See y'all in the WI game thread...

[RU848789]

I usually hibernate after a loss like this, so will focus on other things, like the Super Bowl and my other hobbies, as I just don't enjoy watching other hoops games or posting much when we're on a losing streak or after a bad loss (and this was kind of a bad loss, although not "horrific" as some have said).

Two straight losses on the road against good teams aren't unexpected, but still disappointing, since even without Mag, we showed we can still play well enough to beat good teams on the road, even including this game - but it's impossible to overcome a 10-minute scoring drought and 19-0 run - the worst stretch we've seen from this team in a very long time, although even with that it ended up 69-60 which isn't a blowout and we have no blowout losses yet this season.

So, I think we'll really see what this team is made of over the next 3 games. I expect us to beat NE at home, hopefully handily, and if we then split with UW and MI, we'll be 10-7 and probably one more win from locking up an NCAA tourney bid, as I think we need to be 11-9 for that. I'll only start to worry if we go 1-2 over the next 3. And we ought to win all 3 of our final games, even without Mag, IMO, but I could easily see us going 2-1, which would put us at 12-8 and a definite 8/9 seed with our excellent road wins (and OSU should be another, we all know) and great NET.

However, even if we go just 3-3 to get to 11-9, we're in the NCAAs, but stumbling badly. Beyond that, a collapse is always possible (meaning less than 3 wins), but I don't see that under Pike and with these players. I also don't see us finishing 5-1 or 6-0, as we do miss Mag: I feel like we've gone from a top 15 team to maybe a top 35 team with his loss. Hope they prove me wrong and finish with at least 5 wins.

 

[RutgersMO]

I usually hibernate after a loss like this, so will focus on other things, like the Super Bowl and my other hobbies, as I just don't enjoy watching other hoops games or posting much when we're on a losing streak or after a bad loss (and this was kind of a bad loss, although not "horrific" as some have said).

Two straight losses on the road against good teams aren't unexpected, but still disappointing, since even without Mag, we showed we can still play well enough to beat good teams on the road, even including this game - but it's impossible to overcome a 10-minute scoring drought and 19-0 run - the worst stretch we've seen from this team in a very long time, although even with that it ended up 69-60 which isn't a blowout and we have no blowout losses yet this season.

So, I think we'll really see what this team is made of over the next 3 games. I expect us to beat NE at home, hopefully handily, and if we then split with UW and MI, we'll be 10-7 and probably one more win from locking up an NCAA tourney bid, as I think we need to be 11-9 for that. I'll only start to worry if we go 1-2 over the next 3. And we ought to win all 3 of our final games, even without Mag, IMO, but I could easily see us going 2-1, which would put us at 12-8 and a definite 8/9 seed with our excellent road wins (and OSU should be another, we all know) and great NET.

However, even if we go just 3-3 to get to 11-9, we're in the NCAAs, but stumbling badly. Beyond that, a collapse is always possible (meaning less than 3 wins), but I don't see that under Pike and with these players. I also don't see us finishing 5-1 or 6-0, as we do miss Mag: I feel like we've gone from a top 15 team to maybe a top 35 team with his loss. Hope they prove me wrong and finish with at least 5 wins.

I don't remember if Pike calls any TO's during the Illini run . If so he might have called a 2nd TO to set up a play ...if not hope he is able to right the bus .

Mo

 

[StevieB160]

“And my other hobbies”

 

[NYSportsFan]

I usually hibernate after a loss like this, so will focus on other things, like the Super Bowl and my other hobbies, as I just don't enjoy watching other hoops games or posting much when we're on a losing streak or after a bad loss (and this was kind of a bad loss, although not "horrific" as some have said).

Two straight losses on the road against good teams aren't unexpected, but still disappointing, since even without Mag, we showed we can still play well enough to beat good teams on the road, even including this game - but it's impossible to overcome a 10-minute scoring drought and 19-0 run - the worst stretch we've seen from this team in a very long time, although even with that it ended up 69-60 which isn't a blowout and we have no blowout losses yet this season.

So, I think we'll really see what this team is made of over the next 3 games. I expect us to beat NE at home, hopefully handily, and if we then split with UW and MI, we'll be 10-7 and probably one more win from locking up an NCAA tourney bid, as I think we need to be 11-9 for that. I'll only start to worry if we go 1-2 over the next 3. And we ought to win all 3 of our final games, even without Mag, IMO, but I could easily see us going 2-1, which would put us at 12-8 and a definite 8/9 seed with our excellent road wins (and OSU should be another, we all know) and great NET.

However, even if we go just 3-3 to get to 11-9, we're in the NCAAs, but stumbling badly. Beyond that, a collapse is always possible (meaning less than 3 wins), but I don't see that under Pike and with these players. I also don't see us finishing 5-1 or 6-0, as we do miss Mag: I feel like we've gone from a top 15 team to maybe a top 35 team with his loss. Hope they prove me wrong and finish with at least 5 wins.

Win the home games and at minny, we’ll be fine. I’m with ya. Terrible how they let up a 19-0 run, but we move on. Win Tuesday

 

[RUBOB72]

Bad break losing Mawot but if we only split these last 6 games there is always the possibility we will need to win 2 in the B1G tourney to get to a minimum of 20-21 victories.

 

[fatsam98]

Nowhere else I'd rather be on Valentine's Day

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

Nowhere else I'd rather be on Valentine's Day

The RAC and then Torpedos postgame

 

[fatsam98]

The RAC and then Torpedos postgame

Wifey is coming too, she'll love that

 

[djrc89]

Pretty much where I put us after mag went out. I personally hide from ncaa seeding posts. I really don’t care that wachtel has us a 6 before we play Indy and Illinois on the road. I know some love this stuff but I have to look away. This is Still a very tuff schedule down the stretch. And then what happens in the league tourney if we’re one and out

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

Wifey is coming too, she'll love that

“Couples Night”

 

[PiscatawayMike]

Nowhere else I'd rather be on Valentine's Day

I've had a love affair with Rutgers basketball since 1976!

 

[shields]

Beat Nebraska and be loud.

 

[RU848789]

Wifey is coming too, she'll love that

Same here - she comes to one game a year and this year it's on V-day, which we never really celebrated anyway (manufactured holiday/amateur night, lol); one of my other ticket-mates and his wife are also going, so we're going to do dinner somewhere and then the game.

What's the "torpedo" thing?

 

[RCBeta79]

I see these two losses as a learning experience.
When we lost Mag (great defense and steady offense), it put us in a position to find a Mag replacement by committee.

It takes a few games to figure out the new player combinations. Much harder than ice hockey lines!

This is a good team with a great coach that will find a solution.

 

[JayDogSmooth]

Same here - she comes to one game a year and this year it's on V-day, which we never really celebrated anyway (manufactured holiday/amateur night, lol); one of my other ticket-mates and his wife are also going, so we're going to do dinner somewhere and then the game.

What's the "torpedo" thing?

Torps Was a place in bound Brook
Legendary back in the day

 

[RU848789]

I usually hibernate after a loss like this, so will focus on other things, like the Super Bowl and my other hobbies, as I just don't enjoy watching other hoops games or posting much when we're on a losing streak or after a bad loss (and this was kind of a bad loss, although not "horrific" as some have said).

Two straight losses on the road against good teams aren't unexpected, but still disappointing, since even without Mag, we showed we can still play well enough to beat good teams on the road, even including this game - but it's impossible to overcome a 10-minute scoring drought and 19-0 run - the worst stretch we've seen from this team in a very long time, although even with that it ended up 69-60 which isn't a blowout and we have no blowout losses yet this season.

So, I think we'll really see what this team is made of over the next 3 games. I expect us to beat NE at home, hopefully handily, and if we then split with UW and MI, we'll be 10-7 and probably one more win from locking up an NCAA tourney bid, as I think we need to be 11-9 for that. I'll only start to worry if we go 1-2 over the next 3. And we ought to win all 3 of our final games, even without Mag, IMO, but I could easily see us going 2-1, which would put us at 12-8 and a definite 8/9 seed with our excellent road wins (and OSU should be another, we all know) and great NET.

However, even if we go just 3-3 to get to 11-9, we're in the NCAAs, but stumbling badly. Beyond that, a collapse is always possible (meaning less than 3 wins), but I don't see that under Pike and with these players. I also don't see us finishing 5-1 or 6-0, as we do miss Mag: I feel like we've gone from a top 15 team to maybe a top 35 team with his loss. Hope they prove me wrong and finish with at least 5 wins.

Well, if I'm going to hibernate after a loss like the one at Illinois, I might go completely off the grid after a loss like tonight. Just abysmal in every way, except for Hyatt's career high scoring game. As Pike said, we scored enough to win, but the defense was not good enough. We gave up open look after open look, inside and outside, getting torched for 32-55 overall and 12-28 from deep. Giving up 82 to NE is beyond unacceptable, especially when we've been holding most teams well below their scoring average.

I have no idea what Pike and the team need to do now, but it has to start with playing better defense, but I worry that's just not quite in the cards without Mag, whose importance to the defense may have been more than we know - although I'll admit I struggle with how we beat a good MSU team, then with Mag out for 2/3 of the game - and we played great defense. So maybe it's not all Mag, but whatever it is, it has to get fixed pronto or we'll be looking at barely getting to the NCAAs (or worse).

See you in the WI thread...

 

[richthedentist]

Well, if I'm going to hibernate after a loss like the one at Illinois, I might go completely off the grid after a loss like tonight. Just abysmal in every way, except for Hyatt's career high scoring game. As Pike said, we scored enough to win, but the defense was not good enough. We gave up open look after open look, inside and outside, getting torched for 32-55 overall and 12-28 from deep. Giving up 82 to NE is beyond unacceptable, especially when we've been holding most teams well below their scoring average.

I have no idea what Pike and the team need to do now, but it has to start with playing better defense, but I worry that's just not quite in the cards without Mag, whose importance to the defense may have been more than we know - although I'll admit I struggle with how we beat a good MSU team, then with Mag out for 2/3 of the game - and we played great defense. So maybe it's not all Mag, but whatever it is, it has to get fixed pronto or we'll be looking at barely getting to the NCAAs (or worse).

See you in the WI thread...

The ledger had an article last week how the defense , rebounding etc is much much worse when Mag is not in the game!!!

 

[RU848789]

The ledger had an article last week how the defense , rebounding etc is much much worse when Mag is not in the game!!!

I understand Mag was playing well and important, but if he was irreplaceable, how did we outscore MSU 42-30 in the 2nd half of that game without him. I have to believe that even without Mag we're capable of playing much better than we did tonight. I said the other day that I thought we were a top 15 team with him and maybe a top 35 team without him, but tonight we played like a #235 team. That cannot be all due to Mag. No way.

 

[Scangg]

I understand Mag was playing well and important, but if he was irreplaceable, how did we outscore MSU 42-30 in the 2nd half of that game without him. I have to believe that even without Mag we're capable of playing much better than we did tonight. I said the other day that I thought we were a top 15 team with him and maybe a top 35 team without him, but tonight we played like a #235 team. That cannot be all due to Mag. No way.

It was a terrible game. We severely missed Mag's defense, energy, and tenacity in a game that Rutgers was missing all of those things

He is an enormous loss, but we can obviously still play much better than tonight

 

[newell138]

PSU beating IL doesn’t help my mood

 

[runrutgersrun]

It was a terrible game. We severely missed Mag's defense, energy, and tenacity in a game that Rutgers was missing all of those things

He is an enormous loss, but we can obviously still play much better than tonight

I'm holding on to these thoughts for my sanity. No one knows this team better than Coach Pikiell (not even all us voluntary assistant coaches on this board lol!). And...I'm pretty sure that Coach Pikiell hasn't suddenly forgotten how to coach basketball in the last week! Go RU!