Post Mortem.... Near Speechless

[lion1983]

In what is possibly my last postmortem of the season (have not had the time, or frankly the energy so I missed some), I am nearly speechless. Many of you are probably grateful for the relative brevity.

Summary and Detail:

This was the single worst defensive play in a Rutgers game I have seen since Pikiell has been coach... And though I may be hyperbolic here, maybe ever.

This was reminiscent of the teams coached by Little page and Eddie Jordan in the team's futility. One of either Jordan's or Littlepage's teams was so bad you knew going into nearly every game RU had no chance, and lost more than half their games by more than 15 points each, often never being competitive in most games - against much lesser competition.

This game started... Okay. But after RU was up 27-19... Purdue out scored RU 32-13 the rest of the half... And 81-43 the rest of the game.

I have nothing more to say, nothing that can be said.

 

[lion1983]

FYI, I would NOT be surprised if RU beats Minnesota Sunday. Even so... Sigh.

 

[fluoxetine]

The last time we had a worse adjusted defensive efficiency was 12/8/2018 when we lost 78-70 to Fordham in 64 possessions. It doesn't sound that bad but Fordham had the #303 offense that year.

 

[RedTeam1994]

At the Minnesota game -the crowd should loudly chant “DEFENSE!!” before the opening tip

 

[richthedentist]

At the Minnesota game -the crowd should loudly chant “DEFENSE!!” before the opening tip

What do we do in practice we don't practice offense and obviously not defense; nor do we do any inbounds plays!!!

 

[Joey Bags]

What do we do in practice we don't practice offense and obviously not defense; nor do we do any inbounds plays!!!

Dunks

 

[King of S]

At the Minnesota game -the crowd should loudly chant “DEFENSE!!” before the opening tip

How about the crowd chants - refund, refund!

 

[fluoxetine]

What do we do in practice we don't practice offense and obviously not defense; nor do we do any inbounds plays!!!

Are you actually stupid or just pretending?

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I sold my tickets for Sunday. I cant take this any more. All 12 who played were terrible defensively.

I think/hope Michigan game just zapped our spirit.

The combination of our lack of help in the paint, pathertic defnensive rebounding and our inabikity fight through any screen!!!!!!

Teams with upper classmen are better equipped to make teams like us pay. Purdue was surgical again.

Our zone attempts we’re just pathetic too

 

[RUDivision]

Weak move by Pike not talking to the media or answering questions.

 

[RedTeam1994]

Are you actually stupid or just pretending?

No. he just always behaves like he has a really bad cavity

 

[RUHoopsHQ]

Weak move by Pike not talking to the media or answering questions.

He's afraid of taking accountability. He's one of the highest paid coaches in college basketball and bitched about how everyone has come down really hard on this team but he takes no accountability. Dodges questions and deflects to get his points across (GPA of team, kids come from good families, tough to win in this league speak, etc.). You're paid millions to win games. Step up, take accountability and fix this shit.

The flames on the burner should be turned up and scorching his ass next season after this f--king joke of a season.

 

[fluoxetine]

He's afraid of taking accountability. He's one of the highest paid coaches in college basketball and bitched about how everyone has come down really hard on this team but he takes no accountability. Dodges questions and deflects to get his points across (GPA of team, kids come from good families, tough to win in this league speak, etc.). You're paid millions to win games. Step up, take accountability and fix this shit.

The flames on the burner should be turned up and scorching his ass next season after this f--king joke of a season.

If only he said the right thing in the press conference everyone would be happy.

 

[RUDivision]

If only he said the right thing in the press conference everyone would be happy.

No but when you’re embarrassing the university, your team, and yourself it’s important to show up and be accountable. Another reason why Pike is not the guy.

Happy if he did no! Respect him if he did yes!!!!!!!

Can not demand accountability from your players if you don’t show accountability as a coach/leader.

 

[fluoxetine]

No but when you’re embarrassing the university, your team, and yourself it’s important to show up and be accountable. Another reason why Pike is not the guy.

Happy if he did no! Respect him if he did yes!!!!!!!

Can not demand accountability from your players if you don’t show accountability as a coach/leader.

Just absolute nonsense given that when he shows up after losses and says "it's on me" people bash him for that too. Nothing short of ritual suicide on camera would satisfy you guys, you just want wins. Which is fine but why not just admit it.

 

[RUDivision]

Just absolute nonsense given that when he shows up after losses and says "it's on me" people bash him for that too. Nothing short of ritual suicide on camera would satisfy you guys, you just want wins. Which is fine but why not just admit it.

Sorry Floux this is not a spreadsheet and your way out of your depth. Just say your right and move on

 

[Joey Bags]

Ducking the press conference is a bitch move if true. I agree the conference itself is meaningless and it’s what happens behind the scenes that matters but as CEO of the team putting your head out there and working through the tough questions is what a leader does.

 

[CranfordKnight]

The last time we had a worse adjusted defensive efficiency was 12/8/2018 when we lost 78-70 to Fordham in 64 possessions. It doesn't sound that bad but Fordham had the #303 offense that year.

Thanks for reminding me. Coupled the game with a campus visit when my son was considering Fordham. Up until this season probably the most frustrating game I've watched. Peter Kiss was an embarrassment with his antics while stinking up the joint. Nick Honor torched us, but we got revenge vs. him the following year when he transferred to Clemson and we beat them in the tourney.

Probably second only to Kennesaw St. this year in the annals of "why are we playing here?".

 

[fluoxetine]

Sorry Floux this is not a spreadsheet and your way out of your depth. Just say your right and move on

You let your emotions and results-oriented thinking cloud your judgement. You would be better off in the land of the spreadsheets.

 

[Mr Magoo]

Weak move by Pike not talking to the media or answering questions.

Hopefully, it’s the first step in acknowledging he’s in over his head and will work out an agreement to step away. One can dream.

 

[Ridge 22]

Just absolute nonsense given that when he shows up after losses and says "it's on me" people bash him for that too. Nothing short of ritual suicide on camera would satisfy you guys, you just want wins. Which is fine but why not just admit it.

This is just stupid. He has an obligation to speak as the coach. Just because the situation he created is so bad that he has no excuses and platitudes to give anymore doesn't absolve him of the obligation to speak and be accountable. Your logic is not very good here (no surprise)

 

[FAT MOON]

y'all really think he's not doing road post game press conferences because he's scared to face the music? he's afraid to to stand in a room full of media nerds and say "hand up this ones on me" and give BS answers that will allow him to get out of there?

he's doing it to protect his players. what good can come from sticking a microphone in a frosh's face right after they got destroyed by 30 or worse just hit a miracle three to beat you after you played a great game?

he's fully aware he's gonna take heat for not doing it and is doing it anyway...which is what being a leader of men sometimes requires.

season has been a nightmare is almost over but the character assassination of coaches and players is bush league...

 

[bac2therac]

I sold my tickets for Sunday. I cant take this any more. All 12 who played were terrible defensively.

I think/hope Michigan game just zapped our spirit.

The combination of our lack of help in the paint, pathertic defnensive rebounding and our inabikity fight through any screen!!!!!!

Teams with upper classmen are better equipped to make teams like us pay. Purdue was surgical again.

Our zone attempts we’re just pathetic too

I am almost done as in ready to pass on season tickets. Of course they ram the decision a month away from now. This season was THE WORST for me among as everyone knows horrid seasons during Hill/Jordan. The realization that you can have top level recruits and still fail miserably hits hard. The fact that they are just one year stop overs puts everything into perspective over whether I get emotionally connnected to them. The idea of paying college players millions is nauseating to me. Its also a pipe dream at a school like Rutgers that they can compete with this. Being in the Big 10 for sports sounds great but a decade in, Rutgers really is no better in the 2 major sports and arguably worse in many others while bleeding money and now demanding that we pay for the rosters of the teams we root for. I said before that NIL was making me lose interest and we shall see but I am just hanging on by a thread now. Next season looks very bleak and the ridiculous Hobbs extension puts Pike here for 2-3 of spinning his wheels.

 

[DHajekRC84]

Weak move by Pike not talking to the media or answering questions.

He should have repeated "These fvcking guys" but mean it in the opposite way from last game.

 

[ancienthooper]

He's afraid of taking accountability. He's one of the highest paid coaches in college basketball and bitched about how everyone has come down really hard on this team but he takes no accountability. Dodges questions and deflects to get his points across (GPA of team, kids come from good families, tough to win in this league speak, etc.). You're paid millions to win games. Step up, take accountability and fix this shit.

The flames on the burner should be turned up and scorching his ass next season after this f--king joke of a season.

How come you never answer the question of what qualifies you as a Rutgers hoops “insider”? Clearly self-appointed and entitled but there are probably 50 people on this board that have more institutional knowledge than you. But in fairness, you’ve been around since 2023.

 

[bac2therac]

He's afraid of taking accountability. He's one of the highest paid coaches in college basketball and bitched about how everyone has come down really hard on this team but he takes no accountability. Dodges questions and deflects to get his points across (GPA of team, kids come from good families, tough to win in this league speak, etc.). You're paid millions to win games. Step up, take accountability and fix this shit.

The flames on the burner should be turned up and scorching his ass next season after this f--king joke of a season.

this...this..this....take some freakin accountabllity and hold your team accountable. Pike was seemingly on auto pilot all year letting the players run the team as if he was scared of the handlers coming down on him.

 

[fluoxetine]

This is just stupid. He has an obligation to speak as the coach.

Sure. If he starts regularly skipping press conferences wake me up. But don't start pretending you actually care what he says at them.

How come you never answer the question of what qualifies you as a Rutgers hoops “insider”? Clearly self-appointed and entitled but there are probably 50 people on this board that have more institutional knowledge than you. But in fairness, you’ve been around since 2023.

He's just a guy who writes bad blog posts lol.

 

[fatsam98]

If only he said the right thing in the press conference everyone would be happy.

I think it's more... if he held these guys accountable in practices, in games, in warmups, you'd see some of that come through in his pressers.

Instead all we get is defensiveness and excuses.

The most recent sit-down with Jerry Recco was alarming. He's clearly annoyed at fans for not being happy this season.

 

[PhillyRU]

Sure. If he starts regularly skipping press conferences wake me up. But don't start pretending you actually care what he says at them.

He's just a guy who writes bad blog posts lol.

I’m sure it’s not that impactful since Rutgers has like no media on the road, but I think it’s super fair to expect the $4 million head coach and some of his now fairly well-paid players to address their effort following a really awful loss.

I also think it’s a pretty stupid move, the optics of just bailing on the media are way worse than simply “oh tip your cap to Purdue”-ing your way through like four questions.

 

[Ridge 22]

Sure. If he starts regularly skipping press conferences wake me up. But don't start pretending you actually care what he says at them

Wake up. He has been skipping away game press conferences lately. And what does whether or not he has anything left to say have to do with anything? You just keep repeating the same nonsense and missing the narrative.

 

[bac2therac]

I think it's more... if he held these guys accountable in practices, in games, in warmups, you'd see some of that come through in his pressers.

Instead all we get is defensiveness and excuses.

The most recent sit-down with Jerry Recco was alarming. He's clearly annoyed at fans for not being happy this season.

do you have a link to that...didnt see that...INFURIATING TO ME...Pike is being payed a shit ton of money. He has 2 NBA top 5 picks and they are 14-16 and giving up 85 points a night while spinning their wheels all year. He seems out of touch if he thinks the fans should be kissing his feet and his players feet for this terrible season

 

[bac2therac]

Wake up. He has been skipping away game press conferences lately. And what does whether or not he has anything left to say have to do with anything? You just keep repeating the same nonsense and missing the narrative.

remember when all the morons called out Mick Cronins tirade in press conference calling his team soft and not playing hard and not caring. Ooooh he has no class and looks like an idiot. How dare he talk to them (paid players) like that. I would take Pike everyday over him.

Well he righted the ship shortly after, they are trending to a 6 seed in the NCAA tourney and still have a shot at a top 4 finish in league

meanwhile our fans would want Pike over Pitino, they just do not get what its about. Now Pike is dropping f bombs and cannot even show up at the mic and admit what a disappointing year its been. Our fans will literally defend this guy to the end. They do it with GS and they actually did it with Fred Hill and Eddie Jordan and Kyle Flood too so its definitely some sick loyalty thing that has zero to do with winning and losing

 

[fluoxetine]

remember when all the morons called out Mick Cronins tirade in press conference calling his team soft and not playing hard and not caring. Ooooh he has no class and looks like an idiot. How dare he talk to them (paid players) like that. I would take Pike everyday over him.

Well he righted the ship shortly after, they are trending to a 6 seed in the NCAA tourney and still have a shot at a top 4 finish in league

Remind me how they did against Maryland and Rutgers AFTER that press conference. Literally half the losing streak occurred after his rant.

Has it occurred to the posturing fake tough guy idiot contingent that they righted the ship because Cronin is a good coach and they are a good team and not because he got frustrated in a press conference and got himself thrown out of the next game?

 

[bac2therac]

Remind me how they did against Maryland and Rutgers AFTER that press conference. Literally half the losing streak occurred after his rant.

Has it occurred to the posturing fake tough guy idiot contingent that they righted the ship because Cronin is a good coach and they are a good team and not because he got frustrated in a press conference and got himself thrown out of the next game?

after that road trip they got back home and righted the ship period. Those are the receipts, why dont you run it through a computer

 

[fluoxetine]

after that road trip they got back home and righted the ship period. Those are the receipts, why dont you run it through a computer

The receipts are:
- They won
- They lost a couple games
- He did a thing
- They lost a couple more games
- They started winning again

The amount of evidence there for the thing being the cause of the ship being righted is absolutely zero, even your own dumb argument doesn't provide support for it.

 

[Ridge 22]

remember when all the morons called out Mick Cronins tirade in press conference calling his team soft and not playing hard and not caring. Ooooh he has no class and looks like an idiot. How dare he talk to them (paid players) like that. I would take Pike everyday over him.

Well he righted the ship shortly after, they are trending to a 6 seed in the NCAA tourney and still have a shot at a top 4 finish in league

meanwhile our fans would want Pike over Pitino, they just do not get what its about. Now Pike is dropping f bombs and cannot even show up at the mic and admit what a disappointing year its been. Our fans will literally defend this guy to the end. They do it with GS and they actually did it with Fred Hill and Eddie Jordan and Kyle Flood too so its definitely some sick loyalty thing that has zero to do with winning and losing

A majority of people on here have chronic loser mentality syndrome

 

[fluoxetine]

Yup nothing says WINNER like being a baby during a press conference. But I can see why some here are confused about that.

 

[Simce91]

meanwhile our fans would want Pike over Pitino, they just do not get what its about. Now Pike is dropping f bombs and cannot even show up at the mic and admit what a disappointing year its been. Our fans will literally defend this guy to the end. They do it with GS and they actually did it with Fred Hill and Eddie Jordan and Kyle Flood too so its definitely some sick loyalty thing that has zero to do with winning and losing

Keep in mind that many of RU fans would be just as happy playing in the Ivies

 

[fluoxetine]

Now Pike is dropping f bombs and cannot even show up at the mic and admit what a disappointing year its been. Our fans will literally defend this guy to the end. They do it with GS and they actually did it with Fred Hill and Eddie Jordan and Kyle Flood too so its definitely some sick loyalty thing that has zero to do with winning and losing

I will defend him to the end on the stupid aesthetic shit like not calling people out in press conferences or getting T'd up all the time because that stuff is good. The man is a class act, you can admit results are bad without needing to attack every single action that is taken.

Results this year were shit because of roster construction and coaching and that is on Pikiell but it has nothing to do with him not ripping his players at press conferences or because a bench player was singing during a timeout or any of the other extremely stupid bullshit that people on here like to bitch endlessly about.

 

[bac2therac]

Keep in mind that many of RU fans would be just as happy playing in the Ivies

remember how some of them died on the hill that Rutgers should play Princeton every season.