To be honest coming into the game I didnt think that RU had the horses to beat MSU as I didnt think our talent has grown up enough to be able to win a game like this. As I said before, RU just is not a complete team at this juncture. Its not NCAA team. It can play in flashes and spurts. What you saw at Miami and saw at times tonight was what Rutgers could become when the team is fully developed. Michigan State is a fully developed team. Izzo just reloaded once again. Tonight was not so much what Rutgers did or did not do, its that Sparty is good..very very good. Add to the fact that they have Tom Izzo on the sideline and its hard to come away with any real sense of disappointment tonight. I think tonight was more encouraging piggybacking off the Miami win.
Juxtapose this game with the St John's game and mind you that MSU is several rungs ahead of St John's in talent and coaching. For that game RU was overjuiced, overhyped, could not settle and try to do too much. In that game, it was the emotion that torpedoed them from the start. In this game two weeks later, you saw the emotion in check because the team was confident not cocky. RU played that first half like they belonged. Toe to toe outplaying MSU at times. I know everyone wants to measure wins and losses and look ahead and have this team competing for post season play but this year is about progression and developing. To me that is what we have seen ALOT of the past two weeks. We are seeing players grow in confidence. We are seeing the coaching staff trusting and asking more of the bench. Make no mistake about it, RU isnt as talented as MSU but we are closing the gap. This program belongs in the Big 10 and not just as a running joke for last place. Michigan State had to battle for this one. They played well, this wasnt a D or even B- effort. Yet RU still is not in position to win a game like this but we can take a ton of encouraging positives.
Caleb McConnell....what as an unexpected surprise. Came up big in the first half when he answered the call when Geo had to go out with 2 fouls. For sure I thought Pike was going to bring back Geo pretty quickly but Caleb played so well, that he played out the rest of the half. Caleb hit a 3, made an agressive successful drive to the hoop. He pretty much played mistake free ball save for that ill fated possession at 51-44 that led to a bad turnover and MSU layup. RU does not need him to be even a 10 minute game. They just need him to spell Geo from time to time here and there. I think Caleb grew up alot tonight. Part of the growing is playing fearless, he did. It doesnt mean we have a backup that can be Geo but it means Caleb can grow into someone servicable as the season goes on. To add to the fearless comment. I think Johnson, Harper,and Mathis all showed that they belonged out there. While they played like freshmen at times, they were not afraid to play. Harper seemed to struggle the most out there but that will happen with matchups like this. Johnson made some really nice shots and Mathis was aggressive, got to the line and made 5 of 6.,,big time improvement from him there. Peter Kiss seemingly as refuted any of the concerns about him from his earlier lull with his play the last two games. While his shot wasnt on in the 2nd half save for that 3, I thought his shots and confidence in the first half was exactly what RU needs from him. Teamwise the defense was very good in the first half...good at times in the 2nd, but seemed to be worn down in spots. But once again you can see the progression from earlier in the year, these are better defensive efforts than say vs Drexel or St johns
Eugene...another warrior effort, sometimes caught trying to do too much but that is Eugene..another monster stat line 16 points and 11 boards. It hurt when he was out the last 6 minutes of the first half and that is Eugene because it was a frustration foul but you can tell he cares so much and wants to carry this team. Geo came out strong but that 2nd foul and tougher defense on him in the 2nd half really did him in. Issa was quiet for sure tonight except for that one 3 that cut it to 6. Need more out of him in a game like this
As for the game itself, RU was shooting lights out early. Kiss raining 3s, Geo was on but too many fouls forced Geo and later Eugene to the bench and that really hurt RU's momentum. I will praise what the freshmen did in their minutes because they were only down 2 at half but I think those fouls were one several key plays that swung the game in one direction. Another key stretch was of course the dreaded first 5 minutes of the 2nd half which usually sets the tone. Izzo had his team going inside and Ward abused Doorson and then Sparty would proceed to a 12-1 run over the course of 6 minutes and MSU held RU to just 4 points and one basket in a 9 minute stretch. That folks is where the game was won. Actually it was won in the Michigan State lockerroom courtesy of Tom Izzo. 2nd half for MSU was all about defense,...half court defense, the game slowed to a crawl and surprisingly it was Sparty that benefitted from the slower pace that they were dictating. RU struggled mightily with shot selections and Geo/Eugene were just shut down. Looked as if MSU would win in a blowout at 59-46 but RU got helped out by a 6 point stretch led by a flagrant one on MSU....RU was in striking range and then got as close as 63-57 as once one shot went in, it seemed like they found their rhythm again but alas the final dagger seemed to be an odd foul called on Eugene that put MSU on the line rather than RU with the ball down two possession. Once that happened it seemed like RU had nothing left to give and MSU was composed and workman like the rest of the way.
So another learning experirence in a season full of them. We know what the team can be but we also know the flaws and things they must work on. I think the losses are going to be huge teaching tools for Pikiell this year even moreso than the wins. On to Wisconsin who are brimming with confidence after winning at Iowa. Tough matchup to win there, RU certainly has a punchers chance but going to need the shots to really be on.
Juxtapose this game with the St John's game and mind you that MSU is several rungs ahead of St John's in talent and coaching. For that game RU was overjuiced, overhyped, could not settle and try to do too much. In that game, it was the emotion that torpedoed them from the start. In this game two weeks later, you saw the emotion in check because the team was confident not cocky. RU played that first half like they belonged. Toe to toe outplaying MSU at times. I know everyone wants to measure wins and losses and look ahead and have this team competing for post season play but this year is about progression and developing. To me that is what we have seen ALOT of the past two weeks. We are seeing players grow in confidence. We are seeing the coaching staff trusting and asking more of the bench. Make no mistake about it, RU isnt as talented as MSU but we are closing the gap. This program belongs in the Big 10 and not just as a running joke for last place. Michigan State had to battle for this one. They played well, this wasnt a D or even B- effort. Yet RU still is not in position to win a game like this but we can take a ton of encouraging positives.
Caleb McConnell....what as an unexpected surprise. Came up big in the first half when he answered the call when Geo had to go out with 2 fouls. For sure I thought Pike was going to bring back Geo pretty quickly but Caleb played so well, that he played out the rest of the half. Caleb hit a 3, made an agressive successful drive to the hoop. He pretty much played mistake free ball save for that ill fated possession at 51-44 that led to a bad turnover and MSU layup. RU does not need him to be even a 10 minute game. They just need him to spell Geo from time to time here and there. I think Caleb grew up alot tonight. Part of the growing is playing fearless, he did. It doesnt mean we have a backup that can be Geo but it means Caleb can grow into someone servicable as the season goes on. To add to the fearless comment. I think Johnson, Harper,and Mathis all showed that they belonged out there. While they played like freshmen at times, they were not afraid to play. Harper seemed to struggle the most out there but that will happen with matchups like this. Johnson made some really nice shots and Mathis was aggressive, got to the line and made 5 of 6.,,big time improvement from him there. Peter Kiss seemingly as refuted any of the concerns about him from his earlier lull with his play the last two games. While his shot wasnt on in the 2nd half save for that 3, I thought his shots and confidence in the first half was exactly what RU needs from him. Teamwise the defense was very good in the first half...good at times in the 2nd, but seemed to be worn down in spots. But once again you can see the progression from earlier in the year, these are better defensive efforts than say vs Drexel or St johns
Eugene...another warrior effort, sometimes caught trying to do too much but that is Eugene..another monster stat line 16 points and 11 boards. It hurt when he was out the last 6 minutes of the first half and that is Eugene because it was a frustration foul but you can tell he cares so much and wants to carry this team. Geo came out strong but that 2nd foul and tougher defense on him in the 2nd half really did him in. Issa was quiet for sure tonight except for that one 3 that cut it to 6. Need more out of him in a game like this
As for the game itself, RU was shooting lights out early. Kiss raining 3s, Geo was on but too many fouls forced Geo and later Eugene to the bench and that really hurt RU's momentum. I will praise what the freshmen did in their minutes because they were only down 2 at half but I think those fouls were one several key plays that swung the game in one direction. Another key stretch was of course the dreaded first 5 minutes of the 2nd half which usually sets the tone. Izzo had his team going inside and Ward abused Doorson and then Sparty would proceed to a 12-1 run over the course of 6 minutes and MSU held RU to just 4 points and one basket in a 9 minute stretch. That folks is where the game was won. Actually it was won in the Michigan State lockerroom courtesy of Tom Izzo. 2nd half for MSU was all about defense,...half court defense, the game slowed to a crawl and surprisingly it was Sparty that benefitted from the slower pace that they were dictating. RU struggled mightily with shot selections and Geo/Eugene were just shut down. Looked as if MSU would win in a blowout at 59-46 but RU got helped out by a 6 point stretch led by a flagrant one on MSU....RU was in striking range and then got as close as 63-57 as once one shot went in, it seemed like they found their rhythm again but alas the final dagger seemed to be an odd foul called on Eugene that put MSU on the line rather than RU with the ball down two possession. Once that happened it seemed like RU had nothing left to give and MSU was composed and workman like the rest of the way.
So another learning experirence in a season full of them. We know what the team can be but we also know the flaws and things they must work on. I think the losses are going to be huge teaching tools for Pikiell this year even moreso than the wins. On to Wisconsin who are brimming with confidence after winning at Iowa. Tough matchup to win there, RU certainly has a punchers chance but going to need the shots to really be on.
