately need what Hyatt gave us in the 2nd half. I was very happy leaving the game with the W and how we played, but am very concerned as the bench minus Hyatt was awful again.

Our starting 5 is very good together. I’d put them up right now with any team in the country. We have to get Simpson on track. We have to play Wolf more too. With this win and a few more Pike will have that luxury.


The defense always gets the plaudits and Caleb has received his share over his time here. Sometimes its good to highlight others who step up. Hyatt never has had a player of the game or recap lead here and he deserved it just like Mag deserved it for Ohio State and Cam got it for Purdue.

Admittedly Hyatt has not been one of my favorite players because of his inconsistencies within the same game. He deserves accolades for his stretch of play yesterday which effectively ended the game. Hyatt will need to provide these spurts if RU has any shot of beating Iowa or making a run past the first round in the NCAA tourney
 
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I have been adamant that Hyatt should be playing more and Mag less.....and the staff went with Mag, hoping it would accelerate his development......CORRECT move in the long run, with short term pain. Which I was wrong about and not willing to wait on Mag to develop.
You're still underrating Mag and overrating Hyatt. The staff shouldn't have been playing Hyatt more and Mag less. There was not short term pain. Mag has had the better season. Hyatt has had more bad games than Mag.
 
We can hold most teams in America to 60-70 pt range depending ....In the MSU game if we just shot below average from 3 instead of horrendous, that game would have went down to the wire...
 
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Mag is doing all kinds of little things helping the team and improving his game and the team with his decision making. Goes unnoticed at times but its happening. His defense dwarfs Hyatt. Mag still got 35 minutes last night.
 
Yes. He still doesn't have a ton of arc, but when he's missing its a complete line drive. When he gets a little arc, those are his good shooting games
The first of the back to back threes for him (the one from the corner) was the quickest I’ve ever seen him catch and shoot and it looked good the second it came out of his hands. He knew he was shooting that before the pass even got to him, zero hesitation.
 
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