Schedule

[G- RUnit]

Reeks of small time and yet we still lose the best OOC games on the schedule.

We are small time until we can actually win these games. We lost to WF. So let's jump up to Duke?
How much better is the team if we get blown out by Duke?
Would that have "prepared" this years team better?

I'd rather upgrade the schedule a year too late than a year too early.

Mmmm last year we blew out Wake!
Although I do agree with you. Two freshman and maybe three if Somerville. Rather build it up over the season and build confidence and peak at right time. Uncharted territory for RU. Too many early setbacks could defeat the process? Very fine lines. I do know we have 20 B1G games and SHU.
That’s at least 21 legit games.

 

[G- RUnit]

I seem to remember it took a Caldwell game for Jacob Young to get untracked and then he took off quieting the naysayers not unlike Simpson. That worked out pretty darn well.

 

[biazza38]

This year’s schedule was fine for this years team.
A bunch of cupcakes plus SHU, Miss State, Gtown, Wake, and Princeton. That’s fine considering we were projected to finished 10th in the conference
Next year we have Dylan and Ace. Again, get a marquee game against a big name program. This isn’t rocket science. We have guys the basketball community want to watch play

 

[MCKnight2004]

Most of these non conference stand alone games and tournament style are announced well in advance. RU never has any scheduling news until very late in the off season. I expect more of the same unfortunately. IE Rutgers waited for Gazelle group to sponsor and broker neutral site games with Princeton and Miss St, which came together late as a package deal

 

[Scarlet Shack]

Cannot have 9 cupcakes...that will put us 300

C’mon bac…you know it’s overall schedule ….you know there are cuocakes and then there are cuocakes…just avoid multiple games against stonehill and LIU . 2 max .

I’ll compromise
Duke in the garden
A Mississippi state like game in prudential
Seton hall At the RAC
Someone like Umass or GWU at the RAC
7 low majors ….

And UCLA in the garden for super Satuday

We have a sold out 8000 seat arenas …and we need games in the garden and prudential to give other fans a chance to go to games …

Make the neutral aite games an event …and there will be 20000 in the garden for Rutgers duke and 15000-17000 in the garden for UCLA

That’s what gets people excited …not playing in Atlantis and Baja mar in thanksgiving when many (NOT ME) are still in college footballl mkse

Make our big games in December …and make them an event .

 

[fluoxetine]

I think Princeton will always have gravitas regardless of analytics. And I think they are always better than their numbers.
A win over Princeton is a nice win and a loss isn’t so bad. Sweet 16 last year.
I think it also is helps prepare against teams like NW and Wiscy.
I just don’t think opening against them is wise. Rather have some games under our belt.

You can’t always be better than your numbers. The numbers measure how good you are.

 

[G- RUnit]

You can’t always be better than your numbers. The numbers measure how good you are.

Princeton is a team better than there numbers. No numbers had them going to Sweet 16 last year.
Princeton is always a nice win and never a bad loss.

 

[fluoxetine]

Princeton is a team better than there numbers. No numbers had them going to Sweet 16 last year.

Well Princeton obviously wasn’t one of the 16 best teams last year. Do you think FDU was a top 32 team because they made the round of 32?

Regardless, a team can be better than it’s numbers but a team can’t *always* be better than its numbers because, again, the numbers measure how good you are.

 

[MadRU]

Too many cupcakes leads to diabetes

 

[G- RUnit]

I think the consensus around the country and even by the committee will always be that Princeton is a tough out regardless of the analytical numbers. If you win it’s a nice little win, if you lose don’t think it hurts all that much. Some teams defy analytics.

Princeton is one of them.

Cuse for years was better than their numbers because of their zone.

GT was tough for years because of their pace.

I imagine some of the Rockies schools numbers are skewered by altitude.

Numbers aren’t everything.

 

[G- RUnit]

Non conference performance matters

Ask Nebraska right now. They beat Purdue and Wisconsin but their net languishes in the 50s and their nin conference sos at 328 is a big red flag

And they beat Northwestern.

They did play Kansas State and Oregon State and Creighton. Usually that should be fine.

The NET is stupid.

Again not fair to use non conference schedule as this overwhelmingly factor when you play 20 league games IMHO.

 

[fluoxetine]

I think the consensus around the country and even by the committee will always be that Princeton is a tough out regardless of the analytical numbers. If you win it’s a nice little win, if you lose don’t think it hurts all that much. Some teams defy analytics.

Princeton is one of them.

Cuse for years was better than their numbers because of their zone.

GT was tough for years because of their pace.

I imagine some of the Rockies schools numbers are skewered by altitude.

Numbers aren’t everything.

This isn’t a thing. You can’t be better than your numbers because of a zone lol. The effectiveness of your zone is embedded in your numbers.

 

[fatsam98]

This year’s schedule was fine for this years team.
A bunch of cupcakes plus SHU, Miss State, Gtown, Wake, and Princeton. That’s fine considering we were projected to finished 10th in the conference
Next year we have Dylan and Ace. Again, get a marquee game against a big name program. This isn’t rocket science. We have guys the basketball community want to watch play

Totally agree. Upgrade the schedule a little next year. Replace Princeton at Trenton with Duke at MSG. Replace LIU with UMass-Lowell.

 

[G- RUnit]

This isn’t a thing. You can’t be better than your numbers because of a zone lol. The effectiveness of your zone is embedded in your numbers.

Some teams are better than numbers. No better example than Princeton last year.

 

[fluoxetine]

Some teams are better than numbers. No better example than Princeton last year.

Again, no, that’s not a thing in any significant way. A team can be better than its numbers have shown *so far* but the numbers measure how well you’ve played.

 

[G- RUnit]

Again, no, that’s not a thing in any significant way. A team can be better than its numbers have shown *so far* but the numbers measure how well you’ve played.

Numbers only as good as system. No system is infallible. Doesn’t have to be a significant way. Are you saying teams can’t be better than their NET rating? Way too much power to systems.
That’s just silly.

 

[fluoxetine]

Numbers only as good as system. No system is infallible. Doesn’t have to be a significant way. Are you saying teams can’t be better than their NET rating? Way too much power to systems.
That’s just silly.

I'm saying statements like "Princeton is always better than their numbers" are silly.

 

[mikeyo]

We need a big game. rather lose to Duke than princeton. Hell we lost to Temple last year which probably cost us the bid.

We lost the bid against Minnesota. Simple as that

 

[Scangg]

Give me at least 1-2 cupcakes to open up with. And then yeah, 2-3 exciting P5 games either at MSG or home and home arrangements. Seems like a holiday tourney is out of the question already. Plus Seton Hall. The rest can be cupcakes, but only 1-2 300+ cupcakes.

That's what I want to see every year though, Dylan/Ace or not.

We were crushed at a Wake team tgat won't even make the tourney

Our sos non conference overall this year was solid...so similar next year...replace Miss St with Duke. Princeton with Auburn. Shu at home

Perhaps a A10 team on road to replace

This is the way. There is a smart way to go about playing a big name or two while still being smart about not overdoing it

 

[ru66]

Bac, if you were so right about how the ncaa thinks you wouldn't have been so wrong last year about RU. You are not the know all you think even if you love composing 20 paragraphs each week. Many just prefer watching the replay.

 

[fluoxetine]

I come after bac all the time but he knows about tournament selection. Virtually everyone got that wrong last year.

 

[Scangg]

Bac, if you were so right about how the ncaa thinks you wouldn't have been so wrong last year about RU. You are not the know all you think even if you love composing 20 paragraphs each week. Many just prefer watching the replay.

It was something like 98% of brackets in bracket matrix had Rutgers in

 

[RU-ROCS]

If you are still in the mindset that RU needs UConn, Kansas, Bama, UNC or Duke, then you are not paying attention at all to college sports in general.

RU doesn't do anything for it's recruiting, for it's brand or for it's resume by playing any of those teams. It is that mindset that still clouds the many minds of RU fans, because it is an inferiority complex.

We have Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper, Gavin Griffiths, Lathan Sommerville and others. We have the RAC and we have a very good fanbase, when energized and has something to root for.

RU needs to stop chasing schools that are not going to remain on top of the college sports world going forward. The NCAA is a dying entity and we are moving towards a big 2 or 3 conference alignment for football and hoops and we don't need UConn, Nova or those other schools.....the actual fact is, they need RU now.

We have the uptick and recruiting and we don't need to prove anything to anyone but ourselves, that we can win. This is not a public relations/hype machine that RU needs to survive. We are in one of the Top 2 conferences and will have plenty of exposure and opportunities within our region and conference.

RU isn't going to outrun UConn, UNC or Duke in basketball hype, it's no longer required to gain exposure. All RU has to do is run its own race in football and hoops and grow organically and methodically year by year and continue to improve.

We have to stop overhyping 2024-25 as if RU sports and enthusiasm ends after next basketball season with Dylan and Ace Bailey. The program is NOT going to be defined by 1 season, it gets defined by being consistent over a 5 to 10 year span.

The goal for next year is to actually try to develop the young players early next year, we will already have enough hype. We don't need UConn or Duke to help RU anymore. We are developing our own standard, we don't need to play them, if anything they need to play RU.

Hawk-

I always enjoy your posts, but this time I don’t think you are paying attention to what’s going on in college hoops. if the word on the street is correct, RU was able to afford Bailey and Harper’s NIL because third parties Adidas and Fanatics offered big money. They are paying for exposure. Playing the likes of Duke in the media capital of the world delivers that exposure and will lead to further NIL deals for top recruits. To think otherwise is naive IMHO.

 

[bac2therac]

Bac, if you were so right about how the ncaa thinks you wouldn't have been so wrong last year about RU. You are not the know all you think even if you love composing 20 paragraphs each week. Many just prefer watching the replay.

you mad bruh or just sundowning

Show your work old man

 

[ru66]

you mad bruh or just sundowning

Show your work old man

Personally , both you and your brother are a waste.

 

[Scarlet Shack]

Bac, if you were so right about how the ncaa thinks you wouldn't have been so wrong last year about RU. You are not the know all you think even if you love composing 20 paragraphs each week. Many just prefer watching the replay.

Really …if you don’t like his stuff , don’t read it

Why do you have to be nasty about it .

And not the first time

 

[bac2therac]

Personally , both you and your brother are a waste.

i would like to see your receipts on any discussion on this board

 

[ruinac]

Most of these non conference stand alone games and tournament style are announced well in advance. RU never has any scheduling news until very late in the off season. I expect more of the same unfortunately. IE Rutgers waited for Gazelle group to sponsor and broker neutral site games with Princeton and Miss St, which came together late as a package deal

Partly true.

RU and St John’s worked with Gazelle and had a handshake agreement to play at MSG. MSG dragged their heels on the date (12/23) and before it could be set SJU changed coaches and backed out. The late breakdown put RU in scrambling mode.

MSU was a “replacement”. PU was not part of a package deal. It was separate. Both games were set weeks before they were announced. They were late but not as late as the public thought.

I’ve posted all of this before while they were in motion. My posts then got overlooked because of the message that PU wouldn’t happen.

 

[Local Shill]

What is this obsession with playing Duke? They're just another good program. I know they sell tickets because people like them for some weird reason along with ND football, the Yankees, etc.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Too many cupcakes leads to diabetes

If you eat 9 cupcakes over a 9 week time frame i think you will be OK.

 

[ru66]

Really …if you don’t like his stuff , don’t read it

Why do you have to be nasty about it .

And not the first time

Actually , I never read it. As I said I can watch the replay and his " analysis " doesn't interest me. Nasty is a word you can use for many on this board and certainly include Bac.

 

[kcg88]

You can play a ton of cupcakes but you HAVE to blow them out. That's how the Big 12 gamed the NET this year.

 

[NickRU714]

You can play a ton of cupcakes but you HAVE to blow them out. That's how the Big 12 gamed the NET this year.

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Exactly. Our problem hasnt been a weak OOC. It's a weak OOC while ALSO losing games.

Isn't Nebraska on track to make the tournament?
Their OOC ranking is sub-300 (I think? Someone posted it somewhere. I have no idea how to look it up).

The difference between us and them is Nebraska went 10-1 against their weak OOC this season - only loss to #15 Creighton.

Alternatively, we went 8-3 with losses to Temple, SHU and Miami last year.

 

[bac2therac]

Exactly. Our problem hasnt been a weak OOC. It's a weak OOC while ALSO losing games.

Isn't Nebraska on track to make the tournament?
Their OOC ranking is sub-300 (I think? Someone posted it somewhere. I have no idea how to look it up).

The difference between us and them is Nebraska went 10-1 against their weak OOC this season - only loss to #15 Creighton.

Alternatively, we went 8-3 with losses to Temple, SHU and Miami last year.

Nebraska will have issues with their profile if they dont pick up road wins

 

[darkcheck]

We probably beat a Stonehill and lose to a blue blood. However what is more impactful to the program, losing to a Stonehill or upsetting a blue blood, negatively or positively respectfully?

Also being afraid to schedule up because this formula hopefully gives you a path Is playing with fire. Striving to be a bubble team each year, is that what you want? Mediocrity? Strive for more. Aim small miss small. No one here is saying drastically change, just upgrade some and slowly elevate the program.

 

[bac2therac]

We probably beat a Stonehill and lose to a blue blood. However what is more impactful to the program, losing to a Stonehill or upsetting a blue blood, negatively or positively respectfully?

Also being afraid to schedule up because this formula hopefully gives you a path Is playing with fire. Striving to be a bubble team each year, is that what you want? Mediocrity? Strive for more. Aim small miss small. No one here is saying drastically change, just upgrade some and slowly elevate the program.

yeah I dont get it either, our fans love hoping to just skate in at 20-12 and worry that ooh a tough schedule could put us at 18-14,,,guess what, if it does than maybe we are not really a tourney team.

 

[G- RUnit]

yeah I dont get it either, our fans love hoping to just skate in at 20-12 and worry that ooh a tough schedule could put us at 18-14,,,guess what, if it does than maybe we are not really a tourney team.

Or R fans remember how we were royally screwed last year? Every bracketologist had us in last year after we avenged Michigan on a neutral site. Feel a lot more comfortable with a nice record in a 20 game BIG schedule and SHU. Guess what … NCAA has never ever been good to Rutgers. Why give them a reason to keep us out.

 

[darkcheck]

Or R fans remember how we were royally screwed last year? Every bracketologist had us in last year after we avenged Michigan on a neutral site. Feel a lot more comfortable with a nice record in a 20 game BIG schedule and SHU. Guess what … NCAA has never ever been good to Rutgers. Why give them a reason to keep us out.

The idea is to keep improving the program so you win and are not at the committee’s mercy. We can only do that by progressively upping the schedule, getting better recruits from more exposure and playing games that make those kids better. If our whole team, meaning the depth behind Mawot, was better and battle tested we don’t lose at Minne last year and put it out of the committee’s hands.

 

[fluoxetine]

yeah I dont get it either, our fans love hoping to just skate in at 20-12 and worry that ooh a tough schedule could put us at 18-14,,,guess what, if it does than maybe we are not really a tourney team.

It depends what people want. I really think anything reasonable, all the way from complete cupcake schedules to reasonably tough ones is fine. If you play Seton Hall and another Big East team and another P5 team and 20 Big Ten games you're not going to have huge overall SOS issues. But if you want to add another couple tough games in there it's fine as well.

The only time it is bad, IMO, is if you start loading up so much that you will run into overall record issues even with decent to good teams. Playing like top 5 overall SOS is bad because you can have a good team and end up like, for example, Oklahoma in 2022 who went 18-15 against an absolutely brutal schedule (though it was mostly because of their conference slate, but the idea still stands) and didn't get selected.

 

[fluoxetine]

I would like to play Duke because it would be fun and good exposure but I don't think it impacts making the tournament much in one way or another.