GAME 26 NEBRASKA: Troubled Heart

[bac2therac]

Just as some feared. RU had played solid losing by just 6 at Indiana and then leading at Illinois for 25 minutes. Would getting home by a tonic or was the bottom not reached yet. It would be nice to take the Indiana level of play and bring it to the RAC and we win going away. That's not how things work. Teams losing confidence like RU experienced in the Illinois game cannot just flip the switch back on. I expected somewhat of a struggle today but more of an ugly defensive kind of game where RU grinds it out with defense and stops. I was totally unexpected to get blitzed by the 12th place team in league. It was a 10 point loss by that was a Valentine's Day Massacre. What we knew, what we trusted in, what we experienced, what we cheered on all year....that was destroyed tonight. The vaunted Rutgers elite defense talked up ad nauseum. Defensive player of the year, shot blocker at the rim, physical bully at the point.......where have you gone. Nebraska knew their task. Coach Hoiberg had his team execute a perfect game plan. They went for RU's rib cage, tore it open and the ripped their heart out and tossed it over their shoulder like it was nothing.

Mawot Mag was the teeth of the defense. His loss is immeasurable but does not mean the end of the world. Pike and his team had been hanging in there trying to find answers to hide an open wound. They still had heart didn't they? Well Nebraska took it from them. They taunted the vaunted RAC with whispers and gestures. They walked right onto our home court and emasculated RU. Sure the loss was only 10 and RU kept it under that for most of the 2nd half, it might as well been 30. RU was never coming back in this game. Everyone knew it after they made their only run in the first 3 minutes cutting it to 1, oh sure they got it to 5 or 6 a times but the game was lost early. Again credit the Nebraska coaching staff. They won this game. They knew RU was weak. RU played right into their hands. RU had plenty of offense tonight. RU scored 72. You do not need to score more than that to beat Nebraska. I do not know what the Pikiell plan was in this game but it was absolutely piss poor and that he adjusted to absolutely nothing. But again adjustments would likely be too late. Nebraska has been awfull all year long on the road besides Minnesota, usally losing these games 72-56. You beat Nebraska by beating them early and making them look silly on the offensive end and then take it to them on the defensive. end. Inexplicably the dumb press, just the wrong kind of move, may have got a turnover or two early but nothing after that. All that energy expended just so Nebraska could take an open 3 or then absolutely dribble right into the pain uncontested for bunny after bunny. When you play Eddie Jordan defense the entire first half, you lost the game. RU was scoring too but RU will never win by having to score 75-80 points. The dye was cast. RUs rallies if you call them that were feeble and petite. Some of the worst play I have seen individual by a few players, i will not even name them by names or go into the fact that at least 3 if not 4 players are recruiting misses...yes recruiting matters..alas thats another thread

Do not blame the crowd either as i saw some yahoos doing. RU fans are smart. They were more than willing to cheer this team on during the right moments. RU had nothing. That is the shocking thing. They were empty all night. The most stunning thing is that NO ONE on this team, not ONE PLAYER or staff was willing to even put a hard foul or body on Nebraska on one of those layups in the 2nd half. If this wasnt a petite performance I do not know what was. So disappointing when your heart is ripped out, you hope you hope that there is some soul to save you and that was not happening. The lack of leadership plus a bunch of jawing all but confirmed this team is a mess right now.

Like I said in other recaps, no one cares if you lose a player. Many schools go through injuries. The season goes on. You either get together and figure things out or you cry and feel sorry for themselves. Stunningly RU pulled the latter. There are still 5 games left, not sure if that is a good thing or bad. Nebraska was the easiest on paper game of the 6 and Rutgers lost...at home. RU still has 5 wins vs teams in the field including a feather in their cap win at Purdue. No one can take that away from them. Those wins last. Unfortunately sullying up the resumes with bad losses like tonight can change things in a hurry. RU probably in the 8 seed line after tonight, if you want to hold on to good news. Reality is that this team appears to be spiraling without their teeth, without heart and apparently without soul Last game I said RU had reached a crossroads. Each game provides an opportunity. Wisconsin is up next. A team coming off a big win tonight to keep their own NCAA path on target yet a team that might be a much better matchup. March Madness does not have to end in March Sadness. This is big boy basketball, time to pick yourself off the floor, man up and decide what you want.

 

[cm_13]

Sticking with the press was mind boggling.

Nebraska did the same thing to break it every time. Inbound to the corner, get rid of it quickly and pass to the middle of the floor, then find someone streaking down the sideline.

They broke our press and beat us down the floor over and over and over again and we just kept doing it. Baffling.

 

[bac2therac]

Sticking with the press was mind boggling.

Nebraska did the same thing to break it every time. Inbound to the corner, get rid of it quickly and pass to the middle of the floor, then find someone streaking down the sideline.

They broke our press and beat us down the floor over and over and over again and we just kept doing it. Baffling.

I get the theory to get our offense going. It worked at first but you got to get stops. We gave Nebraska a comfort zone. Thats the only way they can beat us. This team struggles when they have to play from behind yet we didnt straight up try and defend them. I am at a total loss to what game film Pike prepared for because Hoiberg really did a number on him tonight in many ways.

 

[BROTHERSKINNY]

They mailed it in tonight.

 

[whofrewdatmataRU13]

Seems like teams really know the forumla. Double team Cliff and that will get them at least 10 turnovers a game

 

[Scangg]

This team needs to find some heart and bounce back. We need, defense, energy tenacity. Show some fight. We always tend to bounce back. It's gut check time

 

[RUBlackout]

Seems like teams really know the forumla. Double team Cliff and that will get them at least 10 turnovers a game

That’s correct. Not a good passer out of double teams and looks like he is still learning the game when it happens.

While there was very poor execution by players this loss is 100% on Pike

 

[Degaz-RU]

We took Nebraska lightly and had ZERO energy in the first half, allowing the Huskers to get comfortable, get open looks, and torch us for 40 points.

We come out in the second half with better energy and cut the lead to 1 early, but Nebraska had already figured us out by then and just stuck to their game plan.

The game was lost in the first half. That’s on Pike for not motivating the players, but it’s also on the players for coming out completely flat.

Just an abysmal performance. No way to sugar coat it.

 

[rufeelinit]

We took Nebraska lightly and had ZERO energy in the first half, allowing the Huskers to get comfortable, get open looks, and torch us for 40 points.

We come out in the second half with better energy and cut the lead to 1 early, but Nebraska had already figured us out by then and just stuck to their game plan.

The game was lost in the first half. That’s on Pike for not motivating the players, but it’s also on the players for coming out completely flat.

Just an abysmal performance. No way to sugar coat it.

I did not see much energy until about 2 minutes were left in the game and then we were running around like crazy when it was way too late. Nebraska deserves some credit for hitting the number of shots they did but that just cannot happen in our building if we want to finish in the top eight. Even after Mag got hurt I was thinking we could win in Wisconsin on Saturday but after recent events I am no longer at all confident of our ability to do that.

 

[NewJerseyHawk]

Let's agree that the press was a bad strategy, which it was. But even if it was, the effort or flat performance, the lack of fouls and easy paths to the basket is part coaching and partly a lack of effort.

If you don't have 8 to 10 front-line athletes or scorers (3 front line athletes or scorers are on the way in 2023 recruiting), then maybe you don't attempt to play that style. But, you are at home and can expect to get some deflections, some charges taken, some forced traveling violations maybe multiple 5 second counts. We got a couple but that's it.

But we are all here to understand or try to understand 3 things.

A) Opponents around the B1G, are actually getting better. It would be easy to make the RU defense the problem, but Nebraska pulled an Iowa last night (BigEastPhil gets credit for this one and it's spot on). Watching Nebraska blitz PSU and then defeat Wisconsin in Nebraska, was eye-opening, but that's not supposed to travel. But give Nebraska credit, they played loose and free and like a bottom 4 team, with nothing to lose, should play.

B) We officially have a coaching staff decision....we have a potential lineup change, but it probably shouldn't be yet, but it's looming. How do you get your starting guards to officially attack the basket and get to the FT line??

Playing basketball without aggressive players looking to score, creates turnovers. I appreciate the attempts at times even by Hyatt in the 1H, to lob a pass to Cliff, but Cliff is not getting good looks....just shoot the ball and ask Cliff to get the offensive rebound and draw a foul. A missed shot is always better than a turnover/errant pass.

C) How do we solve the Paul Mulcahy saga?? Right now, I don't see any reason to think he's either burned out, tired from too many minutes and it's impacting his defense....and his offense is still a 4 year mystery.

There is one thing I can trust on the offensive end in terms of identity or "what do I expect to see from this player??".

Aundre Hyatt appears to be as of today, the most comfortable in his offensive role. He know where his shots are coming from and is adding some small variations off the dribble.

Outside of Aundre and then Caleb stepping up and being willing to take shots (whether he should or not, is up for debate), but there's 2 out of 5 starters that are willing to take shots or generate offense.

Cliff is dependent on the entire rotation, so I have to exclude him.

That leaves 2 players...Cam and Mulcahy.

One is reliant on the other....Spencer is reliant on the guards to drive, dish and find him for shots. Which leaves Mulcahy as the 5th option.

We have an upcoming matchups tailored for Mulcahy with Wisconsin, smaller guards at Michigan, Penn State, Minnesota and Northwestern. Teams he has played well against in the past.

But this current version is not the senior leader, not taking charge, not taking ownership for his play and it's eroding.

Maybe the silly/petty attempt of a trip of Trace Jackson-Davis at the end of a very erratic game at Indiana. has thrown him off. He has now played 3 straight very uneven, ugly, and passive games. He played lights out in the 1st half at Illinois but didn't bring the shot attempts last night.

How do you solve this is anyone's guess. I can walk into the RAC and explain what to look for to a total stranger from 4 out of 5 starters on a game in and game out basis, whether it's defense, shooting the ball or taking 3 pointers.

Right now, if any RU fan is completely honest, we don't know from game to game, half to half, what to expect from Paul Mulcahy. It is the one variable that will lift this team to the place it should be, or unravel it.

Yes, Mag is out, but Mulcahy and his unwillingness to shoot or score, is happening at the same time of Mags absence. As much as I want to ask Spencer to "take over or take some more shots", it is up to the point guard to lead the roster.

I expect more from Mulcahy and it's not happening. Maybe it's Simpson time on Saturday which is what I would do. But Mulcahy has poured 4 years of sweat-equity into the RU program.....can he step up?? Right now, I don't have any idea what to expect and I would roll with the freshman Simpson and reduce Mulcahys minutes.

Onto Wisconsin, but this is truly about the staff and Pike to get Paul ironed out or sitting next to him, until he gets the message that playing time needs to be earned.

 

[Scarlet Blind]

Ken Pom down 10 to 26 in one game, T-Rank to 28. NET will drop below 30.

I thought about it during, after, and this morning. I think this is the end result of a bunch of bad practices since the Michigan St game figuring out who they are without a key cog in what they do, Mawot Mag, in the lineup for 23 games 23 starts. They have to snap out of this "whoa is me" funk they are in. I think Paul is intuitive court general knows what is happening by his play on the court but is powerless to stop it right now, Caleb is doing too much when he needs to let others step up and Caleb be Caleb, and not having a 2nd low post presence to Cliff, the team is feeling it, Hyatt's game is not low post offensively, neither is Oskar or Dean and Woolfolk can't stay on the floor long enough to impact the game without fouling. Unless there is hidden Dane Miller, Akwasi Yeboah, Mawot Mag clone hidden somewhere on the roster, they have to figure out how they can win without that glue guy on the floor. According to the "New normal", we are an 0-3 team and haven't responded well to adversity, and haven't had anything close to this happen to a Pike team since Issa Thiam in 2018-19 under different circumstances won 2 straight to get to:14-14, including win at Iowa, Thiam incident, 0-3 end to the season. We are 0-3 now, rewrite history before it's too late.

 

[BigEastPhil]

Team during pre game warmups I thought were a bit non serious / a la taking Nebraska lightly. Noticed some things that I generally don’t see

Regardless, Nebraska answered every time during the game with a basket and we never came up with stops when we needed to

Nebraska s motion offense - a la Iowa - gives us fits and we don’t defend it well.

Nebraska was very into the game and emotionally into the game as they have been playing well as of late and has a local following with Wilcher and Lawrence.

Only positive about loss is hopefully it wakes team up for them to understand that they need to bring their A game each and every night.

Include me in the “ quite worried “ club though I do think we match up well with Wisconsin and game should be tight.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Can someone please explain to me what it means when a coach "doesn't get his team ready to play"

Please provide examples of what a coach can do?

Thanks in Advance.

 

[Mr Magoo]

Just as some feared. RU had played solid losing by just 6 at Indiana and then leading at Illinois for 25 minutes. Would getting home by a tonic or was the bottom not reached yet. It would be nice to take the Indiana level of play and bring it to the RAC and we win going away. That's not how things work. Teams losing confidence like RU experienced in the Illinois game cannot just flip the switch back on. I expected somewhat of a struggle today but more of an ugly defensive kind of game where RU grinds it out with defense and stops. I was totally unexpected to get blitzed by the 12th place team in league. It was a 10 point loss by that was a Valentine's Day Massacre. What we knew, what we trusted in, what we experienced, what we cheered on all year....that was destroyed tonight. The vaunted Rutgers elite defense talked up ad nauseum. Defensive player of the year, shot blocker at the rim, physical bully at the point.......where have you gone. Nebraska knew their task. Coach Hoiberg had his team execute a perfect game plan. They went for RU's rib cage, tore it open and the ripped their heart out and tossed it over their shoulder like it was nothing.

Mawot Mag was the teeth of the defense. His loss is immeasurable but does not mean the end of the world. Pike and his team had been hanging in there trying to find answers to hide an open wound. They still had heart didn't they? Well Nebraska took it from them. They taunted the vaunted RAC with whispers and gestures. They walked right onto our home court and emasculated RU. Sure the loss was only 10 and RU kept it under that for most of the 2nd half, it might as well been 30. RU was never coming back in this game. Everyone knew it after they made their only run in the first 3 minutes cutting it to 1, oh sure they got it to 5 or 6 a times but the game was lost early. Again credit the Nebraska coaching staff. They won this game. They knew RU was weak. RU played right into their hands. RU had plenty of offense tonight. RU scored 72. You do not need to score more than that to beat Nebraska. I do not know what the Pikiell plan was in this game but it was absolutely piss poor and that he adjusted to absolutely nothing. But again adjustments would likely be too late. Nebraska has been awfull all year long on the road besides Minnesota, usally losing these games 72-56. You beat Nebraska by beating them early and making them look silly on the offensive end and then take it to them on the defensive. end. Inexplicably the dumb press, just the wrong kind of move, may have got a turnover or two early but nothing after that. All that energy expended just so Nebraska could take an open 3 or then absolutely dribble right into the pain uncontested for bunny after bunny. When you play Eddie Jordan defense the entire first half, you lost the game. RU was scoring too but RU will never win by having to score 75-80 points. The dye was cast. RUs rallies if you call them that were feeble and petite. Some of the worst play I have seen individual by a few players, i will not even name them by names or go into the fact that at least 3 if not 4 players are recruiting misses...yes recruiting matters..alas thats another thread

Do not blame the crowd either as i saw some yahoos doing. RU fans are smart. They were more than willing to cheer this team on during the right moments. RU had nothing. That is the shocking thing. They were empty all night. The most stunning thing is that NO ONE on this team, not ONE PLAYER or staff was willing to even put a hard foul or body on Nebraska on one of those layups in the 2nd half. If this wasnt a petite performance I do not know what was. So disappointing when your heart is ripped out, you hope you hope that there is some soul to save you and that was not happening. The lack of leadership plus a bunch of jawing all but confirmed this team is a mess right now.

Like I said in other recaps, no one cares if you lose a player. Many schools go through injuries. The season goes on. You either get together and figure things out or you cry and feel sorry for themselves. Stunningly RU pulled the latter. There are still 5 games left, not sure if that is a good thing or bad. Nebraska was the easiest on paper game of the 6 and Rutgers lost...at home. RU still has 5 wins vs teams in the field including a feather in their cap win at Purdue. No one can take that away from them. Those wins last. Unfortunately sullying up the resumes with bad losses like tonight can change things in a hurry. RU probably in the 8 seed line after tonight, if you want to hold on to good news. Reality is that this team appears to be spiraling without their teeth, without heart and apparently without soul Last game I said RU had reached a crossroads. Each game provides an opportunity. Wisconsin is up next. A team coming off a big win tonight to keep their own NCAA path on target yet a team that might be a much better matchup. March Madness does not have to end in March Sadness. This is big boy basketball, time to pick yourself off the floor, man up and decide what you want.

100% spot on…as usual.

 

[Rutger2001]

Can't have Paul and Cam score a combined 10 pts in 70 min and expect a win. Japanese Steph Curry outscored the duo by himself 22-10 playing less minutes than either. Caleb and Cliff did not have good games but at least put up decent stats so that's not where my main focus is. Also, Nebraska is not a bottom feeder like Minnesota. They have become competitive ever since Japanese Curry decided to grow a set. RU can sure use a player like him.

 

[bac2therac]

Can someone please explain to me what it means when a coach "doesn't get his team ready to play"

Please provide examples of what a coach can do?

Thanks in Advance.

Example last night

 

[zebnatto]

In addition to those things already mentioned (about individual players, coaching, effort) what was obvious to me from the stands was that this “lowly” Nebraska team was the more talented team.

 

[RW90]

Team during pre game warmups I thought were a bit non serious / a la taking Nebraska lightly. Noticed some things that I generally don’t see

Saw that too. Way more showboat and playground dunks from the shooting lines than usual up and down the lineup. And most missed too fwiw.

 

[RUfubar]

Pauls face pale, blank, expressionless. Appeared to be in shock by games end. Never have seen that in him before. He appears demoralized & burnt out. Surrender or resignation syndrome. Bardo suggests they go bowling or play darts or something. Maybe he's on to something

 

[FIJI'83]

This team’s psyche is in the shitter. I sit two rows from the Court and was astonished at how soft they played. Paul is an enigma (head case) who currently has no interest in trying to score in the paint at a time when the team is thirsting for scoring. He also is slow but that’s not his fault. Cam is so slow (also not his fault) that he could not take advantage of his size advantage against Tonanga and Hoiber. Caleb played with tenacity and when he can score to a modicum he is an elite player. Often he can’t. He shut down Tonanga during first half and would have continued to do so if Pike did not take him off that assignment. Cliff makes every center he plays against in the B10 appear to be the new Jabbar. I thought he played without emotion and even though he had a double double was cancelled out by the Husker center. Hyatt is the one player who has greatly improved although he continues to not attack the basket on break aways resulting in embarrassing failures. The bench is trash and not worth talking about (it was depressing to me to see Miller on the court under the 10 minute mark). As for Pike, his insistence on playing the porous press has been well documented, and he had no answers. Wonder if some players are beginning to tune him out. The coaching staffs failure to create a screening scheme to get Cam open for shots is malpractice. Overall, the team’s offensive dysfunction is sucking the life out of it, and I don’t see there being a solution. We are just to damn easy to defend against.

 

[RUJMM78]

What has changed with the defense?
1. Full court press no longer effective because loss of Mag and review by opponent of Rutgers prior games.
2;Cliff allowing opposing centers far too many easy baskets.
3.Half court defensse allowing far too many wide open 3 point shots.
4.Quick opposing guards cause Cam and Paul trouble defending.

What has changed on offense ?
1.The loss of seven points from Mag
2.Opponents limiting shots from Cliff and Cam?
3.Paul failure to take shots while playing over 30 minutes,
4.Failure to run plays to create open 3 point shots for Cam.
5.lack of bench scoring for two years.
6.Missing fast breaks layups too frequently..
7.Too many unforced turnovers.

You are what your record says you are as a team and a player.The trend sadly is downward.
.

 

[G- RUnit]

I didn’t have the heart to read this string but all is true. Great reviews by BAC and the others.

I think it starts with Paul. It’s hard to criticize when someone has 11 assists but he has to shoot and score. Period.

Cliff has to play better defense. Period.

Thought those were the two key statistical keys to the game.

Hyatt growing by leaps and bounds again. Fun to see improvement.

I thought Caleb had a nice first half. I also thought one of Simpson’s better games.

For our poor poor defense we did have some blocks.

Reading this you would think we won but I thought poorly coached game.

Pike is God but thought his worse game in years. We were so flat, played with no emotion and had no spring in our step from the start.

Substitution patterns leave odd lineups on the floor at times.

Well I understand Caleb giving Paul a break by taking the ball up the court I think once into get into the half court set you have to give Paul the reigns in the half court.

I am not sure we can continue to force feed the ball to Cliff when he has trouble anticipating the pass, catching the ball and can never pass out of the double team. He seems much better rebounding and on put backs. Just seems that we have to tweak the offense a bit from what we are doing. Not being super critical of Cliff as he did have a double double and always plays hard but still…

We know Cam has some trouble getting open. Gotta set better picks and screens. Woolfolk a big kid. Use him.

Have heard for so long how Jaden Miller is a great defensive player. All year he has made blunder after blunder. How many times has he come in as a defensive player and immediately fouled the opponent often in the act of shooting a three. Yesterday twice in the course of ten seconds, he let Nebby hit two threes. Announcer ripped him pretty good. Thought those quick 6 points killed any chance of comeback if there was one.

Oskar didn’t help matters with an air ball but I think maybe give him a little more leeway after two misses. Nobody else was scoring or even shooting.

Foul shooting was poor and that was Paul and Caleb. Hurt us and might have stemmed the tide for awhile.

So down after yesterday. Hope we can recover but that one really hurt.

GO RU. Redeem yourself at Wiscy.

 

[ru66]

What I feared could happen, just did. My opinion, for your sanity, as much as you can, try to ignore basketball for awhile and let the chips fall where they lay. Hoping for the best . The usual regurgitation of the game with all the what ifs and blame on players and coaches is not worth the extra agita and it's the typical blame game anyway. We the fans are not "we " the team -- only the team can affect future overcomes. The sick feeling of the season going down the tubes is nauseating. Want even a sicker feeling I'm trying not to think about -- worrying about even getting into NIT. I'm gonna go back to bed.

 

[dconifer]

I would eat my hat if your team didn't make it into the NCAAs...

 

[G- RUnit]

What I feared could happen, just did. My opinion, for your sanity, as much as you can, try to ignore basketball for awhile and let the chips fall where they lay. Hoping for the best . The usual regurgitation of the game with all the what ifs and blame on players and coaches is not worth the extra agita and it's the typical blame game anyway. We the fans are not "we " the team -- only the team can affect future overcomes. The sick feeling of the season going down the tubes is nauseating. Want even a sicker feeling I'm trying not to think about -- worrying about even getting into NIT. I'm gonna go back to bed.

Nonetheless, although it is true it is is not “we” the team, it’s “our” university, “our” alma mater and “our team” as well. We are all “Scarlet Knights.” Indeed, the current pitch is to for us all to join the Knighthood!! And while players and coaches will come and go, many fans and alumni are here for decades. So it is “we”!

This is a message board. It’s designed for conversation and the “usual regurgitation.” It’s what fans do. Some have the capacity to turn it on and off and go to sleep. Some like to vent and might be far healthier than keeping it all bottled up. Some can’t sleep for hours after a bad loss. Takes all kinds. I am not of the ignore all basketball school and let the chips fall where they may. Wish I could be.

 

[LeapinLou]

I really thought 5-1 was a realistic finish to the season. Now I'm nervous about being able to go 2-3 in these last 5. Basically, we have hit a snag without Mag.

The most important thing going forward is that Mulcahy, McConnel, and Omoyuri fix whatever is wrong between them and pull themselves together for this trip to Madison.

There is still time to fix this but it has to start now.

 

[Scangg]

Can someone please explain to me what it means when a coach "doesn't get his team ready to play"

Please provide examples of what a coach can do?

Thanks in Advance.

I doubt Pike was taking this game lightly. I'm sure he emphasized how Nebraska has been playing better and just beat Wisconsin. He told the team this would be a tough game

Pike didn't all of a sudden tell his team playing tough doesn't matter. Playing D doesn't matter. No intensity is fine.

Players can't show up and give that type of effort. For example, Paul is a 4th year player. He knows what he needs to do. I'll blame Paul for the way Paul is playing. We have posters saying the coaches don't tell Paul to shoot. They do. It's on Paul

Coaches can only do so much. The press wasn't working, fine. But Pike was maybe trying to manufacture some energy since the team was so flat. He did try zone briefly and it didn't work either. He could have tried anything he wanted, but if the players give that type of effort there is really nothing he can do

All teams have terrible games typically a few a year. It happens. What matters now is how the team responds

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Example last night

You didn't answer my question....What does a coach do to get his team ready to play
1. Take away their locker room
2. Yell at them or threaten to whip basketballs at them
3. Withhold food
4. Take away their facility
5. Vince Lombardi speech?

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I doubt Pike was taking this game lightly. I'm sure he emphasized how Nebraska has been playing better and just beat Wisconsin. He told the team this would be a tough game

Pike didn't all of a sudden tell his team playing tough doesn't matter. Playing D doesn't matter. No intensity is fine.

Players can't show up and give that type of effort. For example, Paul is a 4th year player. He knows what he needs to do. I'll blame Paul for the way Paul is playing. We have posters saying the coaches don't tell Paul to shoot. They do. It's on Paul

Coaches can only do so much. The press wasn't working, fine. But Pike was maybe trying to manufacture some energy since the team was so flat. He did try zone briefly and it didn't work either. He could have tried anything he wanted, but if the players give that type of effort there is really nothing he can do

All teams have terrible games typically a few a year. It happens. What matters now is how the team responds

So we agree 90% here...the last 10% is why did Paul play poorly.

You think he didn't show up and I think he is physically and mentally fatigued. Part of the 10% is in between and maybe Paul on an average day has a lot of weaknesses. When he is below average or worse....

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I would eat my hat if your team didn't make it into the NCAAs...

I think there is a 35% chance you are going to be eating your hat.

 

[bac2therac]

You didn't answer my question....What does a coach do to get his team ready to play
1. Take away their locker room
2. Yell at them or threaten to whip basketballs at them
3. Withhold food
4. Take away their facility
5. Vince Lombardi speech?

i dont know, CVS used to do stuff like that. Sometimes kids think they are better than they actually are. Remember how hungry this team used to be....then look at last night, it was a joke the defense we played. That wasnt fatigue letting them hit drive in for open layup....11-12 fg, nowhere near the 3 point line

and yes Coach was awful using the press...what a total misread. Looks their entire game prep was spent on the press as the winning formula which is stunning since that is not this teams bread and butter

 

[zebnatto]

Given how offensively challenged we are and that he adds a different dimension to our offense (a guard who if pressed can blow by the defender thus opening up shooters when he does), I think we have to go with heavy doses of Simpson.

(On an almost OT side note, I feel bad for and concern for Paul who may be verging on Patrick McCaffrey-level emotional issues. Maybe I’m way off base.)

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

i dont know, CVS used to do stuff like that. Sometimes kids think they are better than they actually are. Remember how hungry this team used to be....then look at last night, it was a joke the defense we played. That wasnt fatigue letting them hit drive in for open layup....11-12 fg, nowhere near the 3 point line

and yes Coach was awful using the press...what a total misread. Looks their entire game prep was spent on the press as the winning formula which is stunning since that is not this teams bread and butter

STAGE 5 ACCEPTANCE

He is having a tough time finding a lineup that can defend anywhere near at the level when Mag was healthy.

The best lineup is Simpson Paul Caleb Cam and Cliff. He even tried Simpson and Miller together.

Maybe staying in zone was a mistake. Would sitting back and playing 30 seconds of man to man been any better?

 

[Scangg]

i dont know, CVS used to do stuff like that. Sometimes kids think they are better than they actually are. Remember how hungry this team used to be....then look at last night, it was a joke the defense we played. That wasnt fatigue letting them hit drive in for open layup....11-12 fg, nowhere near the 3 point line

and yes Coach was awful using the press...what a total misread. Looks their entire game prep was spent on the press as the winning formula which is stunning since that is not this teams bread and butter

I can't buy the team was fatigued in the first half before the game even started

If people want to blame fatigue at the very end of games that's at least a discussion

 

[rufeelinit]

I think there is a 35% chance you are going to be eating your hat.

I wonder if there is any type of condiment you can put on hat to make it taste better?

 

[bac2therac]

STAGE 5 ACCEPTANCE

He is having a tough time finding a lineup that can defend anywhere near at the level when Mag was healthy.

The best lineup is Simpson Paul Caleb Cam and Cliff. He even tried Simpson and Miller together.

Maybe staying in zone was a mistake. Would sitting back and playing 30 seconds of man to man been any better?

Pikes job is to find a way to eek out 2-3 wins to make the tournament. Thats what he is paid for. He wasnt given an extension to collapse at the end of the year turning down a NIT bid

Injuries suck but so does having 4 schollies taken up by non Big 10 players

 

[dconifer]

I wonder if there is any type of condiment you can put on hat to make it taste better?

I'm not worried, but I will look into it...

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Pikes job is to find a way to eek out 2-3 wins to make the tournament. Thats what he is paid for. He wasnt given an extension to collapse at the end of the year turning down a NIT bid

Injuries suck but so does having 4 schollies taken up by non Big 10 players

That is not being fair. The 2nd sentence has merit, but to his credit it appears (ON PAPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) he is fixing that.

 

[RW90]

We know Cam has some trouble getting open. Gotta set better picks and screens. Woolfolk a big kid. Use him.

This really seems to have been a lost art in our offense, and as you say, has especially negated Cam's game.

 

[Scangg]

Rutgers is maybe the worst screening team in the league. We don't use it at all