Good article in DC paper re: Rutgers
Rutgers
Rutgers
Washington Post Article
- Thread starter virginiaru
- Start date
What’s with all these paywalls these days. Who actually pays for this stuff?
Why do people continue to post links to articles behind a paid wall? 99% of the board doesn't have access to it. Unless you explain the article, it's worthless to the board.
I live down here. Washington Post covers Maryland hoops. It’s an article on the game that is very complimentary of Rutgers.
like putting in a brief summery of the article with enough info to understand what ios being sauid, then post link in case someone want to try a work around or willing to pay for access.
As college basketball season comes into focus, Rutgers is causing a stir
There was an obvious setup Thursday night. Rutgers was coming off a stirring victory at No. 1 Purdue on Monday. It was facing a Maryland team fresh off a 46-point outing Sunday at Michigan.
It was a perfect opportunity to trip up. Instead, the Scarlet Knights offered a hint of their staying power as a program under Steve Pikiell, limiting the Terrapins to 17 points in the first half of a 64-50 victory.
The old saw “defense wins championships” isn’t true most of the time. The ability to score is a prerequisite for title runs at pretty much any level of basketball. But darned if playing defense at a high level doesn’t elevate a program’s floor.
That’s what has happened for Rutgers (11-4, 3-1 Big Ten), which appears on course for a third consecutive NCAA tournament berth and might have its best defense yet in Pikiell’s tenure.
“We have tremendous versatility,” Pikiell said. “Paul [Mulcahy] can guard any position. Caleb [McConnell] can guard any position. Aundre [Hyatt] can, Mawot [Mag]. We’ve added Cam [Spencer], who’s as good an anticipator and has got great hands.”
The Scarlet Knights rank third in KenPom.com’s adjusted defensive efficiency metric, behind just Tennessee and Houston. They menaced Maryland into 20 turnovers on 59 possessions Thursday, disrupting passing lanes and never allowing the Terps to enjoy a bit of comfort.
Rutgers has won five in a row since a 45-43 loss to Seton Hall last month. Some of it is a function of getting McConnell and Mulcahy situated after both missed time in nonconference play.
And some it is the constant harassment on defense.
“I think the adjustments Steve has made with the pressure defense has just made up for a lot of their offensive woes,” Maryland Coach Kevin Willard said. “They’re a very good basketball team. They’re not a great half-court offensive team. … The press, especially in this building, it just gives them an opportunity and puts a little bit less pressure on their half-court defense and gives them an opportunity to get easy transition points.”
The Scarlet Knights reached their peak — to this point, anyway — while holding Maryland without a point for 8:45 in the first half. The Terps also had a drought of 4:11 after the break, much to the delight of a fan base that has watched Rutgers evolve from a perennial also-ran into one of the toughest teams in the Big Ten in the seven seasons since Pikiell took over.
And this might be his best team yet, thanks to the stingiest defense he’s constructed in Piscataway.
“We talk about five guys being connected a lot. It’s not just two guys in a pick-and-roll coverage,” said Spencer, a transfer from Loyola. “It’s five guys that are all involved for 30 seconds at that end of the floor.”
There was an obvious setup Thursday night. Rutgers was coming off a stirring victory at No. 1 Purdue on Monday. It was facing a Maryland team fresh off a 46-point outing Sunday at Michigan.
It was a perfect opportunity to trip up. Instead, the Scarlet Knights offered a hint of their staying power as a program under Steve Pikiell, limiting the Terrapins to 17 points in the first half of a 64-50 victory.
The old saw “defense wins championships” isn’t true most of the time. The ability to score is a prerequisite for title runs at pretty much any level of basketball. But darned if playing defense at a high level doesn’t elevate a program’s floor.
That’s what has happened for Rutgers (11-4, 3-1 Big Ten), which appears on course for a third consecutive NCAA tournament berth and might have its best defense yet in Pikiell’s tenure.
“We have tremendous versatility,” Pikiell said. “Paul [Mulcahy] can guard any position. Caleb [McConnell] can guard any position. Aundre [Hyatt] can, Mawot [Mag]. We’ve added Cam [Spencer], who’s as good an anticipator and has got great hands.”
The Scarlet Knights rank third in KenPom.com’s adjusted defensive efficiency metric, behind just Tennessee and Houston. They menaced Maryland into 20 turnovers on 59 possessions Thursday, disrupting passing lanes and never allowing the Terps to enjoy a bit of comfort.
Rutgers has won five in a row since a 45-43 loss to Seton Hall last month. Some of it is a function of getting McConnell and Mulcahy situated after both missed time in nonconference play.
And some it is the constant harassment on defense.
“I think the adjustments Steve has made with the pressure defense has just made up for a lot of their offensive woes,” Maryland Coach Kevin Willard said. “They’re a very good basketball team. They’re not a great half-court offensive team. … The press, especially in this building, it just gives them an opportunity and puts a little bit less pressure on their half-court defense and gives them an opportunity to get easy transition points.”
The Scarlet Knights reached their peak — to this point, anyway — while holding Maryland without a point for 8:45 in the first half. The Terps also had a drought of 4:11 after the break, much to the delight of a fan base that has watched Rutgers evolve from a perennial also-ran into one of the toughest teams in the Big Ten in the seven seasons since Pikiell took over.
And this might be his best team yet, thanks to the stingiest defense he’s constructed in Piscataway.
“We talk about five guys being connected a lot. It’s not just two guys in a pick-and-roll coverage,” said Spencer, a transfer from Loyola. “It’s five guys that are all involved for 30 seconds at that end of the floor.”
Call me crazy. I like to read stuff.
