It was a great comeback that in many ways will be a better learning experience than the heartbreaking Iowa loss. Rutgers takeaways will include learning to be the "Hunted" as BAC mentioned , overconfidence, and the ability to take a hard "20pt down " punch and understanding what it takes to fight back successfully.....On to Indiana, the B1G Tournament and next year can't come soon enough....
GAME 29 PENN STATE: Flubbing the last line of the movie
- Thread starter bac2therac
- Start date
11 is so much better than 14 (and a distant 14)
We have definitely improved a ton and I am feeling much better about the program. I still think we have a long way to go and I still think we are a long shot next year making the tournament.
It has been a huge improvement getting from 14 to 11 or 12. Getting to 7 or 8 will take the same huge improvement.
This. Our fans always talk about so-called go-to-scorers but the upper echelon teams always have multiple scoring options because everyone has off nights. It's easy to overlook but we also held Stevens to 8 of 24 shooting and largely kept him off the scoreboard the last ten minutes of the game, thanks in large part to Eugene.
Thats true. I see people here and Katz on tv saying that would have been game winner but still 9-10 seconds an eternity for PSU ro come down and hit a shot
Now Myles second secont he needed to grab stronger and flush..really hurt that he and Gene actually fought for the same board
Now Myles second secont he needed to grab stronger and flush..really hurt that he and Gene actually fought for the same board
It's easy to focus on that 1 possession. It is the 1st 70 possessions (35 on O and 35 on D) that need the same analyzation.
I think it is a smaller step to 7/8 than the progress we made to get to where we are today. If we hit the game winner last night and Iowa doesn't hit the miracle banked 3, we are 9-10 right now.
We would be tied for 7th and a half game behind Iowa for 6th. Iowa is probably probjected to lose at Wisconsin tonight. Think about it, we could be two plays away from being tied for 6th in the deepest conference.
We can still finish 9th with a win Sunday and Illinois losing to Indiana and PSU. Gotta play a full 40 minutes on Sunday.
Respectfully disagree. I think it only gets harder to move up further. That is why you need to continue to try to bring in better players to challenge for minutes even with all these guys returning. Some of these guys may not be capable/consistent contributors on a team in the top half of this league.
I am talking about the metrics and not where we are in the standings. At the end of the day when analyzing where we are as a program I like to evaluate us on a possession by possession basis as opposed to wins and losses.
Hopefully the day is here real soon where wins and losses are everything.
Most upper echelon teams have stud players who are go to scorers. It's great to have multiple guys who can score, but when the game is on the line and you need a bucket, most elite teams know who that guy is and are going to get them the ball. It doesn't mean the HAVE to take the shot, but they are at least getting a touch and trying to run the offense through them. This happens from youth bball to the NBA to pick up games. If a team's best scorer doesn't get the ball at all on a final possession it's typically criticized
We are a year away ...period, and are painfully close right now
Next year ...with the additions known and even more with the unknown ones, we are going to be a balanced and very tough team
To defend. We aren’t quite there ...and we need to learn to take advantage of that (more on the later)
Next year ...with the additions known and even more with the unknown ones, we are going to be a balanced and very tough team
To defend. We aren’t quite there ...and we need to learn to take advantage of that (more on the later)
Conference only ADJUSTED efficiency numbers...
2019
offense 108.1 11th #7 is 111.6 3.5 difference
defense 97.1 11th #7 is 93.4 3.7 difference
2018
offense 94.2 14th #7 was 114.1 19.9 difference
defense 95.8 8th #7 was 95.0 .8 difference
Breaking it down to a 70 possession game
We need to score 2.45 more points per game AND
We need to prevent 2.59 less points per game
2019
offense 108.1 11th #7 is 111.6 3.5 difference
defense 97.1 11th #7 is 93.4 3.7 difference
2018
offense 94.2 14th #7 was 114.1 19.9 difference
defense 95.8 8th #7 was 95.0 .8 difference
Breaking it down to a 70 possession game
We need to score 2.45 more points per game AND
We need to prevent 2.59 less points per game
My memory can be bad at times...didn't like last week Geo baker do this....and a week before that.
I hope you are right. Sometimes it also takes luck. You look at Penn State and they are on of the top 6-8 teams in the B1G right now.
Need to hope the schedule works out right....you wont know if the schedule works out wrong or right until next February or March.
We have made a ton of progress and really like where we are. I think our record is better than what we really are. we still have a lot of climbing to do.
I fear we go 7-13 next year and people get impatient and say we have taken a step back when it is possible we got even better.
And Geo took his patented last shot, but it just didn't fall. It happens. Next season the team is more comfortable and expects either Geo, or one of the frosh (i.e., next year's sophs) taking that shot.
A
anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy
Guest
Ehh i know the play youre talking about, was right in front of me. Our players didnt have a dive angle, they wouldve dove into the psu guy for a foul or dove right out of bounds. Saying our team doesnt work hard is crazy
I also think that scrum all started with one of our guys diving on the floor, just not to any of our guys.
I remember that play. McConnell went for a steal, reached high and tapped the ball out toward the arc. He then dove on it and tapped it again from down on the floor. Two PSU guys also then got to the floor and none of our other guys got in the mix.
Caleb has heart and moxey. He had one bad turnover yesterday but also had two steals. He would have had a third steal on the play described here, if he had any help at all.
Caleb has heart and moxey. He had one bad turnover yesterday but also had two steals. He would have had a third steal on the play described here, if he had any help at all.
Yuppp. Just another of the many many bad FIG takes
I'm not familiar with these metrics but they appear to prove my point. We were 20.7 points below the 7th position in 2018. That is now down to 7.2 points. We've covered 13.5/20.7, or 65%, of the gap to 7th place from where we were one year ago.
I think most of us will be disappointed if we are 7-13 next season unless we are really shafted by the scheduler. Who will we play twice, and of the others who do we get at home vs. on the road? Example, if we have to play Minnesota once only, there is a big difference between playing them at the RAC vs. at the Barn.
On the play with PSU diving on the floor last night, Caleb started that with a great defensive effort to tip a pass, then dove for the ball. It got away from him to a Nit that dove on it and rolled over. I thought that used to be called travelling.
you are right....
move the decimal point 2 places to the left and that is point per possession. The number is adjusted for competition slightly. If a game has 70 possessions and we score 1.081 per that is 75 points.
Personally I wish they didnt adjust conference only stats. I get schedule isn't balanced, but all teams are very good.
move the decimal point 2 places to the left and that is point per possession. The number is adjusted for competition slightly. If a game has 70 possessions and we score 1.081 per that is 75 points.
Personally I wish they didnt adjust conference only stats. I get schedule isn't balanced, but all teams are very good.
I suppose you just want to hear only good things about your 2 or 3 favorite players.
Is it a bad take that we got out worked and out hustled in the 1st half?
Is it a bad take to say that play was Exhibit #1?
Is it a bad take to say Pikiell took 3 guys out of the game minutes later and told them they werent playing hard enough?
in rewatching the game, RU should have completed the comeback. RU had to 3 with 3 minutes and let that wide open 3, albeit another lucky bounce...that could have been the key play there...even though RU got it back to 66-63 with McConnell's 3 it was one more possession at a critical time that we could not afford PSU to convert. The possession at 66-63 with about a minute left after we caused a PSU turnover was simply bad. Got the ball to Eugene and we was sort of in a bad spot away from the hoop and it was poked out of bounds, after that we swung it around and Geo took the blocked 3...I think that had to be inside shot there, we didnt need the 3, we should have been driving into the lane there looking for a foul.
Refs were letting themselves take a beating for a college game.
Stevens whined after almost every play to the refs... he should have gotten T’ed up at some point.
I'm amazed that Stevens wasn't teed up.
On KenPom if you check the "conference-only" box the stats are NOT adjusted.
Unless Geo makes the shot.....
I don’t disagree with your premise. I also don’t mind Geo taking the shot. I really like the fact that he did. If I was 0-9 I wouldn’t have the guts!
If Geo makes the shot its a perfect storybook ending of player who hadnt scored knocking down the game winning 3. I just felt we needed to be closer to the basket. The previous possession was the one that irked me at 66-65 with a minute left.
The program is going through a phase of development where others are stepping up and taking (and making) big shots, bigger plays on defense and playing in higher leveraged games.
I thought the RAC rattled PSU down the stretch and although RU has won 3 road games, we haven't been in a really tough road environment since Illinois, where RU was in the game all 40 minutes.
When considering the almost 30 games played, I can only count a couple of halves of games where RU got outworked or outhustled. PSU got that done in the 1st half and thought they'd cruise to a comfortable win.
The other lesson is RU has another "gear", and it clearly plays better defense, when they're in the passing lanes and making shots.
Nothing surprises me with this roster right now...if we knocked down one additional 3 in the 1st half and kept lead to 14 or 13 vs what it was, last nights game goes into instant classic mode. I can't recall a rally of that deficit being closed on almost 17 minutes of play by a RU team. It's probably happened and I am missing a game here or there.
I thought the RAC rattled PSU down the stretch and although RU has won 3 road games, we haven't been in a really tough road environment since Illinois, where RU was in the game all 40 minutes.
When considering the almost 30 games played, I can only count a couple of halves of games where RU got outworked or outhustled. PSU got that done in the 1st half and thought they'd cruise to a comfortable win.
The other lesson is RU has another "gear", and it clearly plays better defense, when they're in the passing lanes and making shots.
Nothing surprises me with this roster right now...if we knocked down one additional 3 in the 1st half and kept lead to 14 or 13 vs what it was, last nights game goes into instant classic mode. I can't recall a rally of that deficit being closed on almost 17 minutes of play by a RU team. It's probably happened and I am missing a game here or there.
There was a Pitt game on the road and a St Bonaventure road comeback that had to be from 18 plus points down.
Just watched the last few plays again and noticed that Johnson was in the paint for the last 11.9 seconds of the game on offense. If he had made the final shot, I'm sure there would have been plenty of howls from PSU fans about that.
He absolutely should have gone up for a dunk/layup when McConnell passed it to him - but the slight bobble completely turned off whatever switch he had in his mind about scoring in that moment. There was really no defender in position, as McConnell drew them both off.
On the second attempt, he went up with both hands under the ball to shoot, rather than with hands on both sides to go up strong for a dunk or layup. Much easier to swat that away.
He absolutely should have gone up for a dunk/layup when McConnell passed it to him - but the slight bobble completely turned off whatever switch he had in his mind about scoring in that moment. There was really no defender in position, as McConnell drew them both off.
On the second attempt, he went up with both hands under the ball to shoot, rather than with hands on both sides to go up strong for a dunk or layup. Much easier to swat that away.
Pretty sure in a recent game Geo scored almost all of his points in the last few minutes of the game.
Totally agree. I love McConnel and he does so many good things for a freshman
He is a very good all around player
He is not a point guard
When Geo is not on the floor, we have way to many turnovers
Caleb is going to be a 2-3 for us in the future and possibly a very good one
We are a miracle shot, and missing 4 attempts in the last 13 seconds in last night ‘s game from being 9-10 in the Big 10 this year and tied for 7th. What the hell are you saying or what team have you watched the last 6-7 games.? The improvement within this same season is phenomenal as the freshman finally realized it takes 40 minutes of full intensity and youth defense to turn the corner. The switch went off and can still carry us to Indiana and right through the Big 10 tourney. We might lose but I doubt we looked overmatched or like an 11-12 placed team.
Just need to learn from this. Don't let it be in vain.
Harper... it's now clear he needs an opportunity to force the issue when no one is getting good looks a la the first half, the same way we give Gene that leeway.
PSU played excellent defense from what I saw and heard. Watkins, I wish him well with his psychological health, it's like he wasn't really there the first time we played and last night we saw what he can do. Stevens is a flat out stud. Their guards seem to either be on from three or not very effective. I do like our chances against them going forward.
Harper... it's now clear he needs an opportunity to force the issue when no one is getting good looks a la the first half, the same way we give Gene that leeway.
PSU played excellent defense from what I saw and heard. Watkins, I wish him well with his psychological health, it's like he wasn't really there the first time we played and last night we saw what he can do. Stevens is a flat out stud. Their guards seem to either be on from three or not very effective. I do like our chances against them going forward.
Nor am I. Nothing I see from Northwestern, Nebraska, Penn State , Illinois , Iowa this year or next to think our roster is and will be better than all those teams. Minnesota is losing a ton next year as well and his depth was not great this year. So middle of the pack , 7-8-9 seems very attainable.
How can you you see nothing from Penn State and Illinois. Both programs are big threats to RU moving up the standings
PSU and Illinois are better than us if PSU return everyone.
That doesn't mean we won't finish above them though. If I have a preseason vote they are above us and it looks like NW and Nebby are below.
I haven’t looked at the recruits those teams are bringing in but it is too early to say that. Young and Mulcahy will be big upgrades in our rotation. Mulcahy taking Kiss minutes will be huge. Plus we have one more ship. Pike can legitimately tell a big time grad transfer or recruit that we are one stud player away from something big here. Can he find that player?
Similar threads
