I hope they do because this one still has 15 minutes to go and it is quite clear this season needs to be put out of its misery. Rutgers on their way to their 7th loss in their last 8 games. A tank job that would make Fred Hill look bashful. Performance has been so bad I did not even do a recap for last game and the only reason I am doing one here is because it is the last game of the season. I do not want to hear about next season. What I saw this season has me very concerned about roster management, ability to get a feel for the portal and the unfortunate stubborness of loyalty. Pikiell may have been sandbagged by the departures of Cam and Paul but he bares most of the brunt of what happened. He brought in 3 injured players for a team that had an injured guy coming back. That injured guy by the way played the staff for more $$$ which to me a giant red flag. One of the 3 guys also had a gambling issue held over his head and missed half the season. Another guy is a major project that is only good for a few minutes. The first target and prize of the portal class was a 24 year old out of shape with a family which means his focus was never going to be on hoops. Pike brought back a guy who is 8th man on most teams but forced to be the leading scorer on this team...paying attention yet. Pike bringing back Hyatt instead of recruiting over him in the portal knowing Mag could miss at least half the season. Then injured player Mag is cleared to play yet drifts in and out of the lineup rumored to be saving himself for a bag somewhere else. But worse yet Pike's prize recruit made a painful transition to D1 hoops failing to grasp how to play defense and then could not even rely on his shot to get him minutes. Oh we are not done yet. An undersized underrecruited guard who had one local beat writer writing love letters about has the worst fg percentage of all power conference guards.
Let us hold back on advancing a narrative its Cams and Pauls fault. This was coming from 3 years of major misses in recruiting, being too loyal to some players and refusing to recruit players to challenge returning players. I can list a half dozen or more players that should never have been in the progam as Big 10 players and for Pike to try to get by with such a thin margin of depth for 3 years running inexcusable. The performance tonight was predictable given this team has checked out and only maybe 3-4 of these players will be back next season. However there is a thing called pride and its unacceptable that RU did not show an ounce of one today. Getting down 16-3 and then doors blown off to start the 2nd half going down feebly and looking like a laughingstock. If any team in the past decade is unlikable...its this one. Fair or not.
Next year the #2 and #3 players are coming for a one year stay along with some other highly recruited players. There is reason for optimism. Expectations will be high. But the program is going nowhere if Pikiell cannot put the right parts in place for this once in a lifetime run...and remember when they are gone after next year, the program has to be able to live to. Its a dance with the devil but anything is better than this season. Pikes team traditionally take time to gel and he struggles with coming up with offensive gameplan. Next years team will be required to produce right out of the gate. I am not overly confident this is going to happen. Its going to take a major change in demeanor from this staff and what they demand from the players and yes I think Pike is too easy on players and maybe there is something to those Spencers comments. So thankfully this season has come to an end. Good or bad, next year is going to be completely different and embracing brand new expectations and challenges. There is no honeymoon anymore. Rutgers is expecting to make the NCAA tourney next season. Rutgers is expected to have a successful season. The excuses and mea culpa need to end. This is not Rutgers coming off of Eddie Joran. Pikiell is entering his 9th season. He is getting paid a shit ton of money to deliver. Next year he must deliver.
