Stop the Whining and Look on the Bright Side...

[RU848789]

Agree somewhat. I'm not giving up completely until I see the team with a fully healthy Harper, an improving Bailey, and what I think can be improved supporting cast, if Acuff and Grant are a much bigger part of it and can contribute decently like the last 2 games. The Columbia game with just Harper/Bailey hitting on all cylinders shows we're capable of being much better and I like to think we can also do that against B1G teams with those two plus an improved supporting cast. I'm not "confident" that we start playing much better and go on some nice run of games, but I don't think it's a pipe dream either.

After our best game of the season outside of maybe PSU I'm at least feeling better about the team. This can be a good team with a healthy Harper and Bailey and some complementary pieces playing solid D and scoring at least some points, especially now that the complementary pieces look like they're going to include mostly Grant, Acuff, JMike, JW, LS and EO. And while we were decent on offense (especially Ace and Dylan, of course), that was the best team defense we've seen this year, with great on-the-ball and help defense, as well as strong rebounding (37-29 edge) - and I think the different players on the floor were key to that.

We're going to win at least half of our remaining games, IMO (assuming Bailey and Harper stay healthy), which would get us to 9-11, certainly not on the bubble, but I won't completely give up hope on even better until I have to. And nobody is going to want to play us in the B1G tourney. Will likely still be an overall disappointing season, but there's some hope of better. As a fan I almost have to believe that. And at the very least the RAC was fun again tonight. Winning is so much better than losing, lol.

Second straight game I sat next to an NBA scout for some reason. Always interesting chatting with these guys. The one on Thursday was higher on Ace than tonight's, who was higher on Dylan for what it's worth. And had Martini going as a late 2nd rounder, heh-heh.

 

[Sweet Peas Corner]

Oh so you're the guy who stole the shirt from him.😁

 

[RU848789]

Oh so you're the guy who stole the shirt from him.😁

Actually, I reached out and stole a t-shirt from my buddy, who always fails to high point them, plus I have longer arms. And then I gave it to the scout, who said he has a 12-year old son, who would love getting one. Caught another one and gave it to a woman behind me who I recall has a young kid, who sometimes comes but wasn't there tonight.

 

[RU848789]

After our best game of the season outside of maybe PSU I'm at least feeling better about the team. This can be a good team with a healthy Harper and Bailey and some complementary pieces playing solid D and scoring at least some points, especially now that the complementary pieces look like they're going to include mostly Grant, Acuff, JMike, JW, LS and EO. And while we were decent on offense (especially Ace and Dylan, of course), that was the best team defense we've seen this year, with great on-the-ball and help defense, as well as strong rebounding (37-29 edge) - and I think the different players on the floor were key to that.

We're going to win at least half of our remaining games, IMO (assuming Bailey and Harper stay healthy), which would get us to 9-11, certainly not on the bubble, but I won't completely give up hope on even better until I have to. And nobody is going to want to play us in the B1G tourney. Will likely still be an overall disappointing season, but there's some hope of better. As a fan I almost have to believe that. And at the very least the RAC was fun again tonight. Winning is so much better than losing, lol.

Second straight game I sat next to an NBA scout for some reason. Always interesting chatting with these guys. The one on Thursday was higher on Ace than tonight's, who was higher on Dylan for what it's worth. And had Martini going as a late 2nd rounder, heh-heh.

Two in a row now with the new line-up, a healthy Harper, Harper and Bailey balling out, but maybe most importantly the supporting cast again contributing just enough for a quad 1 road win. Grant with 13, Martini with a surprise 11 (maybe he's snapped out of his funk), Ogbole with 2/11/2 (11 boards!) on a night LS played badly, and Derkack and JW with good minutes, while JMike and Acuff struggled, but give Pike great credit for his substitutions playing the guys who played better. And we won despite a huge FT/foul disparity with them scoring 10 more at the line than we did, which was offset by our 12-29 from deep. We almost gave it away at the end with terrible FTs (and that terrible foul call on Ace, although he did walk later), but did just enough for the W.

This team is in no way out of the NCAA discussion if we can continue to play like this. No reason, really, why we can't beat PSU on the road and and if we win that one, just imagine what the Garden is going to be like for MSU. 12-8/5-4 would be sweet. It's possible and if that's possible then winning a bunch more and making the tourney is possible. Not counting on it per se, but this team has certainly restored the season to relevance with these last two wins. Wish we could play 2, lol (Ernie Banks ftw).

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

I still don't think Harper is 100% but he's so good it is hard to measure.

Ace playing well. Announcers did focus on his biting on block attempts.. he seemed to correct it after his fall.. I liked that.

Earlier this year I got checked here for saying I did not like Williams defense... this game reminded me why I came to that conclusion. Does he ever look to stop penetration and take a charge? Sure, when he is in front of a guy who looks to dribble past him with no help he looks tough on D.. but he has to get better and more consistent on switches and help D. Keep in mind.. that is the ideal.. being graded on a tough curve.

Good team W though.