Things that I'd like to see happen the rest of the season
1) Fix the offense, need to avg 116.2 next 9 games to get to 110.0 offense
Ken Pom Top 50 offenses 125.5-110.6, Rutgers 190th 101.8
Start with Cliff, Paul and Ron the most consistent offensive players this year, build the offense around them, cut Geo's FGs down and find out in rotations of two who gels with them best. No more droughts. Geo/Caleb should share a position for 40 minutes, if that, It's time to find out what you can build into 22-23, and if post season happens as a result, bonus, maybe they can gel at the right time to make it happen.
Geo & Caleb are oil and water, 2 career 38% FG shooters. Caleb very good defensively, 4 on 5 offensively. Geo can be very good offensively but makes mistakes a 5th year senior should not make defensively more than a few times a game, I said it before the season, during the season and saying it louder now, Geo, Caleb didn't, don't, won't work on the floor together.
--A) Geo offense 21-22, Bad Lehigh, good MW-Depaul, bad Lafayette, missed UMass-Purdue, ok SHU, good Maine-Nebraska, bad PSU, ok @ Md, bad Iowa, good Minnesota/Maryland, Bad Neb/NW, he is who he is. When he's good he can be special, when he's bad he can dig you into deep holes.
--B) Caleb had a good 6 game offensive stretch between UMass through Maine, only bad game @ Illinois, bad 5 games before it, and only 2 good games the last 10 games since. It's no coincidence that his best stretches offensively happen when Geo was out, same thing happen in 2019-20 when Geo went down vs Caldwell, missed 3 games, off the bench for 9, moving Caleb into the starting lineup in Jan 2020 and Rutgers went 7-5 in the B1G.
Which lead to 2)Fix the starting lineup, starting Paul, RHJ, Cliff is a must, the current starting 5 haven't had a good start to a 1st half since Michigan, even Nebraska started down 6-11, won 93-65. Pike has to try new, Caleb the most likely candidate, Mag or Hyatt in. Not sure if it is a complete fix, next candidate Geo out.
3) Fix the rotations/roles, Pike has to settle on 3, situational 4th, off the bench. Mag and Hyatt need to get around 20 minutes each at the expense of the 4 guard/Wing starters, trust them Pike. Reiber/Cliff share 40, Ralph only if both are in foul trouble, and settle on a situational ninth, Miller defense, Palm 3s, Jones offensive spark if you see everyone struggling offensively.
4) Defense has flaws, overall one of its lone positives, a lack of communication and chemistry on the defensive side leading to breakdowns in stretches.
Ken Pom Top 50 defenses 83.9-95.6, Rutgers 48th 95.2
It's no small feat but hopefully fixes start to happen vs MSU.