The bottom line with this season

[RUinSC]

1. Wisconsin game really, really hurt. Probably very hard for the team to focus after that. I see a better effort next time around, but it wouldn't surprise me to see us go winless the rest of the year.
2. Pike can coach. His staff is great. Anyone who saw the game Saturday knows that. Recruits too.
3. There are a few players that can be a foundation for next year. Sanders. Williams. Even Freeman, with another year in the weight room and coaching up. And MAYBE Sa (again, needs a year in the weight room), Eugene O, and/or Diallo. The rest, unfortunately...
4. There is hope. Our big recruit is being reclassified to this year, right? And if we can get a shooter or two, plus Baker, we may go .500 next year.

 

[Mr Magoo]

If we are .500 next year, Pikiell will be coach of the year.

 

[78CollegeAve]

Are you defining .500 as half close losses and half blowouts? You're not talking about wins and losses. Are you?

 

[NewJerseyHawk]

It is a skill level game and it has to be matched with size in recruiting. I went and sat almost at floor level, which I rarely do and the footspeed and size of the Iowa kids vs RU is noticeable. It is one game, so I would not overreact too much, every so often a team is off, but the amount of skill level from an Iowa is clear, when they are playing well.

Longer term, Nigel wasn't on the bench for the 2nd half and Laurent is already out. RU cannot function with just 2 guards long term, but for recruiting purposes, it is really about athletes. RU needs better physical talent to climb the standings, they have the right staff, so it's a matter of when vs if.

As much as Baker and Doucoure help elevate the program, there needs to be another 5th year "glue guy" at the Small Forward next year. Or that player has to be an larger 2 guard at 6'4" with the ability to handle and spot up shoot. When you have every other program at Year 4 of what they want their team to look like, it's every team playing in sync....RU isn't there yet.

 

[PatrickRU92]

we cant shoot

 

[RUJMM78]

The bottom line with this season is that the team exceeded expectations with the out of conference games 11-2 and returned to the abysmal performaces of the past 2 B1G seasons with a 1 -9 record so far.The inept offense is unwatchable with far too many players lacking in shooting skills.

 

[satnom]

We can't shoot and need an athletic center. Gettys is giving all he has but he's getting eaten up by athletic BIG men and then he compounds the problem with bad passes that turn into turnovers and going out to guard centers outside the paint which he has no biz doing. How can you be a 7 footer and miss an uncontested layup!? Corey and Nigel were just plain out of it today. Wis loss was definitely lingering and Iowa shot their collective brains out. Not a good combination. Back to the drawing board. RU future is worth looking forward to.

GO RU

 

[Degaz-RU]

The bottom line for this season is that we have few players that can fill it up. Iowa has 4 or 5 guys who can score from anywhere on the floor.

I'm not sure there's been a more inept offensive group on the Banks.

 

[TMCB]

We have no PG, no shooters, our young guys are rails, our older front court guys are either slow or tweeners with limitations. I love the coaching staff........ a few more B10 players needed

 

[mrslate]

Coach could not get the team ready to play tonight. You could see it pre-game, as he was as animated as I have ever seen him, trying to get them to show some life. The players, with a few exceptions, would have none of it. Horrible game, and it looked exactly like the Jordan era. Let's see how they rebound from that.

 

[ScarletDave]

The team was staying in games on pure will. @ MSU, @ Maryland, @ Wisconsin, @ Iowa, @ MSG, all those games against better teams but we had leads/kept it surprisingly close in all of them because Pike has incredible coaching ability and the players bought in, and with a weak OOC schedule saw they could win and so were able to overcome talent difference based purely on mental will. Well, the Wisconsin game at MSG will be remembered like the Penn State football game in 2014. A win that would have been program changing, but a heartbreaking, devastating loss that knocks the wind out of the sails. The lack of will was seen in the first 10 minutes tonight, were down 26-6 after 7 mins. we ended up losing by that same margin though, so we can still fight.

 

[Hondo77]

I'm not sure there's been a more inept offensive group on the Banks.

I don't know. The last decade gives you plenty of candidates.

 

[bac2therac]

we need alot of new players and difference makers. Next year will be the same as this year with a tougher OOC schedule. Ceiling is capped on a few players already here, 3 years maybe there is light

 

[RUJMM78]

We need 3-4 B1G players to sniff .500 even with another cupcake OOC schedule. Right now, we have one. Next year, we could still have one.

Maybe not .Rutgers best players tend to transfer after 2 years.

 

[bac2therac]

We need 3-4 B1G players to sniff .500 even with another cupcake OOC schedule. Right now, we have one. Next year, we could still have one.

we could have zero

 

[jtung230]

Wake up people. Coach needs to step it up. It's schoolyard bball tonight.

 

[winfield102]

We are very undisciplined on offense. It's the coaches job to get the most out of the players he has. He isn't.

When an opponent gets hot, we won't win because we can't shoot. Im ok with that.

I'm done watching the team this year. I literally see better play(not talking about shooting) from high school teams and games at the Y.

 

[S.W.A.I.N]

We are very undisciplined on offense. It's the coaches job to get the most out of the players he has. He isn't.

When an opponent gets hot, we won't win because we can't shoot. Im ok with that.

I'm done watching the team this year. I literally see better play(not talking about shooting) from high school teams and games at the Y.

Hard to imagine you're much of a fan if you think Pike isn't getting the most out of these guys. Did you watch the previous few years? My god, this season has made me nothing but bullish on our future with Pike at the helm. Geez.

 

[MGSA99]

Bottom line is teams leave us wide open on 3s knowing we can't sink them.

 

[jtung230]

Bottom line is teams leave us wide open on 3s knowing we can't sink them.

teams leave our none 3 point shooters wide open. You don't see Williams and Thiam get open looks. RU leaves the opponent's three point shooters wide open. This is called out coached.

 

[dpwhite]

teams leave our none 3 point shooters wide open. You don't see Williams and Thiam get open looks. RU leaves the opponent's three point shooters wide open. This is called out coached.

Just FYI, last night was an aberration. Per KenPom, Rutgers has the 2nd best 3 point defensive percentage in the conference and 54th best in the country.

 

[RUsojo]

The bottom line with this season is that the team exceeded expectations with the out of conference games 11-2 and returned to the abysmal performaces of the past 2 B1G seasons with a 1 -9 record so far.The inept offense is unwatchable with far too many players lacking in shooting skills.

The offense actually moves the ball well when they are not turning it over (still turning it over too much, I know). They brick at an unprecedented percentage.

We can't shoot and need an athletic center. Gettys is giving all he has but he's getting eaten up by athletic BIG men and then he compounds the problem with bad passes that turn into turnovers and going out to guard centers outside the paint which he has no biz doing. How can you be a 7 footer and miss an uncontested layup!? Corey and Nigel were just plain out of it today. Wis loss was definitely lingering and Iowa shot their collective brains out. Not a good combination. Back to the drawing board. RU future is worth looking forward to.

GO RU

It's quite clear to the trained eye our best big man is Diallo. When his minutes are up and Getty's/Freemans (who ever is forcing the issue too much that night) minutes go down the team is more efficient offensively and stronger defensively.

We are very undisciplined on offense. It's the coaches job to get the most out of the players he has. He isn't.

When an opponent gets hot, we won't win because we can't shoot. Im ok with that.

I'm done watching the team this year. I literally see better play(not talking about shooting) from high school teams and games at the Y.

In general I believe the coaching staff has been strong. But Winfield cannot be ignored; Johnson and Freeman consistently waste offensive possessions in the same manner they have been since the start of conference play; force the issue wayyyyy too much. With Freeman specifically, you will notice his best nights and Rutgers best nights are when his shot attempts only or almost exclusively come from put-backs or dunks - everything else is a disaster by and large. Johnson, well, he will drive into the abyss so frequently i don't feel like typing more about it, it gets me that upset lol

Hard to imagine you're much of a fan if you think Pike isn't getting the most out of these guys. Did you watch the previous few years? My god, this season has made me nothing but bullish on our future with Pike at the helm. Geez.

See above. Overall Pike has been very good but I take issue with the above.

 

[higgins3]

we cant shoot

We cannot hold onto the ball long enough to take a shot. Yes, the team struggles to shoot. But they also do not give themselves enough offensive possessions. The team will not win one game this year if they do not limit their turnovers to less than ten a game.

 

[dpwhite]

We cannot hold onto the ball long enough to take a shot. Yes, the team struggles to shoot. But they also do not give themselves enough offensive possessions. The team will not win one game this year if they do not limit their turnovers to less than ten a game.

Fewer than ten a game? The best team in the nation at not turning the ball over is Michigan at 9.4. You know how many other teams turn it over fewer than ten times a game?

Two, Michigan and Notre Dame.

I'm not saying we're good at not turning the ball over, we aren't. But you can make up for turnovers if you can shoot the three. You can be in the games if you only shoot the two and don't turn the ball over.

All college basketball teams that win shoot the three. We need shooters.

 

[RUsojo]

We cannot hold onto the ball long enough to take a shot. Yes, the team struggles to shoot. But they also do not give themselves enough offensive possessions. The team will not win one game this year if they do not limit their turnovers to less than ten a game.

Fewer than ten a game? The best team in the nation at not turning the ball over is Michigan at 9.4. You know how many other teams turn it over fewer than ten times a game?

Two, Michigan and Notre Dame.

I'm not saying we're good at not turning the ball over, we aren't. But you can make up for turnovers if you can shoot the three. You can be in the games if you only shoot the two and don't turn the ball over.

All college basketball teams that win shoot the three. We need shooters.

at 8:16 PM last night (7PM tip) Rutgers had attempted more shots than Iowa but were down 22 points. Turnovers are problem, and with Rutgers other inefficiencies they need to be limited, but they are not the end all be all. In the end we took 64 shots and Iowa took 60.

 

[higgins3]

Fewer than ten a game? The best team in the nation at not turning the ball over is Michigan at 9.4. You know how many other teams turn it over fewer than ten times a game?

Two, Michigan and Notre Dame.

I'm not saying we're good at not turning the ball over, we aren't. But you can make up for turnovers if you can shoot the three. You can be in the games if you only shoot the two and don't turn the ball over.

All college basketball teams that win shoot the three. We need shooters.

Good point. Our team has issues, so they have to make up for by cleaning up spots that other teams can overlook. I look at Seton Hall the same way.

11th worst in the big, worst in the big for assist to turnover ratio.

Shooters are definitely needed. In my opinion, shooting will not improve much. Can passing?

 

[higgins3]

It's a pretty common thread on this board "We cannot shoot"

I hardly see "we make a ton of bad passes"

One is easier to cure than the other.

 

[higgins3]

at 8:16 PM last night (7PM tip) Rutgers had attempted more shots than Iowa but were down 22 points. Turnovers are problem, and with Rutgers other inefficiencies they need to be limited, but they are not the end all be all. In the end we took 64 shots and Iowa took 60.

Great point. That brings up what everyone else is saying about needing shooters. The other team took less shots, and the program still got smacked by 20.

 

[RUJMM78]

We cannot hold onto the ball long enough to take a shot. Yes, the team struggles to shoot. But they also do not give themselves enough offensive possessions. The team will not win one game this year if they do not limit their turnovers to less than ten a game.

All aspects of offense are poorly executed,ie, passing the ball resulting in turnovers and baskets by the opponent ,dribble drives resulting in blocked shots ,missing foul shots,missing 3 point shots and far too much time wasted in idle passing causing forced shots as the 30 second shot clock expires.

 

[higgins3]

All aspects of offense are poorly executed,ie, passing the ball resulting in turnovers and baskets by the opponent ,dribble drives resulting in blocked shots ,missing foul shots,missing 3 point shots and far too much time wasted in idle passing causing forced shots as the 30 second shot clock expires.

The offense leaves something to be desired. Definitely.

 

[PatrickRU92]

It's a pretty common thread on this board "We cannot shoot"

OK I'll change it up.

We won't be winners until we are better at scoring.

 

[winfield102]

We have a chance if we reduce the lazy passes, terrible shot selection (freeman fade away on the 1st possession) and brain dead plays (moving screens, shot clock violations, etc).

We can't shot. That isn't changing this year or next year. While we know we need shooters, that isn't happening either. If an opponent gets hot, we ain't winning without shooters. But we can win some games if an opponent has an off night.

We must get more shot attempts compared to the opponent, and they need to be quality attempts. Johnson's pull from 18 feet in our 2nd possession 5 seconds into the shot clock is basically a turnover in my book, as was Freeman's fade away turnaround. Those type of attempts should have your ass on the bench.

They need to actively run the offense and look for a good shot starting early in the shot clock. We typically putz around for a little bit in the half court and end up taking a number of crappy shots with less than 10 on the clock. While sanders can get his shot off, he is super inefficient.

 

[mrslate]

It's quite clear to the trained eye our best big man is Diallo.

Who trained your eye? Diallo has taken 25 shots for the entire season, most if not all of which were from close range, but still managed to miss 19 of them. He has taken 8 free throws, and missed 5 of those. He averages 1 point per game. I know some of you guys don't like Gettys for some reason, but please.

 

[RUsojo]

Who trained your eye? Diallo has taken 25 shots for the entire season, most if not all of which were from close range, but still managed to miss 19 of them. He has taken 8 free throws, and missed 5 of those. He averages 1 point per game. I know some of you guys don't like Gettys for some reason, but please.

Our efficiency is better on both parts of floor. He plays drastically better D. Offensively, anything not a put back in the post is a low percentage play for us, and Diallo doesn't force those attempts. You disagree, no problem, but I'll stand by it. Diallo is our best 5 man.

 

[bac2therac]

Our efficiency is better on both parts of floor. He plays drastically better D. Offensively, anything not a put back in the post is a low percentage play for us, and Diallo doesn't force those attempts. You disagree, no problem, but I'll stand by it. Diallo is our best 5 man.

here is a prescription for an eye exam

 

[RUsojo]

here is a prescription for an eye exam

My health insurance takes care of that with no deductible :)