Game 25: Purdue Thoughts

[bac2therac]

I dreaded this game. Coming off a rock bottom performance vs Illinois, in which no recap was needed, this one had sure loss written all over it, the only thing up in the air was what the final score would be. No Eugene, No Mike, a team struggling to score over 60 points a game...this team looked ready to pack it in along with the fanbase. It was not a win and I never quite got a sense at any point that RU would win this one and I will not take a moral victory but this was one that showed the players and coaching staff still have the guts, the heart, the courage and most noticably the Rutgers pride and sometimes that counts just as much for fans who have had to deal with more futility than even mediocrity in nearing 3 decades. Its the kind of performance and effort that epitomizes the rollercoaster adventure we have been on this season..... Several strong near misses against top 20 schools, a big win over a rival yet contrasted with 2 awful losses to Stoneyhartford and some less than sharp efforts vs beatable conference foes. So much unpredictableness from game to game but so much resiliency....and thats a key. RU needs more talent clearly. We have a great coach who instills great values on the team. He has a knack for getting them to bounce back. There are pieces here but we simply need more. This game could have been won if we have them and we just are not there yet. Games like this make it easier to swallow the words patience and process. Sometimes we need that as fans.

As said hats off to Pike for his game prep and in game adjustments. Purdue looked awesome in the first 12-13 minutes and it looked like they would win by 40. I think they got up by 15 and even though RU wasnt particularly bad, you got a sense they were just going to be overwhelmed. A funny thing happened though, tough for a team as good as Purdue to keep their attention span and level up for the whole game and they blinked in the last five minutes of that 2nd half and that was a big mistake. RU I think got it to single digits before going down by 11 but you could tell RU finally stepped up and was now competing. Purdue cracked that window and took advantage. It was too late for Purdue, it was costly as in the 2nd half, RU came out with a bounce in their step and an eye of tiger in their defense. It wasnt because Purdue was playing down, it was because RU was playing up. RU outplayed Purdue in the 2nd half and Purdue had to fight to hold onto this win. RU flummoxed Purdue on defense. Rebounding was amazing...RU outboarded the Boilers 37-25 and 15-7 on the offensive board. RU bothered the Purdue offense, get the feeling that Purdue is not comfortable playing teams that play defense, they seemed taken a back. RU completely neutralized Haase. Great defense also led to some key transition opportunities that gave RU some easy points which buoyed the comeback effort. Offensively RU shot 48% and seemed to click even when they missed with putbacks as they chipped away at the lead.

But while everyone contributed today, this would not be possible at all without Corey taking this team on his back. He has done this before. I would put this game as a top 3 of all time Corey games. He has taken a lot of heat from the fans including me who have called him out on his inconsistency. Corey proved today he is not ready to pack it in just yet. 31 points on 13-27 shooting in 39 minutes with 7 boards. Sanders was the key catalyst in the RU 2nd half to get within striking distance. What was great about Corey tonight was his bravery and his decision making. Corey knew exactly what had to be done for RU to win. Sure every shot didnt go down late but make no mistake RU wanted the ball in Corey's hands as the minutes ticked down. Geo Baker grew years today with his game...38 minutes, 16 points, this against a legit national title contender. Kid is only a freshmen and he is holding his own against top flight competition. We got in control Desean tonight..cut back on his forcing of shots. 14 points, 9 boards while playing within his abilities and showing up strong on D. Everyone else contributed even though they didnt put up big numbers. Its the contribution of minutes from the Walkons or the toughness from Bullock who had 6 boards or Doorson who got some huge putbacks to go along with his 5 boards.

Let's not get carried away. Games like this happen and do not necessarily mean anything for the next game. Each game effort is hard to replicate. Its clear if RU brings energy it puts them in position in any game especially at the RAC, doesnt mean they are going to win but it gives them a shot. Indiana is an up and down team that RU can beat but if RU blinks on defense and cannot get the adrenaline running on offense they are not going to win. Ditto for upcoming home games with Northwestern and Illinois. The reality is this team is down 2 key players and even with them the talent level is less than every school in this league. I think with a team so beset by injuries all we can ask right now is for the team to bring that energy and effort and if they do take can steal a win or two more. Important day today to keep us all on board in what looks like a tough finish to the year.

 

[bac2therac]

Despite the close game...Purdue is legit. I have a feeling the tape of this game is going to be used by Purdue opponents on how to slow them down. Was it Purdue's best effort? No...but that does not take away from what RU did...RU outplayed them for most of the 2nd half and alot of that had to do with us being that good than them being bad. First half showed how quickly and easily Purdue can smother you and get a big lead. Purdue will have trouble against teams that stress defense first and the thing is there are not many in the NCAA that do anymore. All comes down to matchups I think with them if they can win national championship.

 

[RUJMM78]

In such a close game missed opportunities always come to mind especially against a top ranked league rival.Purdue won the game at the foul line along with four players in double digits.They were able to keep the lead even after the tie which played in their favor with all the foul shots they made down the stretch.Sanders was stellar with 31 points mostly with dribble drives to the basket and pull up jump shots.Baker and Freeman were a good supporting cast with double digit scoring and Bullock also was effective with six points.The lack of scoring from Thiam and the center position were key factors as the game progressed .

The coaching staff and the players clearly were reenergized after recent disappointing performances and effort was there even when the team wasn't scoring in the first half.The crowd was high energy competing with a Purdue fan base located in many sections of the RAC.All you can ask right now with a depleted squad is for effort and hopefully the team over achieving and catching a opponent by surprise.How the team performs Monday against Indiana will give some indication if the performance against Purdue has traction in future league games.

 

[BIGRUBIGDBIGredmachine]

Hope Corey has a full tank of gas Monday night.

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

Lol.....This OP is the same guy who said during the game that Purdue could chose how many points it wanted to win by....all it had to do was remain focused....funny stuff.

 

[mrslate]

I think that was the best Rutgers has played this season, and maybe in many seasons. Had Thiam given them anything, RU wins the game and shocks the world.

 

[RocktheRac]

Lol.....This OP is the same guy who said during the game that Purdue could chose how many points it wanted to win by....all it had to do was remain focused....funny stuff.

Alrighty then.......I guess they didn't remain focused

 

[RUDead]

Lol.....This OP is the same guy who said during the game that Purdue could chose how many points it wanted to win by....all it had to do was remain focused....funny stuff.

Ha! They should delete those game threads right after game. People lose their minds on those things.

 

[G- RUnit]

I know BAC doesn't want to hear it but once again RU got the short end of the stick on fouls. Purdue won this game because they had 29 foul shot attempts and made an amazing 25! Loved that Pike was finally challenging refs for awful calls during the game. We played so well. Kept coming back from ten point deficits. Really a credit to coaching. Also an All American like performance by Corey.

On an a March Madness level I am fascinated by Purdue. Like them much better than MSU. Yet I think a team with good guards like Nova or Rhode could beat them. Their guards are comically short. On the other hand, they have great shooters and perhaps the best visiting foul shooting team ever at the RAC? I would not want to play them. Then again I wonder about their coaching. I am coaching that team, Haas gets a pass every possession. I know we played excellent D but stunned they stopped even going to him. Gio is going to be great. Bullock could be a cult hero. Hope a light bulb goes off in his head and he gets in better shape. He really could be a tough guy we could use.

 

[RUChoppin]

I know BAC doesn't want to hear it but once again RU got the short end of the stick on fouls. Purdue won this game because they had 29 foul shot attempts and made an amazing 25! Loved that Pike was finally challenging refs for awful calls during the game. We played so well. Kept coming back from ten point deficits. Really a credit to coaching. Also an All American like performance by Corey.

On an a March Madness level I am fascinated by Purdue. Like them much better than MSU. Yet I think a team with good guards like Nova or Rhode could beat them. Their guards are comically short. On the other hand, they have great shooters and perhaps the best visiting foul shooting team ever at the RAC? I would not want to play them. Then again I wonder about their coaching. I am coaching that team, Haas gets a pass every possession. I know we played excellent D but stunned they stopped even going to him. Gio is going to be great. Bullock could be a cult hero. Hope a light bulb goes off in his head and he gets in better shape. He really could be a tough guy we could use.

What? Officiating in this game was perfect, had no need for any acknowledgement, and in no way impacted the game!

:Rolleyes:

 

[RUinOhio]

What? Officiating in this game was perfect, had no need for any acknowledgement, and in no way impacted the game!

:Rolleyes:

I almost thoguht you were serious lol....in all seriousness the second half was much better. almost like RU earned respect with their play in the first half.

 

[FIJI'83]

I dreaded this game. Coming off a rock bottom performance vs Illinois, in which no recap was needed, this one had sure loss written all over it, the only thing up in the air was what the final score would be. No Eugene, No Mike, a team struggling to score over 60 points a game...this team looked ready to pack it in along with the fanbase. It was not a win and I never quite got a sense at any point that RU would win this one and I will not take a moral victory but this was one that showed the players and coaching staff still have the guts, the heart, the courage and most noticably the Rutgers pride and sometimes that counts just as much for fans who have had to deal with more futility than even mediocrity in nearing 3 decades. Its the kind of performance and effort that epitomizes the rollercoaster adventure we have been on this season..... Several strong near misses against top 20 schools, a big win over a rival yet contrasted with 2 awful losses to Stoneyhartford and some less than sharp efforts vs beatable conference foes. So much unpredictableness from game to game but so much resiliency....and thats a key. RU needs more talent clearly. We have a great coach who instills great values on the team. He has a knack for getting them to bounce back. There are pieces here but we simply need more. This game could have been won if we have them and we just are not there yet. Games like this make it easier to swallow the words patience and process. Sometimes we need that as fans.

As said hats off to Pike for his game prep and in game adjustments. Purdue looked awesome in the first 12-13 minutes and it looked like they would win by 40. I think they got up by 15 and even though RU wasnt particularly bad, you got a sense they were just going to be overwhelmed. A funny thing happened though, tough for a team as good as Purdue to keep their attention span and level up for the whole game and they blinked in the last five minutes of that 2nd half and that was a big mistake. RU I think got it to single digits before going down by 11 but you could tell RU finally stepped up and was now competing. Purdue cracked that window and took advantage. It was too late for Purdue, it was costly as in the 2nd half, RU came out with a bounce in their step and an eye of tiger in their defense. It wasnt because Purdue was playing down, it was because RU was playing up. RU outplayed Purdue in the 2nd half and Purdue had to fight to hold onto this win. RU flummoxed Purdue on defense. Rebounding was amazing...RU outboarded the Boilers 37-25 and 15-7 on the offensive board. RU bothered the Purdue offense, get the feeling that Purdue is not comfortable playing teams that play defense, they seemed taken a back. RU completely neutralized Haase. Great defense also led to some key transition opportunities that gave RU some easy points which buoyed the comeback effort. Offensively RU shot 48% and seemed to click even when they missed with putbacks as they chipped away at the lead.

But while everyone contributed today, this would not be possible at all without Corey taking this team on his back. He has done this before. I would put this game as a top 3 of all time Corey games. He has taken a lot of heat from the fans including me who have called him out on his inconsistency. Corey proved today he is not ready to pack it in just yet. 31 points on 13-27 shooting in 39 minutes with 7 boards. Sanders was the key catalyst in the RU 2nd half to get within striking distance. What was great about Corey tonight was his bravery and his decision making. Corey knew exactly what had to be done for RU to win. Sure every shot didnt go down late but make no mistake RU wanted the ball in Corey's hands as the minutes ticked down. Geo Baker grew years today with his game...38 minutes, 16 points, this against a legit national title contender. Kid is only a freshmen and he is holding his own against top flight competition. We got in control Desean tonight..cut back on his forcing of shots. 14 points, 9 boards while playing within his abilities and showing up strong on D. Everyone else contributed even though they didnt put up big numbers. Its the contribution of minutes from the Walkons or the toughness from Bullock who had 6 boards or Doorson who got some huge putbacks to go along with his 5 boards.

Let's not get carried away. Games like this happen and do not necessarily mean anything for the next game. Each game effort is hard to replicate. Its clear if RU brings energy it puts them in position in any game especially at the RAC, doesnt mean they are going to win but it gives them a shot. Indiana is an up and down team that RU can beat but if RU blinks on defense and cannot get the adrenaline running on offense they are not going to win. Ditto for upcoming home games with Northwestern and Illinois. The reality is this team is down 2 key players and even with them the talent level is less than every school in this league. I think with a team so beset by injuries all we can ask right now is for the team to bring that energy and effort and if they do take can steal a win or two more. Important day today to keep us all on board in what looks like a tough finish to the year.

Cannot say enough about the effort Doorson put in clamping down on Haase. I have watched him dominate teams inside. But with little contribution from its Bigs, Purdue’s guards made up the difference. IMHO, the most effective unit to put on the floor is comprised of the following: Sanders, Baker, Doorson, Freeman, and Bullock.

 

[RU-ROCS]

Cannot say enough about the effort Doorson put in clamping down on Haase. I have watched him dominate teams inside. But with little contribution from its Bigs, Purdue’s guards made up the difference. IMHO, the most effective unit to put on the floor is comprised of the following: Sanders, Baker, Doorson, Freeman, and Bullock.

I also loved Doorson’s effort tonight. But his best games depend on matchups. When there is another 7 footer playing against RU I could see him getting the start. But, he does struggle to guard smaller big men.

 

[whofrewdatmataRU13]

I was thinking it after our lost to Illinois and I am thinking it even more now.

We win at least 2 games at MSG in late February.

 

[RUonBrain]

At end of the 1st half, that obvious travel should have been called.

We foul them and they score 2 points with < 2 seconds to go.

We wind up losing by 2.

Coincidence?

 

[blockm2]

Despite the close game...Purdue is legit. I have a feeling the tape of this game is going to be used by Purdue opponents on how to slow them down. Was it Purdue's best effort? No...but that does not take away from what RU did...RU outplayed them for most of the 2nd half and alot of that had to do with us being that good than them being bad. First half showed how quickly and easily Purdue can smother you and get a big lead. Purdue will have trouble against teams that stress defense first and the thing is there are not many in the NCAA that do anymore. All comes down to matchups I think with them if they can win national championship.

Purdue scored 1.2 PPP which they have only topped 4 times in conference play this season. That is despite one of their worst outside shooting games of the season.

 

[78CollegeAve]

Sanders is still such a tease coming to the end of his third year. So which point guard do you want to build your program around — a point with B+ talent who plays at a consistent B+ level every game or an A talent who plays to his A level about 25% of the time?

 

[NewJerseyHawk]

Sanders is still such a tease coming to the end of his third year. So which point guard do you want to build your program around — a point with B+ talent who plays at a consistent B+ level every game or an A talent who plays to his A level about 25% of the time?

This covers where the talent is in the program.....You can get a A+ game out of Sanders and an A+ game out of a freshman guard like Baker and if you don't have enough pieces that are at a similar talent level that play their B games, you are in a lot of games like this.

Freeman's leak outs and his save/steal/dunk along the sidelines were hidden points RU rarely gets....if you count around 6-8 possessions a game that aren't turnovers, but where the ball lands with players that just cannot generate points, those possessions wind up costing you points.

I think or know that it's hard for fans to fathom because everyone looks at what RU could have done differently....but if you add Mathis, Kiss, Carter and Harper to this current mix of Sanders, Baker, Thiam and hopefully Eugene back and healthy next year, some of those possessions where the ball landed with a Mensah or Bullock or you have other options to go to.

To not overstate how having a capable or willing player that is able to try and score, Bullock actually generated some points or offense, just by being a threat, vs Mensah/Dadika that are just not looking or able to score.....I can't imagine the team being in a position to score less often on those possessions where Baker and Sanders aren't your shooters.

Having Mathis and Paul Mulcahy behind the RU bench is a great sign for next year, where I don't think Mathis will be asked to carry the entire workload.....if you add a Mulcahy the year after that, it becomes adding a capable scorer, but a willing passer that makes the simple play and can make the excellent pass to help teammates score......assists go up, others get involved without having to generate offense after Sanders or Baker are bottled up.

The last and most important thing about yesterday's game is that Purdue built a lead and they stayed into the game and kept the crowd energized....the team is regaining an identity that they will be tough at home, which helps the rebuild effort next year and beyond.

 

[blockm2]

Sanders is still such a tease coming to the end of his third year. So which point guard do you want to build your program around — a point with B+ talent who plays at a consistent B+ level every game or an A talent who plays to his A level about 25% of the time?

While Sanders handles the ball, he doesn't exactly play like a PG. He ranks 4th in the Big Ten in percentage of shots he attempts while on the floor (31.4%) after ranking 1st and 2nd the past 2 years. Now some of that is chicken or the egg type thing is he shooting because no one else can or is he shooting because that's how he plays the game? Unfortunately his 2 pt shooting and 3 pt shooting has gotten worse since his freshman season despite a similar number of attempts. His assist rate has similar declined since his freshman season (35.5% ranked #3 in conference as a frosh, 24.1% ranks #11 in conference this year).

He has the skill set to be more of a traditional PG, but it's hard to tell if he has the mindset or if he can't help but play like Kobe Bryant going full on chucker.

 

[mikefla]

IMHO, the most effective unit to put on the floor is comprised of the following: Sanders, Baker, Doorson, Freeman, and Bullock.

I agree 100%

What I dont understand is Doucoure. 7ft tall starter. Unbelieveable shape.
Yes he plays decent D
But he cant even manage to sink ONE bucket a game. And get THREE REBs
Boggles the mind.

 

[RUChoppin]

Purdue scored 1.2 PPP which they have only topped 4 times in conference play this season. That is despite one of their worst outside shooting games of the season.

1.2 points per play.... but a lot of that was from the line. It was the most points from the line (25) that Purdue has had all season. It was the third most attempts (29).

Only 6 schools this year have held Purdue to a lower 3P% (.333), and we held them to just under their season average FG% (.491 vs. 502).

A lot of that was due to our needing to stop the clock at the end of the game, as we held them to 66 points with 1:22 to go (vs. their season average 84.0). But they scored on 12/14 FT shooting in that final stretch (1.7 PPP), which bumped up their PPP numbers quite a bit.

 

[RUChoppin]

I agree 100%

What I dont understand is Doucoure. 7ft tall starter. Unbelieveable shape.
Yes he plays decent D
But he cant even manage to sink ONE bucket a game. And get THREE REBs
Boggles the mind.

You keep saying this, but it doesn't make it true. He's 6-9, dude.

Don't understand why he only played 14 min with just 1 PF, though - seemed like he was doing good work against Haas early in the game, and then he never came back in.

 

[RUJMM78]

I agree 100%

What I dont understand is Doucoure. 7ft tall starter. Unbelieveable shape.
Yes he plays decent D
But he cant even manage to sink ONE bucket a game. And get THREE REBs
Boggles the mind.

Doucoure isn't 7 ft. tall and no longer even handles opening game jump balls for Rutgers.He has nice form on the jump shot from the top of the key but rarely gets open to shoot.With another year of strength and conditioning and work on improving offensive moves around the basket Doucoure could show improvement next season.

 

[rufeelinit]

At this point its just very hard to figure where these performances come from after the Illini debacle. I give them credit for the tremendous effort particularly in the second half but I don't think this game assures much of anything going forward. Perhaps the only take away is when Corey is on then we have a chance to compete. He worked extremely hard and seemed to have the ball in his possession an inordinate amount of the time. For most teams, when you only need to take one or two people away on offense, its not hard to craft a defensive plan to do that.

 

[RUJMM78]

At this point its just very hard to figure where these performances come from after the Illini debacle. I give them credit for the tremendous effort particularly in the second half but I don't think this game assures much of anything going forward. Perhaps the only take away is when Corey is on then we have a chance to compete. He worked extremely hard and seemed to have the ball in his possession an inordinate amount of the time. For most teams, when you only need to take one or two people away on offense, its not hard to craft a defensive plan to do that.

With the depleted squad Sanders,Baker and Freeman must score at least 45 points a game for Rutgers to have any chance for victory which means the team will score more than 60 points a game.

 

[Unionst]

I agree 100%

What I dont understand is Doucoure. 7ft tall starter. Unbelieveable shape.
Yes he plays decent D
But he cant even manage to sink ONE bucket a game. And get THREE REBs
Boggles the mind.

Doucore is nowhere near 7’. Probably 6’8” or 9. He’s also not particularly quick and can’t jump. And it does seem the refs have his number. Having said that he is strong and has a nice shot. I expect he will be pretty good in years to come.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

I think that was the best Rutgers has played this season, and maybe in many seasons. Had Thiam given them anything, RU wins the game and shocks the world.

Thiam, took himself out of the game with a couple stupid fouls against that small Purdue guard (#11 or #3, forget which) who had those long, fast moves to the hoop.. there was no way that guard could get UP travelling that fast.. all Thiam needed to do was get a hand up near the basket.. easy block... but he took it farther and reached over and got contact.

Great heart by the team. Freeman was energized.. I kinda wonder if he has been under the weather in recent games.

Not sure I get the OP point of describing a moral victory but making a stand in NOT taking a moral victory. Yeah, we all know.. real victories are better than moral victories... but moral victories.. COMPETING WITH HEART.. are useful as well.

 

[RUfromSoCal?]

Still a bit steamed...but, put my complaints on other threads......

I will say... I watched the replay and it was probably the most enjoyable game to watch start-to-finish for me all year.... Sure the wins this year were great.....

but, it was really nice to see what this team does when both the rebounding and the shooting is working....... exciting and fun to watch!!

 

[RUBand]

Despite the close game...Purdue is legit. I have a feeling the tape of this game is going to be used by Purdue opponents on how to slow them down. Was it Purdue's best effort? No...but that does not take away from what RU did...RU outplayed them for most of the 2nd half and alot of that had to do with us being that good than them being bad. First half showed how quickly and easily Purdue can smother you and get a big lead. Purdue will have trouble against teams that stress defense first and the thing is there are not many in the NCAA that do anymore. All comes down to matchups I think with them if they can win national championship.

I think Purdue will have their hands full in the tournament if they have to play an athletic team.

 

[RC85]

I think Purdue will have their hands full in the tournament if they have to play an athletic team.

Agree ,their guards were no match for Corey's athleticism and Purdue's two 7 footers aren't going to dominate too far into the NCAA tourney.

 

[G- RUnit]

I go back and forth. Think their guards are their weak link. Do believe athletic team will give them trouble. On the other hand team full of seniors, great shooters and foul shooting amazing. No dominant teams.

 

[BillyC80]

It looked like Corey was using Haas as a pick, in a way. By going right at their big man, Corey caused other defenders to drop off him slightly. Then he would sky over top with a high banker, or could duck underneath as needed. It was beautiful to watch.

 

[TDIrish27]

Agreed on Purdue-----very good team but they aren't quick .

Long , physical and they can shoot but certain teams would be a matchup problem for them