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GAME 6 ILLINOIS: This is Rutgers Basketball

bac2therac

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I thought that perhaps with each win my game threads might be getting shorter but there are so many thing to talk about from this game I just hope I remember to touch up on them all. Wow what a game. This is was the type of game we are used to watching among Big 10 elites. Now we are an elite. Two schools evenly matched, Illinois perhaps with the top 2 in overall talent but RU no question with the deeper talt its top 6. Both schools similar in that they are going to ride their best players, I will touch upon it later but it was critical that RU got Illinois in foul trouble. I said it last year and I said it another thread yesterday, Rutgers and Illinois has turned into a rivarly. Two overtime games at Illinois and the last 2 games at the RAC, last year an even game until RU broke loose and won with the Illini missing Ayo but this years game was a well played blow for blow NCAA type game. Such an important early season test for Rutgers to legitimize their 5-0 start and national ranking. Illinois already well seasoned off a convicing win over Duke and hard fought losses to Baylor and Missouri. Winner gets some early Big 10 bragging rights and getting these wins early in the season are so important especially at home.

What I really liked the most about this season is the way RU is winning and its quite different from what we are used to as fans. You know RU started the game out poorly. Illinois was energized, focused and well prepared. Not intimidated at all came in and just made shots and forced RU into rushing everything. In the game thread, I said Rutgers was unprepared, that was the wrong description, they were prepared, its that they were too excited, everything was rushed on offense, the shots were just a little too hurried in their release and ended up long. Their defense was scrambling rather than forcing Illinois to work. Credit Illinois for hitting at an amazing clip early. At one point they were 15-25 at 60% but RU wasn't making them work hard enough for those shots. Something Pike learned early in this game was that Cliff was not going to be able to even hold his own against. Cockburn. Cockburn abused him early and it was clear Myles needed to get in quickly and stay there. Once Myles was in there it changed things so Young and Mathis started to get more into the flow. Still RU was struggling though, at one point down 11. Mathis didnt have a particular good 2nd half but give him credit because his 10 points in the first half kept RU hanging around. Ron Harper didnt get his first basket until 13 and half minutes into the game, a 3 and he hit another one later. RU did all the little things to chip away and cut the deficit to just 4. They had been outplayed for most of the half so being down just 4 was so important. Pikiell usually wins halftime and RU went into the half with monmentum and rode the Pikiell halftime speech into taking it to another gear in the 2nd half.

RU was virtually all business and its almost like they are running the same template every game. In the 3 cupcake type games RU was able to shake off rust earlier in the first half. Against Syracuse it took to maybe around the 5 minute mark where RU got over the hump and didnt look back. Today like with Maryland it seemed to happen about midway in the 2nd half. RU just goes into another gear and all of a sudden are up 8, 10 points. Some like to call it spurtability. This is so different than what we are used to seeing with RU wins which either really on big huge starts ala SHU and Maryland last year or scraping by like we were used to with the Waters and Rice. Rutgers is winning these games by taking full control and then answering every bell. For a 4 or so minute stretch, RU outcored Illinois 16-3. going from down 1 to 12 ahead. Sure the final margin was 3, but when it counted, RU just simply flat out kept making shot after shot after shot. To think RU played such outstanding defense that Illinois was limited to just 15 points in the first 13 minutes of the 2nd half. A team so potent as Illinois who average like 88 a game and ended up getting to that number was just befuddled by what RU was throwing at them. Answering every time. It seems like the common theme in the wins is that Ron Harper Jr is going to just take over these games in the situations and cement the wins. Geo is the shot maker in the close games but right now Harper once again proved he is the provider.

Be my Baby....Be my little Baby....Ronnie Harper and the Ronettes. What a song he sang in the 2nd half. Just another 28 point game with 5 treys and 9 boards. As mentioned, Ron was quiet in the first half, just 2 of 7 but both were threes. Illinois was playing some good defense on him but still if Ron did not get going, RU had little chance to win. Once he did, he was unstoppable. Harper nailed a 3 to give RU their first lead at 49-47 but it wasnt until his dunk at the around the 10 minute did we see Harper in full song. Harper scored 18 in the final 10:15 of the game. Two huge made 3s was just the response after Illinois had gained some moment with their own 3s. These are the crucial times in games where leads evaporate. We have seen RU teams of old crumble at this juncture. This team is confident. It wasnt just Harper hitting big shots. Jacob Young as well nailed a bunch of jumpers after Illinois made buckets. That is how top elite schools respond and that is how they win games. We are nervous as fans because we are not used to seeing our Rutgers teams step up and respond in big spots but this team is so confident now, I think they have gone a long way to erasing those fears as we watch the game. You know what else elite teams do? They make free throws down the stretch. RU hit on 8-10 to do enough to keep a fiesty and never give up Illinois at bay. Even with their awful percentage early of 6-14, RU finished 25-36 for the day hitting 19 of their last 22 which is incredibly impressive.

I started a thread on Paul but going to mention it here because he was responsible for the game changing moment that catapulted RU in a position where all the other guys could do their thing and shine. Paul sold fouls incredibly well today. He drew a crucial 4th foul on Curbello , made his free throws and was able to bait Williams into committing his 4th foul that set in motion a 6 point RU possession. Geo had his two free throws, Paul shot the flagrant foul shots and then RU converted on a dunk by Mathis to all of a sudden go up 7 at 62-55. This totally changed the flow of the game and Illinois was seemingly reeling from this body blow. The game went from a tip and tuck affair where RU was kept off guard by what Illinois could throw at them to Illinois having two key players on the bench in foul trouble not able to use Curbello speed to dish it off to the big guys and losing Williams a key defender. Illinois blinked that point offensively and that was just enough for RU to take advantage of and build a nice cushion the rest of the way. Back to Mulcahy also made two key free throws late when Illinois cut it to 83-79. In the first half Mulchay went up against Cockburn and blocked his shot. Intangibles, all the little things, Paul brought some toughness today. 30 minutes 7 boards, 6-6 at the line...all the things you want.

Mentioned Young before, I thought early he was forcing and out of control, He and Mathis did keep RU in the game though and you have to live with both of their sometimes questionable decision making. jacob was on in the 2nd though. 8-15 shooting, 7-8 at the line for 24 points. He and Ron combined for 52 and were quite the tandem in that 2nd half. Myles of course another monster game. He played 30 minutes and we needed all 30 of them. Even if Cliff did not get hurt Myles needed to be in there as much as possible. In earlier games in his career against big time centers, Myles would often get himself in foul trouble or being ineffective on the boards. Today he clearly established he would be winning the battle of the boards vs Cockburn while doing all the thing to wreck havoc with Illinois establishing a consistent inside game. Cockburn had 17 and 12 but what were his numbers when Myles was in the game. Just another 13 rebound game with 3 blocks and just missing a double double with 9 points. It is clear that now Myles himself has to be consider one of the elite centers in this league and probably one of the elite defensive centers in the country..no joke.

Touch on Geo a little bit..wow got 30 minutes and even though he was just 2-7 I like he got the minutes to get his legs back into it. Obviously Illinois is a quick team so Geo going to be at a disadvantage but he looked quicker today. He dished off 5 assists and if he isnt ready to be the playmaker right now I like that he was in reserve..just 7 shots to let others handle that role. Geo will eventually get back to 100% and geez how good will we be then.

Cliff obviously a boy vs a man today. No shame in that and then the unfortunate injury. With Mag out and Cliff getting injured, RU is in a bit of trouble going forward meaning someone is going to be forced into major minutes as a role player whether that is Palmquist or Doucoure or a combo of both. You can only get by playing 6 or 6 and half players so many games. Long run it catches up to you so just be aware as we set expectations.

For RU fans not being able to attend this game at the RAC is a real bummer. The atmosphere would have been juiced from the start and that likely alters that early Illinois start where they were comfortable and their bench could be heard shouting defense. I know in the 2nd half the place would have approached top levels when RU was going on their run. I think the game got closer than it should have later in the game because of no crowd. Those are the situations where RU is up 6-9 points where the loud crowd can help get a stop on the defensive end. Illinois was able to play through and keep hitting shots with no hometown crowd. Certainly helps road teams in the league this year in those spots and I think it aided Illinois today. Credit them, Ayo and Frazier never gave up late. Their crucial mistake I believe was the freshmen Miller crucial mistake of hoisting a rushed 3 down only 5 with 29 seconds left. In many ways, RU winning without the crowd is a good learning experience and something they had trouble with last season.

No question about it that this team has ground from a fringe top 25 school last year to a solid top 15 school perhaps higher this season. The entire team has seemingly upped their game several notches and their work as a unit is a testament to the hard work that Coach Pikiell and the rest of the staff puts in. 6-0 is incredible right now, we have a few days to enjoy moving up in the rankings but there is no rest in the Big 10. Ohio State on Wednesday afternoon poses another challenge and RU will be the hunted in this game.
 
I don't think we were playing so bad in the first half had we made foul shots in the first half we would have led at the half; I think at one point we were 2 for 8 from the line with a missed front end of a one and one so thats 7 points we left on the table but just great second half defense and offense! As you say just so disappointing to not be there
 
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Harper and Young were electric today. We have legit stars, an elite defensive center, elite team defense, and let’s not forget a true leader in Geo who is still working his way back from injury.

One thing I think teams will learn this year is that Rutgers isn’t just a decent team that gets a big home court advantage. We are just a good team, period.
 
Bac - great write up. Great effort by all! Everyone chipped in. RAC would have been going wild today and rightfully so !

Everyone on the team understands their role and there are no ego clashes. They all get along very well.

For the Music buffs since Bac quoted the song:

“ Be My Baby” by the Ronettes was the inspiration for Beach Boys “Don’t Worry Baby”. Brian Wilson was obsessed with the song.
 
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Great recap Bac,


Another thing ...it's nice to have 2 players who are comfortable taking big/clutch shots: Geo & Ron. It makes us even harder to guard in those situations. Excited to see what our team turns into when Geo rounds into form!
 
Another great baccap. In thinking about the crowd, I think we might have set a new noise record if we were there and Mathis makes that fast break tomahawk jam, given the point in the game, especially. I actually think JY's would have been a better dunk, over Cockburn, but it wasn't at the right time to blow the lid off the place.
 
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Good recap BAC. Just to add a few points. What you did not emphasize enough was how dominant Ron was in the second half. He was forcing it early in the first half, did not rebound and let Giorgi get some offensive rebounding and extra shots but in the second half, when Pike ran 3 plays in a row for him and neither Williams nor Giorgi could guard him. 3 straight drives and got fouled on one that was not called . Then the key threes in the second half so can Drive and hit threes and truly do not think anyone in the country will guard what his game has become. He is Big 10 Player of the year worthy and like I was saying he would give Garza and Ayo a run for the money for those 2 anointed players, but clearly Ron was better and more impactful than Ayo today . So going to be fascinating to watch all year. Teams know Ron will go off and cannot stop it. First time since Douby when the opposition could not stop one of our players.
Almost everyone else deserves mention , but let me give a huge shout out to Montez. He played a great first half and his 2 big threes keep us within striking distance. Really do not understand his inconsistency at the foul line but he left another 3-4 points as he missed 2 and the one and one. But he was relentless on the glass and driving through Illinois. Feel bad he missed those 2 second half dunks as the first one would have caused an Illinois timeout ( and would have brought the RAC crowd to pandemonium if present) and the second one let Illinois hang around. There are some on this board that are incredibly critical and down on Montez but in every big game he is the one that brings it from the opening tip, especially in big time showdowns. Plus his toughness in offensive rebounding and driving hard to the hole will be invaluable as he will continue to get fouled but has to tidy up his foul shots.
Jacob has also become almost unguardedly when he pushes the ball on the break and making some great decisions in transition. He also missed a dunk over Cockburn that would have gotten everyone’s attention. Hit some great mid range shots and easy bank shots. 24 points with few turnovers seems to be something unusual for last year but this year averaging 16 points a game with a bunch of assists, less turnovers, and some steals appears to be what will happen game after game.
Myles is a man! Myles the Monster is a good moniker but he is the most impactful defensive center we have had since Rashod Kent. Kent was the best ever at denying the low post pass , typically stealing at least 2 a game and rebounding well at a sizable disadvantage. But Myles altering and blocking shots and denying the ball to the post , things that do not show up on the stat sheet. Got to continue to feed him in the post more as he can get the other team’s center in foul trouble , plus can back his guy down . His wingspan and his snatching of rebounds is just tremendous. Plus he is our best passing big man in maybe forever . Love how he is setting screens without moving and not picking up cheap fouls that free Jacob and Geo to do their thing.
Overall , we are watching a team that has grown up, been developed , playing with tremendous confidence, does not get rattled when down , and when punched, punches back harder and is a damn tough talented team . We can play with anyone in the country and Coach Pike is a big reason why.
 
I actually thought Pike outcoaxhed Underwood.

Cliff goes down so he goes Georgi and Kofi. Match up problem on the other end with possessions of Georgi on Ron. Then he goes zone, which we have experience with, and we shred it.

imagine.....
1. We play a top 20 team and they adjust what they want to do based on us
2. We are so efficient against man they switch to zone
 
That was a heck of a game to watch. Both teams battled. We have been relentless on D since Pike got here but now we are relentless on offense as well. We just keep pushing the ball and wear teams out. Go RU!
 
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Pike and his coaches have put together a group of incredibly complimentary players. Each guy knows his role so well and each one executes with precision. That is certainly not to say we are a team of role players because we’re definitely not. RHJ’s emergence this year as a guy who can take over a game has been huge. Myles is tremendous on the defensive end and is so unselfish. It’s not often when you find a guy so uniquely talented with absolutely no ego. Once Geo comes back full strength we’ll have at least two super clutch performers who can take over games when they’re on the line. I say at least because we have another in Jacob Young and in Montez that can do it on selective days also. These young men are so fun to watch and they all play and conduct themselves the right way.

Oh and btw, Bac- great recap!
 
Great game. Great win. Allowing 54% of FGs and 60% of threes is not RU Basketball. But it was great to get the win nevertheless, and let’s shore up the D against OSU.
 
That was a heck of a game to watch. Both teams battled. We have been relentless on D since Pike got here but now we are relentless on offense as well. We just keep pushing the ball and wear teams out. Go RU!

... don’t forget relentless on the boards as well. We have been a very good rebounding team and it looks like we may have even improved there. Now let’s get relentless from the FT line and coach up the youngsters to deepen the rotation... 👍
 
Great Recap Bac. We are real good and will keep proving it.

Best of Luck,
Groz
 
Great recap and analysis bac, thank you. One thing I thought was a turning point that you didn't mention is that at some point RU became more aggressive driving, expecting contact, and getting the foul. Early in the game RU wasn't ready for, and had no answer for Ill's defensive intensity. I don't know if it was coaching, or just vet players adjusting, but at some point there was a switch and the RU perimeter players started consistently driving into the contact and drew fouls. I thought it was a huge swing in the game.
 
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Fun. That's what I think of when I watch this team play. They have FUN playing the game. Not just this game but every game. Even when they're behind, they still have the look of guys that just like playing together and are going to be talking smack with each other after the game. Compare that to the Illinois guys today. Really talented but did you even see them interacting with each other? There certainly wasn't an expression of fun or a smile anywhere to be seen all game. I like fun.
 
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We beat a legit final four contender ...and they played their A game on offense and shot 55% from the floor

Let that sink in
Exactly. We don't need to hope the elite teams don't bring their A game to win. They shot 54% FG and 60% from 3... and the game wasn't even in question at the end.

Now other teams need to bring their A game if they want to hang with Rutgers or they are going to get run out of the gym
 
its pretty evident were rolling with a 7 man rotation as the freshman just arent there yet and to me if theres ANY way we can get Caleb healthy enough to play even 8-10 minutes a night down the stretch thatd be huge. Also no idea what happens if cliff is out for an extended period of time. Yes, hes a pup and really raw but he can give us some minutes and his backup is duke who is a nice kid and all but clueless as a basketball player. Id see what luke nathan can do
 
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Congrats to the Scarlet Knights and Coach P.

Best RU sporting event I've seen since the 2006 Louisville Football game.
 
Trying to decide if I agree that RU's top six is more talented than Illinois. Maybe but it is very close. I think if you continue down the roster the edge may go back them but again very close. Just two good teams.
 
Trying to decide if I agree that RU's top six is more talented than Illinois. Maybe but it is very close. I think if you continue down the roster the edge may go back them but again very close. Just two good teams.
They are more talented, but who cares. Scoring and preventing scoring wins games.

Illinois came out on fire and their bench was in to it. When we didn’t go down and we started to fight back they were less aggressive. They still had more talent, but they lost.
 
At the beginning of the season when Rutgers played its weaker OOC teams I was concerned with the team defense and rebounding effort. Granted Rutgers played with numerous lineup changes and their freshmen but still-amazing how things have changed as soon as Rutgers began playing the " serious " part of their schedule with Syracuse and the Big Ten teams. Last night rebounding and defense played enormous parts in beating Illinois.
 
Great recap Bac,


Another thing ...it's nice to have 2 players who are comfortable taking big/clutch shots: Geo & Ron. It makes us even harder to guard in those situations. Excited to see what our team turns into when Geo rounds into form!
Don't forget Young who has been a consistent double digit scorer and a very good defender.
 
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Fun. That's what I think of when I watch this team play. They have FUN playing the game. Not just this game but every game. Even when they're behind, they still have the look of guys that just like playing together and are going to be talking smack with each other after the game. Compare that to the Illinois guys today. Really talented but did you even see them interacting with each other? There certainly wasn't an expression of fun or a smile anywhere to be seen all game. I like fun.


Watch Mark Turgeon's reaction from last week's game.,......he said the same thing about Rutgers " they are having fun"



Also, another great recap bac......love it
 
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