GAME 4 MERRIMACK: That don't impress me much

[bac2therac]

As Shania Twain sang...

That don't impress me much (oh, oh, ooh)
So you got the brains, but have you got the touch?
Now, don't get me wrong, yeah, I think you're alright
But that won't keep me warm in the middle of the night
That don't impress me much
Uh-huh, yeah, yeah

How to judge these first four games is tough. Competition has been against beyond weak sauce. Many schools around the country including just about everyone in Vegas has already squared off against tougher. Tonight Rutgers did the bare minimum to win against a vastly overmatched but spirited Merrimack. That on the heels of a sketchy defensive performance against Monmouth and a death struggle vs St Peter's. 4-0...all wins and certainly Ace and Dylan are as adverstised that is for sure. The question is whether this team is just playing down to its competition and will show up and buckle down for some real impressive play when the big lights come on in Vegas. That is a BIG IF....IF IF IF....we just do not know. The ranking says 24 but I do not see it yet. Might be better off going into Vegas with a bit of disrespect and falling out of the top 25

What I do know is this team is not playing defense a lick and its disheartening to see. Merrimack is not a good offensive team. They were futile from 3 going 4-24 but its not because RU disrupted their offense. Merrimack had a plethora of open 3s all night that were just brick after brick. Meanwhile on 2s they were very good especially early. In fact at one point they were shooting 8-10 on 2s and 2-10 on 3s for 10-20 overall. Give tons of credit to Clark. RU made another player an unstoppable superstar until he cooled off badly late. He went off for 22 points in all 40 minutes on 10-19 shooting. RU was outscored in the paint 40-32 and it seemed like there waaaaaaaaaaaaay too many easy looks either backdoor or just on a pass where RU was just clueless on where the ball was going. Yes RU did get a couple stops late in the game when it was a 3 possession game but I never truly got the feeling that RU was again all that interested overall in getting stops. That for a Pikiell team is alarming. There is no more pounding nails that is out the window. My concern is what is going to happen next week when RU simply cannot outscore the competition. Do you think Notre Dame or Alabama is not lickin their chops at Rutgers post defense. Ogbole had his best game tonight with 7 boards and 6 points but shouldnt he given the competition. He is better than Lathan on defense. I am coming around to what GRF has been saying. Lathan is brutal on D and has not progressed there as of yet

Now let me slip in some positives. Ace Bailey was smooth tonight and pretty much why Rutgers won the game. 23 points and 10 boards, 9-15 shooting. He is hitting shots that normally Rutgers players would take and never make. Ace makes them look easy. No one can take the Rutgers Ace in the hole this year. He is an absolute difference maker. Combined with Harper who didnt have his best game on either end but did come on late to end with 14 points and 8 boards, very very solid in the end. These two obviously are as adverstised and no one can question just how good they are and how they will win games for Rutgers either single handedly or as a duo. The problem is the supporting cast and thats what does not impress me much. Sure they looked solid against Wagner and put up some nice numbers vs St Peters and Monmouth but I felt tonight collectively was a step backwards for everyone except for Ogbole.

For starters J Will, okay I know he is banged up a bit but how is he fitting in right now. It seems our offense is slowed with him in and while he can bring some defensive intensity at times, J Will level of play seems a few steps down from last season Sorry 2 points and 2 turnovers on 1-4 shooting is not what you want from a guy you were counting on to bring some experience and leadership. J Mike supposedly our best defensively player was flat out abused tonight in just 11 minutes. Derkack who I had lauded as a solid tough player seemingly tried to do too much to show up his former team. Some bad choices and just atrocious defense in spots. Summerville just way too many touches in this game...why are we forcing the ball so much to him especially with the zone and he loves to hold on to it, doesnt he rather than kick it out. Too many sloppy possessions against the zone not working for the right shot. I am not all that interested in Lathan having to score all that much considering Ace and Harper so why is Pike trying to force it to him. Hayes and Martini were just okay at best tonight. I thought they could have been utlilized more attacking the zone but RU just seem unprepared to play it tonight.

Pike did not coach one of his best games or do the best game prep and if any game screamed for less Lathan/Emmanuel and more Zak it would have been this game. I shudder that Pike still had to be coaching this team up just 7 points late in the game. How this happened I have no idea but this team has yet to find any killer instinct to shut the door on a team when they have them on the ropes. This time up 65-51 yet RU would throw out a bunch of mistakes. Turnover by Ogbole and Lathan and then Ace. Some ill advised quick 3s by Jordan were unforgivable. This is another red flag. Where is the leader late? When opportunity arises, who is going to say lets finish this off. Yes RU did hold sway after the timeout. It was Dylan who came out took a shot, got his own rebound and putback for a dunk, then he got the offensive rebound. on the other end, rebounded Jordan awful choice for 3 for the lay in. There will be times yes its Dylan or Ace doing it but expecting them to have to carry the leadership role as freshmen phenoms perhaps isnt the ideal situation. I just question the team ball concept right now. You have guys who individual can make incredible plays, some who are role playing for outside shots but is this supporting cast good enough to do the little things that win you games. There have been opportunities to see these things that past 3 games but RU has fallen short of the mark every time.

Yes they won and they have won 4 but folks, these are not good teams RU is facing. To be up only 7 with 150 seconds left at home to Merrimack when you have two top 5 NBA draft picks on your team makes you wonder. Normally I do not consider exhibition games but I cannot get that St Johns game out of my head because of how it went down and 4 real games later I have yet to see any improvement on the approach. Talent alone won the game tonight, not effort, not defense, not coaching. Next week you cannot rely on just talent. They all have talent. Will the effort show, will the defense show, will the coaching show. This group is probably needing a reset loss. It may come Sunday or it may come vs Notre Dame but I bet you the team and staff will be better off for it. Or I could be completely wrong and a light switch goes off next week when the Vegas lights shine. The next two weeks of 5 games finishing off with a Big 10 opening road tilt at Ohio State are certainly going to provide more clarity than these first 4 games. Pike will know what he has and he can work from there

 

[RUJMM78]

bac- excellent recap.The team problems are evident but there has been no corrective action on offense or defense.There were too many missed shots around the basket and not enough 3 point shots by Martini and Hayes.Bailey showed why he is a elite basketball player.Harper had a quiet game with 14 points and I was concerned when the trainers were with him during a time out.Right now fans should be concerned as the competition in Las Vegas might be too strong for a Rutgers team still trying to define substitution patterns and clearly lacking competence on defense.

 

[RAC93]

As Shania Twain sang...

That don't impress me much (oh, oh, ooh)
So you got the brains, but have you got the touch?
Now, don't get me wrong, yeah, I think you're alright
But that won't keep me warm in the middle of the night
That don't impress me much
Uh-huh, yeah, yeah

How to judge these first four games is tough. Competition has been against beyond weak sauce. Many schools around the country including just about everyone in Vegas has already squared off against tougher. Tonight Rutgers did the bare minimum to win against a vastly overmatched but spirited Merrimack. That on the heels of a sketchy defensive performance against Monmouth and a death struggle vs St Peter's. 4-0...all wins and certainly Ace and Dylan are as adverstised that is for sure. The question is whether this team is just playing down to its competition and will show up and buckle down for some real impressive play when the big lights come on in Vegas. That is a BIG IF....IF IF IF....we just do not know. The ranking says 24 but I do not see it yet. Might be better off going into Vegas with a bit of disrespect and falling out of the top 25

What I do know is this team is not playing defense a lick and its disheartening to see. Merrimack is not a good offensive team. They were futile from 3 going 4-24 but its not because RU disrupted their offense. Merrimack had a plethora of open 3s all night that were just brick after brick. Meanwhile on 2s they were very good especially early. In fact at one point they were shooting 8-10 on 2s and 2-10 on 3s for 10-20 overall. Give tons of credit to Clark. RU made another player an unstoppable superstar until he cooled off badly late. He went off for 22 points in all 40 minutes on 10-19 shooting. RU was outscored in the paint 40-32 and it seemed like there waaaaaaaaaaaaay too many easy looks either backdoor or just on a pass where RU was just clueless on where the ball was going. Yes RU did get a couple stops late in the game when it was a 3 possession game but I never truly got the feeling that RU was again all that interested overall in getting stops. That for a Pikiell team is alarming. There is no more pounding nails that is out the window. My concern is what is going to happen next week when RU simply cannot outscore the competition. Do you think Notre Dame or Alabama is not lickin their chops at Rutgers post defense. Ogbole had his best game tonight with 7 boards and 6 points but shouldnt he given the competition. He is better than Lathan on defense. I am coming around to what GRF has been saying. Lathan is brutal on D and has not progressed there as of yet

Now let me slip in some positives. Ace Bailey was smooth tonight and pretty much why Rutgers won the game. 23 points and 10 boards, 9-15 shooting. He is hitting shots that normally Rutgers players would take and never make. Ace makes them look easy. No one can take the Rutgers Ace in the hole this year. He is an absolute difference maker. Combined with Harper who didnt have his best game on either end but did come on late to end with 14 points and 8 boards, very very solid in the end. These two obviously are as adverstised and no one can question just how good they are and how they will win games for Rutgers either single handedly or as a duo. The problem is the supporting cast and thats what does not impress me much. Sure they looked solid against Wagner and put up some nice numbers vs St Peters and Monmouth but I felt tonight collectively was a step backwards for everyone except for Ogbole.

For starters J Will, okay I know he is banged up a bit but how is he fitting in right now. It seems our offense is slowed with him in and while he can bring some defensive intensity at times, J Will level of play seems a few steps down from last season Sorry 2 points and 2 turnovers on 1-4 shooting is not what you want from a guy you were counting on to bring some experience and leadership. J Mike supposedly our best defensively player was flat out abused tonight in just 11 minutes. Derkack who I had lauded as a solid tough player seemingly tried to do too much to show up his former team. Some bad choices and just atrocious defense in spots. Summerville just way too many touches in this game...why are we forcing the ball so much to him especially with the zone and he loves to hold on to it, doesnt he rather than kick it out. Too many sloppy possessions against the zone not working for the right shot. I am not all that interested in Lathan having to score all that much considering Ace and Harper so why is Pike trying to force it to him. Hayes and Martini were just okay at best tonight. I thought they could have been utlilized more attacking the zone but RU just seem unprepared to play it tonight.

Pike did not coach one of his best games or do the best game prep and if any game screamed for less Lathan/Emmanuel and more Zak it would have been this game. I shudder that Pike still had to be coaching this team up just 7 points late in the game. How this happened I have no idea but this team has yet to find any killer instinct to shut the door on a team when they have them on the ropes. This time up 65-51 yet RU would throw out a bunch of mistakes. Turnover by Ogbole and Lathan and then Ace. Some ill advised quick 3s by Jordan were unforgivable. This is another red flag. Where is the leader late? When opportunity arises, who is going to say lets finish this off. Yes RU did hold sway after the timeout. It was Dylan who came out took a shot, got his own rebound and putback for a dunk, then he got the offensive rebound. on the other end, rebounded Jordan awful choice for 3 for the lay in. There will be times yes its Dylan or Ace doing it but expecting them to have to carry the leadership role as freshmen phenoms perhaps isnt the ideal situation. I just question the team ball concept right now. You have guys who individual can make incredible plays, some who are role playing for outside shots but is this supporting cast good enough to do the little things that win you games. There have been opportunities to see these things that past 3 games but RU has fallen short of the mark every time.

Yes they won and they have won 4 but folks, these are not good teams RU is facing. To be up only 7 with 150 seconds left at home to Merrimack when you have two top 5 NBA draft picks on your team makes you wonder. Normally I do not consider exhibition games but I cannot get that St Johns game out of my head because of how it went down and 4 real games later I have yet to see any improvement on the approach. Talent alone won the game tonight, not effort, not defense, not coaching. Next week you cannot rely on just talent. They all have talent. Will the effort show, will the defense show, will the coaching show. This group is probably needing a reset loss. It may come Sunday or it may come vs Notre Dame but I bet you the team and staff will be better off for it. Or I could be completely wrong and a light switch goes off next week when the Vegas lights shine. The next two weeks of 5 games finishing off with a Big 10 opening road tilt at Ohio State are certainly going to provide more clarity than these first 4 games. Pike will know what he has and he can work from there

Good summary of how this team looks through 5 games including St John’s. They play defense with an AAU game type of intensity. They also seem to think that playing defense means always going for the steal. Way too many guys trying to make a steal and coming up empty and getting beat by their man on far too many possessions. Just stay in front of your own man and be ready to rotate and support your teammates. The team defense and defensive rotations need a lot of improvement. I am not asking this team to be a lights out defensive team, but they need to show something more than what they are now and need to create more team connectivity on the defensive end to achieve their ceiling this year.

 

[Groz]

As Shania Twain sang...

That don't impress me much (oh, oh, ooh)
So you got the brains, but have you got the touch?
Now, don't get me wrong, yeah, I think you're alright
But that won't keep me warm in the middle of the night
That don't impress me much
Uh-huh, yeah, yeah

How to judge these first four games is tough. Competition has been against beyond weak sauce. Many schools around the country including just about everyone in Vegas has already squared off against tougher. Tonight Rutgers did the bare minimum to win against a vastly overmatched but spirited Merrimack. That on the heels of a sketchy defensive performance against Monmouth and a death struggle vs St Peter's. 4-0...all wins and certainly Ace and Dylan are as adverstised that is for sure. The question is whether this team is just playing down to its competition and will show up and buckle down for some real impressive play when the big lights come on in Vegas. That is a BIG IF....IF IF IF....we just do not know. The ranking says 24 but I do not see it yet. Might be better off going into Vegas with a bit of disrespect and falling out of the top 25

What I do know is this team is not playing defense a lick and its disheartening to see. Merrimack is not a good offensive team. They were futile from 3 going 4-24 but its not because RU disrupted their offense. Merrimack had a plethora of open 3s all night that were just brick after brick. Meanwhile on 2s they were very good especially early. In fact at one point they were shooting 8-10 on 2s and 2-10 on 3s for 10-20 overall. Give tons of credit to Clark. RU made another player an unstoppable superstar until he cooled off badly late. He went off for 22 points in all 40 minutes on 10-19 shooting. RU was outscored in the paint 40-32 and it seemed like there waaaaaaaaaaaaay too many easy looks either backdoor or just on a pass where RU was just clueless on where the ball was going. Yes RU did get a couple stops late in the game when it was a 3 possession game but I never truly got the feeling that RU was again all that interested overall in getting stops. That for a Pikiell team is alarming. There is no more pounding nails that is out the window. My concern is what is going to happen next week when RU simply cannot outscore the competition. Do you think Notre Dame or Alabama is not lickin their chops at Rutgers post defense. Ogbole had his best game tonight with 7 boards and 6 points but shouldnt he given the competition. He is better than Lathan on defense. I am coming around to what GRF has been saying. Lathan is brutal on D and has not progressed there as of yet

Now let me slip in some positives. Ace Bailey was smooth tonight and pretty much why Rutgers won the game. 23 points and 10 boards, 9-15 shooting. He is hitting shots that normally Rutgers players would take and never make. Ace makes them look easy. No one can take the Rutgers Ace in the hole this year. He is an absolute difference maker. Combined with Harper who didnt have his best game on either end but did come on late to end with 14 points and 8 boards, very very solid in the end. These two obviously are as adverstised and no one can question just how good they are and how they will win games for Rutgers either single handedly or as a duo. The problem is the supporting cast and thats what does not impress me much. Sure they looked solid against Wagner and put up some nice numbers vs St Peters and Monmouth but I felt tonight collectively was a step backwards for everyone except for Ogbole.

For starters J Will, okay I know he is banged up a bit but how is he fitting in right now. It seems our offense is slowed with him in and while he can bring some defensive intensity at times, J Will level of play seems a few steps down from last season Sorry 2 points and 2 turnovers on 1-4 shooting is not what you want from a guy you were counting on to bring some experience and leadership. J Mike supposedly our best defensively player was flat out abused tonight in just 11 minutes. Derkack who I had lauded as a solid tough player seemingly tried to do too much to show up his former team. Some bad choices and just atrocious defense in spots. Summerville just way too many touches in this game...why are we forcing the ball so much to him especially with the zone and he loves to hold on to it, doesnt he rather than kick it out. Too many sloppy possessions against the zone not working for the right shot. I am not all that interested in Lathan having to score all that much considering Ace and Harper so why is Pike trying to force it to him. Hayes and Martini were just okay at best tonight. I thought they could have been utlilized more attacking the zone but RU just seem unprepared to play it tonight.

Pike did not coach one of his best games or do the best game prep and if any game screamed for less Lathan/Emmanuel and more Zak it would have been this game. I shudder that Pike still had to be coaching this team up just 7 points late in the game. How this happened I have no idea but this team has yet to find any killer instinct to shut the door on a team when they have them on the ropes. This time up 65-51 yet RU would throw out a bunch of mistakes. Turnover by Ogbole and Lathan and then Ace. Some ill advised quick 3s by Jordan were unforgivable. This is another red flag. Where is the leader late? When opportunity arises, who is going to say lets finish this off. Yes RU did hold sway after the timeout. It was Dylan who came out took a shot, got his own rebound and putback for a dunk, then he got the offensive rebound. on the other end, rebounded Jordan awful choice for 3 for the lay in. There will be times yes its Dylan or Ace doing it but expecting them to have to carry the leadership role as freshmen phenoms perhaps isnt the ideal situation. I just question the team ball concept right now. You have guys who individual can make incredible plays, some who are role playing for outside shots but is this supporting cast good enough to do the little things that win you games. There have been opportunities to see these things that past 3 games but RU has fallen short of the mark every time.

Yes they won and they have won 4 but folks, these are not good teams RU is facing. To be up only 7 with 150 seconds left at home to Merrimack when you have two top 5 NBA draft picks on your team makes you wonder. Normally I do not consider exhibition games but I cannot get that St Johns game out of my head because of how it went down and 4 real games later I have yet to see any improvement on the approach. Talent alone won the game tonight, not effort, not defense, not coaching. Next week you cannot rely on just talent. They all have talent. Will the effort show, will the defense show, will the coaching show. This group is probably needing a reset loss. It may come Sunday or it may come vs Notre Dame but I bet you the team and staff will be better off for it. Or I could be completely wrong and a light switch goes off next week when the Vegas lights shine. The next two weeks of 5 games finishing off with a Big 10 opening road tilt at Ohio State are certainly going to provide more clarity than these first 4 games. Pike will know what he has and he can work from there

Excellent recap as usual Bac.

Best of Luck,
Groz

 

[socaldave]

Great recap! Talent won this game, everything else was a net negative.
Which is infuriating and frustrating.
To waste this talent is a Sin!

 

[PiscatawayMike]

Shania and I in 1995. Look at that throwback cap! LOL

 

[winfield102]

Tonight definitely felt like watching an AAU game.

They seem like good hard working kids and we have talent this year. The role players compliment the 2 stars well imo (or they could if they were coached properly). They need a coach.

Pike's strength seemed to be scouting an opponent's offense and having his players prepared to defend/disrupt it. LS looks lost on defense. We are not going to be able to lean on our defense this year with this group of players. I'm praying Pike already knows that and has already accepted it. We are in trouble if he hasn't.

Was tonight the 1st time Pike has seen an opponent play zone defense? Sure looked like it. Players didn't know where to go, there were possessions where our 5 guys were basically standing next to the defender in the zone.

Why are we feeding the post? Can coaches get a technical for bad coaching? When Harper and Bailey are on the floor, feeding the post should be strictly forbidden. I'm not kidding. Stop posting up and get out of the way of Dylan, Ace, JWill and Derkack. The opposing coaching staff has be laughing when we do that.

What did Williams work on in the off season? I really like him but he should have been working hard on his 3 point stroke. Any thoughts about continuing to play after college require a 3 point shot. Really makes me wonder about the staff. Do they work with the players to build an offseason plan? Derkack tried to do too much tonight but he has a better looking shot from 3. Those 2 will have completely uncontested looks from 3 this year due to their teammates.

Our finishing around the hoop was terrible tonight against a team without a shot blocker. Yikes. Dead legs from a couple of hard practices?

We go as far as the coach takes us this year.

 

[bac2therac]

Shania and I in 1995. Look at that throwback cap! LOL

Woah...now that impresses me much Mike!

 

[socaldave]

Shania and I in 1995. Look at that throwback cap! LOL

Impressive

 

[Degaz-RU]

As Shania Twain sang...

That don't impress me much (oh, oh, ooh)
So you got the brains, but have you got the touch?
Now, don't get me wrong, yeah, I think you're alright
But that won't keep me warm in the middle of the night
That don't impress me much
Uh-huh, yeah, yeah

How to judge these first four games is tough. Competition has been against beyond weak sauce. Many schools around the country including just about everyone in Vegas has already squared off against tougher. Tonight Rutgers did the bare minimum to win against a vastly overmatched but spirited Merrimack. That on the heels of a sketchy defensive performance against Monmouth and a death struggle vs St Peter's. 4-0...all wins and certainly Ace and Dylan are as adverstised that is for sure. The question is whether this team is just playing down to its competition and will show up and buckle down for some real impressive play when the big lights come on in Vegas. That is a BIG IF....IF IF IF....we just do not know. The ranking says 24 but I do not see it yet. Might be better off going into Vegas with a bit of disrespect and falling out of the top 25

What I do know is this team is not playing defense a lick and its disheartening to see. Merrimack is not a good offensive team. They were futile from 3 going 4-24 but its not because RU disrupted their offense. Merrimack had a plethora of open 3s all night that were just brick after brick. Meanwhile on 2s they were very good especially early. In fact at one point they were shooting 8-10 on 2s and 2-10 on 3s for 10-20 overall. Give tons of credit to Clark. RU made another player an unstoppable superstar until he cooled off badly late. He went off for 22 points in all 40 minutes on 10-19 shooting. RU was outscored in the paint 40-32 and it seemed like there waaaaaaaaaaaaay too many easy looks either backdoor or just on a pass where RU was just clueless on where the ball was going. Yes RU did get a couple stops late in the game when it was a 3 possession game but I never truly got the feeling that RU was again all that interested overall in getting stops. That for a Pikiell team is alarming. There is no more pounding nails that is out the window. My concern is what is going to happen next week when RU simply cannot outscore the competition. Do you think Notre Dame or Alabama is not lickin their chops at Rutgers post defense. Ogbole had his best game tonight with 7 boards and 6 points but shouldnt he given the competition. He is better than Lathan on defense. I am coming around to what GRF has been saying. Lathan is brutal on D and has not progressed there as of yet

Now let me slip in some positives. Ace Bailey was smooth tonight and pretty much why Rutgers won the game. 23 points and 10 boards, 9-15 shooting. He is hitting shots that normally Rutgers players would take and never make. Ace makes them look easy. No one can take the Rutgers Ace in the hole this year. He is an absolute difference maker. Combined with Harper who didnt have his best game on either end but did come on late to end with 14 points and 8 boards, very very solid in the end. These two obviously are as adverstised and no one can question just how good they are and how they will win games for Rutgers either single handedly or as a duo. The problem is the supporting cast and thats what does not impress me much. Sure they looked solid against Wagner and put up some nice numbers vs St Peters and Monmouth but I felt tonight collectively was a step backwards for everyone except for Ogbole.

For starters J Will, okay I know he is banged up a bit but how is he fitting in right now. It seems our offense is slowed with him in and while he can bring some defensive intensity at times, J Will level of play seems a few steps down from last season Sorry 2 points and 2 turnovers on 1-4 shooting is not what you want from a guy you were counting on to bring some experience and leadership. J Mike supposedly our best defensively player was flat out abused tonight in just 11 minutes. Derkack who I had lauded as a solid tough player seemingly tried to do too much to show up his former team. Some bad choices and just atrocious defense in spots. Summerville just way too many touches in this game...why are we forcing the ball so much to him especially with the zone and he loves to hold on to it, doesnt he rather than kick it out. Too many sloppy possessions against the zone not working for the right shot. I am not all that interested in Lathan having to score all that much considering Ace and Harper so why is Pike trying to force it to him. Hayes and Martini were just okay at best tonight. I thought they could have been utlilized more attacking the zone but RU just seem unprepared to play it tonight.

Pike did not coach one of his best games or do the best game prep and if any game screamed for less Lathan/Emmanuel and more Zak it would have been this game. I shudder that Pike still had to be coaching this team up just 7 points late in the game. How this happened I have no idea but this team has yet to find any killer instinct to shut the door on a team when they have them on the ropes. This time up 65-51 yet RU would throw out a bunch of mistakes. Turnover by Ogbole and Lathan and then Ace. Some ill advised quick 3s by Jordan were unforgivable. This is another red flag. Where is the leader late? When opportunity arises, who is going to say lets finish this off. Yes RU did hold sway after the timeout. It was Dylan who came out took a shot, got his own rebound and putback for a dunk, then he got the offensive rebound. on the other end, rebounded Jordan awful choice for 3 for the lay in. There will be times yes its Dylan or Ace doing it but expecting them to have to carry the leadership role as freshmen phenoms perhaps isnt the ideal situation. I just question the team ball concept right now. You have guys who individual can make incredible plays, some who are role playing for outside shots but is this supporting cast good enough to do the little things that win you games. There have been opportunities to see these things that past 3 games but RU has fallen short of the mark every time.

Yes they won and they have won 4 but folks, these are not good teams RU is facing. To be up only 7 with 150 seconds left at home to Merrimack when you have two top 5 NBA draft picks on your team makes you wonder. Normally I do not consider exhibition games but I cannot get that St Johns game out of my head because of how it went down and 4 real games later I have yet to see any improvement on the approach. Talent alone won the game tonight, not effort, not defense, not coaching. Next week you cannot rely on just talent. They all have talent. Will the effort show, will the defense show, will the coaching show. This group is probably needing a reset loss. It may come Sunday or it may come vs Notre Dame but I bet you the team and staff will be better off for it. Or I could be completely wrong and a light switch goes off next week when the Vegas lights shine. The next two weeks of 5 games finishing off with a Big 10 opening road tilt at Ohio State are certainly going to provide more clarity than these first 4 games. Pike will know what he has and he can work from there

Well said, bac. The alarms are sounding, and next week (starting with Kennesaw) could be ugly if we continue to play matador D.

 

[RUJMM78]

Bottom line the coaching staff has this one year opportunity to show fans,media and recruits that Rutgers can successfully compete against top tier competition.The best players will be gone after this season.The performance in the first four games doesn't inspire confidence.

 

[RW90]

I think Pike has his hands full this year settling on his starting five and second team. Aside from the two one-and-doners, the rest of the roster has been literally interchangeable to this point. It'll be interesting to see who's on the floor crunch time next week.

 

[Myrtleknight]

The reaction on this board is unbelievable. Was the board reacting this way when RHJ, Gio and co won 48 - 35 against Merrimack a couple of years ago. Everyone is so used to winning ugly and no offense. This brand of basketball is much better.

 

[motorb54]

I think we have too many pieces Coach is trying to manage.

 

[Saint Puppy]

The reaction on this board is unbelievable. Was the board reacting this way when RHJ, Gio and co won 48 - 35 against Merrimack a couple of years ago. Everyone is so used to winning ugly and no offense. This brand of basketball is much better.

Respectfully disagree - this brand of basketball may be more 'fun', but the lack of defense will drive us mad, and make fans appreciate Pike teams of past years whose team's cornerstone was D!

 

[RULoyal]

Respectfully disagree - this brand of basketball may be more 'fun', but the lack of defense will drive us mad, and make fans appreciate Pike teams of past years whose team's cornerstone was D!

As others have said it's a long season and we need to be playing our best come March but (and I hope I'm wrong) I have a bad feeling that we are going to end up disappointed.

 

[NickRU714]

Respectfully disagree - this brand of basketball may be more 'fun', but the lack of defense will drive us mad, and make fans appreciate Pike teams of past years whose team's cornerstone was D!

Unless we win.
If we win, then people shouldn't care how.

Winning 65-60 counts the same as 80-75.
With this team, winning 80-75 may be more repeatable.

The pproblem could be if the coaching staff tries to stick to winning 65-60 when the roster may not be built that way.
If our "defensive players" aren't actually providing defense then they need to sit and lean into the offensive capabilities of the roster.

 

[Degaz-RU]

The reaction on this board is unbelievable. Was the board reacting this way when RHJ, Gio and co won 48 - 35 against Merrimack a couple of years ago. Everyone is so used to winning ugly and no offense. This brand of basketball is much better.

It’s not a binary world of offense OR defense. There’s got to be a happy medium. Look at all of the top teams — all of them have top 50 offenses AND top 50 defenses, and the really elite teams have top 10-20 offenses and top 10-20 defenses.

We’re allowed to be concerned with how the team is playing even though the season shows a lot of promise.

 

[Pdabs]

Defense is awful. But in the game of basketball as long as you score 1 more point than your opponent you will win the game. With that said will they be able to out score tougher competition bc they for sure don’t look like they can stop anyone.

 

[higgins3]

I won't judge until 8 games in or so. Reality is every coach in CBB has new things to adapt to. Completely new teams, and scouting opponents takes time because the other teams are completely new.

That said, if Pikiell didn't reach second round in tournament with this team, I would have doubts. Still, very early.

 

[bac2therac]

The reaction on this board is unbelievable. Was the board reacting this way when RHJ, Gio and co won 48 - 35 against Merrimack a couple of years ago. Everyone is so used to winning ugly and no offense. This brand of basketball is much better.

Game 2 MERRIMACK: Questions

Lets be clear. Ron Harper and Big Cliff have showed up in the first two games big time. Double double for Cliff today with 11 point and 13 rebounds and Harper with 13 points/11 boards, his 2nd straight double double. Those two are showing how it gets done. They are our best two players by far...

rutgers.forums.rivals.com

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

It’s not a binary world of offense OR defense. There’s got to be a happy medium. Look at all of the top teams — all of them have top 50 offenses AND top 50 defenses, and the really elite teams have top 10-20 offenses and top 10-20 defenses.

We’re allowed to be concerned with how the team is playing even though the season shows a lot of promise.

Do we have the horses to be a Top 50 defensive team? Righ now within 24 hours of our last game and on heightened emotions I say no. The 5 position, I fear, may haunt us defensively all year. I wonder if Pike has any thoughts in the back of his mind to say F it Ace is my center for 15-20 minutes.

 

[RUFan20231]

Sorry folks, this team has issues, but the glooming is bonkers. Rutgers will almost always this season have the 2 best players on the Court. If the center struggles or the 8th man is 0-4, or PJ Hayes only shoots a handful of times, the fact of the matter is this team will still win 20 games.

I also think that Pike isn’t having them too much on defense in games they are almost guaranteed to win.

If they get killed by Alabama, I can understand the glooming. But after winning a game by 10 and going 4-0???

 

[littlenis5]

I agree with OP on Williams, and this is not a one game reaction. Pike put himself in a tough spot naming him captain when the reality is he’s kind of the only guy without a defined role on this team. But he can’t let that decision keep him from playing guys who actually fill roles. We don’t need him as a Swiss Army knife and dribbling into defenses.

 

[seansherm]

I agree with OP on Williams, and this is not a one game reaction. Pike put himself in a tough spot naming him captain when the reality is he’s kind of the only guy without a defined role on this team. But he can’t let that decision keep him from playing guys who actually fill roles. We don’t need him as a Swiss Army knife and dribbling into defenses.

I'm not sure what people were expecting to get from JWill. He's kinda a swiss army knife that dribbles into defenses. Good midrange game. Can't shoot. Everyone here over rates him because he was the best player on an awful team last year. I said all off season he wasn't an ideal fit next to Dylan. Now everyone was awful last night, so not just his fault by any stretch. We really need a 3 and D guy in between Ace and Dylan, not sure we have that.

 

[Mholinko]

I think we have too many pieces Coach is trying to manage.

last year we were angry and upset we did not have enough pieces to put a basketball team on the floor and now were criticizing the coach for having too many pieces... smh

i think most hit the nail on the head... this team cannot try to be teams of years past winning rock fights and hoping to keep the other team under 60 points... and fans need to also come to grips that this is not going to be that team either

year over year there are literally 6-8 schools in the country that rank in the top 30 in offense AND defense... one of them usually win the national title. right now that is not us, could it become us who knows season is long

i am going to side with RAC and HOPE and BELIEVE as i was telling people sitting near me last night that this team is waiting for the big moment to shine through. playing merrimack and st peters may feel like playing Clifton HS for Dylan or Georgia ____ Charter for Ace... they glide through and it looks like they are not trying. that may feed off on the other players who cannot afford to do that and perhaps it will have the opposite effect in a big spot

I WILL say and i could be in the minority that I would rather see less of LS on the court until he can play ANY defense.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I agree with OP on Williams, and this is not a one game reaction. Pike put himself in a tough spot naming him captain when the reality is he’s kind of the only guy without a defined role on this team. But he can’t let that decision keep him from playing guys who actually fill roles. We don’t need him as a Swiss Army knife and dribbling into defenses.

From my observation he is a leader. He appears to be well respected , well liked, plays hard and has experience.

I see him as a good choice.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

last year we were angry and upset we did not have enough pieces to put a basketball team on the floor and now were criticizing the coach for having too many pieces... smh

i think most hit the nail on the head... this team cannot try to be teams of years past winning rock fights and hoping to keep the other team under 60 points... and fans need to also come to grips that this is not going to be that team either

year over year there are literally 6-8 schools in the country that rank in the top 30 in offense AND defense... one of them usually win the national title. right now that is not us, could it become us who knows season is long

i am going to side with RAC and HOPE and BELIEVE as i was telling people sitting near me last night that this team is waiting for the big moment to shine through. playing merrimack and st peters may feel like playing Clifton HS for Dylan or Georgia ____ Charter for Ace... they glide through and it looks like they are not trying. that may feed off on the other players who cannot afford to do that and perhaps it will have the opposite effect in a big spot

I WILL say and i could be in the minority that I would rather see less of LS on the court until he can play ANY defense.

This is all great, so answer my question……

What is your hope we would be ranked both offense and defense?

Do you expect to be so elite offensively that we can win witha low 100s defense?

Do you expect to thread the needle and just win every close game?

 

[SBP]

bac- excellent recap.The team problems are evident but there has been no corrective action on offense or defense.There were too many missed shots around the basket and not enough 3 point shots by Martini and Hayes.Bailey showed why he is a elite basketball player.Harper had a quiet game with 14 points and I was concerned when the trainers were with him during a time out.Right now fans should be concerned as the competition in Las Vegas might be too strong for a Rutgers team still trying to define substitution patterns and clearly lacking competence on defense.

Bottom line. They took the ball out of Dylan’s hands way too much. Especially Jordan. Missed him on numerous occasions. When he’s open, HIT EM! It’s very obvious from where I sit and I’m sure tape will bare that out.

 

[NickRU714]

I'm not sure what people were expecting to get from JWill. He's kinda a swiss army knife that dribbles into defenses. Good midrange game. Can't shoot. Everyone here over rates him because he was the best player on an awful team last year. I said all off season he wasn't an ideal fit next to Dylan. Now everyone was awful last night, so not just his fault by any stretch. We really need a 3 and D guy in between Ace and Dylan, not sure we have that.

We tried to tell everyone for months.

(NSFW)

 

[RUFan20231]

last year we were angry and upset we did not have enough pieces to put a basketball team on the floor and now were criticizing the coach for having too many pieces... smh

i think most hit the nail on the head... this team cannot try to be teams of years past winning rock fights and hoping to keep the other team under 60 points... and fans need to also come to grips that this is not going to be that team either

year over year there are literally 6-8 schools in the country that rank in the top 30 in offense AND defense... one of them usually win the national title. right now that is not us, could it become us who knows season is long

i am going to side with RAC and HOPE and BELIEVE as i was telling people sitting near me last night that this team is waiting for the big moment to shine through. playing merrimack and st peters may feel like playing Clifton HS for Dylan or Georgia ____ Charter for Ace... they glide through and it looks like they are not trying. that may feed off on the other players who cannot afford to do that and perhaps it will have the opposite effect in a big spot

I WILL say and i could be in the minority that I would rather see less of LS on the court until he can play ANY defense.

I agree with most of this. I think you will see a MUCH different Dylan when is he is going up against Mark Sears. He will literally try to embarrass him and show that he is better. Same with Ace and Grant Nelson.

Disagree about LS though. Ogbole is terrible - Pike needs to let LS get better by playing. I wish Ogbole would have transferred. Not sure why Pike loves him, but it’s clear the guy can’t play at this level.

 

[SBP]

PJ also got left in the dust on D…

 

[Arizona Knight]

4-0 and I had no concerns that we would lose any of the games so far. I’m sure the guys felt the same way. We will know a lot more after Las Vegas but I see no reason to get to worried right now.

Pike always starts slow as he plays around with different rotations. Let’s see what we look like after Vegas, then see what we look like in January, then February, and most importantly… March.

 

[bac2therac]

Do we have the horses to be a Top 50 defensive team? Righ now within 24 hours of our last game and on heightened emotions I say no. The 5 position, I fear, may haunt us defensively all year. I wonder if Pike has any thoughts in the back of his mind to say F it Ace is my center for 15-20 minutes.

how many Big 10 schools are going to miss those wide open 3s. See we do not defend the perimeter well and that is partly by design but this year the help defense is non existent and the centers are easily being beat by midgets and even Derkack fooled, in fact Derkack was outplayed by many of his teammates last night

 

[bac2therac]

I agree with most of this. I think you will see a MUCH different Dylan when is he is going up against Mark Sears. He will literally try to embarrass him and show that he is better. Same with Ace and Grant Nelson.

Disagree about LS though. Ogbole is terrible - Pike needs to let LS get better by playing. I wish Ogbole would have transferred. Not sure why Pike loves him, but it’s clear the guy can’t play at this level.

Ogbole as not good as he is on the court is still much better than Lathan is on defense. Just the size and presence. Eventually we will need defense to step up

Its shocking or not so shocking RU has not even been in foul trouble and only had 4 fouls in the 2nd half. What happens when the balls gets into the paint and Ogo and Lathan start piling up the fouls. Pike has to play both

 

[bac2therac]

We tried to tell everyone for months.

(NSFW)

View embedded media

i love peaky blinders

 

[bac2therac]

Bottom line. They took the ball out of Dylan’s hands way too much. Especially Jordan. Missed him on numerous occasions. When he’s open, HIT EM! It’s very obvious from where I sit and I’m sure tape will bare that out.

Harper was just 2-7 fg to start. He seemed off but I did like that he ended up shrugging that off and was a factor late with some key shots and key rebounds. He is so talented he really should be more vocal and Pike should be more vocal in his teammates getting him the ball.

 

[bac2therac]

last year we were angry and upset we did not have enough pieces to put a basketball team on the floor and now were criticizing the coach for having too many pieces... smh

i think most hit the nail on the head... this team cannot try to be teams of years past winning rock fights and hoping to keep the other team under 60 points... and fans need to also come to grips that this is not going to be that team either

year over year there are literally 6-8 schools in the country that rank in the top 30 in offense AND defense... one of them usually win the national title. right now that is not us, could it become us who knows season is long

i am going to side with RAC and HOPE and BELIEVE as i was telling people sitting near me last night that this team is waiting for the big moment to shine through. playing merrimack and st peters may feel like playing Clifton HS for Dylan or Georgia ____ Charter for Ace... they glide through and it looks like they are not trying. that may feed off on the other players who cannot afford to do that and perhaps it will have the opposite effect in a big spot

I WILL say and i could be in the minority that I would rather see less of LS on the court until he can play ANY defense.

im not sure its Ace or Dylan I am worried. Yes Ace isnt playing the best defense. I am sure both will up their game. Its the rest of the cast that I am worried about. I would have wanted to see a breakout defensive guy thus far. Some might say Derkack but that is more toughness, his defense wasnt good, now maybe we chalk it up to playing his own team but last night I expected more from him.

 

[NickRU714]

i love peaky blinders

Thomas Shelby for AD!!
He'd certainly come up with way to "fix" our money problems.

 

[knight82]

We will learn more about this team when we see how they play against an inferior team in a hostile environment on Sunday