Game 5 Boston U: Did it what they had to

[bac2therac]

Winning matters, the team found a way to win and gritted it out despite the usual post Turkey Day hangover. We should have saw this coming actually. Team played great with energy against EMU with that defensive effort and were probably looking ahead to the three games coming in the next 10 days and thought they could skate through this one. First half up by 10, 29-19, it seemed like while RU certainly was not sharp they were doing enough to control the game and keep Boston U at bay. Baker was the offensive start with 15 but the defensive effort was solid enough where you did not feel too concerned that this would be a close game. However Boston U came out ready to fight in the 2nd half and in the first few minutes the whole complexion of the game changed. As the Terriers clawed back, RU made mistake after mistake with bad turnovers and shot selection and just got tighter and tighter. The shots just were not falling, some going in and then coming out. It was a struggle even to make a free throw

We have seen these type of games before, Hartford two years ago where RU was lucky to escaped and of course Stony Brook last year which turned into a loss despite seemingly doing enough to win. So while the game was ugly some positives can be taken. This team is still learning to gain chemistry and learn to win. Its still learning to win when a lot of shots are not falling and when much of the team just cannot seem to do anything right. Face it, besides Geo, Eugene, and Shaq, the rest of the team was brutal. Peter Kiss was particularly bad today. He is being counted on to provide offense. He has struggled since a couple of good games and today was just a rough day for him, so I am little concerned. If he isnt up to speed vs Boston U, what happens in the Big 10. Harper Jr, Johnson, and Mathis all struggled...but again is it a surprise...young guys with the Turkey day hangover. As much as Pikiell can tell them that this was going to happen to them..in one ear and out the other.

Yet when it came down to it,. people stepped up. Key point in the game, RU up 45-42 with around 2 minutes to go...Pike I think called a great play for Thiam who hit it and got fouled. Thiam invisible until then made it happen...3 point play that put RU up 48-42..that was the breathing room they needed to basically seal the deal...Basically RU was a few plays away from making the game much easier for themselves but for some reason kept shooting themselves in the foot. Credit RU's defense...they played Boston U tough so while RU was not hitting shots,they still were not letting Boston U score much at all. Perhaps the new tougher defensive effort for this team is taking its toll offensively on the new players. Terriers never got the lead, I think only getting to maybe one. RU may have been outhusteled and outplayed at times but they were not to be outdone. Credit the players and coaching staff for sticking to it and grinding it out...important to get experience in a close game.

Eugene..just wow...20 points, 17 boards..that is a man's effort. He really has found a nice balance from trying to do too much to contributing. I love this effort from him today. Shaq Doorson 6 points...12 rebounds are you kidding me. He is exceeding my expectations

Obviously there are negatives to take. I am beginning to see enough of the RU offense where I think we will struggle at times..not all the time but we are clearly not the team that will shooting 40-50% from 3...on the other hand, we will not shooting 5-22. There are major flaws in the offense. Geo and Eugene cannot be expected to do everything. Kiss must step up his game or his minutes will get reduced with more Harper and Montez. I will give those two a pass along with Myles but its games like these that show this team has a loooooooooong way to go to be able to compete night in and out in the Big 10. Talent is just too young to make that leap right now. The next 3 games is quite the gauntlet right now. I do not see a scenerio where RU does not come away with 3 losses...and they are tightly packed in games. There is not much recovery time from Miami to MSU. Miami is the most winnable of the 3 but by the time we get to Wisconsin I think this team will just be worn down. We will certainly know more about this team during this stretch...and I think its a great thing to get away from home...5 games in 15 days in just too much for home cooking. This team needs to road and a new challenge.

 

[zebnatto]

We won, we won, we won.

I’m more negative than bac after that in that I don’t think our defense was anything special. Yes, 44pts is very low, but BU’s offense was feeble. They shot 3/22 from three and a lot of those were clean looks.

 

[bac2therac]

they did get some clean looks but I think RU was forcing them a little into rushing their offense. I think the disruption effect by the defense was the key today.

 

[RUJMM78]

I give Boston University full credit for setting the tempo of a grind out game which kept them in contention until the last 2 minutes when Thiam and Shaq made big baskets to seal the victory.

Rutgers inability to get many open shots forced the team to dribble the ball around the top of the key and throw up a forced shot as the shot clock reached 5 seconds.Kiss,Harper and Mathis must step up their offensive game because the competition gets more difficult and the team needs scoring from the shooting guard and small forward positions.

 

[MadRU]

A couple of concerns for this game are

1. Slow to the loose ball, BU beat us to way too many loose balls. Don’t head up court until you control the ball. Need to be more aggressive.

2. Share the game, 5 assists. Making extra passes is great when it leads to a better shot. Not shooting an open shot is a lack of confidence. Need to get that confidence shooting like we had the first 2 games.

 

[PiscatawayMike]

Yet when it came down to it,. people stepped up. Key point in the game, RU up 45-42 with around 2 minutes to go...Pike I think called a great play for Thiam who hit it and got fouled. Thiam invisible until then made it happen...3 point play that put RU up 48-42..that was the breathing room they needed to basically seal the deal...

Without question, Thiam's old-fashioned 3-point play was the turning point of the game. Pikiell called a timeout to set up the play. Brilliant call by Pikiell to post-up Thiam for the bucket. My brother and I were saying during the timeout if RU did not score on that possession, we were going to lose. RU had no timeouts left and all the momentum would be on BU's side. Simply, a splendid go-to play when RU needed it most. Pikiell would've been second-guessed for blowing his last timeout if RU did not score on that possession.

 

[NewJerseyHawk]

There's enough passing of the ball that will force shots away from Geo....ironically Geo hunted down his shot with a mismatch against a smaller defender.

I think the dilemma is green lighting Mathis and Kiss so someone else gains confidence within the offense.

The players didn't press or panic when the lead dropped, which i attributed to the roster being more in sync vs past years...they just continued to run their offense and had very few defensive breakdowns. That is coaching more than talent.

I give BU credit for scrapping and Coach Jones getting a technical foul, usually results in a run by the opposition. BU then got some calls against Eugene that were ticky-tack, maybe because he worked the refs hard enough.

Gotta keep in mind, these are super bowl types of efforts these smaller schools give RU and they executed very well, despite being outmanned.

One thing I think was better today was the effort defensively by Mathis....he scored early and had a very nice layup that just fell off afterward. If Mathis or Kiss can get their shots down early, it opens up the opportunity to allow RU to stick around against all 3 of the next opponents.

And Geo Baker has become a complete player that understands the time and he didn't overdribble into turnovers. I felt like he was in control of the contest with Eugene on both ends. They stayed intact...

I like Miami as a matchup because it will expose Kiss, Mathis and Harper to another speed of the game. Fortunately for RU, i think they can muddy the game up and win and they can also shoot well enough to get into the 70s, if the defense is not stellar.

 

[Scangg]

We need to get something out of Kiss or Mathis. We need at least one of them to be scoring or we are getting nothing from the 2

 

[anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy]

We need to get something out of Kiss or Mathis. We need at least one of them to be scoring or we are getting nothing from the 2

This. Kiss has been disappointing imo. Montez looks more and more like this year will be more of a learning year but we really need one of them to step up and play smart, hard, turnover free basketball, which imo they havent done all that much

 

[goru7]

Bac, I understand the post and a win is a win but I came away very concerned. Yes it was to be expected the post Turkey day hangover but even when the game got close we struggled to score , was slow to loose balls and Geo disappeared.
Furthermore, clearly the most disappointing player after all the hype about being a clutch shooter and a scrappy player, is Peter Kiss. He did not look like he belonged on the court both offensively and defensively. He has me very concerned. His defense is really bad but if he is not hitting threes or has the confidence to shoot them , he dies little for us. At least get some rebounds and loose balls but almost nothing today as well as the last couple f games.
The offense sets we’re getting us nowhere with a lot of perimeter action without anyone going aggressively to the hole. Thank God Eugene took a couple to the hole in the second half and Pike’s play to Issa was a good call. We missed a lot of close shots both Shaquille, Myles and Eugene playing against Boston U’s front line not our conference mates. Harper has to attack more, as his one nice Drive was called a walk, but if his shot is not falling , he has to drive more.
Geo. Where do I start? Took advantage of the smaller guards and carried us with 15 first half points. However, as the Captain and leader of this team with Eugene, you cannot disappear for 18 minutes of the second half. He deferred after bringing the ball up when he should have led the team to a comfortable lead and got in the face of the rest of the players. Coach expects a lot out of him and so do we. If he doesn’t show up, we have no chance in the conference. Hopefully it was an aberration but it was not a good half by him when the team really needed him to take over.
So , it was a win but about an ugly a win that for the first time raised flags from Kiss, Geo, and the freshman, Myles, Harper and Mathis . Have to refocus for the brutal stretch at Miami, one day prep for Michigan State, and two day prep on the road against Wisconsin . The coaches will earn their money this week

 

[zebnatto]

Bac, I understand the post and a win is a win but I came away very concerned. Yes it was to be expected the post Turkey day hangover but even when the game got close we struggled to score , was slow to loose balls and Geo disappeared.
Furthermore, clearly the most disappointing player after all the hype about being a clutch shooter and a scrappy player, is Peter Kiss. He did not look like he belonged on the court both offensively and defensively. He has me very concerned. His defense is really bad but if he is not hitting threes or has the confidence to shoot them , he dies little for us. At least get some rebounds and loose balls but almost nothing today as well as the last couple f games.
The offense sets we’re getting us nowhere with a lot of perimeter action without anyone going aggressively to the hole. Thank God Eugene took a couple to the hole in the second half and Pike’s play to Issa was a good call. We missed a lot of close shots both Shaquille, Myles and Eugene playing against Boston U’s front line not our conference mates. Harper has to attack more, as his one nice Drive was called a walk, but if his shot is not falling , he has to drive more.
Geo. Where do I start? Took advantage of the smaller guards and carried us with 15 first half points. However, as the Captain and leader of this team with Eugene, you cannot disappear for 18 minutes of the second half. He deferred after bringing the ball up when he should have led the team to a comfortable lead and got in the face of the rest of the players. Coach expects a lot out of him and so do we. If he doesn’t show up, we have no chance in the conference. Hopefully it was an aberration but it was not a good half by him when the team really needed him to take over.
So , it was a win but about an ugly a win that for the first time raised flags from Kiss, Geo, and the freshman, Myles, Harper and Mathis . Have to refocus for the brutal stretch at Miami, one day prep for Michigan State, and two day prep on the road against Wisconsin . The coaches will earn their money this week

Great post, goru. I’m not as disappointed in Peter because I was not expecting a lot. He showed well in games one and two but has, it seems, lost confidence.

The point about how we run our offensive sets is true, as well. You can run your sets all day but you have players who can make aggressive moves you’ll still wind up one-on-one with the shot clock runnng down.

Also agree about Geo. I’ll chalk it up to being too unselfish. He’s got to make plays or we’re running in circles.

 

[bac2therac]

Without question, Thiam's old-fashioned 3-point play was the turning point of the game. Pikiell called a timeout out to set up the play. Brilliant call by Pikiell to post-up Thiam for the bucket. My brother and I were saying during the timeout if RU did not score on that possession, we were going to lose. RU had no timeouts left and all the momentum would be on BU's side. Simply, a splendid go-to play when RU needed it most. Pikiell would've been second-guessed for blowing his last timeout if RU did not score on that possession.

It was such a huge possession. .I always felt that if RU could get that lead to 6 or 8 they would be fine. Thsts just good situational coaching by Pike. One thing I thought Pike made a mistake on was not getting a timeout until BU cut the lead to 33-31..we looked in trouble well before that

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

Stats don't show many assists.. a lot of 1 on 1 play? Or was it EO shooting 11 FTs took some assists off the board?

BOXSCORE

 

[BigEastPhil]

My thoughts:

1- Eugene, Eugene, Eugene....He was a 1 man wrecking crew and exploited BU's weakness inside to his strength - his inside game - which was a thing of beauty to watch this afternoon.

2 - Eugene, Eugene, Eugene...

3 - Eugene, Eugene, Eugene...

4 - Geo had a great 1st half and Shaq's 12 rebounds were the only other bright spots....

5 - Otherwise, everyone else played subpar and it wasn't a fun game to watch

I'll chalk this game up to the annual Turkey Day hangover and / or BU's unorthodox / never give up style frustrating our guys - but that's 3 games in a row whereby our offense has been subpar which is concerning. Need the others (Kiss; Mathis;Harper etc) to elevate their game and quickly.

 

[dpwhite]

Talked a little bit about the Issa basket and why think Pikiell is such a good coach right here.

 

[S_Janowski]

The call to Issa was brilliant and as others say the turning point.

We’re gonna need more of an inside presence in BIG games to open things up on the perimeter. Issa started to assert himself in the post during the BIG tourney. Need more of that to give the guys on the perimeter cleaner looks.

I’m concerned that we’re gonna get trigger happy from 3 during the year. Will be fine if they’re on but if they’re off...the games are gonna get out of hand.

 

[RUHouston]

Ok, since I didn’t see the game I did listen....

It sounded to me like Doorson had another great game! He sounds like he will be vital once B1G play starts with Myles learning on the fly...

Thiam had a decent game but sounded as if he was having some troubles getting his shot to fall....not sure why but his scoring has been off the past two games.

Not enough good to say about Geo and Gene but they’re our 1-2 punch this year...kinda like Corey and Mike last year but Gene is going to be a handful for anyone this year...that much is obvious!

So...heard about some slips and falls early and the radio guys were wondering why....

...plus sounds like a lot of contact and our guys going flying without any whistles...why?

 

[kcg88]

We've been missing the points we got in the fast break in games 1 and 2.

 

[BigEastPhil]

Just saw per a Jerry Carino tweet that Eugene's 17 Boards were the most in a game since 2007 when Adrian Hill was a beast on the boards.

 

[zebnatto]

We've been missing the points we got in the fast break in games 1 and 2.

Yeah, no easy points.

 

[goru7]

Yeah, no easy points.

Really thought that was a function of how lethargic we were all day. Plenty of defensive rebounds and we were content to hand it to Geo instead of sprinting up court. Just a lazy, sloppy game where they thought they could show up and win.

 

[RU-ROCS]

Bac- Lots of good analysis. But, along the lines of goru’s post, I think today was one of Pike’s worst coaching jobs. He played our center at the high post for 3 quarters of the game and did nothing to get the ball down low to our big men where we had a clear size and athleticism advantage. Instead, we constantly settled for jump shots, mis-fire after mis-fire. I’m a big Pike fan, but the Turkey Day hangover may have affected him the most. This was not one of his better games.

 

[RUChow]

There's enough passing of the ball that will force shots away from Geo....ironically Geo hunted down his shot with a mismatch against a smaller defender.

I think the dilemma is green lighting Mathis and Kiss so someone else gains confidence within the offense.

The players didn't press or panic when the lead dropped, which i attributed to the roster being more in sync vs past years...they just continued to run their offense and had very few defensive breakdowns. That is coaching more than talent.

I give BU credit for scrapping and Coach Jones getting a technical foul, usually results in a run by the opposition. BU then got some calls against Eugene that were ticky-tack, maybe because he worked the refs hard enough.

Gotta keep in mind, these are super bowl types of efforts these smaller schools give RU and they executed very well, despite being outmanned.

One thing I think was better today was the effort defensively by Mathis....he scored early and had a very nice layup that just fell off afterward. If Mathis or Kiss can get their shots down early, it opens up the opportunity to allow RU to stick around against all 3 of the next opponents.

And Geo Baker has become a complete player that understands the time and he didn't overdribble into turnovers. I felt like he was in control of the contest with Eugene on both ends. They stayed intact...

I like Miami as a matchup because it will expose Kiss, Mathis and Harper to another speed of the game. Fortunately for RU, i think they can muddy the game up and win and they can also shoot well enough to get into the 70s, if the defense is not stellar.

Green lighting Mathis? LOL - he already shoots every other time he gets the ball. Nice talent, but out of control. A little better today.

 

[IBleedScarlet]

Without question, Thiam's old-fashioned 3-point play was the turning point of the game. Pikiell called a timeout out to set up the play. Brilliant call by Pikiell to post-up Thiam for the bucket. My brother and I were saying during the timeout if RU did not score on that possession, we were going to lose. RU had no timeouts left and all the momentum would be on BU's side. Simply, a splendid go-to play when RU needed it most. Pikiell would've been second-guessed for blowing his last timeout if RU did not score on that possession.

Agree! GREAT time-out by Pike!

 

[Degaz-RU]

Bac- Lots of good analysis. But, along the lines of goru’s post, I think today was one of Pike’s worst coaching jobs. He played our center at the high post for 3 quarters of the game and did nothing to get the ball down low to our big men where we had a clear size and athleticism advantage. Instead, we constantly settled for jump shots, mis-fire after mis-fire. I’m a big Pike fan, but the Turkey Day hangover may have affected him the most. This was not one of his better games.

I agree. I was wondering why we weren’t posting up more. Could have gotten their 6-8 guy in foul trouble too.

 

[Scangg]

We need more possessions with at least one post entry pass. I'm really surprised against these lesser teams that we didn't try to use Myles skill set more in the post. A kick out 3 is the easiest 3 from a shooters perspective too.

Mathis was more in rhythm today and I didn't see the really poor body language. I'm thinking the staff addressed it.

Geo and EO are the consistent every game players but we need at least two more people per game to step up out of Issa Kiss Harper Mathis to beat good teams

 

[KnightTerrors]

If Big Ten coaches have been doing their homework, they’re going to be playing a lot of zone against us.

 

[anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy]

We have to stop trying some many insane ally oops that lead to alot of turnovers. We have to clean up turnovers if we want to have a chance in B1G play

 

[S.W.A.I.N]

We need more possessions with at least one post entry pass. I'm really surprised against these lesser teams that we didn't try to use Myles skill set more in the post. A kick out 3 is the easiest 3 from a shooters perspective too.

Mathis was more in rhythm today and I didn't see the really poor body language. I'm thinking the staff addressed it.

Geo and EO are the consistent every game players but we need at least two more people per game to step up out of Issa Kiss Harper Mathis to beat good teams

Tez actually addressed body language on Twitter, seems he understands it’s not acceptable.

 

[Scangg]

Tez actually addressed body language on Twitter, seems he understands it’s not acceptable.

Awesome. Just checked his Twitter and noticed s change this game. This will result in better play. Positive energy is real especially in such a rhythm and confidence sport like basketball is especially offensively. If he can have one break out game I think it would matter for him more than any other players on the roster

 

[knights1212]

We had zero assists in the second half. I hate these holiday games each year. We always seem to struggle in them. Last year Hartford and Stony Brook cost us a .500 season. I will not be surprised if we struggle in December with Columbia and Maine. At least we have 4 days to prepare for Miami and they play Sunday night in California vs. Seton Hall at 10:30 PM our time. I assume they won't fly back to Miami until sometime Monday. We need to play decent in our first road game of the season.

 

[RUissy]

Lots of good points here. Here's my take.
1) We survived a horrible shooting performance from 3 of our better shooters. (Issa, Kiss, Harper)
2) Our bigs missed way too many chippies especially Johnson. We are going to need some inside scoring to open things up.
3) I've seen some mention of people worrying about getting too 3 happy. I'm just the opposite. I think we pass on way too many open 3's. How many times do Issa, Kiss, and Geo have an open look, pump fake nobody and then pass or dribble once toward the basket and then kick it back out. With the lack of inside scoring options, we need to take those open 3's.
4) The defense is getting better. Much more active than our first 3 games.
5) I've seen this mentioned and it's obvious to me that we need to push more and get some easy baskets. BU dictated the pace of the game. If we play more up tempo, we win that game by 20-25pts.
6) Please God, keep Geo healthy. We would go 0 for the Big 10 without him. Offense looks like they are playing in quicksand when he's on the bench.

 

[G- RUnit]

And the foul shooting was foul again.
Ditto to surprise we didn’t go inside. They really didn’t stop us inside.
Thiam was non existent but did make the play of the game. GIO carried us 1st half EO carried us 2nd half. Not sure anyone else showed up.
BU was game. Their coach got an unnecessary technical and was big play in game. Yeah their player was fouled but he also walked so no need for TO in a tight game.
Anyone else worried about Adidas or the floor? For a dry day lots of players slipping?
Not our best effort but gritty Win when you play poorly.
On to Miami!

 

[RU_DIO]

Peter Kiss looks completely different than the first 2 games of the year. Looks like he's playing with no confidence. Boston had so many open looks from 3 that it reminded me of an Eddie Jordan defense. Gotta get this stuff straightened out.

 

[RUonBrain]

Anyone else worried about Adidas or the floor? For a dry day lots of players slipping?

What IS up with that?

I didn’t see the game, but listened to the radio cast and Recco kept saying such and such RU player slipped.

Did that happen the entire game?
Has it happened at previous games this season?

 

[RUBigFrank]

44 points - that is DEFENSE. Not sure how any one can say there is concern defensively. You find ways to win, even when your A game is not there.

 

[NewJerseyHawk]

Green lighting Mathis? LOL - he already shoots every other time he gets the ball. Nice talent, but out of control. A little better today.

The roster is "stationary"...Harper Mathis have ability to generate their own offense off the bounce....beyond Geo, defensive teams need to have a threat that a player will attack the basket if an opening presents itself. Sometimes you need a blend of set offense and off script.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Tez actually addressed body language on Twitter, seems he understands it’s not acceptable.

phenomenal news....

No doubt he has played bad so far, but watching yesterday's game I wanted him on the floor. Defensively he loses his guy sometimes, but he is very active and was a huge asset at the front of our zone press (in to man). He got 3 or 4 touches on defense. I really think he is close to a break out game when we all get what he can bring to this team. Again real happy he publicly owned up to his actions (minor).

Our best 5 most nights will end up being Mathis at the 2. I just hope he can make enough perimeter shots. The lack of rotation on the shot really concerns me.

 

[kcg88]

44 points - that is DEFENSE. Not sure how any one can say there is concern defensively. You find ways to win, even when your A game is not there.

They had a ton of open looks - more than St. John's.

 

[dpwhite]

They had a ton of open looks - more than St. John's.

The same player had a lot of open looks from three and he bricked all of them. So much so that I wondered if it was in the game plan.. make him beat you from outside.