Game 21: Michigan Thoughts

[bac2therac]

Honestly, this game went pretty much as I expected. Lower scoring defensive affair where RU would play competitive for most of the game and struggle offensively. The Iowa game should not have given false hope that the offense was turning around. Iowa is a terrible defensive team. Michigan is a defensive minded team that is well coached by a coaching wizard. For RU to win the game they would have to knock down low percentage shots and limit the turnovers big time in the first half. I like the effort today. The defense was there but Michigan also played great D and the RU offensive woes are well documented. Most of RU's shot are very low percentage plus RU took many shots around the rim that they simply could not finish. Not going to beat a NCAA team at home like that. So not surprised or disappointed or down today. Michigan is simply better and they have more experience. Where RU puts pressure on younger guys to do a little more than they are capable of right now. Sure we would like to get more out of Thiam today but we didnt. Geo struggled like freshmen who have to play alot of minutes can. Eugene was quite solid today, 2nd game in a row. Corey just didnt have his best game and effort and Freeman just is so limited...This is a game where not having Mike hurts more than usual because Pike was forced to play Souf, Matt and Jake and you cannot beat a Beilien team with them seeing minutes.

16-1 in assists is the key stat here....Michigan won the game in transition because RU simply could not convert enough on the offense end. RU played Michigan very good in the half court set but too many breakaways in that first half. Michigan just had more and there is nothing wrong with that. So now RU comes back home for a winnable game against a very solid and surprising Nebraska. They play at OSU Monday so its going to be interesting to see how they perform there and then have to fly east for a game in just 48 hours. They are not the same team on the road as they are at home but this isnt last years Nebraska. They have some solid offensive weapons and do also play defense. RU certainly will have to step and make shots but more importantly they need to give that full effort on defense and limit those lapses to keep themselves in position...so instead of being down 10-12 like they were today in crunch time, they maybe are only down a possession or two. Its a winnable game and a litmus test to see where both Nebraska and Rutgers fit in in the Big 10

 

[ColonelRutgers]

This also shows how the roster needs a serious upgrade. A injury to someone like Mike Williams should not be as devastating to our rotation as it has. Having to play guys like Bullock, Souf, and Jake legitimate minutes in the first half is almost absurd for a Big Ten program. And with Geo and Corey struggling offensively we had absolutely nowhere to turn. It was quite amazing we were still in striking distance in the first half with no offensive firepower and a credit to how we battle.

 

[kcg88]

We also missed Williams' hustle on some of those loose balls.

 

[shields]

Jake does not shoot, playing 4 on 5.

 

[bac2therac]

Jake does not shoot, playing 4 on 5.

yeah his one chance to shoot he was open for 3 and hesitated instead of shooting immediately, not sure if Pike has given him a do not shoot instruction or not, he let the defender come at him and could have actually shot it after he did that but still passed it away

 

[BoxStater]

Desperately need better shooters, only 1 player for Rutgers made a 3 against Michigan today

 

[RUJMM78]

Sadly,Rutgers playing league road games has unfavorable results regardless if its well played against Michigan State or todays game against Michigan.There simply is no consistency as to where the points are coming from game to game .

Bottom line inability to win league road games makes it near impossible for Rutgers to have winning seasons.There is no margin for error because Rutgers will lose some home league games .

 

[RC85]

Desperately need better shooters, only 1 player for Rutgers made a 3 against Michigan today

Shooters are coming---need to make sure a B1G-level PG is in the works for next season if Sanders does leave early.

 

[SJScarlet]

Baker had a weak game today, which is expected as he is still a freshman and will be up and down

 

[bowlgoal]

Michigan’s model works. They recruit all players including bigs who can shoot the three and play relentless defense. When you overplay the three, they get loose underneath. If their 3 point shooting completely implodes in any given night, they lose. It doesn’t happen very often.

We have offensive help on the way next year but we lose a big rebounder in Freeman and if we lose Corey it’s going to hurt badly. The rest of this season could be challenging but we need the home crowd to make things difficult at the RAC.

We certainly welcome Kiss and Mathis and hopefully Harper can play at this pace. We know he can shoot. We need a bit more help so hopefully we figure out a way to get it?

 

[RUsince52]

You wouldn't know it from the final score, but this game was lost in the first 10 minutes. Up 10-2 and still trading miss for miss against a Michigan team that might as well have been shooting at the wall. I know we had at least 3 airballs and probably more for the game. We just miss so badly on too many trips.

 

[bowlgoal]

You wouldn't know it from the final score, but this game was lost in the first 10 minutes. Up 10-2 and still trading miss for miss against a Michigan team that might as well have been shooting at the wall. I know we had at least 3 airballs and probably more for the game. We just miss so badly on too many trips.

You also have to commend Michigan’s defense for some of that as well. There are some outstanding defensive teams in our league. Rutgers does a great job for what we have. Other teams overcome because they have more shooters.

 

[Mr Magoo]

yeah his one chance to shoot he was open for 3 and hesitated instead of shooting immediately, not sure if Pike has given him a do not shoot instruction or not, he let the defender come at him and could have actually shot it after he did that but still passed it away

Let's hope he is allowed to shoot since Freeman is allowed to throw up crap at any point in the game. He's actually a good shooter but looks to be missing the confidence.

 

[BoxStater]

You also have to commend Michigan’s defense for some of that as well. There are some outstanding defensive teams in our league. Rutgers does a great job for what we have. Other teams overcome because they have more shooters.

True but as Pike said post-game too much one-on-one with just 1 assist. Corey-Geo were 7-20 with no 3s. They should’ve looked to create more open shots for Thiam who was 2-3 from 3 and made both of them contested

 

[MadRU]

Shooters are coming---need to make sure a B1G-level PG is in the works for next season if Sanders does leave early.

We need a legit true speed point with handle and vision whether Corey stays or goes. Been saying this for decades now. One assist and that by your power forward is all you need to know.

 

[zebnatto]

I only saw the first half--have game recorded--but I wouldn't yet put Matt in the Souf/Jake category.

 

[bowlgoal]

Does Thiam have one more year or two more years?

 

[BoxStater]

Does Thiam have one more year or two more years?

At least 2 more years, he’s just a sophomore

 

[LotusAggressor]

You can't run any semblance of a half court offense if you can't shoot. If you can't consistently score in transition either, that's a recipe for offensive futility.

 

[bowlgoal]

Does Thiam have one more year or two more years?

At least 2 more years, he’s just a sophomore

Thank you

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

NJIT won at Ann Arbor a few years ago

 

[mrslate]

RU coaches had no answers for MU defense today. One assist is beyond belief. Still, Rutgers had a chance to win if Corey could have made a few more shots. So it goes with this team.

 

[BoxStater]

RU coaches had no answers for MU defense today. One assist is beyond belief. Still, Rutgers had a chance to win if Corey could have made a few more shots. So it goes with this team.

Or if Corey had made a few more passes

 

[LotusAggressor]

RU coaches had no answers for MU defense today. One assist is beyond belief. Still, Rutgers had a chance to win if Corey could have made a few more shots. So it goes with this team.

There aren't any answers when you have a roster full of offensively challenged players. If you can't shoot, you are easy to defend.

 

[RUJMM78]

You can't run any semblance of a half court offense if you can't shoot. If you can't consistently score in transition either, that's a recipe for offensive futility.

Equally important is the woeful history of Rutgers record on league road games .

 

[RUChoppin]

Freeman really didn't seem too interested in playing help defense today. On a few plays, he could have stood his ground and taken a charge but instead played ole defense, and on several others he wasn't in position to help on drives past perimeter defenders. Anyone know what Carter looks like on the defensive end for next year?

Michigan really extended our their defense and harassed the perimeter players - which should have left opportunities for interior players to work, but the passes didn't seem to be there. Made it hard to swing the ball around the perimeter and find open shooters - and Sanders struggled to finish and keep them honest when he did make it to the rim.

Sanders/Baker went 0 assists to 6 turnovers today, which isn't going to get us very far. Compare to Iowa, where they went 13 assists to 5 turnovers.

Let's see how they turn it around for Nebraska on Wednesday.

 

[RU-ROCS]

True but as Pike said post-game too much one-on-one with just 1 assist. Corey-Geo were 7-20 with no 3s. They should’ve looked to create more open shots for Thiam who was 2-3 from 3 and made both of them contested

True. But, we are always so well coach, so I was surprised that we struggled so mightily with Michigan’s defense switching on screens and double teaming out guards at the top of the key. Disrupted our offense the entire game.

 

[mikefla]

Freeman had a double double 11pts/11rebs + our ONLY asst
Corey 12 pts 4 REBs 1 steal
OMOR 8pts 4 REBS 1 steal
Baker 8pts ZERO REBS, ZERO assts, ZERO steals, ZERO blocks,
Thiam 6pts, 5 rebs, 1 block 1 steal
Bullock 2 pts 3 rebs

Sa, Doucour, Doorson, Dadika, Mensah
a combined ZERO for 2, ZERO blocks, 4 rebs, 1 steal 6 TURNOVERS

and still we kept it close mostly
Its a process....& I didnt expect it to go much better

Next,,,,,,

 

[higgins3]

I thought Pikiell could have put Thiam on Robertson instead of Freeman. Freeman got smoked by Robertson the majority of the game. Thiam or Mensah.

 

[blockm2]

Michigan’s model works. They recruit all players including bigs who can shoot the three and play relentless defense.

To be fair, this is really the first season Beilein has had a really good defense. His KenPom D ranks by year going back...19, 69, 92, 100, 89, 37, 56, etc. He usually wins by being elite on offense and betting that other teams can't keep up even against a porous defense. KenPom O ranks going back...51, 4, 30, 67, 3, 1, 19, 39, etc.

This season is both the best defense he's had in his career as well as one of the worst offenses.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

Or if Corey had made a few more passes

yeah.. step back for Corey Sanders. The D converged on him as soon as he put ball to wood... I figured that maybe.. after halftime.. he would have come out with a plan to take advantage of that and penetrate (or fake that) and dish.

Of course.. who is he going to dish to? I'd love to see Sanders and Baker sync up better.

Freeman plays hard.. but does the same thing.. tunnel vision as soon as he touches the ball. Well.. that's not quite right.. sometimes he touches the ball and shows no sign of making any offensive move.. he is just going to be passive and move the ball onto someone else.. but as soon as he has an issue with that.. and looks to make a move.. it is over.. there will be no pass.

 

[RUsince52]

You also have to commend Michigan’s defense for some of that as well. There are some outstanding defensive teams in our league. Rutgers does a great job for what we have. Other teams overcome because they have more shooters.

It's not all defense when you go 8 minutes without a basket. Bad passes, bad misses on half decent shots and bad fouls. Give Michigan credit for sure, but we helped them out. 3 empty trips in a row should be a max, than its time to set up a play of some sort to maybe stop the bleeding. We're just so bad on the inside plays with shooting, it's not really an option.

 

[bowlgoal]

You also have to commend Michigan’s defense for some of that as well. There are some outstanding defensive teams in our league. Rutgers does a great job for what we have. Other teams overcome because they have more shooters.

It's not all defense when you go 8 minutes without a basket. Bad passes, bad misses on half decent shots and bad fouls. Give Michigan credit for sure, but we helped them out. 3 empty trips in a row should be a max, than its time to set up a play of some sort to maybe stop the bleeding. We're just so bad on the inside plays with shooting, it's not really an option.

Well, we missed very few open shots. There’s not enough guys who can do what Corey and Geo can do so when we go into our offense, you know who’s simply getting the ball to pass. The shot clock goes down to 9 seconds and it’s Corey against 5 players.

 

[RUJMM78]

Baker had a weak game today, which is expected as he is still a freshman and will be up and down

The level of competition has a lot to do with Baker's up and down performances.The problem is Baker playing 30 minutes because the bench is so weak offensively.

 

[jonS]

The difference is this game was the Michigan defense. They made it very difficult for Geo and Corey to get any separation from their defenders who were on them like glue. It also made it hard for them to make plays with other players , a big reason they only had one assist.

 

[RU848789]

Good summary, bac. Hard to win with 1 assist, 1 3-pointer, and stretches of 9 and 5 minutes without a basket. But it was the refs, lol.

 

[G- RUnit]

Good summary, bac. Hard to win with 1 assist, 1 3-pointer, and stretches of 9 and 5 minutes without a basket. But it was the refs, lol.

And yet reality is that until Corey got his 4th we were right in the game. Don’t let facts get in the way of a false narrative. Refs a factor even though don’t want to admit it. Lol.

 

[RU848789]

And yet reality is that until Corey got his 4th we were right in the game. Don’t let facts get in the way of a false narrative. Refs a factor even though don’t want to admit it. Lol.

Sorry, fouls were even at that point - they were not why we lost (although the 4th foul on Corey was a horrible call, but that happens both ways).

 

[RUChoppin]

Sorry, fouls were even at that point - they were not why we lost (although the 4th foul on Corey was a horrible call, but that happens both ways).

Bad officiating is more than just foul discrepancy. Just sayin'

 

[goru7]

Honestly, this game went pretty much as I expected. Lower scoring defensive affair where RU would play competitive for most of the game and struggle offensively. The Iowa game should not have given false hope that the offense was turning around. Iowa is a terrible defensive team. Michigan is a defensive minded team that is well coached by a coaching wizard. For RU to win the game they would have to knock down low percentage shots and limit the turnovers big time in the first half. I like the effort today. The defense was there but Michigan also played great D and the RU offensive woes are well documented. Most of RU's shot are very low percentage plus RU took many shots around the rim that they simply could not finish. Not going to beat a NCAA team at home like that. So not surprised or disappointed or down today. Michigan is simply better and they have more experience. Where RU puts pressure on younger guys to do a little more than they are capable of right now. Sure we would like to get more out of Thiam today but we didnt. Geo struggled like freshmen who have to play alot of minutes can. Eugene was quite solid today, 2nd game in a row. Corey just didnt have his best game and effort and Freeman just is so limited...This is a game where not having Mike hurts more than usual because Pike was forced to play Souf, Matt and Jake and you cannot beat a Beilien team with them seeing minutes.

16-1 in assists is the key stat here....Michigan won the game in transition because RU simply could not convert enough on the offense end. RU played Michigan very good in the half court set but too many breakaways in that first half. Michigan just had more and there is nothing wrong with that. So now RU comes back home for a winnable game against a very solid and surprising Nebraska. They play at OSU Monday so its going to be interesting to see how they perform there and then have to fly east for a game in just 48 hours. They are not the same team on the road as they are at home but this isnt last years Nebraska. They have some solid offensive weapons and do also play defense. RU certainly will have to step and make shots but more importantly they need to give that full effort on defense and limit those lapses to keep themselves in position...so instead of being down 10-12 like they were today in crunch time, they maybe are only down a possession or two. Its a winnable game and a litmus test to see where both Nebraska and Rutgers fit in in the Big 10

Really disappointing game and effort today. That Michigan was ripe to be beat and we didn’t try hard enough, play smart enough or coach well enough. How many defensive rebounds hit the damn floor before one of our guys gathered it in? Were our guards told not to try to rebound today? How many 50/50 balls did they come up with. Our guards Corey and Geo looked like they were stuck in mud. Michigan was the team playing its 4th game in 8 days but they had more energy than us . Pike also has to take a little hit here with his offensive game plan. Michigan was playing high denying the wings and their bigs hedged really high. Ball screens should have been eliminated ( since half of them get called as moving screens), and the court should have been totally spaced with Corey and Geo breaking down their man and then dishing like we did the other night against Iowa. Michigan has a pulse on defense unlike Iowa but we played right into their hands. When Coach saw we had no assists, he should have dumped the balldown low to either Deshawn or Eugene and let them pass out and play inside out. No ball movement, no cutting, no crashing the boards when a shot went up was just ridiculous. Corey was getting frustrated and Issa disappeared and our bigs, Duke, Sa, and Shaquille were almost non existent. Deshawn came to play and we should have ridden him more and Eugene as well. Just a really terrible offensive effort and not just because some shots did not go down but we didn’t give ourselves a chance to get better shots.

Few additional thoughts including the refs. They called some tricky tack and some phantom fouls and at least 3 times when we cut the lead to 6 or 8 with the ball called some bad moving screen call, or some other phantom call. It was expected on the road in the Big 10 but our intensity on defense was definitely affected which did impact the game.

Bullock has some offensive game and Michigan did not have the bulk to play him down low but we hardly ever went there except early on a one on one move. The regular offense should have swung the ball around to get him the ball on the block. We didn’t even try. We cannot continue to get almost zero out of our center position. A goose egg is unacceptable at this point of the year. Coach has to at least attempt to get our bigs on the block and attempt a few shots per game. Finally, Duke should not start another game this year. His 2 fouls in a few minutes have become the rule rather than the exception and he should sit for the first 5 and watch how the other guys , Sa or Shaquille play their bigs , and maybe he will stop fouling quickly . We need his offense and his fouls are destroying his offensive game.