One thing is painfully clear in the B1G..

[SBP]

Our slow, plodding style is outmatched by the way other leagues play these days. It is so apparent if watch only a few minutes of these games. We are a slow league in general, and our “rugged” style is no match for speed and good guard play.

MSU advanced because of their attacking tempo and aggressive guard play.

Time for the Dinosaurs to evolve…

I think we are getting that with our recruiting and hopefully in the portal.

Speed kills…and knockdown shooters.

 

[cRURah]

other conferences have better shooters and can drive to the hoop.

 

[RUisB1Gtime]

NCAA tournament is all about guard play

 

[Erial_Lion]

Yet our "slow, rugged style" matches up very well every November/December.

 

[ScarletR30]

Iowa can’t make it past the first round.

Tennessee, SDSU, Arkansas, Kansas St are all defensively minded teams. Houston and UCLA are programs built off D.

I think this tournament is proving if anything that our style can thrive.

I do agree you need to have quick ball dominate guards to thrive in the tournament. We are moving that way as well

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Yet our "slow, rugged style" matches up very well every November/December.

Maybe because defense is fresh early in the year and tires as the year moves out n

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I might consider something radical like playing my conference tournament 4-5 days earlier

 

[SBP]

Yet our "slow, rugged style" matches up very well every November/December.

Very well??’ 😂 Against who? Not the teams I watched in the tournament.

 

[SBP]

Iowa can’t make it past the first round.

Tennessee, SDSU, Arkansas, Kansas St are all defensively minded teams. Houston and UCLA are programs built off D.

I think this tournament is proving if anything that our style can thrive.

I do agree you need to have quick ball dominate guards to thrive in the tournament. We are moving that way as well

You’re leaving out one thing .. Defensive minded (like most teams are) WHO ARE FAST and SHOOT LIGHTS OUT. Our style? What style is that? The zero speed offense, dump it down low and hope for no turnovers?

 

[RutgersDom]

Our slow, plodding style is outmatched by the way other leagues play these days. It is so apparent if watch only a few minutes of these games. We are a slow league in general, and our “rugged” style is no match for speed and good guard play.

MSU advanced because of their attacking tempo and aggressive guard play.
They are on the way, plus Pikes D…can’t wait!!!
Time for the Dinosaurs to evolve…

I think we are getting that with our recruiting and hopefully in the portal.

Speed kills…and knockdown shooters.

 

[SBP]

NCAA tournament is all about guard play

As mentioned ^^^^

 

[PiscatawayMike]

I might consider something radical like playing my conference tournament 4-5 days earlier

At MSG!!!

 

[RutgersSam]

Lol this fanbase is just realizing what a select few have been saying for nearly 3 years now. The average RU fan is pretty clueless vis a vis the college sports world outside Rutgers athletics, as they are as well with our football coach.

 

[Erial_Lion]

Very well??’ 😂 Against who? Not the teams I watched in the tournament.

Marquette, West Virginia, Gonzaga, Duke, Miami, Pitt, Marquette (again), UCLA, Texas, Kentucky, Creighton, etc

 

[anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy]

Big ten is still living in the past. I dont know how many more years the conference has to be embarrassed in march before the coaches even pretend to earn their paychecks.

You need athletes and shooters. Defense is easy to teach, offensive talent and shooting is hard to teach. Recruit the best offensive players you can find and then teach them D which is largely just effort

 

[cRURah]

Lol this fanbase is just realizing what a select few have been saying for nearly 3 years now. The average RU fan is pretty clueless vis a vis the college sports world outside Rutgers athletics, as they are as well with our football coach.

it’s been said ad nauseam on this board for several years by many posters. i don’t recall anyone even disagreeing.

 

[Groz]

Big ten is still living in the past. I dont know how many more years the conference has to be embarrassed in march before the coaches even pretend to earn their paychecks.

You need athletes and shooters. Defense is easy to teach, offensive talent and shooting is hard to teach. Recruit the best offensive players you can find and then teach them D which is largely just effort

You mean by having sold out arenas all the time and the BIGGEST tv contracts ever?

Groz

 

[Shell21]

Big ten is still living in the past. I dont know how many more years the conference has to be embarrassed in march before the coaches even pretend to earn their paychecks.

You need athletes and shooters. Defense is easy to teach, offensive talent and shooting is hard to teach. Recruit the best offensive players you can find and then teach them D which is largely just effort

yep. athletes , athletes athletes. Also don’t run your offense through a big; need to space the court with guards and long wings and let them create off the dribble. Bigs need to crash the glass, be rim protectors and finish athletically at the rim.

 

[Groz]

yep. athletes , athletes athletes. Also don’t run your offense through a big; need to space the court with guards and long wings and let them create off the dribble. Bigs need to crash the glass, be rim protectors and finish athletically at the rim.

Agree that is how the game is played now. Even Charles Barkley said that.

Best of Luck,
Groz

 

[Ryanmt222]

I would argue, based on the recruits we have committed and the targets still out there, along with the portal targets, that the staff is well aware of this. Pair that with a potential shake up with the offensive coaching and there’s not much more Rutgers could be doing.

 

[Pitt5593]

Iowa can’t make it past the first round.

Tennessee, SDSU, Arkansas, Kansas St are all defensively minded teams. Houston and UCLA are programs built off D.

I think this tournament is proving if anything that our style can thrive.

I do agree you need to have quick ball dominate guards to thrive in the tournament. We are moving that way as well

Thrive?? The BIG 10 has not won a national championship in the century in basketball. They are legends in their own minds. They even lost the ACC/Big Ten challenge this year when the ACC was obviously down.

 

[sct1111]

Anyone else think the refs in the Big Ten seem to be more influenced by the environments? Star players get crazy favorable calls during home games. They don't get the same calls in the tourney and teams aren't used to it.

 

[RU848789]

it’s been said ad nauseam on this board for several years by many posters. i don’t recall anyone even disagreeing.

Ignore him - his MO is to simply try to get a shot in at Schiano with every possible post.

 

[Erial_Lion]

Anyone else think the refs in the Big Ten seem to be more influenced by the environments? Star players get crazy favorable calls during home games. They don't get the same calls in the tourney and teams aren't used to it.

By that logic, wouldn't they be used to it from their 10 Big Ten road games?

 

[sct1111]

By that logic, wouldn't they be used to it from their 10 Big Ten road games?

Yeah the big ten always seems to have a crazy homecourt advantage. So they're used to losing when they're not at home.

 

[fluoxetine]

the ACC was obviously down.

Well you got that part right. It's pretty embarrassing when a power 6 conference is the 7th best conference.

And you didn't manage to fluke your way to a good tourney performance this year either. Sad.

 

[Scarlet Blind]

Last I checked, Pike has recruited quick guards in each of the last 4 years in Jalen Miller 21, Derek Simpson 22, Jamichael Davis in 23 and Deliquan Warren in 24. I think Pike has been paying attention to what wins in the NCAA tournament.

 

[RutgersSam]

it’s been said ad nauseam on this board for several years by many posters. i don’t recall anyone even disagreeing.

You don't read the board enough then

 

[SBP]

Marquette, West Virginia, Gonzaga, Duke, Miami, Pitt, Marquette (again), UCLA, Texas, Kentucky, Creighton, etc

I don’t know wtf you’re talking about …

 

[BigEastPhil]

For Big 10 to improve in March:

- League needs more athletes and quickness - plain and simple.

- Not much diversification in playing styles in this conference. There are so many teams that are similar in style via half court offense / playing thru the bigs etc. Conference would be better off with several teams that play up and down like an Iowa.

- As Recruiting is the lifeline for College BB, I always felt that recruiting historically in the conference lagged against other top conferences overall and individually. For 2023, Recruiting appears ok as per team rankings per 247 Sports:

3. Sparty
6. Ohio State
11 . USC ( joins conference in 2024)
15. UCLA ( joins conference in 2024)
16. Maryland
24. Illinois
29. Iowa
32. Penn State
37. Rutgers

- When coaching changes occur, I also felt league doesn't go after "A" talent or its hires are somwhat questionable. Examples: Minnesota (Ben Johnson) / Michigan (Juwann Howard) - albeit Shrewsbury and Willard may be exceptions. Woodson and Hoiberg are other 2 rather recent "eh" hires. Compare recent hires at Big East: Marquette - Shaka Smart / Xavier - Sean Miller / St Johns - Pitino (rumored). Big time hires for BE which conference should be commended for.

 

[Erial_Lion]

I don’t know wtf you’re talking about …

You asked who our conference's style matched up with in November/December...I gave you a list of teams that the style apparently worked against.

 

[RUBlackout]

The 4th team in the B1G just defeated the #1 team in the BE
Last I looked any team can beat another on any given day. That is why the game is played.

 

[RUSCFORMERLYRULOU]

I would argue, based on the recruits we have committed and the targets still out there, along with the portal targets, that the staff is well aware of this. Pair that with a potential shake up with the offensive coaching and there’s not much more Rutgers could be doing.

What potential shake up in offensive coaching?

 

[rubjk]

Our slow, plodding style is outmatched by the way other leagues play these days. It is so apparent if watch only a few minutes of these games. We are a slow league in general, and our “rugged” style is no match for speed and good guard play.

MSU advanced because of their attacking tempo and aggressive guard play.

Time for the Dinosaurs to evolve…

I think we are getting that with our recruiting and hopefully in the portal.

Speed kills…and knockdown shooters.

So if quick guard play and speed is the difference make why did Iowa, Illinois, Penn State all struggle? They all play that style. Michigan State plays that way too and is the only one to make it.

 

[dconifer]

it’s been said ad nauseam on this board for several years by many posters. i don’t recall anyone even disagreeing.

It was already being said back in the Seventies, in addition, at least where I hung out (ACC land).

Not saying I agree with it…

 

[RUbacker]

Agree that is how the game is played now. Even Charles Barkley said that.

Best of Luck,
Groz

Charles Barkley yesterday also said defense is the most important thing . He said people don’t realize that because the highlights a,ways show dunking and 3 pt shots there are no highlights for defense .

 

[rufeelinit]

I just wish Pike would put the pipe down every once in awhile about the Big 10 being the best conference in basketball. It is one of his go to lines in nearly every post game press conference. Win or lose.

I realize there are different measures for being the best and the Big 10 is one of the top 4 but there are others just as good if not better. The reality is the parity in college basketball has never been greater yet we continue to underwhelm in the NCAA tournament.

 

[Knight Shift]

I just wish Pike would put the pipe down every once in awhile about the Big 10 being the best conference in basketball. It is one of his go to lines in nearly every post game press conference. Win or lose.

I realize there are different measures for being the best and the Big 10 is one of the top 4 but there are others just as good if not better. The reality is the parity in college basketball has never been greater yet we continue to underwhelm in the NCAA tournament.

Have you ever heard of coach speak? It's a thing.

 

[charliem24]

Maybe because defense is fresh early in the year and tires as the year moves out n

I recall that when we were on a nice run earlier in the season and we’re playing D like our hair was on fire, you were concerned that we could burn out physically and mentally playing at that pace, especially with a short bench. Sure looked that way when we hit a wall towards the end of the season, so you may have been on to something.

 

[kcg88]

The idealized version of Pikiell's philosophy is something like UCLA (21st offense, 2nd defense) or Tennessee (60th offense, 1st defense) and those teams are in the Sweet 16.

Marquette (6th offense, 44th defense) and Baylor (2nd offense, 101st defense) are out. There's no one way to get it done.