This year's team

[MADHAT1]

I see a team that lost some of it's best parts Caleb ,Paul and Cam and trying to get it together with youth
Simpson ( soph), Woolfolk (soph), Ogbole (soph) , Chol (RSF) , Griffins ( F) aand Davis (F) with Mag returning from a major injury and a transfer (Fernandez ) taking the PG position.
I feel by the middle of season all will mesh with Hyatt and Omoruyi to make a team we like far better than we do now and they will earn a NCAA Tourney spot.
Also Omoruyi will start playing like we expect him to.

 

[Jerseylegends]

I like it..

 

[Mr_Twister]

We were manhandled yesterday. MSU was big and strong. Physically, men versus boys. When they got a hand on a ball, it was their’s. Their coach is good, too. The college basketball version of Kansas football coach Lance Leipold.

 

[Jerseylegends]

We were manhandled yesterday. MSU was big and strong. Physically, men versus boys. When they got a hand on a ball, it was their’s. Their coach is good, too. The college basketball version of Kansas football coach Lance Leipold.

Yeah that's the one thing I noticed. That whole team looked like they were training for sec football. Even the freshman had arms like Desmond bane..

 

[RUChoppin]

I see a team that lost a 6-7/213 PG and a 6-4/207 SG and are trying to replace them with a 5-11/180 PG and 6-2/175 PG.

I see a team that lost a 6-7/200 veteran defensive player of the year and has had no backfill for him.

 

[whofrewdatmataRU13]

Make the NCAA tournament......

Have you watched any games this year?

 

[RAC93]

Make the NCAA tournament......

Have you watched any games this year?

They are not an NIT team based upon what we’ve seen through 1/3 of the season.

 

[The RUT]

Truth is, from an on the court perspective, Pike honestly should have brought PM back.

With that said, who knows what that does to the locker room. And long term plans for Pike and his program.

 

[RutgersClassof2004]

With their unimpressive OC record, they will need to really show out during BIG Ten season. Maybe, but hard to imagine right now.

 

[combes]

I see a team that lost some of it's best parts Caleb ,Paul and Cam and trying to get it together with youth
Simpson ( soph), Woolfolk (soph), Ogbole (soph) , Chol (RSF) , Griffins ( F) aand Davis (F) with Mag returning from a major injury and a transfer (Fernandez ) taking the PG position.
I feel by the middle of season all will mesh with Hyatt and Omoruyi to make a team we like far better than we do now and they will earn a NCAA Tourney spot.
Also Omoruyi will start playing like we expect him to.

Where do you see Rutgers finishing in the Big Ten? They will have to finish in the top half of the league for any shot at the tourney. That’s true for any team.

 

[fluoxetine]

Truth is, from an on the court perspective, Pike honestly should have brought PM back.

With that said, who knows what that does to the locker room. And long term plans for Pike and his program.

Pike would’ve happily brought PM back.

 

[MCKnight2004]

They’d need a minimum of 11 conference wins with a couple being against a top team like Purdue, Wisconsin or Illinois just to be in the bubble conversation come March, and then would prob still need 1 or 2 wins in the conference tourney

 

[biazza38]

Love the optimism. But I don’t see how we win 6 conference games. Thats not pessimism, just look at our past teams that made the tournament. They are a country mile apart

 

[Shelby65]

Pike would’ve happily brought PM back.

With Caleb gone and Davis and Griffiths coming in to play a faster-pace game, PM wouldn’t fit, especially at PG.

and there wasn’t going to be starter minutes in the frontcourt either after Mag came back.

He wasn’t interested in being a bench player so it was time for him to go.

 

[Nycrusupporter]

They’d need a minimum of 11 conference wins with a couple being against a top team like Purdue, Wisconsin or Illinois just to be in the bubble conversation come March, and then would prob still need 1 or 2 wins in the conference tourney

It’s worse than that. We have beaten no one of note in non conference, and that will be a huge negative for us. Conference tourney games are also devalued, so we will need to win 13 conference games to play our way in, and anyone who has watched this weak shooting, poor rebounding team play knows that is not happening.

 

[jerzeyguy]

Theirs no one coming to save this team. They can't score points.. Im ok with a down year, as long as they play hard, and the youngins get better. Cam and Paul - dipping out at the last minute, crushed our season

 

[PSAL_Hoops]

With Caleb gone and Davis and Griffiths coming in to play a faster-pace game, PM wouldn’t fit, especially at PG.

and there wasn’t going to be starter minutes in the frontcourt either after Mag came back.

He wasn’t interested in being a bench player so it was time for him to go.

Nah you really think Pike expected frosh Davis to replace Paul’s minutes in the line up? No - it seems he may have simply over valued what Noah could bring to the table (maybe even based on one isolated game he played against us). And probably undervalued how much Davis would be able to contribute off the bat.

It’s not that Noah has been awful. The issue is he’s just okay, and in many ways, his skill set is redundant to Simpson’s. When they play together we’re small and weak.

Davis plays with a different level of toughness. Paul would’ve been a perfect compliment to him. Pike would’ve loved a line up of Paul, Davis, Mag, Hyatt and Cliff.

 

[Mr Magoo]

Nah you really think Pike expected frosh Davis to replace Paul’s minutes in the line up? No - it seems he may have simply over valued what Noah could bring to the table (maybe even based on one isolated game he played against us). And probably undervalued how much Davis would be able to contribute off the bat.

It’s not that Noah has been awful. The issue is he’s just okay, and in many ways, his skill set is redundant to Simpson’s. When they play together we’re small and weak.

Davis plays with a different level of toughness. Paul would’ve been a perfect compliment to him. Pike would’ve loved a line up of Paul, Davis, Mag, Hyatt and Cliff.

Aside from the Seton Hall game, Noah has been awful. He’s shooting 35% from the floor, rarely finds the open man, his assists to turnovers is bad (2.3 assists to 1.7 turnovers, and his defense has been terrible.

 

[Shelby65]

Nah you really think Pike expected frosh Davis to replace Paul’s minutes in the line up? No - it seems he may have simply over valued what Noah could bring to the table (maybe even based on one isolated game he played against us). And probably undervalued how much Davis would be able to contribute off the bat.

It’s not that Noah has been awful. The issue is he’s just okay, and in many ways, his skill set is redundant to Simpson’s. When they play together we’re small and weak.

Davis plays with a different level of toughness. Paul would’ve been a perfect compliment to him. Pike would’ve loved a line up of Paul, Davis, Mag, Hyatt and Cliff.

I do think with Caleb moving on, who was also usually limited offensively, Pike wanted to speed up the offense. I do think Pike expected production from Davis and Simpson. Paul was a steady but slow car and Pike wanted a faster car. I don’t think PM was the kind of PG Pike favored going forward and Paul couldn’t accept that.

Maybe he did expect more from Noah too, but PM isn’t the answer at PG.

 

[PSAL_Hoops]

Aside from the Seton Hall game, Noah has been awful. He’s shooting 35% from the floor, rarely finds the open man, his assists to turnovers is bad (2.3 assists to 1.7 turnovers, and his defense has been terrible.

He put up double figures vs Georgetown, Princeton, St Peters, Howard and Wake albeit on poor shooting percentage but he still contributed. He wasn’t “awful” vs Miss State either. 9 points, 4 rebounds and shot at a high percentage for the game. He’s not close to Paul though.

 

[PSAL_Hoops]

I do think with Caleb moving on, who was also usually limited offensively, Pike wanted to speed up the offense. I do think Pike expected production from Davis and Simpson. Paul was a steady but slow car and Pike wanted a faster car. I don’t think PM was the kind of PG Pike favored going forward and Paul couldn’t accept that.

Maybe he did expect more from Noah too, but PM isn’t the answer at PG.

Caleb moving on had nothing to do with anything. In fact, losing a rebounder like Caleb, you’d think Pike would’ve prioritized having at least one bigger guard.

Paul would make the current team much better on both ends. He’s not the best on ball defender but he’s tough and has a nose for loose balls and deflections.

 

[RAC93]

Aside from the Seton Hall game, Noah has been awful. He’s shooting 35% from the floor, rarely finds the open man, his assists to turnovers is bad (2.3 assists to 1.7 turnovers, and his defense has been terrible.

This, 100%. Previous poster referred to him as okay, spot on. When they brought Noah in, the thought was he would be a dynamic scorer with quickness and shooting who would also run our offense to allow others to be involved. The reality: he hardly gets past his man and either scores in the paint or dish off to a teammate, he has not shot the ball well except for portions of a few games, he dribbles from side to side without attacking, he passes up open shots only to dribble some more, he has not set up teammates as his 2.3 assists indicates, and his defense is ok but he offers nothing on the defensive boards as he is tiny. He has been an okay player, but RU expected and needed a lot more from a guy who plays the most minutes on the team.

 

[PSAL_Hoops]

This, 100%. Previous poster referred to him as okay, spot on. When they brought Noah in, the thought was he would be a dynamic scorer with quickness and shooting who would also run our offense to allow others to be involved. The reality: he hardly gets past his man and either scores in the paint or dish off to a teammate, he has not shot the ball well except for portions of a few games, he dribbles from side to side without attacking, he passes up open shots only to dribble some more, he has not set up teammates as his 2.3 assists indicates, and his defense is ok but he offers nothing on the defensive boards as he is tiny. He has been an okay player, but RU expected and needed a lot more from a guy who plays the most minutes on the team.

Yes - this is a fair clarification. He has been horrible relative to what our expectations were bringing him in. That’s a fair statement. As a player overall , he’s been squarely mediocre (solid replacement for Miller as a back up PG. Not close to an adequate swap for Paul).

 

[bitnez]

This is a good discussion. There’s been so much discussed about Cam, but losing Paul has arguably had a bigger impact on the team. I don’t blame Pike for Paul leaving though. Paul looked so unhappy and frustrated last year and I do think it’s notable he picked a program just about as far away from NJ as is possible. He wanted out.

As for this year, I agree Pike made the decision to get quicker guards. He wanted to play faster and I really think he expected us to be a much better shooting team. It hasn’t worked though because we’re simply too small and/or not physically developed enough. We get beat up.

It’s going to be a tough year but I think we will clip a couple of good teams.

 

[motel00]

we’ve been a little spoiled the last few years. I think it’s pretty clear that losing both Mulcahy and Spencer along with McConnell and the early season injury hangover to Mag was lethal to our tournament plans. This year is going to be a rebuilding year. They will hopefully get better as the season progresses. The best way to enjoy this team is to take it game by game as the players do. Forget the tournaments for now.

 

[richthedentist]

Pike would’ve happily brought PM back.

No PM wanted to come back and Pike said no

 

[RUChoppin]

No PM wanted to come back and Pike said no

After Pike had already moved on. Had Mulcahy wanted to be back initially, he'd be in scarlet. But he chose to leave, we backfilled, then he wanted to come back. Door was closed at that point.

 

[Mr Magoo]

He put up double figures vs Georgetown, Princeton, St Peters, Howard and Wake albeit on poor shooting percentage but he still contributed. He wasn’t “awful” vs Miss State either. 9 points, 4 rebounds and shot at a high percentage for the game. He’s not close to Paul

He put up double figures vs Georgetown, Princeton, St Peters, Howard and Wake albeit on poor shooting percentage but he still contributed. He wasn’t “awful” vs Miss State either. 9 points, 4 rebounds and shot at a high percentage for the game. He’s not close to Paul though.

It’s Christmas week and I’m confused even as to what day it is and I’m filled with cheese so I’m too lazy to do the work, but my guess is that he’s given up a lot more point than he scores.

 

[Shelby65]

Caleb moving on had nothing to do with anything. In fact, losing a rebounder like Caleb, you’d think Pike would’ve prioritized having at least one bigger guard.

Paul would make the current team much better on both ends. He’s not the best on ball defender but he’s tough and has a nose for loose balls and deflections.

As a backup, sure. He’s just not an adequate PG, especially on a team looking to play faster. He didn’t want his anticipated role.

 

[Shelby65]

It’s Christmas week and I’m confused even as to what day it is and I’m filled with cheese so I’m too lazy to do the work, but my guess is that he’s given up a lot more point than he scores.

Same as Mulcahy, btw.

 

[Mr Magoo]

Same as Mulcahy, btw.

Minus the assists and rebounds however

 

[fluoxetine]

No PM wanted to come back and Pike said no

I meant before the roster had already filled up.

 

[Shelby65]

Minus the assists and rebounds however

not a fair comparison. Paul didn’t play perimeter D (too slow) so he was around the basket more to rebound.

Regardless, sure Pike wouldn’t expect Noah to rebound as much as Paul yet he wanted a faster paced offense. Paul slowed the game down. A trade-off.

 

[BillyC80]

To be fair, Noah has been ok, not bad.

Per 40 minutes, he’s giving us 12.8 pts and 3.8 reb.
Paul gave us 10.3 pts and 4.5 rebounds per 40 min.
They turn it over at the same rate (2.4 v 2.5).

Assists favor Paul by a lot, 6.1 vs 3.3 for Noah, per 40 minutes.
.
However, Noah is playing with 2 other point guards. Looking at combined assist totals last year for Paul, Jalen, Derek, and half of Cam (who often played point when Paul was sitting), you get 8.3 assists, which is virtually the same combined total of 8.1 for Noah, JMike, and Derek, in similar combined minutes at the point.

 

[RUChoppin]

To be fair, Noah has been ok, not bad.

Per 40 minutes, he’s giving us 12.8 pts and 3.8 reb.
Paul gave us 10.3 pts and 4.5 rebounds per 40 min.
They turn it over at the same rate (2.4 v 2.5).

Assists favor Paul by a lot, 6.1 vs 3.3 for Noah, per 40 minutes.
.
However, Noah is playing with 2 other point guards. Looking at combined assist totals last year for Paul, Jalen, Simpson and half of Cam (who often played point when Paul was sitting), you get 8.3 assists, which is virtually the same combined total of 8.1 for Noah, JMike, and Derek, in similar combined minutes at the point.

Per 40 min:
Mulcahy: 10.3 pts (.416 FG, .370 3P), 4.5 rb, 6.1 ast, 1.9 stl, 2.5 tov, 2.45 ast/tov, 2.1 pf
Fernandes: 12.8 pts (.349 FG, .314 3P), 3.9 rb, 3.2 ast, 1.7 stl, 2.5 tov, 1.35 ast/tov, 3.6 pf

Fernandes is scoring a touch more, but on more shots. And he turns the ball over as often, but on about half the assists. He also fouls more often, and doesn't impact passing lanes as much because of his much smaller wingspan and frame.

 

[BillyC80]

Per 40 min:
Mulcahy: 10.3 pts (.416 FG, .370 3P), 4.5 rb, 6.1 ast, 1.9 stl, 2.5 tov, 2.45 ast/tov, 2.1 pf
Fernandes: 12.8 pts (.349 FG, .314 3P), 3.9 rb, 3.2 ast, 1.7 stl, 2.5 tov, 1.35 ast/tov, 3.6 pf

Fernandes is scoring a touch more, but on more shots. And he turns the ball over as often, but on about half the assists. He also fouls more often, and doesn't impact passing lanes as much because of his much smaller wingspan and frame.

They are very close in steals per 40 minutes: 1.9 for Paul and 1.7 for Noah.

Noah also blocks more shots (.7 per 40 min) than the much taller Paul (.4 per 40 min).

What about my comparison of total assists by those playing point? If Paul played with both JMike and Derek this year, how many assists do you think he’d have?

Last thing about Paul. When he ran point he virtually guaranteed that he’d get most of the assists, because his style was to back his man down, and dribble down the shot clock, not leaving much time for others to earn an assist.

 

[RUChoppin]

They are very close in steals per 40 minutes: 1.9 for Paul and 1.7 for Noah.

Noah also blocks more shots (.7 per 40 min) than the much taller Paul (.4 per 40 min).

What about my comparison of total assists by those playing point? If Paul played with both JMike and Derek this year, how many assists do you think he’d have?

Last thing about Paul. When he ran point he virtually guaranteed that he’d get most of the assists, because his style was to back his man down, and dribble down the shot clock, not leaving much time for others to earn an assist.

Mulcahy also prevented a lot of passes from even being made, simply due to his length, which don't end up in the stat sheet, and he could switch 1-4 defensively.

Fernandes may have fewer assists because other people are sharing that load, but then his turnovers should also be way down, but they are not.

 

[BillyC80]

Mulcahy also prevented a lot of passes from even being made, simply due to his length, which don't end up in the stat sheet, and he could switch 1-4 defensively.

Fernandes may have fewer assists because other people are sharing that load, but then his turnovers should also be way down, but they are not.

For the record, I’m not claiming that Noah is an even swap for Paul. The point of my post was to say that he’s been OK in his role, and not as bad as some have made him out to be.

The true test will be his performance in the B1G slate of games during the remainder of the season. I’m encouraged by his stellar play on the road against SHU.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I am on record that Noah will be our best PG in B1G play. I have a 1 in 3 chance of being right.

 

[Shelby65]

They are very close in steals per 40 minutes: 1.9 for Paul and 1.7 for Noah.

Noah also blocks more shots (.7 per 40 min) than the much taller Paul (.4 per 40 min).

What about my comparison of total assists by those playing point? If Paul played with both JMike and Derek this year, how many assists do you think he’d have?

Last thing about Paul. When he ran point he virtually guaranteed that he’d get most of the assists, because his style was to back his man down, and dribble down the shot clock, not leaving much time for others to earn an assist.

said it 1000x better than I could have. Paul stifled team offense. No motion, no passing etc. sucked life out of the offense.