Jon Rothstein's Predictions for Big 10 Basketball 2018/19: RU Focused (including team predictions)

[BigEastPhil]

- Has Peter Kiss as one of 10 Impact Big 10 Transfers. I concur.

- No RU Players for Top 10 Breakout Players (Ascending players). I would have thought for sure Eugene would be included.

- Has Montez Mathis as one of 10 "Under the Radar" Freshmen. I would have thought Ron Harper would have been included - not Mathis.

- Has No RU Freshmen as Impact Top 15 Freshmen. I would have / may have included Mathis.

- His First Team: Edwards (Purdue); Palmer (Nebraska); Morgan (Indiana); Murphy (Minn) and Happ (Wisc).

- His Big 10 Sleeper Team: Minnesota. Shocker for me.

His Big 10 POY: Happ

His Predictions (Standings):

1. Mich State
2. Michigan
3. Nebraska
4. Indiana
5. Wisconsin
6. Maryland
7. Minnesota (no misprint)
8. Iowa
9. Purdue
10. Ohio State
11. Penn State
12. Illinois
13. Northwestern
14. Rutgers

I'm surprised he has Minnesota and Iowa ranked so highly as I would have swapped them for Penn State and Ohio State per pre season predictions.

 

[Tango Two]

- Has Peter Kiss as one of 10 Impact Big 10 Transfers. I concur.

- No RU Players for Top 10 Breakout Players (Ascending players). I would have thought for sure Eugene would be included.

- Has Montez Mathis as one of 10 "Under the Radar" Freshmen. I would have thought Ron Harper would have been included - not Mathis.

- Has No RU Freshmen as Impact Top 15 Freshmen. I would have / may have included Mathis.

- His First Team: Edwards (Purdue); Palmer (Nebraska); Morgan (Indiana); Murphy (Minn) and Happ (Wisc).

- His Big 10 Sleeper Team: Minnesota. Shocker for me.

His Big 10 POY: Happ

His Predictions (Standings):

1. Mich State
2. Michigan
3. Nebraska
4. Indiana
5. Wisconsin
6. Maryland
7. Minnesota (no misprint)
8. Iowa
9. Purdue
10. Ohio State
11. Penn State
12. Illinois
13. Northwestern
14. Rutgers

I'm surprised he has Minnesota and Iowa ranked so highly as I would have swapped them for Penn State and Ohio State per pre season predictions.

Link?

 

[dpwhite]

http://www.twitter.com/jonrothstein

 

[mikefla]

iMO we will NOT be last in the league.....

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

iMO we will NOT be last in the league.....

I think there is a greater than 50% chance we don’t finish last, but I think we have the best chance to finish last.

 

[Mr Magoo]

I think we finish last, mostly because i can't think of a team that should be worse than us. If we somehow add a serviceable point guard, I think we can move up a spot or two.

 

[seels2662]

Here's the thing....

If Kiss has a breakout season, as they mentioned above, and if Mathis has one of the top sleeper freshman seasons as they mentioned above, say similar to Baker last year, then there is ZERO chance we are in last place. I mean think about it, a big season from Mathis and Kiss on top of what we already know what we are getting from Omoyuri and Baker, plus the best depth we have had in a decade that's like close to best case scenario for us.

 

[dkostus]

Here's the thing....

If Kiss has a breakout season, as they mentioned above, and if Mathis has one of the top sleeper freshman seasons as they mentioned above, say similar to Baker last year, then there is ZERO chance we are in last place. I mean think about it, a big season from Mathis and Kiss on top of what we already know what we are getting from Omoyuri and Baker, plus the best depth we have had in a decade that's like close to best case scenario for us.

Agreed, although I'm still trying to figure out how Mathis would be a sleeper... isn't he consensus top-100? or at least close to that? Harper would be more of a sleeper...

 

[PaKnight]

Agreed, although I'm still trying to figure out how Mathis would be a sleeper... isn't he consensus top-100? or at least close to that? Harper would be more of a sleeper...

It is relative, a quick look at the Rivals rankings show the the B1G got the following:

6 24 30 41 43 52 59 60 61 65 66 67 70 75 78 86 89 97 ranked recruits.

 

[Kbee3]

I think there is a greater than 50% chance we don’t finish last, but I think we have the best chance to finish last.

I hear they're gonna make that the new Rutgers fight song.
Why is it so hard for a team from New Jersey to be competitive with teams from Nebraska, Minnesota, and western Pennsylvania ?
Of course there once was a time I asked the exact same question about West Virginia, Boston, and upstate New York.
It's not easy being a Rutgers fan.

 

[MGSA99]

When your goal every year is to not finish last, you have the lowest of expectations.

 

[FrankZ]

Sounds familiar. :(

 

[dkostus]

Do you people not have any perspective on where the program currently is and where its going? What utter bull$hit... the programs current goals include multiple things, the lowest on the totem of which is getting out of f'ing last place

 

[BoroKnight]

Do you people not have any perspective on where the program currently is and where its going? What utter bull$hit... the programs current goals include multiple things, the lowest on the totem of which is getting out of f'ing last place

The worst team in the league lost its best player. THAT is where the program currently is. Do I like where it's going? Sure do. But until it actually does something other than finish last I will not complain about people picking us to finish last. After all, preseason predictions -- even ones that prove accurate -- don't mean squat.

 

[dkostus]

I w

The worst team in the league lost its best player. THAT is where the program currently is. Do I like where it's going? Sure do. But until it actually does something other than finish last I will not complain about people picking us to finish last. After all, preseason predictions -- even ones that prove accurate -- don't mean squat.

I wasn't complaining about people picking us last. Do that until we dont finish last. But multiple responses prior to mine were running down the program generally, not commenting on predictive standings. That's where I took issue

 

[RUJMM78]

When preseason predictions continually turn out to be true,fans naturally become concerned.Rutgers really needs a winning season to break the maize of consecutive losing seasons .Pikiell is the coach who can make this happen along with a squad that includes players that can score on a consistent basis.