...beating Indiana and Minnesota at home this week. A definite possibility.
Our next chance for Top 25 is...
- Thread starter RUSCFORMERLYRULOU
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anyone can bring up any topic but the last thing Im thinking about is top 25...its meaningless. Lotta talk this week for nothing. Just win more games than you lose the rest of the way and make the tournament. RU right now is probably not a top 25 team....are they one of the top 50 schools..sure...just like Illinois, Penn State, Indiana, Iowa...we will all shake it out through league play.
Couldn't agree more. Every game the rest of the way is going to be tough. Take it one at a time and find ways to keep winning.
Rutgers will eventually get there by winning home games.
As for the Illinois game, it was there for the taking.
Consider, Rutgers was really without two starters yesterday...Geo and Myles Johnson (sat most of the game with fouls and not playing his usual game).
With Geo back, I see Rutgers beating Illinois at home by 15 points.
As for the Illinois game, it was there for the taking.
Consider, Rutgers was really without two starters yesterday...Geo and Myles Johnson (sat most of the game with fouls and not playing his usual game).
With Geo back, I see Rutgers beating Illinois at home by 15 points.
The road win stuff is again somehow overblown beyond belief. If you play strong home games and don't allow someone else to steal a road win, you have a far better chance to make the NCAAS, vs trying to search the Sahara desert finding multiple road wins.
I know it is getting ignored as I predicted it would BUT we buried Nebraska on the road and my guess will be that Nebraska will probably be looking to play very hard to try and get a win here.
But when you win big at Nebraska and Iowa and Purdue both don't, you have to appreciate how that game carries weight. I know Nebraska is not likely to finish higher than 11th, but they have 2 league wins already and my guess is they probably get to 5 or 6 total wins, likely all at home.
The key is the same....it is about making the RAC loud and trying to win 1 home game at a time. There are enough quality home wins to make the NCAAs, as long as we defend home court.
Watching Purdue's loss by 25 at Illinois last Sunday night and then 7 days later, winning by 25+ over MSU, I don't see how defending home court isn't as important as winning a road game. It's actually 5x more important than a road win.
I know it is getting ignored as I predicted it would BUT we buried Nebraska on the road and my guess will be that Nebraska will probably be looking to play very hard to try and get a win here.
But when you win big at Nebraska and Iowa and Purdue both don't, you have to appreciate how that game carries weight. I know Nebraska is not likely to finish higher than 11th, but they have 2 league wins already and my guess is they probably get to 5 or 6 total wins, likely all at home.
The key is the same....it is about making the RAC loud and trying to win 1 home game at a time. There are enough quality home wins to make the NCAAs, as long as we defend home court.
Watching Purdue's loss by 25 at Illinois last Sunday night and then 7 days later, winning by 25+ over MSU, I don't see how defending home court isn't as important as winning a road game. It's actually 5x more important than a road win.
Hawk, I would say losing at home is 5x worse than losing on the road. Close road losses in conference may not hurt that much, but getting a road win in this conference is so rare it carries a lot of weight.
Huge example, Purdue smoked MSU 71-44 at home.
MSU was -4 road favorite their ranking will take a huge hit
MSU was -4 road favorite their ranking will take a huge hit
2-0 this week would give us a good shot at sneaking in I think.
Oh I think we will get a few votes this week even with our loss to Illinois.
Certainly could be. Wouldn’t get my vote, but four points yesterday would have made a big difference.
Keep in mind Rutgers has traveled with its defense on the road. The same can't be said for a lot of the B1G teams this year. If the trend continues, Rutgers will be fine by the end of the season. Don't forget very few teams in the B1G can play defense like Illinois. I like Rutgers' chances on the road, especially when Gio gets back. Tough defense with rebounding and low FG percentage gives you a chance every game.
Road wins are significantly more important than home wins. For example, if you tell me we'll be 1-1 vs. Purdue and and 1-1 vs. Maryland, I'll take wins in West Lafayette and College Park rather than at the RAC. Any fan interested in dancing this season would. Road wins carry an enormous amount of weight.
they are certainly more important in the resume as sometimes they are are quad 1 games as opposed to quad 2 games at home. I would sign on for those two Mike.
That doesn't make any sense. How can beating a team on the road and then losing to the same team at home be better than the opposite? It's exactly the same thing.
example
Purdue at 43 in the NET is a Q2 win at the RAC
Purdue at 43 in the NET is a Q1 win at Purdue
now true Purdue at 43 in the NET is a Q2 loss at the RAC and a Q1 loss at Purdue but a Q2 loss is never bad. Its more important to win Q1 games than to lose them
Plus going 1-11 on the road isnt a good look for a tourney resume, you have to pick up road wins
Purdue at 43 in the NET is a Q2 win at the RAC
Purdue at 43 in the NET is a Q1 win at Purdue
now true Purdue at 43 in the NET is a Q2 loss at the RAC and a Q1 loss at Purdue but a Q2 loss is never bad. Its more important to win Q1 games than to lose them
Plus going 1-11 on the road isnt a good look for a tourney resume, you have to pick up road wins
just going through the list to see how the Big 10 stacks up in road/neutral games
Michigan State: 5-3.....Q1: Seton Hall, Q2: Georgia
Illinois: 2-4......Q1: Wisconsin
Maryland: 3-3......Q1: Marquette, Q2: Temple, Harvard
Indiana: 2-2.....Q2: Notre Dame, UConn
Rutgers: 1-4...no Q1 or Q2 wins
Wisconsin: 3-5......Q1: Penn State, Ohio State, Tennessee
Purdue: 2-6.....Q1: VCU
Minnesota: 1-6........Q2: Oklahoma State
Penn State:3-3......Q1: Iowa, Georgetown, Q2: Syracuse
Michigan: 3-4:..... Q1: Gonzaga, Q2: Iowa State
Ohio State: 2-4.....Q1: Kentucky, Q2: North Carolina
Nebraska: 2-5..... no Q1 or Q2 wins
Northwestern 2-5......Q2: Bradley
Rutgers and Nebraska are the only schools with no Q1 or Q2 road wins. Indiana has some Q2 wins but its also clear they need better road wins. Minnesota really needs to do better. RU HAS to get on the board.
Michigan State: 5-3.....Q1: Seton Hall, Q2: Georgia
Illinois: 2-4......Q1: Wisconsin
Maryland: 3-3......Q1: Marquette, Q2: Temple, Harvard
Indiana: 2-2.....Q2: Notre Dame, UConn
Rutgers: 1-4...no Q1 or Q2 wins
Wisconsin: 3-5......Q1: Penn State, Ohio State, Tennessee
Purdue: 2-6.....Q1: VCU
Minnesota: 1-6........Q2: Oklahoma State
Penn State:3-3......Q1: Iowa, Georgetown, Q2: Syracuse
Michigan: 3-4:..... Q1: Gonzaga, Q2: Iowa State
Ohio State: 2-4.....Q1: Kentucky, Q2: North Carolina
Nebraska: 2-5..... no Q1 or Q2 wins
Northwestern 2-5......Q2: Bradley
Rutgers and Nebraska are the only schools with no Q1 or Q2 road wins. Indiana has some Q2 wins but its also clear they need better road wins. Minnesota really needs to do better. RU HAS to get on the board.
This may very well be how the committee is looking at things, you have more knowledge of that than me.
But if it is true, it is absolutely beyond stupid. If we play two games against a team, and split them, and it somehow matters WHICH game we won.. it's just ridiculous.
it was a big opportunity that was 2 minutes from our grasp....i would have taken a win here and loss later at the RAC
