RU vs Tourney Field

[zebnatto]

I see a huge talent gap between RU and the NCAA teams I've been watching. Biggest diference, and I think most will agree, is simple shot making. Second biggest is the skills of the interior players.

Makes me appreciate Pikiel's ability to keep us competitive even if we didn't win as many as we'd have liked.

 

[Degaz-RU]

Yes we have a loooooooooooooooong way to go yet.

Short of Thiam, Williams and Johnson becoming 40% shooters from three point range, Omuruyi and Freeman combining for 20 and 16, and Pike finding a credible replacement for Gettys, we will finish in the bottom third of the conference next year.

There's only so much "coaching" can do at the high major level. You need skilled players. And we don't have enough of them.

 

[RUJMM78]

I see a huge talent gap between RU and the NCAA teams I've been watching. Biggest diference, and I think most will agree, is simple shot making. Second biggest is the skills of the interior players.

Makes me appreciate Pikiel's ability to keep us competitive even if we didn't win as many as we'd have liked.

The talent gap has been going on at Rutgers for a very long time and so has the consecutive losing seasons.Recruiting higher level talent has been the missing link at Rutgers and until Pikiell and staff overcome this problem area, disappointment will continue .

 

[shields]

Thiam to me is the key, get in weight room and work on his shot. Why can't he score 10 points a game?

 

[DennisHajekRC84]

at the same time you look at how well the B1G is doing in the tourney and how competitive we were in the league despite losing and I think we are not that far off. AND I think where we were end season there are plenty of teams in the tourney we could beat. I do not think we finished as a 150+ RPI team. (I know that's the official # but saying we weren't playing like that)

A team we should have beat in NY goes and beats the 31 overall seed..I saw lots of "flaws by other team too. I am not saying we should have been in the tourney.

If we can get those consistent scorers we'll get there though.

 

[DocRU]

I disagree with "huge talent gap", and "long way to go". RU after all took Wisconsin to OT on a neutral court.
Just having the core of the team returning is a plus. Having 4 seniors makes a difference.
Taking the PG duties off uber athlete Sanders will make a difference.
1 spring addition can be a game changer, like DeQuan Lake.
You guys would have made the same argument when Bannon was fired after a 14 win season. Then 1 Jerome Coleman later and Waters had us on the bubble with 18 wins.
Decades of losing have clouded our vision. But this staff really looks like they know what they're doing.

 

[AreYouNUTS]

The talent gap has been going on at Rutgers for a very long time and so has the consecutive losing seasons.Recruiting higher level talent has been the missing link at Rutgers and until Pikiell and staff overcome this problem area, disappointment will continue .

Pikes would have gotten a bunch of our teams, since '91, to The Dance. No question in my mind. Hasn't always been the "talent gap."

That being said, YES, it really sucks watching all these games and realizing how bad of a shooting team we have right now.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Point guard play

 

[TMCB]

Exactly RU needs a point guard and a few shooters BUT we can defend and rebound. We had wisc at the garden, northwestern on the road. A few more recruits

 

[bac2therac]

Competitive and keeping close is not the same as winning. Large gap to go from one to the other. Program needs talent and athleticism. These players in the NCAA have another gear which unfortunately the current RU team does not have. Thats why it likely takes until year 5 until any NCAA talk should be thrown around. Pike has to recruit alot.

 

[lester19]

I know we have a ways to go but,... There were at least 5 games this year that we lost that we could have, even should have won. Win those 5 and we might have been dancing this year.

 

[AreYouNUTS]

No reason it needs to take until Year 5. Not the way his teams play.

 

[LC-88]

Pike has taken it from a chasm to a gap in year one. Guy can coach. Hopefully recruits, HS coaches and Uncles will see this.

 

[RUJMM78]

I know we have a ways to go but,... There were at least 5 games this year that we lost that we could have, even should have won. Win those 5 and we might have been dancing this year.

Wishful thinking has to result in wins to have any real meaning at Rutgers.

 

[PatrickRU92]

we may have been competitive but if we play Wisc 10 times in a row we likely lose 9. Competitive was what we needed to show that at least we can play the sport of basketball in the B1G. Winning is a different animal.

RECRUITING. You can NOT win unless you recruit good players. Its the coach's most important job, by a massive margin.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

No reason it needs to take until Year 5. Not the way his teams play.

What does the roster look like in year 3. Year 5 2018 class are sophomores

If people are going to give timelines than it is Class of 2018 or bust.

#nodeadlines

 

[bac2therac]

No reason it needs to take until Year 5. Not the way his teams play.

 

[SirScarlet]

B1G performance in tourney makes what Coach P did this past year even more impressive, IMO

 

[bac2therac]

No reason it needs to take until Year 5. Not the way his teams play.

They arent going year 2....year 3 extremely young with losses...I would say year 5 at earliest......and its going to be with players who are not here yet so until they get here not sure how you are coming up with an earlier timeframeI

 

[RUsince52]

Right now we have to depend on the other teams that are better than us to play poorly. Wisconsin shot so bad at MSG and we still couldn't win even though it went to OT. Can't take away what this staff has been able to do with our roster, but there is a huge difference to where we want to be in a few years.
Obviously, need shooters, but also guys that can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim. The tournament teams have these type players even the lesser known ones. I don't think the guys we have will develop enough to get to that level. So it's up to recruiting and getting good players that can become great. Otherwise, being competitive is where we might end up.
Get some better guys immediately and we can move up a few notches.
Might have to settle for the NIT until we breakthrough. Let's see who we get for 2018.

 

[RutgersDon]

Rutgers biggest talent gap is the poor presidents it has.

 

[sct1111]

Rutgers was successful this year with defense and effort. Not a single team out worked Rutgers this year.

 

[SirScarlet]

B1G performance in tourney makes what Coach P did this past year even more impressive, IMO

Tara stealing my material...lol

 

[PiscatawayMike]

Many like to point to the Wisconsin game at MSG as a reason to believe we are not far off. Indeed, that was a great game, probably the most exciting/excruciating game I attended all season. But that was only one game, a game in which Wisconsin did not play well and still beat us. Our games at Wisconsin, Michigan State, Indiana, and Purdue are the games which proved we need to drastically close the talent gap with most B1G teams before we have any chance of becoming a team which finishes in the top half of the league.

 

[shields]

True but should have won at Iowa and could have won at Northwestern.

 

[Duff366]

And RU was up 4 at home vs Michigan with 6 mins left.. also tied at Ohio State with a minute left

 

[ScarletDave]

To me the whole tournament has seemed like a 3-point shooting contest. It used to be the Cinderellas could win because they could nail 3s like crazy. Now everyone can. It was always a good part of a lot of teams but now it seems like the go-to play for a lot of teams is set a pick and get an open 3 more often than not.