Shot Takers mailbag: Can Steve Pikiell be stopped? Which coaches are getting fired?
Dana O'Neil and Brian Hamilton answer your questions on Georgetown, Texas, Saint Mary's and more.
theathletic.com
from the article:
Look up Steve Pikiell and Rutgers in the dictionary after this recent stretch and it says “Who do you think you are? I am.” The winning and being a yearly NCAA Tournament contender is one thing, but the huge recruiting win has me dreaming of perennial top 25 program as long as coach Pikiell is here. Possibility or am I getting too far ahead of myself? – David C.
Dana: Dream big, David. Pikiell has awakened the sleeping giant that is Rutgers basketball. He’s a terrific coach, that’s the basis of it, and has been winning in the incredibly competitive Big Ten without comparable talent. Now he’s getting talent? Um, yes. Look out. Ace Bailey’s commitment is like a flare shot into the sky for Rutgers. Hey, we’re here! The Scarlet Knights’ biggest obstacle has been getting noticed. Everyone comes into the Northeast and pilfers the goods, because no one considers staying at Rutgers. Bailey makes RU cool again.
Rutgers’ brass wisely signed Pikiell to an extension, with a good-sized (though not impossible to overcome) $15 million buyout last year. The good times, I believe, are finally coming to the banks of the old Raritan.
Brian: I grew up 14 miles northeast of what is now Jersey Mike’s Arena. I spent a great chunk of my formative years wondering at the basketball talent in my home state, in large part because my own ability fell hilariously short of what might be called “good.” The thought has never left my mind since: How can schools in New Jersey be so bad when there are so many unreal prospects right there?
The answer, as Dana noted, is the coaches didn’t build something that might convince those players to stay. That might be changing. My only concern: When a coach like Steve Pikiell starts bringing in high-end prospects, he better be sure they’re built to work like two- or three-star kids. That’s the only language Pikiell speaks. Entitlement can wreck the whole operation, just when things are starting to look good. Careful what you wish for, and all that.
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