If Pikiell can fix the O in Year 2.........

[DocRU]

How much longer until we dance? In only 1 season this staff has elevated RU near the top of the league in no less than 7 major defensive categories:
1. Scoring defense: 4th
2. FG % defense: 5th
3. 3 pt defense: 3rd
4. Offensive rebounds: 1st
5. Rebounding margin: 4th
6. Blocked shots: 5th
7. Steals: 5th
Of course RU was statistically and by all measures the worst offensive team in the B1G.
And of course that's mainly attributable to poor shooting. Which is where talent comes in. But also interesting to note that RU was 14th in assist to turnover ratio. Which is where point guard comes into play. And RU did not have a true PG, instead forcing our combo guards into that role. No surprise then that the staff reached into the JUCO ranks for one next year. Makes you wonder how much better our offense could be with a competent PG. And with the same defensive effort, how many more wins?

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

$1,000,000 question

Defense can be improved, but no where near as much as the improvement last year

Offense....tons of meat on the bone

 

[bac2therac]

if you are thinking dance next year please do not

 

[DocRU]

Dance may be pie in the sky, but NIT bubble is not. Illinois got in with 18 wins. I'm asking for 3 more wins. RU was dead last in free throws, FG%, and 3 pt shooting. Is there no improvement possible from 14th place in any of those stats? From a junior senior laden team? RU with its history of transfers has not had a veteran team in years.

 

[ColonelRutgers]

Dance may be pie in the sky, but NIT bubble is not. Illinois got in with 18 wins. I'm asking for 3 more wins. RU was dead last in free throws, FG%, and 3 pt shooting. Is there no improvement possible from 14th place in any of those stats? From a junior senior laden team? RU with its history of transfers has not had a veteran team in years.

Even if RU someone got 3 or 4 more B1G wins, NIT bubble would still be a stretch, I think, because our out of conference schedule will be pretty weak if I'm interpreting Pikiell's comments to Sargeant about scheduling correctly.

 

[Plum Street]

Stop threads like this. He needs better players

 

[RUsince52]

if you are thinking dance next year please do not

Think of it in terms of being in junior HS, but dreaming about the senior prom. Going to take a lot of small steps to get there.

 

[RUonBrain]

Time for some dancing (Adidas) shoes.

 

[zebnatto]

You can't compare assist/turnover ratio w/out including shooting perecentage. Guy doesn't make shot there's no assist.

 

[LotusAggressor]

The only way the offense improves is with better shooting. Teams that make the NCAA Tournament put the ball in the basket on a consistent basis. That means recruiting better players, and exponential improvement from the existing ones.

 

[TODDB33]

Even if RU someone got 3 or 4 more B1G wins, NIT bubble would still be a stretch, I think, because our out of conference schedule will be pretty weak if I'm interpreting Pikiell's comments to Sargeant about scheduling correctly.

If we were to get 3/4 more wins I think we would have areal good chance to get in NIT. Everyone knocked the Big as a BB conference but we have 3 teams in Sweet 16. Not to Shabby. Also I think being in NY market area will help as more TV sets would be watching RU game/s

 

[chrisru99]

Is it possible to get the same out of conference schedule next year? I hope so because if not I don't think we start 11-1 next year. Be optimistic but don't forget we had the easiest out of conference schedule for all power conference schools. That certainly matters Gents.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Is it possible to get the same out of conference schedule next year? I hope so because if not I don't think we start 11-1 next year. Be optimistic but don't forget we had the easiest out of conference schedule for all power conference schools. That certainly matters Gents.

Will you complain if we go 9-9 in conference 1-1 in B1G and finish 21-11 and then find out we are only a 3 seed in the NIT?

 

[chrisru99]

Will you complain if we go 9-9 in conference 1-1 in B1G and finish 21-11 and then find out we are only a 3 seed in the NIT?

How can I complain about 21-11 what's your point? I'm talking about something that actually might happen.

 

[Scarlet Shack]

Three things

1.) IMO...the out of confrence schedule should be about the same on the top. Three power five teams like this year. Maybe a Just get rid of the 300 and lower rpi teams on the bottom of the schedule ...you want to be 11-2 or better coming out:

2.) I can't emphasize enough that we were a very inexperienced team coming into last year and those lumps could very well pay dividends in 17-18

3.) the offense can get better....and I think it will. Nigel being the Nigel at the end of the year would be a 12-13 ppg scorer. Corey is good for 13-15 ppg. Freeman is good for his 11 ppg. Mike played with a broken finger on shooting hand....how much that messed up his shot I don't know ....but if he can get senioritis...

4.) every player has upside potential on offense that is possible

I really think we have a shot at a major move this coming season.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

How can I complain about 21-11 what's your point? I'm talking about something that actually might happen.

not getting in the tournament at 21-11 because of SOS. I 100% loved our schedule last year. This coming year the schedule needs to be crafted based on what we want to achieve. If we truly have realistic visions on a NCAA berth (birth) then we need to jettison 3-4 of the #300 cream puffs. Yes we will have 3 P5s, but most likely 1 of those will be a faux P5 school that we get in a conference challenge.

 

[RUJMM78]

Is it possible to get the same out of conference schedule next year? I hope so because if not I don't think we start 11-1 next year. Be optimistic but don't forget we had the easiest out of conference schedule for all power conference schools. That certainly matters Gents.

Lets also not forget that some of the out of conference wins were very close games because the opponents had 3 point shooters. Rutgers played with no margin for error because the offense lacked consistent scoring.

 

[RU-ROCS]

Realistically, we're probably looking at a 4 to 5-year time-frame (counting this year) just because of roster turnover. I don't think anyone would realistically argue that next year's team is going dancing, as there is simply not enough offense. But, the year after that, RU will have lost Williams, Johnson, Sa, Freeman and maybe Sanders. So, even if there is a considerable upgrade in talent, we will be very young.

 

[bac2therac]

the OOC schedule needs to get tougher. Illinois was a NCAA bubble team with 18 wins because they played a top 20 overall SoS that wasnt weighed down by a OOC SOS of 339 like RU's and had 10 top 100 wins and 5 top 50 wins, RU had 0 top 50 wins and 3 top 100 wins. One team's 18 wins isnt another.

Before everyone goes ga ga, RU was just 4-18 against schools ranked in the rpi top 150. RU finished 168 in the rpi. As I have commented before tremendous credit goes out to the team and Pike for what they improved upon and their competitiveness but this program simply needs more talent to have realistic post season goals....NIT next year is possible if everything falls into place with the roster and everything works out but would put it at 25/75. Is this program ready to win 8 games in the league because that is likely what it will take to make the NIT...I am not very confident in taking such a giant leap in one year

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

My argument to you BAC.........I agree with everything you say, except........if you think NIT is possible you also have to think NCAA is possible. There is very little difference. 1 or 2 wins at most.

My early probabilities (without knowing schedule OR roster!)
finish worse than 15-18............35%
finish the same or 1 game below .500.........40%
finish above .500, but no NIT............15%
NIT.........7%
NCAAs.....3%

 

[bac2therac]

My argument to you BAC.........I agree with everything you say, except........if you think NIT is possible you also have to think NCAA is possible. There is very little difference. 1 or 2 wins at most.

My early probabilities (without knowing schedule OR roster!)
finish worse than 15-18............35%
finish the same or 1 game below .500.........40%
finish above .500, but no NIT............15%
NIT.........7%
NCAAs.....3%

well then I do not think NCAA is possible.so NIT is a longshot under that theory. Best case I see a record similar to Ohio State 17-14 regular season who didnt get asked for the NIT, remember Northwestern won 20 last year and was snubbed by the NIT. This year the records for the NIT were a little sketchier than the year before...less conference tourney upsets I guess

Im just looking to get to 16-15/6-12 and I will be very happy.....but then the third year with graduation losses, I expect a slight dip back below 500

I know some fans want success now or think that being competitive means year 2 and 3 we can have post season but its all about the recruiting classes for 2018/19 and 2019/2020, that will decide everything

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

well then I do not think NCAA is possible.so NIT is a longshot under that theory. Best case I see a record similar to Ohio State 17-14 regular season who didnt get asked for the NIT, remember Northwestern won 20 last year and was snubbed by the NIT. This year the records for the NIT were a little sketchier than the year before...less conference tourney upsets I guess

Im just looking to get to 16-15/6-12 and I will be very happy.....but then the third year with graduation losses, I expect a slight dip back below 500

I know some fans want success now or think that being competitive means year 2 and 3 we can have post season but its all about the recruiting classes for 2018/19 and 2019/2020, that will decide everything

Our expectations are exactly the same. Maybe, just maybe, the stars allign and every bounce goes our way and the 5 keys to improvement all pan out. realisticly we are in foundation building mode that helps momentum for recruiting class of 2018 and 2019 and gold is struck with names that are foreign to us right now.

 

[higgins3]

If Rutgers grabs a rebounder somewhere, I can see 17 wins being the minimum, with room for up to 23 for next year.

 

[bac2therac]

good luck...23 wins...not happening

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

If Rutgers grabs a rebounder somewhere, I can see 17 wins being the minimum, with room for up to 23 for next year.

Do you know how good Carr and Watkins are for PSU?
Do you know how good Bohannon and Pemsl/Ellis are for Iowa?

Which teams 6 teams are we leap frogging in the standings?

The phrase "zero sum" needs to be applied. Everyteam RU hops over a team has to hop down. Who will that be?

 

[AreYouNUTS]

Apparently we the ONLY school in the nation that needs "5 years" to take things from nowhere to somewhere, according to this board, so see you in 2021!

 

[bac2therac]

Apparently we the ONLY school in the nation that needs "5 years" to take things from nowhere to somewhere, according to this board, so see you in 2021!

what dont you understand here......do you realize that year 3 we are losing some core players....and we dont have their replacements coming in signed....so year 3 becomes an issue whether you think it will not be or not.....Pike hasnt even started getting his guys in yet...patience until that happens so yes that puts year 5 as the year you can even start thinking NCAA

 

[seels2662]

Listen hypothetically if we are in the top half of the league offensively we will be at least a bubble team. But do you know how monumental of a task it will be to do that? At least ten things have to be best case scenario for that to happen. And that still doesn't fix the foul shooting problem in which we need to be at least 15% better as a team after all that to get us in the field of 68.

 

[bac2therac]

Do you know how good Carr and Watkins are for PSU?
Do you know how good Bohannon and Pemsl/Ellis are for Iowa?

Which teams 6 teams are we leap frogging in the standings?

The phrase "zero sum" needs to be applied. Everyteam RU hops over a team has to hop down. Who will that be?

Michigan was the 8 seed in the Big 10 tourney with a 10-8 record...is RU taking a leap to the Michigan level this year

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Apparently we the ONLY school in the nation that needs "5 years" to take things from nowhere to somewhere, according to this board, so see you in 2021!

I think we are the ONLY P5 school in the nation that hasn't been to the NCAAs in 25 years. probably only school who has averaged 2 conference wins the past 3 years. probably the only school that shares practice facility with woman's basketball and men's baseball.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Listen hypothetically if we are in the top half of the league offensively we will be at least a bubble team. But do you know how monumental of a task it will be to do that? At least ten things have to be best case scenario for that to happen. And that still doesn't fix the foul shooting problem in which we need to be at least 15% better as a team after all that to get us in the field of 68.

this is absolutely correct

 

[bac2therac]

and top half of the league offensively is a pretty big stretch of the Scarlet taffy

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

In all seriousness.....I advocated getting rid of all coaching ties to the past and being prepared to start from scratch. i truly think that would have given us the chance to succeed in 5 years. i am not sure the exercise should be maximizing success in year 5.

we are now left with what Bac says...

 

[bac2therac]

hey speaking of coaching ties.....we forgot that Jim Carr finally made the NCAA as an assistant to Danny Hurley at URI....another one gets there

 

[higgins3]

Do you know how good Carr and Watkins are for PSU?
Do you know how good Bohannon and Pemsl/Ellis are for Iowa?

Which teams 6 teams are we leap frogging in the standings?

The phrase "zero sum" needs to be applied. Everyteam RU hops over a team has to hop down. Who will that be?

Psu will be very good, but not unbeatable.

Bohannan is solid. Pemsl will be a deshawn freeman his sophmore year. Ellis, I am not sure who you mean.

 

[DocRU]

4,5,4,3,3. The RU careers of our last 5 coaches. Averages 3.75 years per coach.
19 years, 5 NITs, 0 NCAAs. Just keeping a coach to year 4 or 5 and beyond is an accomplishment for this program. But if Pikiell can recruit as well as he can coach, the betting is that he will get to the NCAAs at some point. More talent is a no brainer. But Baker appears to be a talented guard. And Pikiell has promised 1 more good player to come for next year. Will we wait until Year 4 or 5 before we can think about it as bac opines? Or sooner? Can the offense improve just a little to keep up with the defensive improvement? Even just better at the free throw line?

 

[e5fdny]

Think of it in terms of being in junior HS, but dreaming about the senior prom. Going to take a lot of small steps to get there.

My son, a junior, is taking a senior to his prom. He did well...very well.

So I'm going to say this can be done. Lol

 

[RUsince52]

My son, a junior, is taking a senior to his prom. He did well...very well.

So I'm going to say this can be done. Lol

I think it will definitely happen, but it will take some time to get the right pieces in place. Then we still have to move up the B1G ladder. The so called advantage is that we can improve dramatically to give us a good chance of making a tournament in a shorter time period.

 

[MGSA99]

A realistic goal would be to simply not finish last in the conference. That would be an accomplishment.

 

[willisneverrana43]

When the off season comes, it can sound so easy.

If only [insert really, really hard thing to do], then . . . . .