GAME 31 Iowa: The Waiting

[bac2therac]

Too unnerved and salty to go through a recap. Let's just say Rutgers did not bring the level of play and focus they would need today to beat Iowa. RU certainly came out with energy and succeeded early and that was great to see. Unfortunately when Iowa made their adjustments, RU fell apart got knocked down in a huge run and never recovered. Still RU was not bad all game, they hung around and had chances to make it a real game but everytime they got close and got put in a big moment. They either got outhustled or missed point blank shots. Iowa played out of their minds again as they have been you only get small windows and RU just did not step up in those moments. Focus just was not there on both sides of the ball to beat a better team and yes Iowa is a better team and Murray is almost undefendable. The run at the end made things a bit more respectable and that was important for the resume and anyone watching. I just do not think we played tourney level basketball today against a legit sweet 16 or beyond team, Would it had mattered? I dont know. Iowa was just too good. They are almost machine like at this point. They are well coached. Rutgers just never got in a rhythm where they would be able to play their type of game they wanted to.

As for refs, yeah some bad calls but it was not changing the outcome. Rutgers just did not have the answers today. This was not Rutgers basketball that we know of. Rutgers was not at their best in trying to focus and showing poise. This is tourney time. You have to elevate your game. I am somewhat disappointed that they were not as focused but alot of that was frustration they let get to them. When they get frustrated, they foul or get caught in situations that do not put them in a situation to succeed. I already started a thread on VanDyke, that is inexcusable and cost us points and I hope Pikiell addresses that.

As for as the NCAA tournament, Rutgers and their fans will be sweating. Its pretty clear. This will not be an easy Sunday. While a win today would have locked them in, a win today almost wouldnt even change the resume. The NET is poor and their bad losses. There are great wins including 8-5 vs schools projected in the field. The committee will either value those wins or they will not. It will either cling to the NET ranking or it will not. Its completely up to them and we have no idea . There are two theories....they hate that we have a net of 77 and they say we are troubled by it and its body of work and we are a NIT one seed.....or they value wins and RU maybe gets even beyond Dayton. I tend to think we are headed to Dayton because its probably fitting and its a nod to getting us but dinging us for the NET.

Going to be a anxious few days...imagine sitting there as that last 6/11 bracket is announced......


The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you get one more yard
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part
Yeah, the waiting is the hardest part
Ooh
Is the hardest part
Ooh
Is the hardest part

 

[torbee]

Rutgers should be firmly in tournament thanks to all your Quad 1 wins. Will be a tough out for anyone the way they play defense. Good luck.

 

[Scangg]

If they don't reverse that call and Murray goes to the bench with 2 fouls with the momentum shifting back our direction, the entire game is different. Sadly we will never know.

Countless soft fouls around the rim for them. None for us.

Clearly worth more than 10 points not to mention how much it killed our momentum and kept us from getting stops

The cold streak first half and some missed easy ones early killed us. The streak continuing was directly related to Murray not having to go to the bench though. We might even have a halftime lead.

It changed the entire game.

 

[urbanecane]

Iowa is a great team. Wouldn't be surprised to see them make the elite 8.

 

[RU Husky]

Iowa is a great team. Wouldn't be surprised to see them make the elite 8.

Never happen. They are out in the second round. Just like last year.

 

[Scangg]

Never happen. They are out in the second round. Just like last year.

Everyone seems to be ignoring that Iowa has a top 10 pick on their team. They have never had that before. With Murray Perkins and Murray they are longer and more athletic than before as well

 

[ScarletDave]

Can’t wait for this Rutgers team to play some teams outside the Big Ten. There are a lot of soft SEC and ACC teams I’d love to face next week. Bring it on

 

[hawkjt]

RU is always tough on the Hawkeyes...you guys will be dancing for sure.
Good luck in the tourney.

 

[Rutgers25]

Feels like a true 50/50 situation and we most certainly will be in Dayton if we do get in

 

[bac2therac]

Can’t wait for this Rutgers team to play some teams outside the Big Ten. There are a lot of soft SEC and ACC teams I’d love to face next week. Bring it on

absolutely

 

[ColonelRutgers]

Iowa has one of the best offensive players in the country and our best player had a horrible game. There isn’t much more to it then that when all is said and done. Couple that with Iowa shooting 25-27 from the line then good luck coming out on top.

 

[LeapinLou]

I think it's going to come down to how some other bubble teams perform tonight. We need some losses from SMU, Dayton, VT, Oklahoma, Miami, BYU, VCU tonight.

 

[Mr Magoo]

Everyone seems to be ignoring that Iowa has a top 10 pick on their team. They have never had that before. With Murray Perkins and Murray they are longer and more athletic than before as well

Don’t have much confidence in Big Ten teams in the NCAAs. More often than not, they look like deer in the headlights when these teams play OOC at the end of the year. Lots of teams are quicker and the games seem to be called tighter.

 

[FIJI'83]

The game turned with the sub of Hyatt and Reiber into the game. The wheels came off.

 

[Rutgers25]

The game turned with the sub of Hyatt and Reiber into the game. The wheels came off.

that just goes to show you how little room for error we had. Agree though that Hyatt is just not good.

 

[G- RUnit]

Another ridiculously officiated game.

Mind boggling.

Definition of insanity.

 

[Mr Magoo]

The game turned with the sub of Hyatt and Reiber into the game. The wheels came off.

And our inability to run an offense against a zone

 

[RUJMM78]

Rutgers now has to wait two days to learn their fate. The NCAA Committee will have a difficult decision because the Rutgers resume is a mixed bag of good and bad.The NET is bad while the Quad 1 wins are good .I think Rutgers resume is better than other teams on the bubble but the NCAA Committee might think otherwise especially if it meant nine teams selected from the BIG Ten.Each bubble team should be evaluated based on the totality of their record including the level of competition they faced.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Iowa has a bench and used it. We don’t have a bench and didn’t use it.

 

[hawk_a_holic]

Too unnerved and salty to go through a recap. Let's just say Rutgers did not bring the level of play and focus they would need today to beat Iowa. RU certainly came out with energy and succeeded early and that was great to see. Unfortunately when Iowa made their adjustments, RU fell apart got knocked down in a huge run and never recovered. Still RU was not bad all game, they hung around and had chances to make it a real game but everytime they got close and got put in a big moment. They either got outhustled or missed point blank shots. Iowa played out of their minds again as they have been you only get small windows and RU just did not step up in those moments. Focus just was not there on both sides of the ball to beat a better team and yes Iowa is a better team and Murray is almost undefendable. The run at the end made things a bit more respectable and that was important for the resume and anyone watching. I just do not think we played tourney level basketball today against a legit sweet 16 or beyond team, Would it had mattered? I dont know. Iowa was just too good. They are almost machine like at this point. They are well coached. Rutgers just never got in a rhythm where they would be able to play their type of game they wanted to.

As for refs, yeah some bad calls but it was not changing the outcome. Rutgers just did not have the answers today. This was not Rutgers basketball that we know of. Rutgers was not at their best in trying to focus and showing poise. This is tourney time. You have to elevate your game. I am somewhat disappointed that they were not as focused but alot of that was frustration they let get to them. When they get frustrated, they foul or get caught in situations that do not put them in a situation to succeed. I already started a thread on VanDyke, that is inexcusable and cost us points and I hope Pikiell addresses that.

As for as the NCAA tournament, Rutgers and their fans will be sweating. Its pretty clear. This will not be an easy Sunday. While a win today would have locked them in, a win today almost wouldnt even change the resume. The NET is poor and their bad losses. There are great wins including 8-5 vs schools projected in the field. The committee will either value those wins or they will not. It will either cling to the NET ranking or it will not. Its completely up to them and we have no idea . There are two theories....they hate that we have a net of 77 and they say we are troubled by it and its body of work and we are a NIT one seed.....or they value wins and RU maybe gets even beyond Dayton. I tend to think we are headed to Dayton because its probably fitting and its a nod to getting us but dinging us for the NET.

Going to be a anxious few days...imagine sitting there as that last 6/11 bracket is announced......


The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you get one more yard
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part
Yeah, the waiting is the hardest part
Ooh
Is the hardest part
Ooh
Is the hardest part

View embedded media

Rutgers should be a 10 but probably an 11. You are in and I would not want to be the 6 seed playing you. What Coach Pikeill has done is fantastic. Made you a legit program teams do not want to play. Hat's off to your season.

 

[G- RUnit]

Rutgers now has to wait two days to learn their fate. The NCAA Committee will have a difficult decision because the Rutgers resume is a mixed bag of good and bad.The NET is bad while the Quad 1 wins are good .I think Rutgers resume is better than other teams on the bubble but the NCAA Committee might think otherwise especially if it meant nine teams selected from the BIG Ten.Each bubble team should be evaluated based on the totality of their record including the level of competition they faced.

Michigan bad record more problematic than our NET. We R in!

 

[Mr Magoo]

Iowa has a bench and used it. We don’t have a bench and didn’t use it.

We don’t have a bench and unfortunately we did use it

 

[bac2therac]

The game turned with the sub of Hyatt and Reiber into the game. The wheels came off.

agree with this, Hyatt came in and missed two chippies in big spots. You have to be able to come off the bench and not have that drop off..he had good looks and did not play his role today......I thougt Pike went too early to bench and then really mixed and matched a couple times til we got our starters back in...yes its only a few possession but you are talking about 10-12 point swing

 

[bac2therac]

We don’t have a bench and unfortunately we did use it

Mag was awful....had that game earlier in the year and has been dreadful since

 

[bac2therac]

Iowa has a bench and used it. We don’t have a bench and didn’t use it.

and...that is why recruiting matters...yeomans job cobbling together but trying to blueprint wins with 5 players and a hint of bench is awful tough

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

and...that is why recruiting matters...yeomans job cobbling together but trying to blueprint wins with 5 players and a hint of bench is awful tough

2 times using yeomans this week.

The Dean Reiber fan club needs to pump the brakes here. The inability for him to give us minutes killed us.

 

[RUJMM78]

The game turned with the sub of Hyatt and Reiber into the game. The wheels came off.

Rutgers must put subs in the game to rest players.The problem is the lack of scoring as compared to opponents bench players.

 

[bac2therac]

2 times using yeomans this week.

The Dean Reiber fan club needs to pump the brakes here. The inability for him to give us minutes killed us.

agree with you here.....I saw posts after the last game saying we are completely fine with the players that we have coming back next year😱

not bring back much proven if Caleb does not come back. Cliff and Mulcahy cannot do everything...who else do we have

 

[jonS]

that just goes to show you how little room for error we had. Agree though that Hyatt is just not good.

Hyatt is big disappointment. Poor handle and makes so many poor decisions on the court....

 

[j0nnyhb_Prime]

Never happen. They are out in the second round. Just like last year.

Seriously, sad reaction. Makes you seem more than a little bitter and jealous. I think RU will make the field and be a threat to make the sweet 16. Iowa could make a final 4 run (possible if they keep up the D and rebounding, the O will be there).

 

[RUnTime]

This is not a good shooting team. Nothing but bricks today and they lose. Same old story but Iowa had a different game plan.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

Hyatt is big disappointment. Poor handle and makes so many poor decisions on the court....

Low basketball IQ

 

[RU Husky]

Seriously, sad reaction. Makes you seem more than a little bitter and jealous. I think RU will make the field and be a threat to make the sweet 16. Iowa could make a final 4 run (possible if they keep up the D and rebounding, the O will be there).

History is not on their side. They haven’t made it past the second round this century and they been ranked as high as a #2 and 3 seed. Hope they get a to be a 5 seed so they get bounced in the first round by some #12 seed.

 

[the24fan]

History is not on their side. They haven’t made it past the second round this century and they been ranked as high as a #2 and 3 seed. Hope they get a to be a 5 seed so they get bounced in the first round by some #12 seed.

Well the Hawks will have an opportunity anyway. RU can watch them from their couches since it’s unlikely their gonna make it in…

 

[Duff366]

Oh geez, stop feeding the Iowa trolls. Congrats you won, now go away

 

[j0nnyhb_Prime]

History is not on their side. They haven’t made it past the second round this century and they been ranked as high as a #2 and 3 seed. Hope they get a to be a 5 seed so they get bounced in the first round by some #12 seed.

You are right about history, but this team is built differently. I think this is the year they break through for sweet 16 or better. They won’t get bounced in first game. Why not hope for the Big 10 to do well? Maybe you haven’t been in the conference long enough yet …

 

[LeapinLou]

I think it's going to come down to how some other bubble teams perform tonight. We need some losses from SMU, Dayton, VT, Oklahoma, Miami, BYU, VCU tonight.

SMU wins big
VT upsets UNC
TAMU wins again
Dayton won
OU lost
Miami lost
VCU lost
BYU shouldn't have been listed. There season is already over.

We're on the razor's edge. Indiana, VT, and TAMU pulling off big upsets may have been our undoing. As Bac has said 100 times, it comes down to whether or not the committee values our 8-6 record over teams in the field or wants to go mainly by metrics.