The entire body of work is on its profile. 7 wins vs schools projected in the field. 5 Quad 1 wins, an incredible 4 game win streak against ranked opponents. Some dazzling games at the RAC. Play like the best defensive team in the world. Yet its exactly not all good. The NET which will probably dip to 85. Unimaginably bad losses to Lafayette and UMass. 3-9 on the road. Losing to too many mediocre schools in the bottom 5 of the conference. A woeful 6-4 non conference mark vs 305th ranked non conference schedule. RU likely sits on the last 4 in line right now. A team that is going to present a conundrum for the NCAA selection committee. A team that mainly at home can play with any team in the country but also a team that can play some really bad uninspiring basketball. Its been like that all season long and that is why we are here.
Tonight was back to some reality. RU played exactly like they did in most of their road contests. Game lost because they are not locked in and coming out with hunger or any eye of the tiger. As much as it was a big game for Michigan it was equally as big for Rutgers. For the first 36 minutes or so, this game could have gone either way. Both teams struggled getting any kind of momentum but it was disappointing that Rutgers with how well they had been playing did not seem to have that edge we are used to seeing. RU played with fire and they got burned. That they failed to come out with any needed fire to set tone in the 2nd half was telling Please save the stuff about refs. This game was even in the 2nd half. RU had a bunch of seniors who did not come to play and reverted back to pouting and whining and bad body language when things did not go well. I am disappointed with the lack of urgency, poise or leadership when things were going wrong. Not one player did anything to say hey we have to hold this together here. Two players were particularly awful today. One allowed his frustrations to effect the team, the other pulled an all too familiar ghosting act. The rest of the team did little to step up and that is disappointing. In retrospect, that hustle play by Johns over Mulcahy was the telling moment of the game
I realize we all dreamt big dreams after that run but in doing so we forget how bad we are capable of playing if we are not locked in mentally. Its our mental game that is the real problem here and it has cropped up all too well this year. RU is now sliding down the bracket. Wisconsin now becomes a must win for them on Saturday. If RU makes the tournament, it will be because they earned it. No one is handing it them and no is giving it just because they had a four game stretch of beating top teams. If RU does not make the tournament, there should be no crying or bitching. This team has/had EVERY opportunity to make the tournament. Tonights loss is just one game. Still 3 to go and they simply have to complete the deal. The Selection Committee is not a charity. Body of work, body of work....that is never going to change and RU is at a crossroads are they going to push this thing and reach the top of the mountain or will they pull a Sisyphus
Tonight was back to some reality. RU played exactly like they did in most of their road contests. Game lost because they are not locked in and coming out with hunger or any eye of the tiger. As much as it was a big game for Michigan it was equally as big for Rutgers. For the first 36 minutes or so, this game could have gone either way. Both teams struggled getting any kind of momentum but it was disappointing that Rutgers with how well they had been playing did not seem to have that edge we are used to seeing. RU played with fire and they got burned. That they failed to come out with any needed fire to set tone in the 2nd half was telling Please save the stuff about refs. This game was even in the 2nd half. RU had a bunch of seniors who did not come to play and reverted back to pouting and whining and bad body language when things did not go well. I am disappointed with the lack of urgency, poise or leadership when things were going wrong. Not one player did anything to say hey we have to hold this together here. Two players were particularly awful today. One allowed his frustrations to effect the team, the other pulled an all too familiar ghosting act. The rest of the team did little to step up and that is disappointing. In retrospect, that hustle play by Johns over Mulcahy was the telling moment of the game
I realize we all dreamt big dreams after that run but in doing so we forget how bad we are capable of playing if we are not locked in mentally. Its our mental game that is the real problem here and it has cropped up all too well this year. RU is now sliding down the bracket. Wisconsin now becomes a must win for them on Saturday. If RU makes the tournament, it will be because they earned it. No one is handing it them and no is giving it just because they had a four game stretch of beating top teams. If RU does not make the tournament, there should be no crying or bitching. This team has/had EVERY opportunity to make the tournament. Tonights loss is just one game. Still 3 to go and they simply have to complete the deal. The Selection Committee is not a charity. Body of work, body of work....that is never going to change and RU is at a crossroads are they going to push this thing and reach the top of the mountain or will they pull a Sisyphus