GAME 5 HOWARD: Better Now

[bac2therac]

Slow start but in the end it was the best performance of the season. I have mentioned how streaky this team is and tonight continued the trend but the important thing to take away is that RU continues to bounce back from some paltry offensive stretches and responds with longer stretches of exhillatering basketball that gets the RAC on their feet in appreciation. That is a true sign of progress. The first half of the first half was not good hoops by Rutgers. Howard came in and simply was not afraid of RU and thought they were well coached. Felt that RU was not ready to match Howard's energy early on. RU went down 14-8 and was sputtering offensively not converting on a bunch of Howard turnovers. Howard had 8 turnovers but RU had only 8 points. I was reminded of the Gtown game in the 2nd half where RU had just 3 fg in 11 minutes. This time it was 3 fg in the first 9 and half minutes. Yet it was an interesting lineup of Noah, J Mike, Oskar, Gavin, Cliff that sparked a 20-2 run and RU would never relinquish the lead. Whether it was J Mike's energy. Noah taking charge on offense with a 3 and some drives to the hoop and on defense with 3 steals. Cliff crashing the board and converting. Gavin with his first dunk while contributing more than just scoring. Later, it would be Derek closing out the half with a giant 3 that pushed the lead up to 39-31 after a mini Howard run. RU had gone from some fugly looking basketball to looking in sync and bearing down on defense. RU was getting contributions from everyone and that was the biggest takeaway heading into halftime.

RU would trade baskets for a while with Howard to start the 2nd half. It was a 2nd chance rebound for an open 3 which started a freak Howard barrage of 3 pointers. It was one of those things. They got hot whether they were covered or uncovered. Three treys at the game time RU hit another dry streak on offense with just 2 points over 5 minutes and suddenly at 49-45 Howard was back in the game. But where they really. I liked that RU was challenged and responded with bells...more like responded with Noahs and Gavins, Cliff and Andres, dunks and 3s steals and Dereks. The Scarlet Streaks went on a 24-8 in more than 6 minutes and built a 20 point and the game was over. The most impressive RU performance on either end of the court. Glimpses of the speedy high octane offense that some have promised while giving all that feisty scrappiness on defense cleaning up the board and forcing turnovers. By the 5 minute mark everyone was in feel good win mode at the RAC feeling very satisfied with the product on the court.

Derek had his best overall game as a Knight. I wondered after Boston U when will Simpson happen. After Bryant we saw stirring of life. The Gtown game saw the further progression. Now with his Howard performance, Derek strutting his stuff. 23 points, 7-10 fg, 7-9 at the line. I believe his streak was ended at 18, 2-2 from 3, 4 assists. This was a heady and confident Derek

Noah was a beast today. Started slow again early but picked it up. How about 5 steals. His defensive peformance was a delight, On offense he was the catalyst for the first RU run that gave them lead but his in rhythm 3 that put RU up 65-53 maybe was his best shot of the night. Noah was a difference maker and his last 3 halves of basketball have erased many of the concerns I had through his first few games that this experiment may not work.

Cliff did Cliff yet again. Slow start but got better as the game went on. Put it in a dominating defensive performance with 14 boards and 5 blocks and his offensive production of 6-10 fg with 15 points quite and encouraging sign. More importantly he looked like he was having fun out there and less of the frustration looks from some other games

Hyatt did not have a great first half but in the 2nd it was a different story as he answered in big spots as Howard was trying to keep pace with a 3 and a dunk. Hyatt would finish 5-11 fg with 12 points.

Gavin was solid tonight...only 7 points but a couple of dunks in key junctures and it was not about him just playing in the corner chucking 3s. Pike gave him more minutes tonight at 25 and I did not have a problem with his D. Love that he contributed 3 boards but the 3 assists he had is what I am looking at. Gavin contributed more tonight in just being a points guy. I felt this was a sneaky important game in his development we had not seen yet.

Wolf more quiet night but solid overall....2-3 fg did he really take a 3....5 boards in just 20 minutes.

I didnt think J Mike played as many minutes as he did but he did at 23. Just 1-2 fg but it wasnt about that. Team's pace seems to just pick up with him in there. Had 4 assists and 2 boards and a steal.

Oskar was a pleasant surprise tonight after a bad game vs Gtown. Saw a dunk and unexpected moves to the hoop. Oskar playing like a guy who wants to fight for his minutes. 3-4 fg 7 points in just 15 minutes. Kudos to Oskar.

Chol had a nice bucket late in the game in very limited minutes.

Things are coming together folks. This team is getting better. After Princeton I felt things were a mess. While I saw glimpses in the next 2, it wasnt til Georgetown where I felt that okay I can see where this team could be successful. Now this game taking further strides. Each player is now better than they were from opening day. This team is quick. Its almost like at times they forget the potential they have and it finally kicks in and they go off. Pike is still figuring out the rotation but I think he is getting closer to figuring things out. Slow and steady. Yes some kinks still to work out. Team still has to be considered streaky but those streaks are lengthening in a good way. Even though I have been a critic of the weak scheduling, these 4 games are the perfect tests for integrating so many new parts. Like what I see, will not get too overconfident with one more tuneup vs St Peters before Illinios invades the RAC but I am bac 2 feeling it again about this season.

 

[richthedentist]

And we most likely get Mawot back next game which will help the rebounding and the press amongst other things

 

[High Quality H2O]

Great write up Bac.

And that was a fun night…RAC was Bac tonight!

 

[billgumpper]

Slow start but in the end it was the best performance of the season. I have mentioned how streaky this team is and tonight continued the trend but the important thing to take away is that RU continues to bounce back from some paltry offensive stretches and responds with longer stretches of exhillatering basketball that gets the RAC on their feet in appreciation. That is a true sign of progress. The first half of the first half was not good hoops by Rutgers. Howard came in and simply was not afraid of RU and thought they were well coached. Felt that RU was not ready to match Howard's energy early on. RU went down 14-8 and was sputtering offensively not converting on a bunch of Howard turnovers. Howard had 8 turnovers but RU had only 8 points. I was reminded of the Gtown game in the 2nd half where RU had just 3 fg in 11 minutes. This time it was 3 fg in the first 9 and half minutes. Yet it was an interesting lineup of Noah, J Mike, Oskar, Gavin, Cliff that sparked a 20-2 run and RU would never relinquish the lead. Whether it was J Mike's energy. Noah taking charge on offense with a 3 and some drives to the hoop and on defense with 3 steals. Cliff crashing the board and converting. Gavin with his first dunk while contributing more than just scoring. Later, it would be Derek closing out the half with a giant 3 that pushed the lead up to 39-31 after a mini Howard run. RU had gone from some fugly looking basketball to looking in sync and bearing down on defense. RU was getting contributions from everyone and that was the biggest takeaway heading into halftime.

RU would trade baskets for a while with Howard to start the 2nd half. It was a 2nd chance rebound for an open 3 which started a freak Howard barrage of 3 pointers. It was one of those things. They got hot whether they were covered or uncovered. Three treys at the game time RU hit another dry streak on offense with just 2 points over 5 minutes and suddenly at 49-45 Howard was back in the game. But where they really. I liked that RU was challenged and responded with bells...more like responded with Noahs and Gavins, Cliff and Andres, dunks and 3s steals and Dereks. The Scarlet Streaks went on a 24-8 in more than 6 minutes and built a 20 point and the game was over. The most impressive RU performance on either end of the court. Glimpses of the speedy high octane offense that some have promised while giving all that feisty scrappiness on defense cleaning up the board and forcing turnovers. By the 5 minute mark everyone was in feel good win mode at the RAC feeling very satisfied with the product on the court.

Derek had his best overall game as a Knight. I wondered after Boston U when will Simpson happen. After Bryant we saw stirring of life. The Gtown game saw the further progression. Now with his Howard performance, Derek strutting his stuff. 23 points, 7-10 fg, 7-9 at the line. I believe his streak was ended at 18, 2-2 from 3, 4 assists. This was a heady and confident Derek

Noah was a beast today. Started slow again early but picked it up. How about 5 steals. His defensive peformance was a delight, On offense he was the catalyst for the first RU run that gave them lead but his in rhythm 3 that put RU up 65-53 maybe was his best shot of the night. Noah was a difference maker and his last 3 halves of basketball have erased many of the concerns I had through his first few games that this experiment may not work.

Cliff did Cliff yet again. Slow start but got better as the game went on. Put it in a dominating defensive performance with 14 boards and 5 blocks and his offensive production of 6-10 fg with 15 points quite and encouraging sign. More importantly he looked like he was having fun out there and less of the frustration looks from some other games

Hyatt did not have a great first half but in the 2nd it was a different story as he answered in big spots as Howard was trying to keep pace with a 3 and a dunk. Hyatt would finish 5-11 fg with 12 points.

Gavin was solid tonight...only 7 points but a couple of dunks in key junctures and it was not about him just playing in the corner chucking 3s. Pike gave him more minutes tonight at 25 and I did not have a problem with his D. Love that he contributed 3 boards but the 3 assists he had is what I am looking at. Gavin contributed more tonight in just being a points guy. I felt this was a sneaky important game in his development we had not seen yet.

Wolf more quiet night but solid overall....2-3 fg did he really take a 3....5 boards in just 20 minutes.

I didnt think J Mike played as many minutes as he did but he did at 23. Just 1-2 fg but it wasnt about that. Team's pace seems to just pick up with him in there. Had 4 assists and 2 boards and a steal.

Oskar was a pleasant surprise tonight after a bad game vs Gtown. Saw a dunk and unexpected moves to the hoop. Oskar playing like a guy who wants to fight for his minutes. 3-4 fg 7 points in just 15 minutes. Kudos to Oskar.

Chol had a nice bucket late in the game in very limited minutes.

Things are coming together folks. This team is getting better. After Princeton I felt things were a mess. While I saw glimpses in the next 2, it wasnt til Georgetown where I felt that okay I can see where this team could be successful. Now this game taking further strides. Each player is now better than they were from opening day. This team is quick. Its almost like at times they forget the potential they have and it finally kicks in and they go off. Pike is still figuring out the rotation but I think he is getting closer to figuring things out. Slow and steady. Yes some kinks still to work out. Team still has to be considered streaky but those streaks are lengthening in a good way. Even though I have been a critic of the weak scheduling, these 4 games are the perfect tests for integrating so many new parts. Like what I see, will not get too overconfident with one more tuneup vs St Peters before Illinios invades the RAC but I am bac 2 feeling it again about this season.

View embedded media

This was a tune up game, This is what the score should be. There will be 4 or 5 more games like this. Lets hope what they learn from them translates during conference play.

 

[Degaz-RU]

Perfect recap, bac. Things are really coming around now, but is it the competition or is it the team we heard we were getting finally starting to emerge? I think the latter.

One thing I neglected to mention in my Rapid Reaction thread is free throw shooting. 16-26 for 61.5% tonight, another bad performance. And it wasn’t Woolf this time. It’s just spread throughout the team. Simpson is the only reliable guy at the line. This is a huge problem that could haunt us in tight games down the road.

But that’s a worry for another day. For now, I think we can take some satisfaction into the Thanksgiving break knowing that this team has played better each game since Princeton, and that the vision that Pike has for this team — as a run and gun team that feeds off of defense — seems to be coming to fruition. (Dylan, are you watching?)

 

[rubjk]

Yes the ft shooting needs to improve, but at least we have many willing to drive to the rim. Can be a spark when shots aren’t falling.

 

[RutgersClassof2004]

Slow start but in the end it was the best performance of the season. I have mentioned how streaky this team is and tonight continued the trend but the important thing to take away is that RU continues to bounce back from some paltry offensive stretches and responds with longer stretches of exhillatering basketball that gets the RAC on their feet in appreciation. That is a true sign of progress. The first half of the first half was not good hoops by Rutgers. Howard came in and simply was not afraid of RU and thought they were well coached. Felt that RU was not ready to match Howard's energy early on. RU went down 14-8 and was sputtering offensively not converting on a bunch of Howard turnovers. Howard had 8 turnovers but RU had only 8 points. I was reminded of the Gtown game in the 2nd half where RU had just 3 fg in 11 minutes. This time it was 3 fg in the first 9 and half minutes. Yet it was an interesting lineup of Noah, J Mike, Oskar, Gavin, Cliff that sparked a 20-2 run and RU would never relinquish the lead. Whether it was J Mike's energy. Noah taking charge on offense with a 3 and some drives to the hoop and on defense with 3 steals. Cliff crashing the board and converting. Gavin with his first dunk while contributing more than just scoring. Later, it would be Derek closing out the half with a giant 3 that pushed the lead up to 39-31 after a mini Howard run. RU had gone from some fugly looking basketball to looking in sync and bearing down on defense. RU was getting contributions from everyone and that was the biggest takeaway heading into halftime.

RU would trade baskets for a while with Howard to start the 2nd half. It was a 2nd chance rebound for an open 3 which started a freak Howard barrage of 3 pointers. It was one of those things. They got hot whether they were covered or uncovered. Three treys at the game time RU hit another dry streak on offense with just 2 points over 5 minutes and suddenly at 49-45 Howard was back in the game. But where they really. I liked that RU was challenged and responded with bells...more like responded with Noahs and Gavins, Cliff and Andres, dunks and 3s steals and Dereks. The Scarlet Streaks went on a 24-8 in more than 6 minutes and built a 20 point and the game was over. The most impressive RU performance on either end of the court. Glimpses of the speedy high octane offense that some have promised while giving all that feisty scrappiness on defense cleaning up the board and forcing turnovers. By the 5 minute mark everyone was in feel good win mode at the RAC feeling very satisfied with the product on the court.

Derek had his best overall game as a Knight. I wondered after Boston U when will Simpson happen. After Bryant we saw stirring of life. The Gtown game saw the further progression. Now with his Howard performance, Derek strutting his stuff. 23 points, 7-10 fg, 7-9 at the line. I believe his streak was ended at 18, 2-2 from 3, 4 assists. This was a heady and confident Derek

Noah was a beast today. Started slow again early but picked it up. How about 5 steals. His defensive peformance was a delight, On offense he was the catalyst for the first RU run that gave them lead but his in rhythm 3 that put RU up 65-53 maybe was his best shot of the night. Noah was a difference maker and his last 3 halves of basketball have erased many of the concerns I had through his first few games that this experiment may not work.

Cliff did Cliff yet again. Slow start but got better as the game went on. Put it in a dominating defensive performance with 14 boards and 5 blocks and his offensive production of 6-10 fg with 15 points quite and encouraging sign. More importantly he looked like he was having fun out there and less of the frustration looks from some other games

Hyatt did not have a great first half but in the 2nd it was a different story as he answered in big spots as Howard was trying to keep pace with a 3 and a dunk. Hyatt would finish 5-11 fg with 12 points.

Gavin was solid tonight...only 7 points but a couple of dunks in key junctures and it was not about him just playing in the corner chucking 3s. Pike gave him more minutes tonight at 25 and I did not have a problem with his D. Love that he contributed 3 boards but the 3 assists he had is what I am looking at. Gavin contributed more tonight in just being a points guy. I felt this was a sneaky important game in his development we had not seen yet.

Wolf more quiet night but solid overall....2-3 fg did he really take a 3....5 boards in just 20 minutes.

I didnt think J Mike played as many minutes as he did but he did at 23. Just 1-2 fg but it wasnt about that. Team's pace seems to just pick up with him in there. Had 4 assists and 2 boards and a steal.

Oskar was a pleasant surprise tonight after a bad game vs Gtown. Saw a dunk and unexpected moves to the hoop. Oskar playing like a guy who wants to fight for his minutes. 3-4 fg 7 points in just 15 minutes. Kudos to Oskar.

Chol had a nice bucket late in the game in very limited minutes.

Things are coming together folks. This team is getting better. After Princeton I felt things were a mess. While I saw glimpses in the next 2, it wasnt til Georgetown where I felt that okay I can see where this team could be successful. Now this game taking further strides. Each player is now better than they were from opening day. This team is quick. Its almost like at times they forget the potential they have and it finally kicks in and they go off. Pike is still figuring out the rotation but I think he is getting closer to figuring things out. Slow and steady. Yes some kinks still to work out. Team still has to be considered streaky but those streaks are lengthening in a good way. Even though I have been a critic of the weak scheduling, these 4 games are the perfect tests for integrating so many new parts. Like what I see, will not get too overconfident with one more tuneup vs St Peters before Illinios invades the RAC but I am bac 2 feeling it again about this season.

View embedded media

Couldn't ask for better team performance going into Thanksgiving break. Everyone making contributions.

 

[High Quality H2O]

Minor correction….?

Wasn’t that game 5?

We are 4-1?
I drank a dogfishhead 120 after I got home so am like 70% confident…

 

[bac2therac]

Minor correction….?

Wasn’t that game 5?

We are 4-1?
I drank a dogfishhead 120 after I got home so am like 70% confident…

Yes you are right!

 

[NJDOVES]

Lol, great write up bac and only bummer is that I can’t review the game when I got home to critique it myself because I don’t have BTN +. But I appreciate being there …

 

[Saint Puppy]

Main thing I got from tonight was Noah is exactly who I thought he was. I don't think he took one bad shot tonight, and just plays smart - he is the epitome of what a PG should be. Simpson had the game, but I was most satisfied with Noah's performance.

Cliff looks so good at times, and then at others it looks like it's the first time he's ever shot a basketball. His offense from outside of 3 feet is still just close your eyes and pray. That being said love how Cliff can just take over as a rim protector on D like he did tonight.

Gavin takes good shots - even if he's not hitting them I can live with him having a not so great shooting night. He doesn't try to force things, and his shot selection is more mature than a Freshman who only has 5 games under his belt. And yes, he had two nice dunks tonight.

I can live with the Hyatt we saw tonight - he wasn't trying to be the man, and quite frankly that's what gets him trouble. When Hyatt is playing hero ball he's making bad turnovers and bad decisions - once he realizes he's not that guy and plays within the offense Hyatt is a net positive for us. When he tries to be Super Hyatt - well we've all seen that horror movie one too many times.

One final thing shooting 60% from free throws is going to cost us games. Such a maddening thing to lose a game or two over the course of a season over. Hopefully they can fix this.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

My checklist (relative to Game 1)

1. Guards defense- Game 1 all 3 guards were bad. Fast forward all 3 have been decent especially Game 4 where i thought they win us game

2. Gavin D—-saw a noticeable difference in his help D. He made the play as help 4X at least in half 1. He did have a 3 possession stretch in half 2 where he was bad and eitger got screened or was late getting out on shooter. BOTTOM LINE saw progress this game and he looked comfortable for tge 1st time defensively all season

3. Noah Nuts—-game 4 half 2 i thought he came out. Followed it through with a confident game tonight. This is important

4. Vision—Still think guards are having issues missing people and having too much of a one track scoribg mind. JaMike did have a nice pass to Ace for a dunk (actually it was Oskar impersonating Ace). Simpson did have a good look to I forgot who. I still feel lije the 3 guards have to remember Cliff and Gavin are the stars, they arent.

5. Hyatt—we got bad Hyatt today. Started on the opening tap where he got outhustled in the jump ball. A healthy Mag would be taking his minutes. In addition Oskar could end up being more of a trusted option come B1G. Hyatt needs to be consustent and he needs to bringvtge effort. Game 4 we saw some above tge rim rebounds and he gave good effort

Not including Cliff because he is a known quantity in my eyes. Game 4 guard defense win the game. Game 5 cliff interior D won the game

I still have no F ing clue about this team. We will learn more soon.

 

[RutgersDom]

Slow start but in the end it was the best performance of the season. I have mentioned how streaky this team is and tonight continued the trend but the important thing to take away is that RU continues to bounce back from some paltry offensive stretches and responds with longer stretches of exhillatering basketball that gets the RAC on their feet in appreciation. That is a true sign of progress. The first half of the first half was not good hoops by Rutgers. Howard came in and simply was not afraid of RU and thought they were well coached. Felt that RU was not ready to match Howard's energy early on. RU went down 14-8 and was sputtering offensively not converting on a bunch of Howard turnovers. Howard had 8 turnovers but RU had only 8 points. I was reminded of the Gtown game in the 2nd half where RU had just 3 fg in 11 minutes. This time it was 3 fg in the first 9 and half minutes. Yet it was an interesting lineup of Noah, J Mike, Oskar, Gavin, Cliff that sparked a 20-2 run and RU would never relinquish the lead. Whether it was J Mike's energy. Noah taking charge on offense with a 3 and some drives to the hoop and on defense with 3 steals. Cliff crashing the board and converting. Gavin with his first dunk while contributing more than just scoring. Later, it would be Derek closing out the half with a giant 3 that pushed the lead up to 39-31 after a mini Howard run. RU had gone from some fugly looking basketball to looking in sync and bearing down on defense. RU was getting contributions from everyone and that was the biggest takeaway heading into halftime.

RU would trade baskets for a while with Howard to start the 2nd half. It was a 2nd chance rebound for an open 3 which started a freak Howard barrage of 3 pointers. It was one of those things. They got hot whether they were covered or uncovered. Three treys at the game time RU hit another dry streak on offense with just 2 points over 5 minutes and suddenly at 49-45 Howard was back in the game. But where they really. I liked that RU was challenged and responded with bells...more like responded with Noahs and Gavins, Cliff and Andres, dunks and 3s steals and Dereks. The Scarlet Streaks went on a 24-8 in more than 6 minutes and built a 20 point and the game was over. The most impressive RU performance on either end of the court. Glimpses of the speedy high octane offense that some have promised while giving all that feisty scrappiness on defense cleaning up the board and forcing turnovers. By the 5 minute mark everyone was in feel good win mode at the RAC feeling very satisfied with the product on the court.

Derek had his best overall game as a Knight. I wondered after Boston U when will Simpson happen. After Bryant we saw stirring of life. The Gtown game saw the further progression. Now with his Howard performance, Derek strutting his stuff. 23 points, 7-10 fg, 7-9 at the line. I believe his streak was ended at 18, 2-2 from 3, 4 assists. This was a heady and confident Derek

Noah was a beast today. Started slow again early but picked it up. How about 5 steals. His defensive peformance was a delight, On offense he was the catalyst for the first RU run that gave them lead but his in rhythm 3 that put RU up 65-53 maybe was his best shot of the night. Noah was a difference maker and his last 3 halves of basketball have erased many of the concerns I had through his first few games that this experiment may not work.

Cliff did Cliff yet again. Slow start but got better as the game went on. Put it in a dominating defensive performance with 14 boards and 5 blocks and his offensive production of 6-10 fg with 15 points quite and encouraging sign. More importantly he looked like he was having fun out there and less of the frustration looks from some other games

Hyatt did not have a great first half but in the 2nd it was a different story as he answered in big spots as Howard was trying to keep pace with a 3 and a dunk. Hyatt would finish 5-11 fg with 12 points.

Gavin was solid tonight...only 7 points but a couple of dunks in key junctures and it was not about him just playing in the corner chucking 3s. Pike gave him more minutes tonight at 25 and I did not have a problem with his D. Love that he contributed 3 boards but the 3 assists he had is what I am looking at. Gavin contributed more tonight in just being a points guy. I felt this was a sneaky important game in his development we had not seen yet.

Wolf more quiet night but solid overall....2-3 fg did he really take a 3....5 boards in just 20 minutes.

I didnt think J Mike played as many minutes as he did but he did at 23. Just 1-2 fg but it wasnt about that. Team's pace seems to just pick up with him in there. Had 4 assists and 2 boards and a steal.

Oskar was a pleasant surprise tonight after a bad game vs Gtown. Saw a dunk and unexpected moves to the hoop. Oskar playing like a guy who wants to fight for his minutes. 3-4 fg 7 points in just 15 minutes. Kudos to Oskar.

Chol had a nice bucket late in the game in very limited minutes.

Things are coming together folks. This team is getting better. After Princeton I felt things were a mess. While I saw glimpses in the next 2, it wasnt til Georgetown where I felt that okay I can see where this team could be successful. Now this game taking further strides. Each player is now better than they were from opening day. This team is quick. Its almost like at times they forget the potential they have and it finally kicks in and they go off. Pike is still figuring out the rotation but I think he is getting closer to figuring things out. Slow and steady. Yes some kinks still to work out. Team still has to be considered streaky but those streaks are lengthening in a good way. Even though I have been a critic of the weak scheduling, these 4 games are the perfect tests for integrating so many new parts. Like what I see, will not get too overconfident with one more tuneup vs St Peters before Illinios invades the RAC but I am bac 2 feeling it again about this season.

View embedded media

How can you feel things were a mess after one game? Geez, how old are we on this board? The immediate gratification by some folks here is ridiculous. We have so many new players I knew the Princeton game would be tough...As soon as I looked at the schedule I said we should be playing them in game 5 or later, not game one... Our fan base has zero patience at times and each game is life or death...Horrible mentality

 

[Joey Bacala]

And we most likely get Mawot back next game which will help the rebounding and the press amongst other things

was this explicitly stated by coach Pike or speculation?

 

[RUBlackout7]

Wasn’t sure early on, but Noah is def and upgrade from Mulcahy

 

[NewJerseyHawk]

I try to just watch the games and ask myself....is the player being asked to do things they're currently not able to do on offense or defemse......are certain things a trend.....or can things or players improve how they're playing within the framework of what the staff knows the player can do, to help the team's performance.

It's been 5 games and if we look at the on court performance and how that impacts the team, I can see MOST of what we have is sustainable and a couple of things can actually improve even more. And there's really only 3 to 4 things that I don't see translating when the competition increases.

In terms of Howard or this game. I think it was about finding minutes and role-playing, was more important than the actual stats or result. I never went into the game thinking about "RU was down 6 in the 1st half or only up 4 in the 2nd half at 49-45".....

First, I really believe the fanbase wants to apply how RU has won games last year, onto this year's performance and its not the same team with the same limitations. So there are players who are going to make mistakes in-game, that are a part of their development or a chance for that player to be elevated to a new role. As these players are being pushed up into new roles, you're going to see mistakes made.

A) Cliff is being asked to try and lead a roster, as a center.....which is very difficult to do, when he doesn't control the ball as a guard or doesn't have the ability to dictate when he can shoot/score like a guard or wing can. Fans want him to click immediately, but the guards are learning their way 1st.

B) the initial view point of Hyatt is very difficult for fans to accept, because they've (for the most part) still scarred or burned based on Hyatt's end of season performance last year. And 5 games should not eliminate what inconsistent play looked like from last year, especially down the stretch, where Hyatt didn't score and fans wanted to see more defense, more rebounding, more "Mag/Caleb", awareness on defense.

So far my eyes tell me or show me that the guards this year clearly impact Hyatt's improvements more than Hyatt improving himself. He is the exact same player in terms of not being drastically better on defense or rebounding......which is 100% fine to me....

On the other hand, Hyatt is getting better or cleaner shots....he's stepping into shots within the flow of the game. And he's also being asked to do more post ups (which is hit or miss), but allows the team to have a post up option to go to AND have that same player capable of taking 4 to 8 3 pointers per game. Is that sustainable with how we are playing, with better guard play in transition and faster tempo.....?? 100% yes.

He is 9-26 from 3 so far (which is 34.6% for those obsessed with shooting percentages). He is also 17-20 from the line at 85%.....overall 19-48 from the field is around 39.5% shooting.....if we remove the 0-5 vs Princeton, that's 19-43....at 44%.......I think the staff will live with knowing they'll get a minimum of 40% shooting, from Hyatt and probably a realistic number of 75% from the line (85% is a very high level to maintain for a full 30+ game season). The staff has clearly gotten Hyatt into spots where his scoring is up, efficiency is up and RU isn't going to fall apart if his defense isn't excellent.

C) the guard play overall....(I just want to make this an evaluation of all 4 guards and ask yourself for the 1st 5 games.....is this sustainable?? I think YES.

Right now, if you are preparing for RU, or if you walk into the RAC or watch on TV, we have NO idea, which guard is going to have to perform well, in order for RU to win. Countless times because of lack of depth (last year) we were 100% reliant on Spencer, Mulcahy and Caleb to do it all. 3 guards all pouring themselves onto the court for 30+ minutes on offense and defense. Right now we have an additional guard, who's 6'8" AND 3 guards who wear down opponents, the way opponents would wear down our guards last year.

Davis, Fernandes and Simpson are all capable of getting 12 points, 2 steals, 3 Rebounds and 2 to 4 assists at any point. Those stat lines are starting caliber numbers for most winning programs. It's possible 2 of the 3 guards can have the same impact in fewer minutes per game than last year. Which explains how fans can feel somewhat unsure about RU, but the scoreboard somehow shows RU scored 85 points.

If you push the tempo, you draw fouls, get to the line faster, double bonus.....get to set up the defense....and put 2 or 3 of your likely best FT shooters at the line (Gavin, Noah, Derek). You extend scoring runs by getting FTs....not relying on 3s or Cliff on postups.

D) Last point on the 4th guard, Gavin.....his 25 point game vs Boston has already impacted the opposition, because the space available for Simpson, Fernandes and Hyatt to drive, comes from defenses having to aggressively close out on him as a shooter. The spacing is much much better this year (hint, better skilled players equals better offense).

But the difference between a true 5 tool offensive player (dribble, pass, shoot from perimeter,, drive-dish or pull up AND drive to score at the basket.....).....that far exceeds what any guard last year could do to impact the game. I actually don't think RU has seen the full resume of Gavins game yet, since he's still learning.

Griffiths is already impacting games without hitting 3s....he's getting to the line.....and he's made some nice passes.....and he's also driving and attacking the rim, which is important to show teams that he's not just a shooter. Using his 6'8' size as a guard, allows him to get baseline to dunk....once you show teams you can get to the basket, the referees also watch games too.....they'll see that on tape and when he's aggressively driving, he's more apt to get a foul called on our opponents, even if there are times when the contact is minimal or there's actually no foul at all.

How many times have RU fans seen opposing players, barely get touched on a drive and they get calls and FTs....?? It happens so often that we can't keep count. Now we're making that impact by being aggressive and Gavins part of that game, is enormous.

In terms of Gavin, he's a complete basketball player on offense and learning quickly on defense. But make no mistake, the drives and dunk show his versatility and skill set much more than being reliant on taking 7 to 8 3s and hoping he hits 3 of them. When he has a few games where he scores off the dribble and hits 3s in transition.....?? There's upside yet to be seen. But I'm more impressed with him in these 5 games than I thought. He's learning extremely fast. So glad he's got a path of clear minutes here to develop and improve now.

 

[higgins3]

I am really happy Pikiell allowed Oskar to come back as his play is enjoyable to watch. The teams chemistry is getting better every game. I am really starting to like this team. They are developing an identity and are fun to watch!

 

[RW90]

I think this team goes as far as Noah and Derrick take us. The other positions are mostly known commodities, but their ball movement and defensive pressure will dictate our success this season.

 

[Degaz-RU]

I think this team goes as far as Noah and Derrick take us. The other positions are mostly known commodities, but their ball movement and defensive pressure will dictate our success this season.

I think this is true to a large extent. College basketball is a guard’s game, and we need superior play from our guards.

But honestly the ceiling for this team will be so much higher if Gavin can figure out his stroke and start averaging 12 ppg. Hyatt’s production from deep will be up and down when the good competition hits, and we need GG to shoot better than his current 25% from deep if we want to be a top half of the B1G team.

 

[Degaz-RU]

My checklist (relative to Game 1)

1. Guards defense- Game 1 all 3 guards were bad. Fast forward all 3 have been decent especially Game 4 where i thought they win us game

2. Gavin D—-saw a noticeable difference in his help D. He made the play as help 4X at least in half 1. He did have a 3 possession stretch in half 2 where he was bad and eitger got screened or was late getting out on shooter. BOTTOM LINE saw progress this game and he looked comfortable for tge 1st time defensively all season

3. Noah Nuts—-game 4 half 2 i thought he came out. Followed it through with a confident game tonight. This is important

4. Vision—Still think guards are having issues missing people and having too much of a one track scoribg mind. JaMike did have a nice pass to Ace for a dunk (actually it was Oskar impersonating Ace). Simpson did have a good look to I forgot who. I still feel lije the 3 guards have to remember Cliff and Gavin are the stars, they arent.

5. Hyatt—we got bad Hyatt today. Started on the opening tap where he got outhustled in the jump ball. A healthy Mag would be taking his minutes. In addition Oskar could end up being more of a trusted option come B1G. Hyatt needs to be consustent and he needs to bringvtge effort. Game 4 we saw some above tge rim rebounds and he gave good effort

Not including Cliff because he is a known quantity in my eyes. Game 4 guard defense win the game. Game 5 cliff interior D won the game

I still have no F ing clue about this team. We will learn more soon.

We got mediocre Hyatt (not bad Hyatt) in the first half. We got GOOD Hyatt in the second half. He got two buckets on post ups early in the second half that helped stave off Howard’s rally, and he hit a DAGGER three to push the lead to double digits, and also hit two FTs. You really can’t ask for much more than AH scoring 12 points on an “off” night. He also didn’t have any WTF out of control moments.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I think this team goes as far as Noah and Derrick take us. The other positions are mostly known commodities, but their ball movement and defensive pressure will dictate our success this season.

I think what we have seen the last 3 halves from Noah is what i expected. To me he is more constant than variable.

Would be interesting to play Princeton now. 3 guards defending better. Noah out of his shell. gavin with 5 games of D.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I am really happy Pikiell allowed Oskar to come back as his play is enjoyable to watch. The teams chemistry is getting better every game. I am really starting to like this team. They are developing an identity and are fun to watch!

Oskar stunned me with the dunk a few games ago. Last night we get a dunk and a Misty May 2 armed block at the net.

What's next?

 

[higgins3]

Oskar stunned me with the dunk a few games ago. Last night we get a dunk and a Misty May 2 armed block at the net.

What's next?

I know, right?? He is a sneaky athlete and is communicating well on defense. He’s mature, but I also think he’s playing another gear because Pikiell gave him another chance and he’s grateful for it.

 

[goru7]

Great recap BAC. You are seeing what this team is capable of and watching a great , fun brand of basketball on offense and uptempo , on the break , on the secondary break , with still that effort on defense that causes shot clock violations or heaves at the buzzer .

You saw the Derek , Noah and JMike you can get these last 2 games against Georgetown and Howard ,, that will get us back to the dance but was lacking against Princeton, Boston U, and Bryant ( by the way they knocked off # 10 ranked FAU last night ) . You finally saw Gavin do all the other things he is capable of besides hitting threes ; passing for assists: pump faking from corner and driving for slam ; better defense and blocking shots and steals , which lead to fast break dunks because he has a great handle and doesn’t need to give it to a guard to get this team out and running. Dominant Cliff is coming especially on the glass and blocking shots. I cannot believe stat sheet said 4 blocks , because it seemed like 10 as Cliff swatted every Howard shot for 5 minutes straight. He not only swatted , he secured the rebound , which started the break , which is a whole other beautiful element to get our offense more efficient. Derek was absolutely terrific last night but it is pretty clear to me that this is not a 1 off game. I said the other day in a thread that he could score 20 or more once in a while , and although it likely won’t be 20 , I can see 15 points , 4-5 assists , a few steals and a couple of rebounds nightly. His sophomore leap the coaches were talking about is happening in front of our eyes and we have found our go to guy . He was decisive getting to his spots , his shots and very very confident in his stroke letting those 2 threes splash.
Terrific terrific game last night , sprinkled in with some fight from Howard in each half , that was met with an awesome offensive and defensive response by us. That was the big takeaway of the night that will keep us smiling all year even when the BIG 10 visitors come in for a loss.

 

[RU23]

But honestly the ceiling for this team will be so much higher if Gavin can figure out his stroke and start averaging 12 ppg.

He’s already averaging 11…..mostly kidding ;)

Lots of good stuff in this thread. “Coming together” is a good description - so many new/young pieces.

Mag will be the perfect complement for this team. An experienced, defensive-minded wing.

We have our guards set - Noah, Derek, J-Mike, and Austin although I think we’re all still figuring out Austin’s role. We’ll know what we have by the end of OOC play.

Palm has been solid but in an ideal world, he’s purely depth imo - the 3 main wings should be Mag, Gavin, and Hyatt.

Then of course Cliff and Wolf at the 5.

The above is a well-balanced 9-man rotation plus Palm for depth and special circumstances. Chol has a sweet stroke and should be able to contribute next year if Mag, Palm and Cliff are gone. If any of them stay, minutes will be hard to come by.

 

[DC8690]

My checklist (relative to Game 1)

1. Guards defense- Game 1 all 3 guards were bad. Fast forward all 3 have been decent especially Game 4 where i thought they win us game

2. Gavin D—-saw a noticeable difference in his help D. He made the play as help 4X at least in half 1. He did have a 3 possession stretch in half 2 where he was bad and eitger got screened or was late getting out on shooter. BOTTOM LINE saw progress this game and he looked comfortable for tge 1st time defensively all season

3. Noah Nuts—-game 4 half 2 i thought he came out. Followed it through with a confident game tonight. This is important

4. Vision—Still think guards are having issues missing people and having too much of a one track scoribg mind. JaMike did have a nice pass to Ace for a dunk (actually it was Oskar impersonating Ace). Simpson did have a good look to I forgot who. I still feel lije the 3 guards have to remember Cliff and Gavin are the stars, they arent.

5. Hyatt—we got bad Hyatt today. Started on the opening tap where he got outhustled in the jump ball. A healthy Mag would be taking his minutes. In addition Oskar could end up being more of a trusted option come B1G. Hyatt needs to be consustent and he needs to bringvtge effort. Game 4 we saw some above tge rim rebounds and he gave good effort

Not including Cliff because he is a known quantity in my eyes. Game 4 guard defense win the game. Game 5 cliff interior D won the game

I still have no F ing clue about this team. We will learn more soon.

Disagree re: Hyatt - he had a bad first half, but his second half was very good, he hit a 3 at an important time and actually played really good defense.

 

[RC80]

Didn't read all the comments but this is the best one I've read so far: -- "still have no F ing clue about this team. We will learn more soon."

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Disagree re: Hyatt - he had a bad first half, but his second half was very good, he hit a 3 at an important time and actually played really good defense.

He was a lot better in half 2. Nice hitting the 3 and the dunk. My favorite play from him in the 2nd half was simple, but important. Bounce pass to Cliff deep in the post.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I know, right?? He is a sneaky athlete and is communicating well on defense. He’s mature, but I also think he’s playing another gear because Pikiell gave him another chance and he’s grateful for it.

Athletic and Oskar don't go together....until now.

 

[G- RUnit]

Perfect recap, bac. Things are really coming around now, but is it the competition or is it the team we heard we were getting finally starting to emerge? I think the latter.

One thing I neglected to mention in my Rapid Reaction thread is free throw shooting. 16-26 for 61.5% tonight, another bad performance. And it wasn’t Woolf this time. It’s just spread throughout the team. Simpson is the only reliable guy at the line. This is a huge problem that could haunt us in tight games down the road.

But that’s a worry for another day. For now, I think we can take some satisfaction into the Thanksgiving break knowing that this team has played better each game since Princeton, and that the vision that Pike has for this team — as a run and gun team that feeds off of defense — seems to be coming to fruition. (Dylan, are you watching?)

While I too am very troubled by free throw shooting it truly is feast or famine. With apologies to Degaz, I weirdly think our foul shooting can improve. Simpson so far is 21 out of 23 from the line. But he is not the only guy we can depend on, Andre Hyatt is also 17 for 20. They may end up being the best 1-2 punch of free throw shooters since Billett and Hodgson.

Gavin so far is 5 for 9. His stroke is too good to be barely over .500. I think he may be too good and casual about his foul shots. Take another dribble and another breath. To my eye looks like he is rushing his foul shots. He shoots the foul shots almost as soon as he is handed the ball.

Noah has very good form and so far is 7-11. I think he will be fine.

The problem is our bottom has been bad.
Cliff is 9-16 but was 3-4 yesterday so hopefully he trends upwards.

The major issues are JMike is 7 for 16
And Antwon is 6 for 17.
I think it really is skewering our shooting percentages. If this keeps up neither will be playing in end games close games. Don’t think they can continue to be this bad.
They have 9 days to improve. If I am both of them they are shooting a hundred a day with good form.

If those two improve along with Gavin, I oddly can see our foul shooting becoming a nice weapon rather than a detriment. 🤞

 

[motorb54]

I was pleasantly surprised by how much Gavin and Oskar played together.

 

[Degaz-RU]

While I too am very troubled by free throw shooting it truly is feast or famine. With apologies to Degaz, I weirdly think our foul shooting can improve. Simpson so far is 21 out of 23 from the line. But he is not the only guy we can depend on, Andre Hyatt is also 17 for 20. They may end up being the best 1-2 punch of free throw shooters since Billett and Hodgson.

Gavin so far is 5 for 9. His stroke is too good to be barely over .500. I think he may be too good and casual about his foul shots. Take another dribble and another breath. To my eye looks like he is rushing his foul shots. He shoots the foul shots almost as soon as he is handed the ball.

Noah has very good form and so far is 7-11. I think he will be fine.

The problem is our bottom has been bad.
Cliff is 9-16 but was 3-4 yesterday so hopefully he trends upwards.

The major issues are JMike is 7 for 16
And Antwon is 6 for 17.
I think it really is skewering our shooting percentages. If this keeps up neither will be playing in end games close games. Don’t think they can continue to be this bad.
They have 9 days to improve. If I am both of them they are shooting a hundred a day with good form.

If those two improve along with Gavin, I oddly can see our foul shooting becoming a nice weapon rather than a detriment. 🤞

Oh I don’t disagree that the FT shooting can improve. It usually does as the season wears on. But it hasn’t started out this bad in a few years.

And yeah the team percentage is skewed by Woolf and JMike. But the good news there is that they both have very good form on their shot, and it’s just a matter of practice, repetition, and concentration for them to improve.

 

[ru66]

Lol, great write up bac and only bummer is that I can’t review the game when I got home to critique it myself because I don’t have BTN +. But I appreciate being there …

Go on youtube-- they show hextended highlights.

 

[RUPete]

I am really happy Pikiell allowed Oskar to come back as his play is enjoyable to watch. The teams chemistry is getting better every game. I am really starting to like this team. They are developing an identity and are fun to watch!

After Simpson set up Oskar for an and one in the second half you could see how much these guys root for each other. Agree - this team is very likable so far.

 

[G- RUnit]

I like Gavin twice finding Hyatt underneath and looked like he looked for Cliff.
Can so see team improving.
Almost hate the break

 

[Scangg]

The guard play has been much better but the competition is weak. Can the guards consistently play at this level against better perimeter defenders in the B1G? Will they be able to get all the way to the rim to finish against B1G rim protectors? If the answer is yes, this could be a top 3rd B1G team

Hyatt was terrible in the first half. Good Hyatt second half. He does seem to have realized he doesn't need to play hero ball which is very important. He's much more effective as a complimentary option when be doesn't force things and let's the game come to him

 

[Groz]

My checklist (relative to Game 1)

1. Guards defense- Game 1 all 3 guards were bad. Fast forward all 3 have been decent especially Game 4 where i thought they win us game

2. Gavin D—-saw a noticeable difference in his help D. He made the play as help 4X at least in half 1. He did have a 3 possession stretch in half 2 where he was bad and eitger got screened or was late getting out on shooter. BOTTOM LINE saw progress this game and he looked comfortable for tge 1st time defensively all season

3. Noah Nuts—-game 4 half 2 i thought he came out. Followed it through with a confident game tonight. This is important

4. Vision—Still think guards are having issues missing people and having too much of a one track scoribg mind. JaMike did have a nice pass to Ace for a dunk (actually it was Oskar impersonating Ace). Simpson did have a good look to I forgot who. I still feel lije the 3 guards have to remember Cliff and Gavin are the stars, they arent.

5. Hyatt—we got bad Hyatt today. Started on the opening tap where he got outhustled in the jump ball. A healthy Mag would be taking his minutes. In addition Oskar could end up being more of a trusted option come B1G. Hyatt needs to be consustent and he needs to bringvtge effort. Game 4 we saw some above tge rim rebounds and he gave good effort

Not including Cliff because he is a known quantity in my eyes. Game 4 guard defense win the game. Game 5 cliff interior D won the game

I still have no F ing clue about this team. We will learn more soon.

Hyatt played well in the 2nd half after a nothing first half. Not sure why you said we got bad Hyatt when he played well in the 2nd half.

This team has lots of potential if we can play decent defense. Our guards have quickness. This team will score much more in transition than any of recent memory.

Best of Luck,
Groz

Best of Luck,
Groz

 

[Groz]

Slow start but in the end it was the best performance of the season. I have mentioned how streaky this team is and tonight continued the trend but the important thing to take away is that RU continues to bounce back from some paltry offensive stretches and responds with longer stretches of exhillatering basketball that gets the RAC on their feet in appreciation. That is a true sign of progress. The first half of the first half was not good hoops by Rutgers. Howard came in and simply was not afraid of RU and thought they were well coached. Felt that RU was not ready to match Howard's energy early on. RU went down 14-8 and was sputtering offensively not converting on a bunch of Howard turnovers. Howard had 8 turnovers but RU had only 8 points. I was reminded of the Gtown game in the 2nd half where RU had just 3 fg in 11 minutes. This time it was 3 fg in the first 9 and half minutes. Yet it was an interesting lineup of Noah, J Mike, Oskar, Gavin, Cliff that sparked a 20-2 run and RU would never relinquish the lead. Whether it was J Mike's energy. Noah taking charge on offense with a 3 and some drives to the hoop and on defense with 3 steals. Cliff crashing the board and converting. Gavin with his first dunk while contributing more than just scoring. Later, it would be Derek closing out the half with a giant 3 that pushed the lead up to 39-31 after a mini Howard run. RU had gone from some fugly looking basketball to looking in sync and bearing down on defense. RU was getting contributions from everyone and that was the biggest takeaway heading into halftime.

RU would trade baskets for a while with Howard to start the 2nd half. It was a 2nd chance rebound for an open 3 which started a freak Howard barrage of 3 pointers. It was one of those things. They got hot whether they were covered or uncovered. Three treys at the game time RU hit another dry streak on offense with just 2 points over 5 minutes and suddenly at 49-45 Howard was back in the game. But where they really. I liked that RU was challenged and responded with bells...more like responded with Noahs and Gavins, Cliff and Andres, dunks and 3s steals and Dereks. The Scarlet Streaks went on a 24-8 in more than 6 minutes and built a 20 point and the game was over. The most impressive RU performance on either end of the court. Glimpses of the speedy high octane offense that some have promised while giving all that feisty scrappiness on defense cleaning up the board and forcing turnovers. By the 5 minute mark everyone was in feel good win mode at the RAC feeling very satisfied with the product on the court.

Derek had his best overall game as a Knight. I wondered after Boston U when will Simpson happen. After Bryant we saw stirring of life. The Gtown game saw the further progression. Now with his Howard performance, Derek strutting his stuff. 23 points, 7-10 fg, 7-9 at the line. I believe his streak was ended at 18, 2-2 from 3, 4 assists. This was a heady and confident Derek

Noah was a beast today. Started slow again early but picked it up. How about 5 steals. His defensive peformance was a delight, On offense he was the catalyst for the first RU run that gave them lead but his in rhythm 3 that put RU up 65-53 maybe was his best shot of the night. Noah was a difference maker and his last 3 halves of basketball have erased many of the concerns I had through his first few games that this experiment may not work.

Cliff did Cliff yet again. Slow start but got better as the game went on. Put it in a dominating defensive performance with 14 boards and 5 blocks and his offensive production of 6-10 fg with 15 points quite and encouraging sign. More importantly he looked like he was having fun out there and less of the frustration looks from some other games

Hyatt did not have a great first half but in the 2nd it was a different story as he answered in big spots as Howard was trying to keep pace with a 3 and a dunk. Hyatt would finish 5-11 fg with 12 points.

Gavin was solid tonight...only 7 points but a couple of dunks in key junctures and it was not about him just playing in the corner chucking 3s. Pike gave him more minutes tonight at 25 and I did not have a problem with his D. Love that he contributed 3 boards but the 3 assists he had is what I am looking at. Gavin contributed more tonight in just being a points guy. I felt this was a sneaky important game in his development we had not seen yet.

Wolf more quiet night but solid overall....2-3 fg did he really take a 3....5 boards in just 20 minutes.

I didnt think J Mike played as many minutes as he did but he did at 23. Just 1-2 fg but it wasnt about that. Team's pace seems to just pick up with him in there. Had 4 assists and 2 boards and a steal.

Oskar was a pleasant surprise tonight after a bad game vs Gtown. Saw a dunk and unexpected moves to the hoop. Oskar playing like a guy who wants to fight for his minutes. 3-4 fg 7 points in just 15 minutes. Kudos to Oskar.

Chol had a nice bucket late in the game in very limited minutes.

Things are coming together folks. This team is getting better. After Princeton I felt things were a mess. While I saw glimpses in the next 2, it wasnt til Georgetown where I felt that okay I can see where this team could be successful. Now this game taking further strides. Each player is now better than they were from opening day. This team is quick. Its almost like at times they forget the potential they have and it finally kicks in and they go off. Pike is still figuring out the rotation but I think he is getting closer to figuring things out. Slow and steady. Yes some kinks still to work out. Team still has to be considered streaky but those streaks are lengthening in a good way. Even though I have been a critic of the weak scheduling, these 4 games are the perfect tests for integrating so many new parts. Like what I see, will not get too overconfident with one more tuneup vs St Peters before Illinios invades the RAC but I am bac 2 feeling it again about this season.

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Excellent recap once again Bac.

I think this team is going to take a long time in really gelling because of our extreme depth when Mag and Ogbole start playing. Almost too many players and Pike will have to mix and match a lot to find the rotation that plays the best together.

Fernandes has really impressed(you can literally see his confidence growing) after most of our fans wanted to throw him to the dumpster the first couple of games(starting to play like he did when he almost beat us by himself while at UMASS.)

Best of Luck,
Groz

 

[RU-ROCS]

Slow start but in the end it was the best performance of the season. I have mentioned how streaky this team is and tonight continued the trend but the important thing to take away is that RU continues to bounce back from some paltry offensive stretches and responds with longer stretches of exhillatering basketball that gets the RAC on their feet in appreciation. That is a true sign of progress. The first half of the first half was not good hoops by Rutgers. Howard came in and simply was not afraid of RU and thought they were well coached. Felt that RU was not ready to match Howard's energy early on. RU went down 14-8 and was sputtering offensively not converting on a bunch of Howard turnovers. Howard had 8 turnovers but RU had only 8 points. I was reminded of the Gtown game in the 2nd half where RU had just 3 fg in 11 minutes. This time it was 3 fg in the first 9 and half minutes. Yet it was an interesting lineup of Noah, J Mike, Oskar, Gavin, Cliff that sparked a 20-2 run and RU would never relinquish the lead. Whether it was J Mike's energy. Noah taking charge on offense with a 3 and some drives to the hoop and on defense with 3 steals. Cliff crashing the board and converting. Gavin with his first dunk while contributing more than just scoring. Later, it would be Derek closing out the half with a giant 3 that pushed the lead up to 39-31 after a mini Howard run. RU had gone from some fugly looking basketball to looking in sync and bearing down on defense. RU was getting contributions from everyone and that was the biggest takeaway heading into halftime.

RU would trade baskets for a while with Howard to start the 2nd half. It was a 2nd chance rebound for an open 3 which started a freak Howard barrage of 3 pointers. It was one of those things. They got hot whether they were covered or uncovered. Three treys at the game time RU hit another dry streak on offense with just 2 points over 5 minutes and suddenly at 49-45 Howard was back in the game. But where they really. I liked that RU was challenged and responded with bells...more like responded with Noahs and Gavins, Cliff and Andres, dunks and 3s steals and Dereks. The Scarlet Streaks went on a 24-8 in more than 6 minutes and built a 20 point and the game was over. The most impressive RU performance on either end of the court. Glimpses of the speedy high octane offense that some have promised while giving all that feisty scrappiness on defense cleaning up the board and forcing turnovers. By the 5 minute mark everyone was in feel good win mode at the RAC feeling very satisfied with the product on the court.

Derek had his best overall game as a Knight. I wondered after Boston U when will Simpson happen. After Bryant we saw stirring of life. The Gtown game saw the further progression. Now with his Howard performance, Derek strutting his stuff. 23 points, 7-10 fg, 7-9 at the line. I believe his streak was ended at 18, 2-2 from 3, 4 assists. This was a heady and confident Derek

Noah was a beast today. Started slow again early but picked it up. How about 5 steals. His defensive peformance was a delight, On offense he was the catalyst for the first RU run that gave them lead but his in rhythm 3 that put RU up 65-53 maybe was his best shot of the night. Noah was a difference maker and his last 3 halves of basketball have erased many of the concerns I had through his first few games that this experiment may not work.

Cliff did Cliff yet again. Slow start but got better as the game went on. Put it in a dominating defensive performance with 14 boards and 5 blocks and his offensive production of 6-10 fg with 15 points quite and encouraging sign. More importantly he looked like he was having fun out there and less of the frustration looks from some other games

Hyatt did not have a great first half but in the 2nd it was a different story as he answered in big spots as Howard was trying to keep pace with a 3 and a dunk. Hyatt would finish 5-11 fg with 12 points.

Gavin was solid tonight...only 7 points but a couple of dunks in key junctures and it was not about him just playing in the corner chucking 3s. Pike gave him more minutes tonight at 25 and I did not have a problem with his D. Love that he contributed 3 boards but the 3 assists he had is what I am looking at. Gavin contributed more tonight in just being a points guy. I felt this was a sneaky important game in his development we had not seen yet.

Wolf more quiet night but solid overall....2-3 fg did he really take a 3....5 boards in just 20 minutes.

I didnt think J Mike played as many minutes as he did but he did at 23. Just 1-2 fg but it wasnt about that. Team's pace seems to just pick up with him in there. Had 4 assists and 2 boards and a steal.

Oskar was a pleasant surprise tonight after a bad game vs Gtown. Saw a dunk and unexpected moves to the hoop. Oskar playing like a guy who wants to fight for his minutes. 3-4 fg 7 points in just 15 minutes. Kudos to Oskar.

Chol had a nice bucket late in the game in very limited minutes.

Things are coming together folks. This team is getting better. After Princeton I felt things were a mess. While I saw glimpses in the next 2, it wasnt til Georgetown where I felt that okay I can see where this team could be successful. Now this game taking further strides. Each player is now better than they were from opening day. This team is quick. Its almost like at times they forget the potential they have and it finally kicks in and they go off. Pike is still figuring out the rotation but I think he is getting closer to figuring things out. Slow and steady. Yes some kinks still to work out. Team still has to be considered streaky but those streaks are lengthening in a good way. Even though I have been a critic of the weak scheduling, these 4 games are the perfect tests for integrating so many new parts. Like what I see, will not get too overconfident with one more tuneup vs St Peters before Illinios invades the RAC but I am bac 2 feeling it again about this season.

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Good take as usual, Bac. Simpson is a beneficiary of Williams’s injury. I think Derek needed the extra playing time to find his groove and it seems to be paying dividends.

 

[RU-ROCS]

My checklist (relative to Game 1)

1. Guards defense- Game 1 all 3 guards were bad. Fast forward all 3 have been decent especially Game 4 where i thought they win us game

2. Gavin D—-saw a noticeable difference in his help D. He made the play as help 4X at least in half 1. He did have a 3 possession stretch in half 2 where he was bad and eitger got screened or was late getting out on shooter. BOTTOM LINE saw progress this game and he looked comfortable for tge 1st time defensively all season

3. Noah Nuts—-game 4 half 2 i thought he came out. Followed it through with a confident game tonight. This is important

4. Vision—Still think guards are having issues missing people and having too much of a one track scoribg mind. JaMike did have a nice pass to Ace for a dunk (actually it was Oskar impersonating Ace). Simpson did have a good look to I forgot who. I still feel lije the 3 guards have to remember Cliff and Gavin are the stars, they arent.

5. Hyatt—we got bad Hyatt today. Started on the opening tap where he got outhustled in the jump ball. A healthy Mag would be taking his minutes. In addition Oskar could end up being more of a trusted option come B1G. Hyatt needs to be consustent and he needs to bringvtge effort. Game 4 we saw some above tge rim rebounds and he gave good effort

Not including Cliff because he is a known quantity in my eyes. Game 4 guard defense win the game. Game 5 cliff interior D won the game

I still have no F ing clue about this team. We will learn more soon.

Noah is playing much better the last 2 games, but I am surprised by his lack of vision as a 5th year senior point guard. He plays with his head down and constantly misses Cliff and others open in the low post. Simpson is much better at this.