Last year’s RU team would’ve lost this IL game too

[bac2therac]

Not normally, but next year who knows.

It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if you saw a complete roster overhaul going in to next year.

yes and as it is we are losing how many of the current team anyhow....Noah, A Williams, Hyatt, Palm, Cliff...thats 3 starters

we will start 3 freshmen and at least one soph next year....talented but young...Pike still needs to pay a top notch portal player especially if there is ANY indication that Mag will go elsewhere for his senior year

 

[higgins3]

yes and as it is we are losing how many of the current team anyhow....Noah, A Williams, Hyatt, Palm, Cliff...thats 3 starters

we will start 3 freshmen and at least one soph next year....talented but young...Pike still needs to pay a top notch portal player especially if there is ANY indication that Mag will go elsewhere for his senior year

Sounds like a lot of stress but that’s why Pikiell makes $$$$.

 

[Mr Magoo]

Two things: they're often not getting free to the rim in a way that makes for easy layups; and they aren't good shooters. There is no special disease of an inexplicable inability to hit easy layups that affects only RU players.

Emphasis on “aren’t good shooters”. Don’t expect that to change much..which is the same reason Hyatt and Cliff miss and will continue to miss layups. They are not good shooters and lack touch around the rim as well. It’s not going to change so get used to it.

 

[jerseybird]

yes and as it is we are losing how many of the current team anyhow....Noah, A Williams, Hyatt, Palm, Cliff...thats 3 starters

we will start 3 freshmen and at least one soph next year....talented but young...Pike still needs to pay a top notch portal player especially if there is ANY indication that Mag will go elsewhere for his senior year

Freshmen won't start if their defense is subpar.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

yes and as it is we are losing how many of the current team anyhow....Noah, A Williams, Hyatt, Palm, Cliff...thats 3 starters

we will start 3 freshmen and at least one soph next year....talented but young...Pike still needs to pay a top notch portal player especially if there is ANY indication that Mag will go elsewhere for his senior year

We are a 1/4 thru the season. Who knows what will happen in the next 3/4. Without being said……….Gavin didnt come here to play 19 MPG and play a minor role in the offense.

Still 3/4 to go….so far this has been a bad fit and every player is a free agent. So far this has been a bumpy path to the NbA.

 

[satnom]

If we play IL again game will be closer if RU:

1) Doesn’t run the offense through Cliff

2) Mag is back

3) Gavin plays more

4) Makes more FTs

5) Wolf plays 5 and focuses on rebounding.

GO RU

 

[BillyC80]

If we play IL again game will be closer if RU:

1) Doesn’t run the offense through Cliff

2) Mag is back

3) Gavin plays more

4) Makes more FTs

5) Wolf plays 5 and focuses on rebounding.

GO RU

We’ll get our chance, at IL on 1/21/24

 

[RUich]

The leaders of next season will be Harper and Bailey.

The longer the wait gets with Harper, the less hopeful I become.
I don't know if he is just stringing this out for attention or trying to get more money.

 

[RUJMM78]

Freshmen won't start if their defense is subpar.

Harper and Bailey will start because they are one and done recruits whose talent level is far superior to any player on the current roster.

 

[RutgersChow]

So you'd rather have players like Paul, Cam, etc. who aren't serious threats to drive to the rim and add another dimension to pressure the defense? Then you get the offense that's limited in the half court and also doesn't run the break particularly well. You realize that every top team in the country has players that can run the floor and are a threat to drive in to score at any time but RU doesn't need them?

Would I rather have Paul and Cam than what we have? Yes.

 

[RU84]

Would I rather have Paul and Cam than what we have? Yes

Pike and the staff apparently disagree with you.

 

[jerseybird]

Harper and Bailey will start because they are one and done recruits whose talent level is far superior to any player on the current roster.

They haven't even played a college basketball game yet. It all sounds eerily familiar to the prediction that Gavin Griffiths would be a starter from day one.

 

[willisneverrana43]

Pike and the staff apparently disagree with you.

What?

 

[RUJMM78]

They haven't even played a college basketball game yet. It all sounds eerily familiar to the prediction that Gavin Griffiths would be a starter from day one.

Griffiths should be a starter.Harper and Bailey are five star recruits which is a unique happening at Rutgers.Pikiell knows that the teams success will largely depend on how well they perform.I equate their situation to when Hughes and Duncan transferred from Syracuse to Rutgers as difference makers.

 

[RUJMM78]

To wit, previous 4 home games at the RAC:
Loss to Nebraska, 82-72
Loss to Michigan, 58-45
Loss to Northwestern, 65-53
Loss to Hofstra, 88-86

And none of those teams were as good as the IL team we played yesterday.

The excuse last year was that we were missing Mag. If that’s true then it applies this year too.

Plus we had two starters who left us high and dry at the last minute, leaving us to make do with two freshmen and two transfers recovering from season-ending injuries.

I prefer to believe the RU team we saw yesterday that cut the deficit from 16 to 3 is the team we will build on going forward this year.

Rutgers team at the beginning of the last season would have given Illinois a far better game .They defeated Purdue when they were ranked number one.The rebounding would have been far better and so would the scoring from Cliff and Cam.

 

[Knight Owl]

Rutgers team at the beginning of the last season would have given Illinois a far better game .They defeated Purdue when they were ranked number one.The rebounding would have been far better and so would the scoring from Cliff and Cam.

Woolfolk’s lack of rebounding production thus far is a mystery to me.

 

[jerseybird]

Griffiths should be a starter.Harper and Bailey are five star recruits which is a unique happening at Rutgers.Pikiell knows that the teams success will largely depend on how well they perform.I equate their situation to when Hughes and Duncan transferred from Syracuse to Rutgers as difference makers.

Starter status is earned. Griffiths, as a frosh, needs to be more effective defensively. I will wait to bestow "one-and-done" as well as "GOAT" titles on Harper (should he sign) and Bailey till they show what they can do in B1G games. Frosh be frosh.