That's right. Despite the the blowout home losses and one of the worst seasons in school history.
Rutgers is not a 4 year re-build project, it is at least 2 full recruiting cycle 8 year project. We desperately need the continuity. If we can get a coach to last beyond 4 years, it will enable us to push through and establish a winning record. That is all we need to do. Once we are competitive, the better players will flock to play here.
Look at our coaches since Tom Young -- none of them have lasted more than a few years:
1. Littlepage -- he found his true calling; he's an athletic administrator, not a coach.
2. Wenzel -- a good coach -- had success and should have been retained.
3. Bannon -- imploded. Good recruiter, but top players left the program.
4. Waters -- good coach, but forced out. With hindsight, should have been retained; developed players.
5. Fred Hill -- good recruiter; underwhelming coach; couldn't retain top players or develop them.
5. Rice -- imploded; overrated coach; top players left the program and players did not develop.
Let's give Jordan at least 4 more years. There is no quick fix here -- we have at least 30 years of data to back that up.
Jordan is now in year 3. I get it -- the current team sucks. We lost by 50 points at home to Purdue. Believe me -- I am among the most impatient and angriest of RU Fans -- I have walked out of many a game (it's my form of protest, even though I kill myself to get to the games from an hour and a half away). As an example, I walked out out of the Purdue game 5 minutes into the second half because I couldn't stand to watch us get pummeled like that.
But last night's game gave me real hope. Not only did Corey Sanders play one of the best games I've seen an RU -- or college player, for that matter, ever play, but Laurent wasn't too far behind. They were dominant. If they don't transfer -- they will become really good players who may make the NBA.
But what really struck me last night was how hard everyone played throughout the entire game. The RAC was like 100 degrees last night; it was brutal. There was no quit in RU, just exhaustion.
Say what you want about Jordan, but the entire team seems to enjoy playing for him. If I had to guess, he is a real player's coach; he respects his players and treats them like men. I'm sure his players would go through a brick wall for him.
That loyalty to your coach is something we need to build on. No one is pouting and disrespecting the game or their teammates. Name another team that you have followed over the years that has had such a putrid season but yet continues to fight and claw like you witnessed last night. I like that attitude.
As for recruiting, and for next year , the way I see it -- Eddie and his staff have recruited 4 great players Sanders, Laurent, Nigel Johnson (transfer) and Freeman (IMO) and 4 serviceable players who have the potential to improve -- Williams, Foreman, Diallo and Doorson. I am down on Goode, but maybe he can change my mind. In any event, this is a decent nucleus to build upon. In order to keep this group together, and prevent the flight of our top player to Duke and Florida, as has been the case in the past, we need to keep Jordan so he can continue to work with them. When you sprinkle in the 3 pretty decent recruits that we have signed for next year, plus Johnson, plus another graduate transfer (my guess), I think we will have a 500 team. From there we continue to build and the better players will come.
If I'm the AD, I extend his contract now. Down with the quick fix -- loyalty counts in my house!
Go RU!!
I
Rutgers is not a 4 year re-build project, it is at least 2 full recruiting cycle 8 year project. We desperately need the continuity. If we can get a coach to last beyond 4 years, it will enable us to push through and establish a winning record. That is all we need to do. Once we are competitive, the better players will flock to play here.
Look at our coaches since Tom Young -- none of them have lasted more than a few years:
1. Littlepage -- he found his true calling; he's an athletic administrator, not a coach.
2. Wenzel -- a good coach -- had success and should have been retained.
3. Bannon -- imploded. Good recruiter, but top players left the program.
4. Waters -- good coach, but forced out. With hindsight, should have been retained; developed players.
5. Fred Hill -- good recruiter; underwhelming coach; couldn't retain top players or develop them.
5. Rice -- imploded; overrated coach; top players left the program and players did not develop.
Let's give Jordan at least 4 more years. There is no quick fix here -- we have at least 30 years of data to back that up.
Jordan is now in year 3. I get it -- the current team sucks. We lost by 50 points at home to Purdue. Believe me -- I am among the most impatient and angriest of RU Fans -- I have walked out of many a game (it's my form of protest, even though I kill myself to get to the games from an hour and a half away). As an example, I walked out out of the Purdue game 5 minutes into the second half because I couldn't stand to watch us get pummeled like that.
But last night's game gave me real hope. Not only did Corey Sanders play one of the best games I've seen an RU -- or college player, for that matter, ever play, but Laurent wasn't too far behind. They were dominant. If they don't transfer -- they will become really good players who may make the NBA.
But what really struck me last night was how hard everyone played throughout the entire game. The RAC was like 100 degrees last night; it was brutal. There was no quit in RU, just exhaustion.
Say what you want about Jordan, but the entire team seems to enjoy playing for him. If I had to guess, he is a real player's coach; he respects his players and treats them like men. I'm sure his players would go through a brick wall for him.
That loyalty to your coach is something we need to build on. No one is pouting and disrespecting the game or their teammates. Name another team that you have followed over the years that has had such a putrid season but yet continues to fight and claw like you witnessed last night. I like that attitude.
As for recruiting, and for next year , the way I see it -- Eddie and his staff have recruited 4 great players Sanders, Laurent, Nigel Johnson (transfer) and Freeman (IMO) and 4 serviceable players who have the potential to improve -- Williams, Foreman, Diallo and Doorson. I am down on Goode, but maybe he can change my mind. In any event, this is a decent nucleus to build upon. In order to keep this group together, and prevent the flight of our top player to Duke and Florida, as has been the case in the past, we need to keep Jordan so he can continue to work with them. When you sprinkle in the 3 pretty decent recruits that we have signed for next year, plus Johnson, plus another graduate transfer (my guess), I think we will have a 500 team. From there we continue to build and the better players will come.
If I'm the AD, I extend his contract now. Down with the quick fix -- loyalty counts in my house!
Go RU!!
I
