Tonight was a reminder of how badly we miss Mike

[KnightTerrors]

Boy do we miss mike! I just couldn’t help but to say several times throughout that if Mike we healthy this game would have a different feel. Especially tonight. It was the type of game he would have thrived in.

The depth is such a glaring issue. I’m sure everyone has the same drop in their stomach when it was Souf-jake-Bullock-sa- and freeman before half in one set.

 

[RC85]

Agree. Mike gives us 7 pts and a few tough-as-nails rebounds tonight, we win.

 

[RUJMM78]

There is no margin for error with this team with or without Williams.Lets not forget that Rutgers was defeated by Stony Brook and Hartford with Williams playing.

 

[rufeelinit]

We do, by default put out some five person units that seem to make it easy for the defense to defend. The issue is just a general lack of consistency with regard to offensive production. I thought Issa had good looks but just could not get them to fall. Mike has had the same issues with a lack of consistency game to game so I am not sure it would have made a difference. Copeland and Palmer were most skilled offensive players out there and #5 and Roby were pretty good too.

 

[bac2therac]

its not why we lost

 

[shields]

No but when I look out on court you have Dadika , Mensah and Bullock. Not good, maybe Geo is tired at end.

 

[RUJMM78]

The lack of shooters/scorers was evident even against the easy out of conference opponents.Against B1G competition Rutgers clearly can't mask the futility on offense.

 

[bac2therac]

as RUfeelnit said, Williams has been just as inconsistent, I dont think as unit it would have made a difference. This team was going to lose tonight no matter what because they could never come up with the big play to win

 

[NewJerseyHawk]

I'm as big of a fan of Mike as anyone and there is no way to assume he would have made a difference in tonight's game based on the matchup...Nebraska has juniors and seniors at most spots and are physically quicker, stronger and faster.

The staff has done as much as possible to squeeze shot attempts out of the roster....and Thiam has absorbed all the minutes and shot attempts that perhaps Mike would have taken.

The Penn State and Illinois games are where Mikes loss is going to be more glaring...those rosters are a little bit more at our pace.

I saw Mike walking without a boot towards the locker room as the team headed in after the game and he appeared to be walking OK. Hopefully he can make it make before perhaps Northwestern in another couple of weeks.

 

[kcg88]

He would have helped. But we've been very lucky with injuries until he went down. We were due for one sooner or later.

 

[RC85]

Well of course there are no guarantees but you want more Williams and less Souf, Bullock and Dadika. Still if Thiam hits a couple more, we get a couple more rebounds , a couple questionable calls don't go against us.....if , if, if:cry::cry::cry:

 

[knights1212]

There is no guarantee we would have won with Mike. remember he was the guy who threw the ball away vs. Stony Brook with 14 seconds left on a bad pass to Eugene to the sideline near mid court. This led to us losing that game. Mike hustles like crazy but he is far from perfect as well. His 3 point shooting is under 25 % on the season. We should have won tonight but ISSA was 0-7 on wide open threes. Nebraska wanted the game more than we did. They were more aggressive than us in going to the basket and they out toughed us.

 

[ColonelRutgers]

Look, when Issa is going 1-10, your first guard off the bench tonight is Dadika, and Geo and Corey look gassed down the stretch, it is not unreasonable to think being able to throw Mike in there for 20 minutes instead might have made a positive difference. But, I'm sorry, Pike gave scholarships to Bullock and Souf who are two of the worst scholarship misses I can ever remember regardless of how little time a coach had to fill out a roster so the lack of simply serviceable bench players is on the staff. Losing Mike should not be as devastating as it appears to be if we had anyone else to turn to.

Nebraska is clearly more talented than we are but this was still a winnable home game and we didn't have enough to get over the hump.

 

[RUonBrain]

No but when I look out on court you have Dadika , Mensah and Bullock. Not good, maybe Geo is tired at end.

Exactly

At least when Mike shoots, you don’t cringe.
He has a chance to make a bucket.

The other 3 don’t even look to shoot, and when they do, hide the women and children.

 

[RUChoppin]

Mike in the game would have taken up the 10 min from Dadika/Mensah, given more rest to Sanders/Baker, and would have taken a very cold Thiam off the floor for a few minutes. That very easily could have been a difference maker.

Thiam/Mensah/Dadika accounted for 43 minutes and just 2 points. Pretty sure taking 15 minutes from them and giving it to Williams would have resulted in more offense.

 

[RUonBrain]

Mike in the game would have taken up the 10 min from Dadika/Mensah, given more rest to Sanders/Baker, and would have taken a very cold Thiam off the floor for a few minutes. That very easily could have been a difference maker.

Thiam/Mensah/Dadika accounted for 43 minutes and just 2 points. Pretty sure taking 15 minutes from them and giving it to Williams would have resulted in more offense.

And when we have the ball, and those 3 are on the floor, how easy is it to play defense?

You only have to cover 2 guys at most.

 

[Westcoast]

I'm sorry, Pike gave scholarships to Bullock and Souf who are two of the worst scholarship misses I can ever remember.

Darko Multiyearloser played maybe 5 minutes in his career when we were in the A-10. He makes Souf and Dadika look like MJ and LeBron.

 

[ColonelRutgers]

Darko Multiyearloser played maybe 5 minutes in his career when we were in the A-10. He makes Souf and Dadika look like MJ and LeBron.

I was just testing you guys. You get an A!

 

[RU MAN]

Boy do we miss mike! I just couldn’t help but to say several times throughout that if Mike we healthy this game would have a different feel. Especially tonight. It was the type of game he would have thrived in.

The depth is such a glaring issue. I’m sure everyone has the same drop in their stomach when it was Souf-jake-Bullock-sa- and freeman before half in one set.

Totally agree. It's the intangible stuff along with William's BB IQ. If he played tonight I have no doubt in my mind we win this game.

 

[RU848789]

Look, when Issa is going 1-10, your first guard off the bench tonight is Dadika, and Geo and Corey look gassed down the stretch, it is not unreasonable to think being able to throw Mike in there for 20 minutes instead might have made a positive difference. But, I'm sorry, Pike gave scholarships to Bullock and Souf who are two of the worst scholarship misses I can ever remember regardless of how little time a coach had to fill out a roster so the lack of simply serviceable bench players is on the staff. Losing Mike should not be as devastating as it appears to be if we had anyone else to turn to.

Nebraska is clearly more talented than we are but this was still a winnable home game and we didn't have enough to get over the hump.

Sadly, we've had quite a few scholarship misses over the past few decades, but the point remains about there being better guards than Souf/Bullock out there in the NEC and other mid-major conferences that likely would've chosen RU if offered. There should not be such a big drop-off from Williams and I do think Williams might've been the difference in a close game like this, although we'll never know.

 

[hoquat63]

We actually took a brief lead when Souf, Dadika and Bullock were in, I believe.
Thiam had a really bad shooting game 0-? From three. Had he hit 2 of them different game.

 

[FELONIOUSMONK]

Yawn.

 

[BigEastPhil]

Mike Williams was walking much better last night.