Mourning a Once in a Lifetime Opportunity

[ScarletKid2008]

Now that the season has officially, mercifully ended, it’s time to mourn and reflect on what could’ve , should’ve , would’ve been this March.

I’ll start …

When Ace surprised us all with his commitment in the locker room after an exciting win vs OSU. It felt like an unexpected lottery win… and it was. The high of that day for the entire program might’ve been the height of this whole journey.

Then …following the Dylan recruiting saga became its own form of sport. Eventually solidying what we all dreamed .. RU would have two legitimate 5 star players in 2024-25.

Immediately the thoughts of a sweet sixteen , as the floor, couldn’t be avoided. This combo of talent was reserved for Duke, Kentucky and Kansas. That’s it. But here was Rutgers now securing as much talent as those programs. It felt impossible not to make the NCAAs. Honestly that wasn’t even contemplated. Even if one of the stars got hurt , surely one five star could carry us into a selection Sunday celebration.

Then the recruiting fail of securing a legit center was the first undeniable crack. It seemed odd that the coaching staff dismissed the gaping hole in the roster. Saying we’ll play a different style.

Then the St John’s scrimmage occurred and it was blatantly obvious we had some major flaws inside the paint. It was concerning but not code red. After all - both Bailey and Harper were spectacular that night.

Then the cupcakes were keeping up with us and often times out playing us. Warning signs got stronger and louder.

And the catasphere of losing to Kennsaw and Princeton while not taking advantage of the Vegas tournament and it became clear that missing the tournament is a very real reality.

We know how it played out from there. It felt like the point of no return was losing the close Indiana game. But none of it ever looked promising.

Lots of potential . Nearly all of us believed this was likely to be the most incredible Rutgers season of our lifetime. Fab 5 level of potential legend & impact.

But the season ends with that word , “potential” being the only positive thing we could repeat to ourselves. The hype was fun, the results were far far away from what we expected.

Sad. Disappointed. Discouraged. Lack of hope for another opportunity as grand as this.

 

[newell138]

Just another chapter in the big book of disappointments of Rutgers athletics.

 

[Goku]

I’m mourning what happened 5 years ago. That was one of my favorite teams ever. And they were supposed to be the team to break the streak and make it into the tournament. And they were peaking and positioned to win. They were confident, hungry and nasty. And then the world shut down.

I’m not mourning this team. You mourn because you feel pain over the loss of something you cared about. That 2019-2020 team cared about winning for the program and us. And we loved them for it.

 

[The RUT]

Just another chapter in the big book of disappointments of Rutgers athletics.

The good times only exist because of the bad times, remember that.

 

[RocktheRac]

That was the team.Wonder how far that team would have went in the tournament?

 

[RUisB1Gtime]

When Mag and Cliff bolted everyone yawned...I knew we were screwed...

 

[newell138]

I’m mourning what happened 5 years ago. That was one of my favorite teams ever. And they were supposed to be the team to break the streak and make it into the tournament. And they were peaking and positioned to win. They were confident, hungry and nasty. And then the world shut down.

I’m not mourning this team. You mourn because you feel pain over the loss of something you cared about. That 2019-2020 team cared about winning for the program and us. And we loved them for it.

Wasn’t that actually 5 years ago today?

 

[newell138]

That was the team.Wonder how far that team would have went in the tournament?

National champs for sure

 

[bac2therac]

I’m mourning what happened 5 years ago. That was one of my favorite teams ever. And they were supposed to be the team to break the streak and make it into the tournament. And they were peaking and positioned to win. They were confident, hungry and nasty. And then the world shut down.

I’m not mourning this team. You mourn because you feel pain over the loss of something you cared about. That 2019-2020 team cared about winning for the program and us. And we loved them for it.

This

Its so unfortunate those players and staff and Rutgers community never truly got to celebrate breaking a 29 year curse in the outpouring of support and attention it deserved

That was taken away from them. That team mattered. This one not really. I stopped caring back in January

 

[robjknight]

Seemed like a lot of basics impacted the W/L's:
- Lack of inbounding plays- We had to be one of the worst in country
-foul shooting- although it improved towards the end of the year- it was poor most of the year.
-Open down the middle- it seemed almost every team was able to easily penetrate and get to the rim with ease
-Too many complete substitutions
-Center- Somerville showed some improvement towards the end of season. Doesn't appear there was any focus to develop him during the season.
- Too may games with a good 20 minutes and a poor 20 minutes
-Appeared we had no set plays to set up our stars
-etc

 

[FmrMgrRU]

I’d just like to point out that in the day and age of kids hitting the portal every year, Pike chose to cater to Lathan rather than capitalize on this once in a lifetime opportunity. That’s a blatant example of him not adapting to today’s game.

 

[scarletnewyorker2006]

I’d just like to point out that in the day and age of kids hitting the portal every year, Pike chose to cater to Lathan rather than capitalize on this once in a lifetime opportunity. That’s a blatant example of him not adapting to today’s game.

Pike is a basketball coach, not a business man. His instincts and expertise are different from what the 2024-25 game called for. He had us on our way to competing for a national championship had the business landscape not changed.

 

[Goku]

National champs for sure

They would have won their first game. Maybe sweet 16. That was pike’s best team. That’s also why if it does all fall apart for him, I will only look back at his time here with gratitude. He broke the streak. He moved the program forward. NIL probably will be his downfall, but I can’t get mad at him for that. He tried his best for the program

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Sorry the once in a lifetime........

More apt to be losing to Houston stopping us for making a long run
Mag going down at MSG when we were playing like a Top10 college basketball team

I NEVER felt at any time throughout the season or before the season that 2024-2025 was going to be anything close to the 2 teams above.

Ace had NEVER played a real basketball game. NEVER had to play basketball on both ends of the court. Dylan had a taste in High School. I knew fatigue was going to be an issue and I brought it up countless times before the season started. I am surprised they shot as good as they did.

 

[kt124]

Sorry the once in a lifetime........

More apt to be losing to Houston stopping us for making a long run
Mag going down at MSG when we were playing like a Top10 college basketball team

I NEVER felt at any time throughout the season or before the season that 2024-2025 was going to be anything close to the 2 teams above.

having two top-5 nba draft picks on a college roster in the same season is once in a lifetime for most programs

having a lead late in a round of 32 game should not be once in a lifetime for a power conference program

 

[FAT MOON]

Sorry the once in a lifetime........

More apt to be losing to Houston stopping us for making a long run
Mag going down at MSG when we were playing like a Top10 college basketball team

I NEVER felt at any time throughout the season or before the season that 2024-2025 was going to be anything close to the 2 teams above.

Ace had NEVER played a real basketball game. NEVER had to play basketball on both ends of the court. Dylan had a taste in High School. I knew fatigue was going to be an issue and I brought it up countless times before the season started. I am surprised they shot as good as they did.

god...so true. had that houston team dead to rights with an all time bad bracket behind it. myles dunks that ball and you'll never convince me we wouldn't have made the final 4.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

having two top-5 nba draft picks on a college roster in the same season is once in a lifetime for most programs

having a lead late in a round of 32 game should not be once in a lifetime for a power conference program

people need to stop with the 2 top 5 NBA draft players

Ace Bailey at BEST was an average B1G wing. At BEST. Statistically just looking at offense he was in the bottom half and his defense was AWFUL.

Ace will have a great NBA career and make a ton of money, doesn't change the fact that we wasn't a good B1G player.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Of all B1G players who played 60% of minutes
Ace was 43 out of 65 in effective FG%
He was 58 out of 65th in assist rate
He was 49th out of 65 in free throw rate
He was 50 out of 65 in offensive rating

Again he was awful defensively.

 

[kt124]

Of all B1G players who played 60% of minutes
Ace was 43 out of 65 in effective FG%
He was 58 out of 65th in assist rate
He was 49th out of 65 in free throw rate
He was 50 out of 65 in offensive rating

Again he was awful defensively.

may have something to do with the fact that we only run iso sets on offense

 

[fluoxetine]

Of all B1G players who played 60% of minutes
Ace was 43 out of 65 in effective FG%
He was 58 out of 65th in assist rate
He was 49th out of 65 in free throw rate
He was 50 out of 65 in offensive rating

Again he was awful defensively.

Guys like Spencer and junior/senior year Harper Jr were better than Bailey. This is what people don't understand. Bailey's stats suffered because his usage was too high, but even adjusting for that he's not even one of the two best players we've had under Pikiell much less a top player in the country. None of this changes his talent level or potential.

Dylan was the best offensive player we've had under Pikiell but people acting like we failed in spite of these two "superstars" is so dumb. Potential is not current effectiveness.

 

[fluoxetine]

may have something to do with the fact that we only run iso sets on offense

No, it's because he's raw and his draft position is based on his potential, not his current ability as a college basketball player.

 

[kt124]

No, it's because he's raw and his draft position is based on his potential, not his current ability as a college basketball player.

I can’t believe we’re acting like 17pts and 7 rebounds per game on 46% shooting is not a great college basketball season

 

[fluoxetine]

I can’t believe we’re acting like 17pts and 7 rebounds per game on 46% shooting is not a great college basketball season

It isn't. Good? Sure. Great? Lol no. Sure he has a high point total, because he took 23% of our shots.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Guys like Spencer and junior/senior year Harper Jr were better than Bailey. This is what people don't understand. Bailey's stats suffered because his usage was too high, but even adjusting for that he's not even one of the two best players we've had under Pikiell much less a top player in the country. None of this changes his talent level or potential.

Dylan was the best offensive player we've had under Pikiell but people acting like we failed in spite of these two "superstars" is so dumb. Potential is not current effectiveness.

I am not sure what to think of this. To me many of Bailey's shots were bad ones early in the shot clock. I suppose if he didn't take the bad shots and his high quality looks be a greater % of his overall looks the numbers would be better

I feel like Harper's usage numbers were elevated more and his stats took a hit because he did have the ball a lot without much time on the clock and was forced in to taking tougher than he wanted shots.

obviously dont have any data to back any of this up.

 

[fluoxetine]

I am not sure what to think of this. To me many of Bailey's shots were bad ones early in the shot clock. I suppose if he didn't take the bad shots and his high quality looks be a greater % of his overall looks the numbers would be better

I feel like Harper's usage numbers were elevated more and his stats took a hit because he did have the ball a lot without much time on the clock and was forced in to taking tougher than he wanted shots.

obviously dont have any data to back any of this up.

Bailey took too many long twos for sure, but given his unique ability to make contested shots and what the rest of our roster looked like, I'm not sure that having Bailey force stuff up was even the wrong strategy in general.

 

[NickRU714]

Fun (?) fact: not a single player from that locker room ever played with Ace.
Only Davis (who was with Ace).

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Bailey took too many long twos for sure, but given his unique ability to make contested shots and what the rest of our roster looked like, I'm not sure that having Bailey force stuff up was even the wrong strategy in general.

If players didn't have feelings I can understand the logic. It is tough as a player to not touch the ball in a possession and watch another player take a bad shot and then have to run back on D and bust your tail.

Just human nature. I am a believer you get the best buy in on the defensive end when everyone is involved on the offensive end.

 

[ScarletKid2008]

Some of you trying to compare Ace actual performance to past players or whether it was great or just good.

But what this post is meant to be is … before the season started and a game was played … you’re lying if you didn’t think having two projected top 5 NBA picks SHOULDVE had us near a top 4 Big Ten conference standing.