ADVERTISEMENT

GAME 4 Temple: It's going to take some time this time

bac2therac

Legend
Gold Member
Jul 30, 2001
216,278
139,092
113
54
Belle Mead NJ
It's gonna take some time this time
To get myself in shape
I really fell out of line this time
I really missed the gate


Winning is always better than losing but sometimes you have to lose to learn how to win. RU has been getting by the sisters of the poor in their first 3 games and look impressive even without Caleb McConnell and even Paul being banged up. With both out tonight, it provided an interesting and probably needed challenge against Temple the first real competition RU would be facing this year. Who would fill the void? Can Cliff carry the team on his back and fill the leadership void? Can either one of Mag or Hyatt step their level up to what is needed and expected in their growth as upperclassmen? Is Derek Simpson ready in game 4 to produce under pressure? Can Cam provide what we expect him to provide as an upperclass transfer? Can any of the guy on the bench provide a spark?

Unfortunately the answer to all of these questions was basically no. I am going to start by saying, RU played a pretty solid 2nd half and showed incredible fight (more on that later). However I am going to give credit to the Temple coaching staff for having their team ready to play. Temple was much more battle tested than RU coming into this game and they could smell the shakiness of a RU team that was coming into this game without its point guard and best defensive player. Temple came out with intensity and punched RU in the mouth and RU could not recover until midway through the 2nd half. Predictably RU without any real leadership looked like deer in headlights in the first half. They must have turned it over about 10 times in the first 10 minutes. They compounded these problems by bricking everything on offense and some pretty pourous defense and a serious lack of effort in rebounding. Temple up 15 at half and they basically coasted the rest of the way. The lead got cut to 6 and Temple really came back to earth shooting wise but did just enough to hold on and by the time RU got it to 4, there was simply no time left. Credit the Owls, they were the better team at least for today, better coaching, better game prep, better executiion, better intensity. They deserved the victory

So without Paul and Caleb it is very hard to harshly criticize RU for the loss. Does RU win with Paul playing. Well for one I dont think the start would have been abysmal but some of the same offensive problems might remain. Cannot fault Cliff tonight....19 points, 11 boards, I do not think it was one of his best defensive performances but I would deflect any criticism away from him today. The big question for RU is who will replace the void left by the departure of Ron and Geo. Many have said on this board that Cam and Hyatt and Mag and Derek will provide this. I will exclude Derek from this critique (more on him later). Cam had 17 and 7 of them were at the line. He was 5-12 but a goose egg at 0-5. Seems like a solid game but I think in the first 25 minutes or so, Cam was a non factor and looked unathletic and slow compared to the Temple guards. His game today wasnt good enough, whether that is fair to him or not, this is the big boy league now, he was brought to replace Geo's production shooting the ball. But my focus concerns the play of Mag and Hyatt. If RU is to get back to the NCAA tourney, these two now as upperclassmen need to start producing in major ways. I do not think I am being unfairly harsh on either. They NEED to get better. Hyatt's numbers were not all that bad 4-8 fg. 5-5 ft 13 points, but he was 0-3 from 3 and had 4 turnovers and still getting the sense he is always good force a handful or shots or make a bad decision. Hyatt only had 3 rebounds and I got a sense that not just with him but Temple was just outhustling the entire RU team for those boards. There is still time for him, but this is a game he absolutely must step up in. Mag 3-5 and 9 points but was really bad early forcing things on both ends. He had 3 turnovers and while he came on late in the game with his defense the hole was already dug. Ron is gone. No one is coming off the bench to save Mag and Hyatt. They have to do it. Even when Paul and Caleb come back, Rutgers will need one of these guys to elevate their game. For RU to win tonight, one or both needed to step way up. Didnt happen.

Derek Simpson may have grown some wings with a 10-10 free throw shooting night vs UMass Lowell with some ice in his veins in crunch time but it was obvious the speed of the game and situation he was put in tonight, he was not ready. Yes its going to take some time for him. A dreadful 1-11 shooting night although he did get that one very late to cut it to 4. Derek is clearly the future and you can see the talent that is there. Still tonight is a great learning experience for him. I could remember Geo having some of these games way back. For the whole team itself tonight is not one of those burn the tape games. Its a game where lessons can be learned from the mistakes made early and some positives taking how RU showed some resiliency in adversity. Down 18 or 19, coming back to get it to 5-6 even as they still shot the ball poorly and without your two biggest floor leaders. There is something to be said for that. I think RU may have had only about 3 turnovers in the last 30 minutes after 10 in the first 10. I hope this group can learn something about the mental challenges to how you need to start a game. In some ways the game may have been lost in their lack of confidence from the opening tip. Valuing possessions...this game was winnable late. RU was lacking that leader to stick a landing tonight. Pikiell will get more out of a loss today than he would with a win I think.

The Pikiell wheel needs to spin at full strength. Take two out and it took a total regroup until deep in the end to finally settle down. Rutgers needs to get both back to hope to have any success. I am okay with tonights loss overall simply because of how they came back in the 2nd half and didnt pout and curl up in a ball. RU wasnt as good as they looked in their first 3 and not as bad as how they played in the first half. With the injuries and still the uncertainty of filling the void of Ron Harper plus trying to put years onto Derek Simpson in just a few games...


Its going to take some time this time,
But it's going to take some time this time
And I can't make demands
But, like the young trees in the winter time
I'll learn how to bend
After all the tears we've spent
How could we make amends?
So, it's one more round for experience
And I'm on the road again
And it's going to take some time this time
And I can't make demands
I'll learn how to bend

 
First night we reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally missed Geo and Ron. I'd like to think we are fine with Paul and Caleb as well...but so many possessions we had ugly, forced shots. We needed someone who could just go get a bucket all night.
 
Besides the fight we showed, one thing I really liked was the full court trapping. It forced Temple to use a lot of clock and lead to rushed shots, shot clock violations, and some turnovers.

With a full strength roster I would love to see this from the start of the game. Also makes guys like Miller and Mag more effective.
 
Great recap as usual. I feel that the offense without Paul struggled. Not that he would have scored a lot but he would have been a floor general to control the tempo and flow of the game. I believe it also put more pressure on Cam.

Paul and Caleb can’t get back soon enough!
 
One of your better, more balanced recaps, bac. You can’t really take TOO much from this loss because we were missing our PG and DPOY.

That said, I DO think we can start to deduce that:

1. Mag is just not a go-to scorer, but rather a complementary role player.

2. Simpson is still a freshman, and we’re going to get highs and lows with him.

3. Cliff is still learning how to be a consistent shooter, and his strength is still around the basket.

4. Hyatt is still a turnover machine, but he has the chops and onions to score when we need a bucket.

5. Spencer hasn’t really found his shooting groove, but this game reinforced that he’s a good all around player. If he starts to catch fire from deep, watch out.

6. Something has to be wrong with Reiber. We desperately needed shooting in this game but, except for a short stretch in the first half, Dean was planted on the bench and Palmquist was in there.

7. This is the first time I can remember that our full court press is actually pretty effective. The combination of Mag and Hyatt is pretty devastating on the corner trap. Watch out when Caleb returns.

8. The talk by some people that Paul should come off the bench should be put to rest after this game. He needs to run our offense for most of the time.
 
Hyatt turnovers were a factor but I really don't think 8 shots is truly enough at this stage.

He is (to me) the only player I feel comfortable with, scoring in traffic or through contact. Cliff has such a quick, explosive jump, if he has a chance to get space, but I don't even think at this stage, I would ask him to get me points against a physical defense.

If there are more plays run for Hyatt, I can see him getting to the line and stopping the bleeding at times.

In terms of Mag......I don't see the fluidity or anything they indicates he has the mechanics or patience to understand how to score. He seems very rushed or not in sync and it's resulting in turnovers or awkward looking shots. If he had the patience of what Eugene showed in his early career, on how to maneuver and take his time, Mag can be effective. I don't however see him being a 1st or 2nd post option, ahead of Cliff or Hyatt.....Woolfork actually has more patience to set up defenders to score. He just needs more reps.

I know it seems like RU played poorly, but this team struggles when they don't get any transition shots AND without Paul trying to force or create offense for others, everything seemed way to hard for others to score and create on their own.

Caleb McConnell is probably the missing link, much more than we understand in terms of understanding what opponents want to do, creating turnovers, stops and playing with that hunger.

In terms of players like Reiber and a lesser extent, when you are looking for Mag and others to score or make contributions on the road, it has not happened. Reiber is clearly a player who is reliant on a Mulcahy type to find him in spots.

Cam Spencer...he is really best suited as a 3rd or 4th option oh a quality Power 5 roster. Anything beyond that, and he is then in a place where he's not capable of getting his own offense off the dribble or 1 on 1. For those fans who have not yet understood how much of a reliance there was to take and make tough shots, it will take this roster about a dozen games to sort out who will take and make those plays.

In terms of Simpson.....this is a vicious and very good learning curve for him and I'm very happy to see him continue to attack the basket and although he was 1 for 11, he plays with tremendous pace and courage. 4 games in and whatever mistakes he makes, I'm willing to live with.

I think (know) Temple is probably a NCAA tournament team, so on a neutral court without Caleb and practically, no 3s made, some very spotty officials, I am not overly concerned.

What I am concerned about is Pike really has to make a decision on developing a bench that has upside. I know Palmquist is in Year 4 of the program and Chol isn't quite ready yet, but I was disappointed to not see Chol getting any minutes tonight. He can't be THAT far behind at this stage. Throw him to the wolves and let him get bullied and tossed around the court and learn like Simpson is doing. I am probably willing to wager that if he plays more than 10 to 15 minutes a game, we'll see him start to improve. Reiber isn't making any contributions on the glass, defense and needs to make something happen away from the RAC.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RU84
I think there was actually a lot positive in this game, or at least in the second half. I actually think we played really well in the second half in the aspects we can really control. Unfortunately our shooting was still bad. But honestly to play as terrible as we did in the first half, to not hit a three until the end of the game, to brick a lot of free throws, and to still only lose by 6 is kind of amazing.

All that said, it would be nice if Pike could win one of these fking games eventually. St John’s in 2018-19, Bonaventure in 2019-20, DePaul in 2021-22, Temple in 2022-23.. it seems like we are always coming up short in the first “real” game.
 
Hyatt turnovers were a factor but I really don't think 8 shots is truly enough at this stage.

He is (to me) the only player I feel comfortable with, scoring in traffic or through contact. Cliff has such a quick, explosive jump, if he has a chance to get space, but I don't even think at this stage, I would ask him to get me points against a physical defense.

If there are more plays run for Hyatt, I can see him getting to the line and stopping the bleeding at times.

In terms of Mag......I don't see the fluidity or anything they indicates he has the mechanics or patience to understand how to score. He seems very rushed or not in sync and it's resulting in turnovers or awkward looking shots. If he had the patience of what Eugene showed in his early career, on how to maneuver and take his time, Mag can be effective. I don't however see him being a 1st or 2nd post option, ahead of Cliff or Hyatt.....Woolfork actually has more patience to set up defenders to score. He just needs more reps.

I know it seems like RU played poorly, but this team struggles when they don't get any transition shots AND without Paul trying to force or create offense for others, everything seemed way to hard for others to score and create on their own.

Caleb McConnell is probably the missing link, much more than we understand in terms of understanding what opponents want to do, creating turnovers, stops and playing with that hunger.

In terms of players like Reiber and a lesser extent, when you are looking for Mag and others to score or make contributions on the road, it has not happened. Reiber is clearly a player who is reliant on a Mulcahy type to find him in spots.

Cam Spencer...he is really best suited as a 3rd or 4th option oh a quality Power 5 roster. Anything beyond that, and he is then in a place where he's not capable of getting his own offense off the dribble or 1 on 1. For those fans who have not yet understood how much of a reliance there was to take and make tough shots, it will take this roster about a dozen games to sort out who will take and make those plays.

In terms of Simpson.....this is a vicious and very good learning curve for him and I'm very happy to see him continue to attack the basket and although he was 1 for 11, he plays with tremendous pace and courage. 4 games in and whatever mistakes he makes, I'm willing to live with.

I think (know) Temple is probably a NCAA tournament team, so on a neutral court without Caleb and practically, no 3s made, some very spotty officials, I am not overly concerned.

What I am concerned about is Pike really has to make a decision on developing a bench that has upside. I know Palmquist is in Year 4 of the program and Chol isn't quite ready yet, but I was disappointed to not see Chol getting any minutes tonight. He can't be THAT far behind at this stage. Throw him to the wolves and let him get bullied and tossed around the court and learn like Simpson is doing. I am probably willing to wager that if he plays more than 10 to 15 minutes a game, we'll see him start to improve. Reiber isn't making any contributions on the glass, defense and needs to make something happen away from the RAC.
This was a good post until you started advocating for Chol to play. Chol is nowhere near ready to play. He’s below where Jaden Jones was last year, and I’m not willing to increase our chances of losing games just so he can learn on the job.
 
I think there was actually a lot positive in this game, or at least in the second half. I actually think we played really well in the second half in the aspects we can really control. Unfortunately our shooting was still bad. But honestly to play as terrible as we did in the first half, to not hit a three until the end of the game, to brick a lot of free throws, and to still only lose by 6 is kind of amazing.

All that said, it would be nice if Pike could win one of these fking games eventually. St John’s in 2018-19, Bonaventure in 2019-20, DePaul in 2021-22, Temple in 2022-23.. it seems like we are always coming up short in the first “real” game.
Temple also was trying their hardest to let us back in the game.
 
Cliff can’t play that many minutes. Cliff also can’t let the center for Temple essentially cancel him out. He hasn’t been great defensively.

No sugar coating Simpson was beyond awful. Temple put pressure on him and he couldn’t initiate offense. He has to stop this hero leaving from the foul line nonsense. While he was trying to dunk from and area he couldn’t Mag was a bounce pass from an easy dunk (assuming he’d catch and finish).

Proud the team didn’t quit. Yes we win if Paul plays and probably Caleb.

Hyatt again did a poor job defending the 3 point line in the 1st half and it sunk us.

Adding 2 players to the mix makes us a completely different team
 
This was a good post until you started advocating for Chol to play. Chol is nowhere near ready to play. He’s below where Jaden Jones was last year, and I’m not willing to increase our chances of losing games just so he can learn on the job.
Beat me to it.
 
Cliff can’t play that many minutes. Cliff also can’t let the center for Temple essentially cancel him out. He hasn’t been great defensively.

No sugar coating Simpson was beyond awful. Temple put pressure on him and he couldn’t initiate offense. He has to stop this hero leaving from the foul line nonsense. While he was trying to dunk from and area he couldn’t Mag was a bounce pass from an easy dunk (assuming he’d catch and finish).

Proud the team didn’t quit. Yes we win if Paul plays and probably Caleb.

Hyatt again did a poor job defending the 3 point line in the 1st half and it sunk us.

Adding 2 players to the mix makes us a completely different team
Cliff seems to play the level of his opponent at times on D. A bit frustrating that he plays the B1G Bigs as well as the Biddy Bigs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Greene Rice FIG
Rutgers needs a second reliable rebounder other than Cliff. Hyatt and Mag need to step up that part of their game. I was surprised Woolfolk played only 4 minutes. Was he hurt or ill ? I think Rutgers could have used his defense and rebounding especially in the first half.
 
Hyatt turnovers were a factor but I really don't think 8 shots is truly enough at this stage.

He is (to me) the only player I feel comfortable with, scoring in traffic or through contact. Cliff has such a quick, explosive jump, if he has a chance to get space, but I don't even think at this stage, I would ask him to get me points against a physical defense.

If there are more plays run for Hyatt, I can see him getting to the line and stopping the bleeding at times.

In terms of Mag......I don't see the fluidity or anything they indicates he has the mechanics or patience to understand how to score. He seems very rushed or not in sync and it's resulting in turnovers or awkward looking shots. If he had the patience of what Eugene showed in his early career, on how to maneuver and take his time, Mag can be effective. I don't however see him being a 1st or 2nd post option, ahead of Cliff or Hyatt.....Woolfork actually has more patience to set up defenders to score. He just needs more reps.

I know it seems like RU played poorly, but this team struggles when they don't get any transition shots AND without Paul trying to force or create offense for others, everything seemed way to hard for others to score and create on their own.

Caleb McConnell is probably the missing link, much more than we understand in terms of understanding what opponents want to do, creating turnovers, stops and playing with that hunger.

In terms of players like Reiber and a lesser extent, when you are looking for Mag and others to score or make contributions on the road, it has not happened. Reiber is clearly a player who is reliant on a Mulcahy type to find him in spots.

Cam Spencer...he is really best suited as a 3rd or 4th option oh a quality Power 5 roster. Anything beyond that, and he is then in a place where he's not capable of getting his own offense off the dribble or 1 on 1. For those fans who have not yet understood how much of a reliance there was to take and make tough shots, it will take this roster about a dozen games to sort out who will take and make those plays.

In terms of Simpson.....this is a vicious and very good learning curve for him and I'm very happy to see him continue to attack the basket and although he was 1 for 11, he plays with tremendous pace and courage. 4 games in and whatever mistakes he makes, I'm willing to live with.

I think (know) Temple is probably a NCAA tournament team, so on a neutral court without Caleb and practically, no 3s made, some very spotty officials, I am not overly concerned.

What I am concerned about is Pike really has to make a decision on developing a bench that has upside. I know Palmquist is in Year 4 of the program and Chol isn't quite ready yet, but I was disappointed to not see Chol getting any minutes tonight. He can't be THAT far behind at this stage. Throw him to the wolves and let him get bullied and tossed around the court and learn like Simpson is doing. I am probably willing to wager that if he plays more than 10 to 15 minutes a game, we'll see him start to improve. Reiber isn't making any contributions on the glass, defense and needs to make something happen away from the RAC.
Temple is absolutely not a tournament team unless they get second in their conference. The AAC is garbage and they'll be lucky to get one team in after Houston (that'd be Memphis).
 
  • Like
Reactions: bac2therac
It's gonna take some time this time
To get myself in shape
I really fell out of line this time
I really missed the gate


Winning is always better than losing but sometimes you have to lose to learn how to win. RU has been getting by the sisters of the poor in their first 3 games and look impressive even without Caleb McConnell and even Paul being banged up. With both out tonight, it provided an interesting and probably needed challenge against Temple the first real competition RU would be facing this year. Who would fill the void? Can Cliff carry the team on his back and fill the leadership void? Can either one of Mag or Hyatt step their level up to what is needed and expected in their growth as upperclassmen? Is Derek Simpson ready in game 4 to produce under pressure? Can Cam provide what we expect him to provide as an upperclass transfer? Can any of the guy on the bench provide a spark?

Unfortunately the answer to all of these questions was basically no. I am going to start by saying, RU played a pretty solid 2nd half and showed incredible fight (more on that later). However I am going to give credit to the Temple coaching staff for having their team ready to play. Temple was much more battle tested than RU coming into this game and they could smell the shakiness of a RU team that was coming into this game without its point guard and best defensive player. Temple came out with intensity and punched RU in the mouth and RU could not recover until midway through the 2nd half. Predictably RU without any real leadership looked like deer in headlights in the first half. They must have turned it over about 10 times in the first 10 minutes. They compounded these problems by bricking everything on offense and some pretty pourous defense and a serious lack of effort in rebounding. Temple up 15 at half and they basically coasted the rest of the way. The lead got cut to 6 and Temple really came back to earth shooting wise but did just enough to hold on and by the time RU got it to 4, there was simply no time left. Credit the Owls, they were the better team at least for today, better coaching, better game prep, better executiion, better intensity. They deserved the victory

So without Paul and Caleb it is very hard to harshly criticize RU for the loss. Does RU win with Paul playing. Well for one I dont think the start would have been abysmal but some of the same offensive problems might remain. Cannot fault Cliff tonight....19 points, 11 boards, I do not think it was one of his best defensive performances but I would deflect any criticism away from him today. The big question for RU is who will replace the void left by the departure of Ron and Geo. Many have said on this board that Cam and Hyatt and Mag and Derek will provide this. I will exclude Derek from this critique (more on him later). Cam had 17 and 7 of them were at the line. He was 5-12 but a goose egg at 0-5. Seems like a solid game but I think in the first 25 minutes or so, Cam was a non factor and looked unathletic and slow compared to the Temple guards. His game today wasnt good enough, whether that is fair to him or not, this is the big boy league now, he was brought to replace Geo's production shooting the ball. But my focus concerns the play of Mag and Hyatt. If RU is to get back to the NCAA tourney, these two now as upperclassmen need to start producing in major ways. I do not think I am being unfairly harsh on either. They NEED to get better. Hyatt's numbers were not all that bad 4-8 fg. 5-5 ft 13 points, but he was 0-3 from 3 and had 4 turnovers and still getting the sense he is always good force a handful or shots or make a bad decision. Hyatt only had 3 rebounds and I got a sense that not just with him but Temple was just outhustling the entire RU team for those boards. There is still time for him, but this is a game he absolutely must step up in. Mag 3-5 and 9 points but was really bad early forcing things on both ends. He had 3 turnovers and while he came on late in the game with his defense the hole was already dug. Ron is gone. No one is coming off the bench to save Mag and Hyatt. They have to do it. Even when Paul and Caleb come back, Rutgers will need one of these guys to elevate their game. For RU to win tonight, one or both needed to step way up. Didnt happen.

Derek Simpson may have grown some wings with a 10-10 free throw shooting night vs UMass Lowell with some ice in his veins in crunch time but it was obvious the speed of the game and situation he was put in tonight, he was not ready. Yes its going to take some time for him. A dreadful 1-11 shooting night although he did get that one very late to cut it to 4. Derek is clearly the future and you can see the talent that is there. Still tonight is a great learning experience for him. I could remember Geo having some of these games way back. For the whole team itself tonight is not one of those burn the tape games. Its a game where lessons can be learned from the mistakes made early and some positives taking how RU showed some resiliency in adversity. Down 18 or 19, coming back to get it to 5-6 even as they still shot the ball poorly and without your two biggest floor leaders. There is something to be said for that. I think RU may have had only about 3 turnovers in the last 30 minutes after 10 in the first 10. I hope this group can learn something about the mental challenges to how you need to start a game. In some ways the game may have been lost in their lack of confidence from the opening tip. Valuing possessions...this game was winnable late. RU was lacking that leader to stick a landing tonight. Pikiell will get more out of a loss today than he would with a win I think.

The Pikiell wheel needs to spin at full strength. Take two out and it took a total regroup until deep in the end to finally settle down. Rutgers needs to get both back to hope to have any success. I am okay with tonights loss overall simply because of how they came back in the 2nd half and didnt pout and curl up in a ball. RU wasnt as good as they looked in their first 3 and not as bad as how they played in the first half. With the injuries and still the uncertainty of filling the void of Ron Harper plus trying to put years onto Derek Simpson in just a few games...


Its going to take some time this time,
But it's going to take some time this time
And I can't make demands
But, like the young trees in the winter time
I'll learn how to bend
After all the tears we've spent
How could we make amends?
So, it's one more round for experience
And I'm on the road again
And it's going to take some time this time
And I can't make demands
I'll learn how to bend

Spot on. Bottom line, we won’t beat any decent team early in the season with 2 of our top 3 players not available, especially our senior point guard. With Paul and Caleb out today, RU had only one starter from last year‘s NCAA team playing today. Once Simpson gets some seasoning and Spencer adjusts to the higher level of play, maybe we can squeak a game like today out without Paul and Caleb. But, right now that’s not happening.
 
Think BAC nailed it. They punched us in the face.

It was Temple's physicality and 3-point shooting that beat us... and not the refs. Hopefully the team learns from this and this loss is worth something in the long run.

The refs allowed a physical game by Temple while also calling a lot of fouls. They called teh 2nd-half fouls much better than the first half because Temple was getting physical all over teh place.. and they still missed a lot of calls.

Saw too much one-on-one play.. guys determined to shoot. Where's the ball being passed smartly around the outside forcing the D to move? We threw stupid passes too. Miller and Cliff put up some really stupid playground type shots... WTF.. do they ever do that in practice? Does some coach "talk" to them if they try that crap?

C'mon guys.. you have proven you are much better than this. Watch and film and feel the shame you deserve. It's just one game.. do whatever it takes to prevent that from ever happening again. It is not the loss.. it is HOW you lost.. WHY you lost.
 
Last edited:
I think there was actually a lot positive in this game, or at least in the second half. I actually think we played really well in the second half in the aspects we can really control. Unfortunately our shooting was still bad. But honestly to play as terrible as we did in the first half, to not hit a three until the end of the game, to brick a lot of free throws, and to still only lose by 6 is kind of amazing.

All that said, it would be nice if Pike could win one of these fking games eventually. St John’s in 2018-19, Bonaventure in 2019-20, DePaul in 2021-22, Temple in 2022-23.. it seems like we are always coming up short in the first “real” game.
Selection committee doesn’t care if we missed 2 starters in a loss. TU might have a terrible team (lost to Wagner) and be a Q3 loss, or turn it around after today and be a quality loss.

NCAA didn’t care about who missed what game early last year with starters out, otherwise wouldn’t be in the Dayton game.

Team got experience tonight. Hope Paul and Caleb are back soon, or force others to step up.
 
As someone else has said, it really showed how much we miss Geo and Ron. Geo and Ron were (and JY before) both capable of creating some offense out of nothing when others on the team were struggling. We don’t have anyone like that on the team. I was hopeful that Spencer was going to be (and needed to be) able to do this and to a degree he has muscled his way inside at times but through 4 games and 1 exhibition he has not been able to get open on the perimeter which is where we need him to do damage and open up the floor too. He jacked up a few tonight but none were open looks. Good player but we need an outside threat desperately. No made threes for Rutgers until 30 seconds to play (by Simpson) doesn’t cut it in 2022. To cut a lead to 4 after trailing by 19 and shooting crappy from the line while not getting any threes is pretty remarkable and shows how despite the horrendous first half this was still a winnable game without Caleb and Paul.

Have to say my frustration level with Rutgers coaches and all of this secrecy, mystery, and subterfuge about injuries is at peak level. Because obviously none of the reporters covering the team know anything more than we do either.
 
Selection committee doesn’t care if we missed 2 starters in a loss. TU might have a terrible team (lost to Wagner) and be a Q3 loss, or turn it around after today and be a quality loss.

NCAA didn’t care about who missed what game early last year with starters out, otherwise wouldn’t be in the Dayton game.

Team got experience tonight. Hope Paul and Caleb are back soon, or force others to step up.
Yes they do. The NCAA selection committee does take injuries into account but it’s still a loss and not a win. Our margin for error just got smaller tonight with a loss. Miami, Seton Hall, Ohio State, Indiana, and Wake Forest in the next 30 days looms. And if no Paul and Caleb, games against teams like Rider can’t be overlooked.
 
Let’s start here that we would never lose this game without Caleb and Paul. But I am not letting the players and the coaching staff off that easy and to use that as an excuse.

Pike did not have his guys ready as evidenced by Temple’s 5 made threes in the first 10-12 minutes of the game. Some were wide open , others never had a hand up in their faces , fouling a 3 point shooter another time. Coupled with Pike ‘s decision to walk the ball up court allowing Temple to pressure the guards both Derek and Cam , who both struggled to get us into our offense ,it was not Pike’s finest hour. Not even attempting to get out in transition and when we tried the amount of missed layups and awkward attempts to finish at the rim was very depressing. When you then evaluate the players playing like the worst they have played , Mag, Derek , Andre and even Cam , it was a disaster. 10 turnovers in like 15 trips and without real pressure or defense just unforced incompetence. I am suprised it happened and no one could get the team heading in the right direction.
The second half gave the team a chance to turn things around but the under 16 and under 12 timeouts still had us trailing by 15. It was pretty obvious that Cam missed Paul controlling the offense and finding him on the wing where he could initiate a 2 man game with Cliff. That never happened especially when Derek was handling the ball. Cam still did a lot of good things to continue to chip away at the lead but the failure to be set up for a 3 or the failure to hit a 3 when we desparately needed one was a letdown. He also did not pass it to other guys open when he did penetrate . They did not run enough pin downs to get him open. Slightly disappointed he couldn’t get the guys all the way back.

Now Cliff was good but he was not great and his defense may I say was subpar tonight. On a night we hold Dunn to 7 and Battle gets 24 , we did not need Reynolds almost matching Cliff. His defense and failure to block shots was incredibly bad . Temple when they really needed a bucket especially in the second half went to Reynolds and he delivered . Cliff has to do a better job holding his ground as well as trying to block or alter shots. That part of his game has to improve if he is going to the next level.
It was pretty obvious that Derek reverted to the first half of the Columbia game and lost his confidence but also failed to use his quickness to pump fake the defender and score. He left layups short , he failed to make a simple bounce pass , he never started our offense. This game is important that we need Paul and Caleb to set up the offense and put pressure on the defense and Derek can give us that 6-8 points off the bench. He is not ready because he is a freshman but that is okay. Not having Paul and Caleb for the last few games has resulted in our expectation that Derek is going to grow up. But he is not ready to be someone other than a complimentary player at this stage. More than likely some time this year , the lightbulb and the confidence level will rise up , and he will be ready. We needed it tonight to get over the top and it wasn’t there.

Andre was okay and although he was late to cover some early 3’s , he tried to
generate offense when no one else was doing it or even wanted to do it. He tried to drive and create contact and get to the line. He tried to hit a 3 or two but they did not go down despite good looks.

Mag has now shown enough in games to conclude that he is so awkward and not polished offensively. I do not see the offensive progression we would expect from a player in Year 3. Pike because he plays defense has given him every opportunity to step up and make a significant offensive contributor but it appears he will only be a complimentary player. His handle , his unforced turnovers , his walking , have not improved or stopped. He will give us energy and defense off the bench once Paul and Caleb are back. Doubtful we can expect more from his play to date.

Overall , despite a truly terrible game from almost everyone who played , we had our chances to get it to 4-6 mid way through the second half and missed foul shots , Cliff 3 plus a 1 and 1 , Derek 2 , Cam 1 , doomed us. Another key okay was the steal by Mag near the end of the shot clock and his pass to Andre ahead of everyone on the court and the horn went off stopping the play. Cost us 2 plus we did not score that trip and after another stop Cliff missed 2 foul shots. Would have been a chance to get it from 10 down to 6. Our press thereafter eventually got it to 6 and even 4 late with 10 seconds but if we cut the lead there we probably take the lead with 3 minutes to go. Going 0-13 from 3 until Derek’s shot with 10 seconds also was a killer as we got outscored badly from 3. A frustrating night but the bottom line is we had no Paul and Caleb so not all doom and gloom. Our players have to learn from this loss and get better. Someone has to step forward and get us over the top when things are not going well , Tonight no one did.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RC1978 and kcg88
Was at game. Just had dinner at MJ Steakhouse and back at hotel.

Bottom line is that we are a mediocre team without Paul and Caleb

Wish we had gotten ball to Cliff more in 2nd half as entire team forgot about Cliff so it seemed in 2nd half

Simpson struggled. Was asking a lot from him to take over starting PG role.

Mediocre play also from Hyatt I thought.

Lack of bench utilization was troublesome in 2nd half as it’s clear Pike has very little confidence in bench

Need more out of Dean. I’m afraid he’s losing confidence.
 
Last edited:
Give Temple credit. They executed their gameplan on defense. We did a great job on Dunn but our lack of scoring and the combo of Battle, Miller and their big guy, killed us.

Theres a silver lining in this loss. I think it gave Simpson a glimpse of what he will be facing. He needs to handle the ball better and learn how to move quickly when a defense doubles him at the top of the key. The offense got hung up and couldn’t get started.

There were moments when we could have folded and just didn’t. We stayed with it and learned to close a big gap in the second half. The free throw shooting killed us and the 3 point shooting was as bad as it gets.


Every team goes through injuries so im not making excuses. Just pointing out that the score is not the same with Paul and Caleb but we couldn’t overcome it
 
it was absolutely awful to watch the 1st half but 2nd half was different. We really fought hard against team that beat Villanova without our starting PG and B1G DPOY. 2 out of 5 starters out... Never gave up... Make few 3pointers/free throws, we won this game. It says a lot about this team.

When we have Paul and Caleb back, this team will compete with anyone. The defense will be sick!
Please play Woolfork more!!!
 
Was at game. Just had dinner at MJ Steakhouse and back at hotel.

Bottom line is that we are a mediocre team without Paul and Caleb

Wish we had gotten ball to Cliff more in 2nd half as entire team forgot about Cliff so it seemed in 2nd half

Simpson struggled. Was asking a lot from him to take over starting PG role.

Mediocre play also from Hyatt I thought.

Lack of bench utilization was troublesome in 2nd half as it’s clear Pike has very little confidence in bench

Need more out of Dean. I’m afraid he’s losing confidence.
Reiber hurt his foot (I think was his foot) over the Summer, missed a lot of practice time and has been slow to get in the swing of things. If he’s truly healthy then it makes no sense that he’s not getting a lot minutes especially because he might actually make a three pointer which no one else could. If he’s not healthy then why is he suited up and getting in games at all since all we ever hear is how we’re not going jeopardize anyone’s health? We’ll probably never know since we get zero information about injuries and reporters don’t seem to have any sources other than what Pikiell says in press conferences that are posted on you tube by the athletic department.
 
  • Like
Reactions: zebnatto
The lack of a step forward from Mag and Reiber this season is the biggest red flag to me. We need them to be real contributors.

Edit: Maybe second biggest behind Cliff's defense which has been terrible.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Rutgers25
In some ways Miller even a zero on offense would have had us closer at halftime. He also has more experience

Pikiell is playing Simpson because he knows he needs to grow Simpson up in a hurry
He didn’t look nearly as much like a zero to me yesterday as he has in the past. His one driving lay up was in and out - the shot didn’t get blocked as many of Simpson’s did. He made his only jumper and it didn’t look awkward at all (hello Mag).

In the game thread he got pounded for his poor choice to go back up on the put back, but come on… The kid had 4 boards in 11 minutes. Compare that with our other guys not named Cliff.
 
Was at game. Just had dinner at MJ Steakhouse and back at hotel.

Bottom line is that we are a mediocre team without Paul and Caleb

Wish we had gotten ball to Cliff more in 2nd half as entire team forgot about Cliff so it seemed in 2nd half

Simpson struggled. Was asking a lot from him to take over starting PG role.

Mediocre play also from Hyatt I thought.

Lack of bench utilization was troublesome in 2nd half as it’s clear Pike has very little confidence in bench

Need more out of Dean. I’m afraid he’s losing confidence.

Mediocre is giving them too much credit

W/O Caleb & Paul, the team stinks
 
Was at game. Just had dinner at MJ Steakhouse and back at hotel.

Bottom line is that we are a mediocre team without Paul and Caleb

Wish we had gotten ball to Cliff more in 2nd half as entire team forgot about Cliff so it seemed in 2nd half

Simpson struggled. Was asking a lot from him to take over starting PG role.

Mediocre play also from Hyatt I thought.

Lack of bench utilization was troublesome in 2nd half as it’s clear Pike has very little confidence in bench

Need more out of Dean. I’m afraid he’s losing confidence.
Imo were a mediocre team with them and a bad team without them. We made 1 three last night. Paul and caleb can shoot 3’s but its not what theyre known for.

Issue is, we have no offensive philosophy other than pick n roll. This was always my concern, what happens when our two guys who we've relied on to make things happen and break down defenses graduate? Theres just too many question marks with this team. I had us 8-12 in B1G and 8-3 OOC for 16-15 overall.
 
The lack of a step forward from Mag and Reiber this season is the biggest red flag to me. We need them to be real contributors.

Edit: Maybe second biggest behind Cliff's defense which has been terrible.
Cliffs never been a great post defender. Hes good on defense at rim protection when helping on drives
 
Cliffs never been a great post defender. Hes good on defense at rim protection when helping on drives
Problem is he always goes for the block when helping on drives even when he has no chance and leaves us vulnerable for easy offensive rebounds and putbacks. Going for steals and blocks all the time is bad defense. Thank god we have Cliff but this is an area of his game that is behind his offensive one.
 
When Temple needed to steady the ship, where'd they go? Inside to their big, who absolutely abused Cliff in the 2nd half. Zero resistance. His post defense has always been a problem, and I fear it will continue to be. Let's face reality with Cliff. His athleticism covers many warts. At the end of the day, he's an average rebounder and average shot blocker with average footwork and below average hands. I hope we can stop talking about NBA aspirations after this season.

Hyatt needs to STOP trying to take guys off the dribble from the perimeter. This is where he gets himself into trouble. He is a one dribble and up type of player. He's also highly effective with his back to the basket on the post. I think he can be a highly effective inside scorer (perhaps our best), but this won't happen until his shot selection improves.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bac2therac
The team performance obviously was impacted by not having Caleb and Paul on the court.Injuries happen to all teams and in Rutgers case nobody knows when they will return and how effective they will be.A shoulder injury can reoccur any time and a knee injury might impact lateral quickness and jumping ability.The bottom line the team desperately needs these players to return but how they perform and for how long remains a big unanswered question .The rest of the players clearly must improve their individual performances .Three point shooting and rebounding will remain a concern for the rest of the season.Preseason predictions as to won/loss record are far more uncertain right now.
 
ADVERTISEMENT