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Simplistic, Black and White observation on todays game

zappaa

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We either use the energy and momentum from the 2nd half against Ohio St, and apply today or we don’t…. Or aren’t capable.

It’s not rocket science
 
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This game is important if the team wants to challenge for the big ten title; which should be a team goal. They should fight hard for this one, so let's see who can be a clutch player in moments like this.
 
When you look back upon every season we play, us and players end up being pretty universal in what the “turn the season around” moments are… good or bad!
We all know the exact moment our season changed last year due to an injury.
Let’s hope the OSU 2nd half is our turning around moment this year
 
This game is important if the team wants to challenge for the big ten title; which should be a team goal. They should fight hard for this one, so let's see who can be a clutch player in moments like this.
Rutgers doesn't have a consistent offense to challenge for a league title.The more realistic goal is to have a winning season with a possible NIT invite.
 
Rutgers doesn't have a consistent offense to challenge for a league title.The more realistic goal is to have a winning season with a possible NIT invite.
We can be a bubble team IF, we play defense the way we did against OSU in the second half.
Magically, defense like that somehow turns into offense…its an intangible phenomenon 😊
 
Rutgers doesn't have a consistent offense to challenge for a league title.The more realistic goal is to have a winning season with a possible NIT invite.
Just saying as coaches and players I would hope they have higher expectations of themselves.
 
We can be a bubble team IF, we play defense the way we did against OSU in the second half.
Magically, defense like that somehow turns into offense…its an intangible phenomenon 😊
I hate to put so much on a freshman’s shoulders, but in order to achieve the above, the light switch needs to turn on for Gavin to the point where he’s hitting a few threes each game. We don’t have sustainable offense right now, and GG hitting his potential would open things up for our offense.
 
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If it is a black and white observation vs the BIG we are looking for to me it is shooting. If we shoot well for most/all of the game (vs SHU) we probably win, if we shoot well for a half (vs OSU) we probably lose close, shoot poorly for the whole game (vs Stonehill) we lose. That simple. We are a very inconsistent shooting team. Shoot well and we are in it, shoot poorly and we are not.
 
If it is a black and white observation vs the BIG we are looking for to me it is shooting. If we shoot well for most/all of the game (vs SHU) we probably win, if we shoot well for a half (vs OSU) we probably lose close, shoot poorly for the whole game (vs Stonehill) we lose. That simple. We are a very inconsistent shooting team. Shoot well and we are in it, shoot poorly and we are not.
Through the Pike years, do you not see a pattern of better offense when it’s plainly obvious to all watching we’re playing a smothering version of defense?
Yes, we were famous for long runs of neither team scoring, but it keeps the game close
 
Through the Pike years, do you not see a pattern of better offense when it’s plainly obvious to all watching we’re playing a smothering version of defense?
Yes, we were famous for long runs of neither team scoring, but it keeps the game close
Zap, I don’t deny that one bit. We have never been, under Pike, a team that just tries to out score the opposition. Our defense can keep us in any game against anyone. But we still need to score enough to win. This years team is a complete known on defense and a complete unknown on offense. Since this thread was about a black and white observation I stand by my statement. If we shoot well we are in it and if we don’t we are not.
 
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If we do not play low-scoring games, our chances are slim. Shooting 3‘s and foul shooting comes and goes for us. Not good for a team with a paper-thin margin of error.
 
Black and white:

Our head coach needs to take a serious look at what he is doing with this roster. If I’m Gavin Griffiths, I transfer immediately. Like before the second semester starts.
 
Black and white:

Our head coach needs to take a serious look at what he is doing with this roster. If I’m Gavin Griffiths, I transfer immediately. Like before the second semester starts.

Gavin is struggling with his shot. He’s a freshman but he should not be throwing up more shots unless we are preparing for next year. We have better options currrenrly that Gavin. I emphasize currently as he will snap out of this at some point.

Why transfer when Ace and Dylan are exactly what HE needs?
 
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Gavin is struggling with his shot. He’s a freshman but he should not be throwing up more shots unless we are preparing for next year. We have better options currrenrly that Gavin. I emphasize currently as he will snap out of this at some point.

Why transfer when Ace and Dylan are exactly what HE needs?
I don’t disagree re: next year…but…Sitting the kid the first 15 minutes of this half is not what you do. He is struggling with his shot because he can’t get into a rhythm. At all. Pikes is punishing him because of defense BUT he brought him in here knowing that was gonna be a problem. Instead he’s giving minutes to Oscar? Are you kidding me? What’s the sense?

In my humble opinion, it’s time to start cutting minutes to guys who aren’t going to be in the program next year. Time to move forward.
 
We don’t run offensive sets with a team that needs offensive sets
10000%. This is now a glaring coaching issue to me. While this isn’t nearly Pikes most talented team and we all understand that there ARE capable offensive players. Simpson Mag Hyatt Fernandes Griffiths are all capable offensive players. There are no sets no ball movement no actions nothing. Our entire offense is somebody goes 1 on 1 iso and if they don’t get it they pass and the next person tries. I get the missed layups are inexcusable and not a coaching issue but there’s no easy buckets. Even the missed layups are heavily contested.
 
This team will be playing on the first night of the conference tournament. I will be kind and say they are not very good.

Most will give Pike a pass for this mess but this roster is poorly constructed with very few players who would be getting similar minutes on other teams.
 
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I don’t disagree re: next year…but…Sitting the kid the first 15 minutes of this half is not what you do. He is struggling with his shot because he can’t get into a rhythm. At all. Pikes is punishing him because of defense BUT he brought him in here knowing that was gonna be a problem. Instead he’s giving minutes to Oscar? Are you kidding me? What’s the sense?

In my humble opinion, it’s time to start cutting minutes to guys who aren’t going to be in the program next year. Time to move forward.
How about you actually run a play to get Gavin open he comes in and stands in the corner how about we actually run a back screen to get him open!! Oh yeah we don't run any semblance of an offense!!
 
10000%. This is now a glaring coaching issue to me. While this isn’t nearly Pikes most talented team and we all understand that there ARE capable offensive players. Simpson Mag Hyatt Fernandes Griffiths are all capable offensive players. There are no sets no ball movement no actions nothing. Our entire offense is somebody goes 1 on 1 iso and if they don’t get it they pass and the next person tries. I get the missed layups are inexcusable and not a coaching issue but there’s no easy buckets. Even the missed layups are heavily contested.
JUst typed that below there is no offense run you hit the nail on the head!!!
 
10000%. This is now a glaring coaching issue to me. While this isn’t nearly Pikes most talented team and we all understand that there ARE capable offensive players. Simpson Mag Hyatt Fernandes Griffiths are all capable offensive players. There are no sets no ball movement no actions nothing. Our entire offense is somebody goes 1 on 1 iso and if they don’t get it they pass and the next person tries. I get the missed layups are inexcusable and not a coaching issue but there’s no easy buckets. Even the missed layups are heavily contested.
There’s a poster on this board who says the only reason we have the 24 class coming here is because the coach doesn’t run sets, plays or an offense
 
I don’t disagree re: next year…but…Sitting the kid the first 15 minutes of this half is not what you do. He is struggling with his shot because he can’t get into a rhythm. At all. Pikes is punishing him because of defense BUT he brought him in here knowing that was gonna be a problem. Instead he’s giving minutes to Oscar? Are you kidding me? What’s the sense?

In my humble opinion, it’s time to start cutting minutes to guys who aren’t going to be in the program next year. Time to move forward.

I’m not in disagreement about prepping for next year. It’s like the two minute drill where a team will run a couple of plays to see if they get a decent chunk or they just run out the half. I’m not quite ready to say we can’t make the Dance, but it’s close. Once that happens it’s time to move into 100% 2024 prep.
 
I’m not in disagreement about prepping for next year. It’s like the two minute drill where a team will run a couple of plays to see if they get a decent chunk or they just run out the half. I’m not quite ready to say we can’t make the Dance, but it’s close. Once that happens it’s time to move into 100% 2024 prep.
What has to happen before you realize we aren’t remotely making the dance.
Technically we could lose every game and win the B1G tournament for an automatic bid
 
What has to happen before you realize we aren’t remotely making the dance.
Technically we could lose every game and win the B1G tournament for an automatic bid

Losing four of the next five would have to happen for me. I think we both know we are not making the tournament but I’m not throwing in the towel yet. To each his own.
 
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Losing four of the next five would have to happen for me. I think we both know we are not making the tournament but I’m not throwing in the towel yet. To each his own.
I won’t either, maybe Cliff gets hot and averages 20 a game the rest of the way
 
I've rarely seen a team that is as bad in ball movement, spacing, screening and cutting as this one. Look at some of the big man to big man passing that Iowa had today. When have you ever seen that from this RU team.
It’s not just this year’s edition that has these issues. Pike has traditionally put nearly all his emphasis on defense and winning low scoring games.

The offensive skill level on this years team is particularly bad and yet rather than try to run some type of motion offense we just past the ball around the perimeter or one guy just over dribbles while the others stand there watching. A painful watch to say the least.
 
I won’t either, maybe Cliff gets hot and averages 20 a game the rest of the way

I’d take 15 from Cliff.
Hyatt is Hyatt
Mag needs to get the ball early and often.
Simpson needs to score more.
Gavin hitting a groove at some point soon would also be massive.

That’s a lot.
 
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What has to happen before you realize we aren’t remotely making the dance.
The only dance this team seems capable of making is the one they're having at the New Brunswick Knights Of Columbus on Valentine's Day.
Absolutely painful to watch...especially the beginning of the 1st half.
 
I’m not in disagreement about prepping for next year. It’s like the two minute drill where a team will run a couple of plays to see if they get a decent chunk or they just run out the half. I’m not quite ready to say we can’t make the Dance, but it’s close. Once that happens it’s time to move into 100% 2024 prep.

Rutgers is 0-6 in quad 1 games
 
There’s a poster on this board who says the only reason we have the 24 class coming here is because the coach doesn’t run sets, plays or an offense
It wouldn’t matter if we had legit talent.

The idea would be Pike gets defense and the guys get offense.

Pike calls for set inbound plays.

Problem is this team isn’t that way. Credit Pike for landing the 2024 class, but this is a bad look for him IMO
 
Black and white:

Our head coach needs to take a serious look at what he is doing with this roster. If I’m Gavin Griffiths, I transfer immediately. Like before the second semester starts.
Gavin doesn't need to transfer, he needs to work on decision making and putting the ball into the hoop.
 
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BTW -
Gavin doesn't need to transfer, he needs to work on decision making and putting the ball into the hoop.
I didn’t say he “needed” to transfer. Just the opposite. But if he doesn’t play more, it’s gonna be more and more difficult for him to make better decisions and put the ball in the hoop. That’s the problem.
 
We scored over 70 in back to back games. We also rebounded well the last 2 games. The fact is we’re not good enough on the defensive end. I think we’ll soon see JMike, A Will, Simpson, Mag and Cliff starting. Thats our best defensive group.
 
I wonder if Harper or Ace will ride the bench if their defense struggles.

I think this program has an identity issue right now.
 
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I hate to put so much on a freshman’s shoulders, but in order to achieve the above, the light switch needs to turn on for Gavin to the point where he’s hitting a few threes each game. We don’t have sustainable offense right now, and GG hitting his potential would open things up for our offense.
This. The thesis for success this season was that Noah would be a starting caliber reliable PG and that Gavin would be a reliable scorer and 3 point shooter. Neither has happened

Noah was also a career 36% 3 point shooter I believe and he's not able to shoot now

We don’t run offensive sets with a team that needs offensive sets
This. We have a team full of poor one on one players but we just have people trying to go one on one to score. We need set plays to get good looks and we don't see it at all

Next year Dylan and Ace can just go one on one and score
 
10000%. This is now a glaring coaching issue to me. While this isn’t nearly Pikes most talented team and we all understand that there ARE capable offensive players. Simpson Mag Hyatt Fernandes Griffiths are all capable offensive players. There are no sets no ball movement no actions nothing. Our entire offense is somebody goes 1 on 1 iso and if they don’t get it they pass and the next person tries. I get the missed layups are inexcusable and not a coaching issue but there’s no easy buckets. Even the missed layups are heavily contested.
"...there’s no easy buckets. Even the missed layups are heavily contested."
This team gets plenty of open looks. They just aren't making them. As for layups, unless they're on an open fast break, they tend to be heavily contested. No surprise there. These guys just aren't executing... on offense or defense.
 
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