1st let me say I come in peace. Secondly, let me say that I have never met Steve Pikiell and he seems to be a standup guy, recently has proven he is an excellent coach and is no doubt a solid ambassador for RU. That being said, there seems to be 2 camps on this board when it comes to Pike...1- the he's a Godsend camp majority, and 2- the jury's still out camp minority, who have criticized him this season, which I am part of. Lately, his coaching has been lights out and he's gotten the max out his players...he, his staff and the team all deserve tremendous praise, no doubt. Let's hope that continues Wed at the RAC, as I won't talk the rest of the sked or the B1G Tourney as I'm a 1 game at a time proponent. However, what makes great college coaches is their ability to recruit....first and foremost. Sustained success at this level is more about the Jimmies and the Joe's than the X's and the O's. I hope Pike can use this week's success and hopefully more success this season to sell top level recruits (whether that's JUCO, Portal or HS players) on his program. He has shown his coaching prowess by beating 5 of the traditional B1G basketball powers on the court this season (and hopefully more). Now it's time for his recruiting to also show it's prowess by beating the traditional B1G basketball powers on the recruiting trail, like he has on the court. If he can do that, there will no longer be 2 camps on this board when it comes to Pike, we will all see him as a Godsend for RU Hoops and our alma mater.
Go Pike, wishing you tremendous success at RU coaching AND recruiting!
Go Pike, wishing you tremendous success at RU coaching AND recruiting!