Are you ready for it?
Oh, are you ready for it?
Baby, let the games begin
Let the games begin
Let the games begin (now)
Baby, let the games begin
Let the games begin
Let the games begin
Now that I got the Swifties attention, I am completely serious when I ask is Rutgers ready for it? Are they ready to face a top tier Big 10 team even at home. A team in Illinois that is physical, can play tough defense and has offensive talent that dwarfs what Rutgers possesses. The quizzes and the open book tests are over. Grading on a curve is out the window. Rutgers will have to produce vs Illinois in ways they have only shown glimpses of in their tuneups. Tonight's performance on the offensive game has me worried.
Look for starters how in the hell can anyone complain about a 31 point win at home. Wins are great. St Peter's was truly horrid and thumped them by jumping on them defensively setting the tone and them stomping on the overmatched Peacocks throats in the 2nd half. Rutgers was really locked in defensively early on. Despite all the talk about how much higher scoring this team will be, one thing is clear, Pikiell is once again going to lean on defense as Rutgers identity above everything else. Have to like RU causing multiple 10 second violations and multiple shot clock violations while forcing St Peter's into 11 turnovers in the first half. St Peter's was held to just 7 fg and 17 points in the first half. RU would outscore the Peacocks 29-9 over a 13 minute stretch spanning from later in the first half all the way to almost midway through the 2nd to build an insurmountable 49-24 lead. Cliff got untracked defensively and it seemed like everyone from Gavin to J Mike to Hyatt was picking up a steal or 2 enroute to a dozen total.
Yet if may be easy to see why Pike is focused more on a defensive rotation to begin the game when you look at how inefficient and clumsy the Rutgers offense looked for much of this game. That sense of purpose offensively is really missing and its not the first time I am saying it after a game. I will say Noah Fernades was very very good tonight. Heady play by a 5th year senior is exactly the game you want to see from him heading into Illinois. Whether he can replicate those moves and draw fouls vs faster and more physical teams will be the acid test. For this game though 9-9 at the line, 5-9 fg, 19 points, 4 boards, 3 assists. No problem with Noah tonight. He was the one player playing with that sense of purpose.
Unfortunately our starting lineup while best defensively is likely our worst offensively and its not even close. No surprise that we are anemic to start games. Tonight scoreless for 4 minutes and still just 11 points over 10 minutes into the game. That early scoring funk is contagious and its just making them tighter and tighter early on. There really is no reason to be struggling so badly in the half court vs St Peters. That does not give one confidence for Big 10 play. To cause 11 turnovers but still be struggling to convert them into point makes you wonder if all the extra focus on defense is worth it if there is no reward on the offensive end. Even when RU went on a little run going up 18-9 forcing a Peacock timeout, they fell into another ugly stretch of offense scoring just 2 points in 6 minutes on 1-7 fg shooting and missing 3 free throws including 2 one and ones. Simpson had 3 missed shots alone. Rutgers ultimately survived and built the lead back to 10 at half. Yet what they can get by vs St Peters will not work vs Illinois. That two seperate stretches 10 minutes total scoring just 2 points.
Incredibly worried about this. Where is the offensive coming from. Hyatt was a brutal 2-11 fg and is still forcing most of his shots. Derek falling in love with outside shots worked for him early as he looked good 3-4 fg but then missed his last 4 and didnt even take a shot in the 2nd half. Cliff was struggling to hit a shot over a bunch of smaller players and seemingly can only find success on alley oops. Gavin only took 5 shots and has yet to be integrated by Pike into the gameplan. The foul shooting is not good....23-32 but started 1-5 and missing several one and ones. Davis is going to need to start making them or he is going to sit in important moments. Wolfolk is becoming an almost auto miss. Hyatts free throws look way too hard. I will not even get into the rebounding issues which were particularly ugly in the first half. Yes I realize St Peters came into this game with strong rebounding stats but getting outboarded 31-14 and 11-3 on the offensive boards in the first half is inexcusable.
I contend that Pike is still trying to force a square peg into a round hole with his starting lineup. Having Cliff, Hyatt, Wolf to start the game is just going to torpedo fast starts. Gavin needs more minutes. I contend he has to start and that he has not been integrated into the offense as a 2nd or third option is borderline criminal. I think Wolf can make solid contributions to this team. I do not see it being as a starter. Also Hyatt played 28 minutes which is tops on the team yet he had a dreadful game. I ask what has Hyatt done to deserve as many minutes as he has had. If his shot is not on, his defeciencies seemed to be magnified. What is the leash on Derek. He took 8 shots in the first half and to me that is just too many because he think he has a Geo outside shot which he does not. Should we abandon trying to give Cliff on the ball on anything but an alley oop. Do we trust J Mike trying to drive into trees.
So this recap may be a total negative freakout overreaction but resumes are not made by beating St Peter's at home by 31. They are beat by knocking off a top tier BIg 10 team at home, going on the road and winning at a mediocre ACC program and going up to Newark and knocking off a middling Seton Hall in a rivarly game. Rutgers has DEFINITELY improved from the Princeton game and by and large most of the players individual have also took strides from game to game Where that puts them is the big unknown. Rutgers has had Illinois number lately I think 4 wins in last 5. Illinois has a tendency to throw some clunkers in and the game is at the RAC where RU is supposedly tough to beat. Yet did you know RU has lost its last 3 Big 10 games at the RAC. Expecting a packed RAC and it will need to be rocking to give this team a lift. Somehow I see Pike wanting to win this one 58-56 in an ugly scrum with multiple players in foul trouble and both teams throwing up bricks and all this analysis and worry will not matter because it will inevitably come down to defense....right????.....tell me things will be okay.
Oh, are you ready for it?
Baby, let the games begin
Let the games begin
Let the games begin (now)
Baby, let the games begin
Let the games begin
Let the games begin
Now that I got the Swifties attention, I am completely serious when I ask is Rutgers ready for it? Are they ready to face a top tier Big 10 team even at home. A team in Illinois that is physical, can play tough defense and has offensive talent that dwarfs what Rutgers possesses. The quizzes and the open book tests are over. Grading on a curve is out the window. Rutgers will have to produce vs Illinois in ways they have only shown glimpses of in their tuneups. Tonight's performance on the offensive game has me worried.
Look for starters how in the hell can anyone complain about a 31 point win at home. Wins are great. St Peter's was truly horrid and thumped them by jumping on them defensively setting the tone and them stomping on the overmatched Peacocks throats in the 2nd half. Rutgers was really locked in defensively early on. Despite all the talk about how much higher scoring this team will be, one thing is clear, Pikiell is once again going to lean on defense as Rutgers identity above everything else. Have to like RU causing multiple 10 second violations and multiple shot clock violations while forcing St Peter's into 11 turnovers in the first half. St Peter's was held to just 7 fg and 17 points in the first half. RU would outscore the Peacocks 29-9 over a 13 minute stretch spanning from later in the first half all the way to almost midway through the 2nd to build an insurmountable 49-24 lead. Cliff got untracked defensively and it seemed like everyone from Gavin to J Mike to Hyatt was picking up a steal or 2 enroute to a dozen total.
Yet if may be easy to see why Pike is focused more on a defensive rotation to begin the game when you look at how inefficient and clumsy the Rutgers offense looked for much of this game. That sense of purpose offensively is really missing and its not the first time I am saying it after a game. I will say Noah Fernades was very very good tonight. Heady play by a 5th year senior is exactly the game you want to see from him heading into Illinois. Whether he can replicate those moves and draw fouls vs faster and more physical teams will be the acid test. For this game though 9-9 at the line, 5-9 fg, 19 points, 4 boards, 3 assists. No problem with Noah tonight. He was the one player playing with that sense of purpose.
Unfortunately our starting lineup while best defensively is likely our worst offensively and its not even close. No surprise that we are anemic to start games. Tonight scoreless for 4 minutes and still just 11 points over 10 minutes into the game. That early scoring funk is contagious and its just making them tighter and tighter early on. There really is no reason to be struggling so badly in the half court vs St Peters. That does not give one confidence for Big 10 play. To cause 11 turnovers but still be struggling to convert them into point makes you wonder if all the extra focus on defense is worth it if there is no reward on the offensive end. Even when RU went on a little run going up 18-9 forcing a Peacock timeout, they fell into another ugly stretch of offense scoring just 2 points in 6 minutes on 1-7 fg shooting and missing 3 free throws including 2 one and ones. Simpson had 3 missed shots alone. Rutgers ultimately survived and built the lead back to 10 at half. Yet what they can get by vs St Peters will not work vs Illinois. That two seperate stretches 10 minutes total scoring just 2 points.
Incredibly worried about this. Where is the offensive coming from. Hyatt was a brutal 2-11 fg and is still forcing most of his shots. Derek falling in love with outside shots worked for him early as he looked good 3-4 fg but then missed his last 4 and didnt even take a shot in the 2nd half. Cliff was struggling to hit a shot over a bunch of smaller players and seemingly can only find success on alley oops. Gavin only took 5 shots and has yet to be integrated by Pike into the gameplan. The foul shooting is not good....23-32 but started 1-5 and missing several one and ones. Davis is going to need to start making them or he is going to sit in important moments. Wolfolk is becoming an almost auto miss. Hyatts free throws look way too hard. I will not even get into the rebounding issues which were particularly ugly in the first half. Yes I realize St Peters came into this game with strong rebounding stats but getting outboarded 31-14 and 11-3 on the offensive boards in the first half is inexcusable.
I contend that Pike is still trying to force a square peg into a round hole with his starting lineup. Having Cliff, Hyatt, Wolf to start the game is just going to torpedo fast starts. Gavin needs more minutes. I contend he has to start and that he has not been integrated into the offense as a 2nd or third option is borderline criminal. I think Wolf can make solid contributions to this team. I do not see it being as a starter. Also Hyatt played 28 minutes which is tops on the team yet he had a dreadful game. I ask what has Hyatt done to deserve as many minutes as he has had. If his shot is not on, his defeciencies seemed to be magnified. What is the leash on Derek. He took 8 shots in the first half and to me that is just too many because he think he has a Geo outside shot which he does not. Should we abandon trying to give Cliff on the ball on anything but an alley oop. Do we trust J Mike trying to drive into trees.
So this recap may be a total negative freakout overreaction but resumes are not made by beating St Peter's at home by 31. They are beat by knocking off a top tier BIg 10 team at home, going on the road and winning at a mediocre ACC program and going up to Newark and knocking off a middling Seton Hall in a rivarly game. Rutgers has DEFINITELY improved from the Princeton game and by and large most of the players individual have also took strides from game to game Where that puts them is the big unknown. Rutgers has had Illinois number lately I think 4 wins in last 5. Illinois has a tendency to throw some clunkers in and the game is at the RAC where RU is supposedly tough to beat. Yet did you know RU has lost its last 3 Big 10 games at the RAC. Expecting a packed RAC and it will need to be rocking to give this team a lift. Somehow I see Pike wanting to win this one 58-56 in an ugly scrum with multiple players in foul trouble and both teams throwing up bricks and all this analysis and worry will not matter because it will inevitably come down to defense....right????.....tell me things will be okay.