Where we are as a team ...

[PhilaPhans]

C: No B1G-quality starter.
PF: Freeman is a B1G starter.
SF: No B1G-quality starter.
SG: Decent B1G contributer in Williams, but no starter.
PG: Sanders is a B1G starter, albeit only a frosh with a lot more to learn.

There are some decent roll players, but anybody suggesting we're even close to a sub-level playoff team (CIT or whatever that tournament is called), is a bit off. Even suggesting that we'd sniff the NCAAs is totally way, way off base.

 

[Rutgers25]

C: No B1G-quality starter.
PF: Freeman is a B1G starter.
SF: No B1G-quality starter.
SG: Decent B1G contributer in Williams, but no starter.
PG: Sanders is a B1G starter, albeit only a frosh with a lot more to learn.

There are some decent roll players, but anybody suggesting we're even close to a sub-level playoff team (CIT or whatever that tournament is called), is a bit off. Even suggesting that we'd sniff the NCAAs is totally way, way off base.

Mostly agree. Assume you're talking about an average B1G team, because nobody on this team would start for a top half B1G team.

 

[PhilaPhans]

Definitely. I'm referring to players that I'd be comfortable starting and competing against any team in the B1G. Starting a lineup of Freeman and Sanders-type players still doesn't put us in the upper echelon with Michigan State, Maryland, etc., but it gives us a chance to win against any team in the B1G on any given night. At this point, that's all I'm asking for.

 

[bac2therac]

tonight was at least a reality check

look we have some parts and we will look good at times but generally this team will be a 9-13 win team and reside in the bottom 4 if not absolute last place in the Big 10.

This year is about getting better as the year goes by and trying to narrow the gap with other schools in the league. Tonight was disappointing because RU lost to a team that they had better talent than

 

[ImBadRU]

Recruiting has to pick up in a MAJOR way...now. Kwe would have been nice. But, need much much more and fast. Facilities matter though.

 

[Scarlet Shack]

Tonight showed the stat I said all off seasons...

We have 10 years of division 1 experience on our roster entering this year and 7 of those are in players that are our 5th guard and our fourth power forward/center

Shame we could not steal this...:but we have to play close games before learn to win

Disappointed but not discouraged

Thought we needed less Daniels in the second half...offense went too much me and less we in the second half and that corresponding with the ball started with him too much

Foreman being banged up for a while hurt....and we needed more looks for freeman in the second half

 

[FELONIOUSMONK]

It was the third freaking game!! What the hell were you expecting? Kentucky? Gonzaga? We are a patchwork of moving parts that have for the most part not played together and definitely not at this level You talk about E.J. like he was a Paris gunman. I get it. This is a place for venting.. If you are mad now what the hell are you going to do when the conference schedule begins/? Save it up . You will need it..

 

[mikefla]

Tonight showed the stat I said all off seasons...

We have 10 years of division 1 experience on our roster entering this year and 7 of those are in players that are our 5th guard and our fourth power forward/center

Shame we could not steal this...:but we have to play close games before learn to win

Disappointed but not discouraged

Thought we needed less Daniels in the second half...offense went too much me and less we in the second half and that corresponding with the ball started with him too much

Foreman being banged up for a while hurt....and we needed more looks for freeman in the second half

"dissappointed but not discouraged"...my thoughts EXACTLY!
GOOD POST!

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Tonight showed the stat I said all off seasons...

We have 10 years of division 1 experience on our roster entering this year and 7 of those are in players that are our 5th guard and our fourth power forward/center

Shame we could not steal this...:but we have to play close games before learn to win

Disappointed but not discouraged

Thought we needed less Daniels in the second half...offense went too much me and less we in the second half and that corresponding with the ball started with him too much

Foreman being banged up for a while hurt....and we needed more looks for freeman in the second half

Unfortunately St. John's was so bad defensively in the 1st 25 minutes we were lulled in to thinking simple dribble penetration was all that was needed.

Does everyone learn from this? Next time does Jordan do the tough thing and take Bishop out of the game despite everything he did for the team earlier?

 

[higgins3]

Where we are as a team, is three games into the season.

Diallo fouled too much. 5 rbs from him and a good amount from Foreman are things I am happy about.

 

[RutgHoops]

Unfortunately St. John's was so bad defensively in the 1st 25 minutes we were lulled in to thinking simple dribble penetration was all that was needed.

Does everyone learn from this? Next time does Jordan do the tough thing and take Bishop out of the game despite everything he did for the team earlier?

Agree on paragraph one.

As we discussed today the "tough thing" to do was leave Bishop in to make certain you don't burn Corey out by playing him 36 minutes last night (I assume you are not suggesting a Williams/Goode backcourt at that point in the game). Overall solid game from Bishop, but he needs to "change gears" with Corey on the bench.

 

[RUChoppin]

I've only seen the one game last night, so it's not really a significant sample size.

Still, a few really early thoughts...

1. I like the way we move on offense with Sanders on the floor. That should improve with more experience playing together, which is great.

2. I like the way we played defense. That's going to change game to game, and based on opponent, but I liked the way we moved and the pressure we put on them. (Edit: when our bigs weren't in foul trouble, see point 5)

3. I liked some of the "get an open shot" moves by several of the players (Freeman, Sanders, and Daniels especially). They didn't always fall (and frustratingly few did in the early part of the game), but the footwork and ball movement that went into getting the open look was good - something I haven't seen in a while.

4. We need to work on FT shooting - I don't know how to improve that, but it's dreadful. I don't know if Sanders was just having an off night, but your PG can't go 1-6 from the line. We're shooting 61.1% as a team through the first three games... ugh. That needs to improve. We have the 2nd worst FT% in the conference - the conference average is 68.5% from the line.

5. Need to reduce the fouls from our bigs - Diallo is averaging 10.7 fouls per 40 min played, Lewis is averaging 8.3, and Freeman is averaging 4.9. If they can't get that under control, we're going to be seeing a lot of games where we have to switch up our defense toward the end of the game because our bigs are in trouble.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Agree on paragraph one.

As we discussed today the "tough thing" to do was leave Bishop in to make certain you don't burn Corey out by playing him 36 minutes last night (I assume you are not suggesting a Williams/Goode backcourt at that point in the game). Overall solid game from Bishop, but he needs to "change gears" with Corey on the bench.

End game of Sanders, Williams, Laurent or Foreman, Freeman, and Lewis. Again easy to say after the game without emotion and loyality. Bottom line is you are probably right here.

I am sure Sunday the team can look at film breaking down possession by possession of the last 8 minutes and it will become obvious to the players why we lost. Coaches can talk about it before it happens, but you learn going through it. Biggest issue is the individual basketball, penetrating with the sole intent to score.

 

[higgins3]

End game of Sanders, Williams, Laurent or Foreman, Freeman, and Lewis. Again easy to say after the game without emotion and loyality. Bottom line is you are probably right here.

I am sure Sunday the team can look at film breaking down possession by possession of the last 8 minutes and it will become obvious to the players why we lost. Coaches can talk about it before it happens, but you learn going through it. Biggest issue is the individual basketball, penetrating with the sole intent to score.

Absolutely. I always say, you can tell a lot about a player from what he does when he draws two men.If you pass, good for you ol chap. You play a team game. If you keep driving, you have individual intentions. Penetration was meant to open up people.

 

[RutgHoops]

End game of Sanders, Williams, Laurent or Foreman, Freeman, and Lewis. Again easy to say after the game without emotion and loyality. Bottom line is you are probably right here.

I am sure Sunday the team can look at film breaking down possession by possession of the last 8 minutes and it will become obvious to the players why we lost. Coaches can talk about it before it happens, but you learn going through it. Biggest issue is the individual basketball, penetrating with the sole intent to score.

Agree on the end game lineup with the caveat that I do not know how serious Foreman's cramps were. Could he play effectively at that point in the game? I like Laurent, but for all Bishop's warts I want him in there over Laurent today. Frosh, on the road, tight spot, a propensity to force stuff/see something that isn't there....not sure end of a tight game on the road is the right spot for him.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

17 minutes for DJ Foreman in the 1st half is WAY too much. Laurent plays 4 of those minutes and I'll bet Foreman doesn't cramp.

I know i am asking for Jordan to be perfect. Laurent needs guaranteed playing time each half PLUS it keeps guys fresh. All of this assumes A. Laurent is a player B. He deserves to play (plays hard, follows direction)

 

[higgins3]

17 minutes for DJ Foreman in the 1st half is WAY too much. Laurent plays 4 of those minutes and I'll bet Foreman doesn't cramp.

I know i am asking for Jordan to be perfect. Laurent needs guaranteed playing time each half PLUS it keeps guys fresh. All of this assumes A. Laurent is a player B. He deserves to play (plays hard, follows direction)

You are right. Send him an email or someone get behind the bench and speak your mind. Unlikely, but you are right. This early in the season, 17 minutes for foreman doesn't work. He was playing well though, and you don't want to take a player out when they are doing well.

 

[Local Shill]

It was the third freaking game!! What the hell were you expecting? Kentucky? Gonzaga? We are a patchwork of moving parts that have for the most part not played together and definitely not at this level You talk about E.J. like he was a Paris gunman. I get it. This is a place for venting.. If you are mad now what the hell are you going to do when the conference schedule begins/? Save it up . You will need it..

St.John's has more newcomers than RU so your spin won't fly on this one. We had them and we let them off the hook. Sorry for an inconvenient truth.

 

[RutgHoops]

St.John's has more newcomers than RU so your spin won't fly on this one. We had them and we let them off the hook. Sorry for an inconvenient truth.

We did let them off the hook. That written I don't think Radford is better than Georgetown, I don't think Western Illinois is better than Wisconsin and I don't think William+Mary is better than NC State. I also don't think St. Johns is better than us.

We certainly need to get better. I think we will. There were (imo) some good things going on last night. Time will tell I guess.

 

[jonS]

tonight was at least a reality check

look we have some parts and we will look good at times but generally this team will be a 9-13 win team and reside in the bottom 4 if not absolute last place in the Big 10.

This year is about getting better as the year goes by and trying to narrow the gap with other schools in the league. Tonight was disappointing because RU lost to a team that they had better talent than

I agree with your assessment that we had better talent than St John's. I am more optimistic than you about our record. There is talent on this team unlike years' past. Rutgers should have won last night , notwithstanding their horrible foul shooting. Lewis was awful--little rebounding and taking outside shots with no one underneath. The team is searching for that guy ( and may never find him) who has the ball with few seconds left and the game in his hands. Yes Daniels made the shot after the game ended but his outside shot is the weakest part of his game. He also began forcing shots in the last few minutes which really hurt Rutgers. Unfortunately, I thought EJ has coached better games. Sanders was held out too long in the second half, Willaims should have played more , and so should have Foreman. Foreman and Freeman need to be out there together.

However, bottom line--I don't recall any times last year when Rutgers lost to a major conference team but looked to have the better talent. Last night was such a situation. Frankly , I don't recall too many times last year when Rutgers won and looked to have the better talent. So maybe we're making some progress...

 

[scarletKNIGHT07]

We aren't going to win many games scoring below 60 points. We only attempted 10 3pts and only made 4. Probably going to need to attempt 20+ and to make 7+ a game. This team on offense is like watching the football team run the ball into the offensive line 30 times a game. We have the most unwatchable poorly coached revenue sport combo in the power 5.

 

[JMD77]

Lots of good posts in this thread. We lost the game and as my wife can attest, I was not a happy camper (she often doesn’t like watching sports with me). We got out of rhythm and reverted back to bringing the ball up and shooting. This happens to all teams – not one team plays perfect bball for 40 minutes. The good teams have more talent that overcomes these issues.

I hope that the team realizes that they can be so much better if they stick to the offense and not try to do it alone. Maybe this melt down will pay dividends down the road.

But I like this team so much better than RU teams in recent history because of 2 players - Sanders and Freeman. I know it's only 3(2) games but Sanders looks like a legit PG - can break down defenders with his quickness and make passes. Also he plays defense. We haven't had a PG in years. As a result our offense looks like it has some flow to it – just not as consistently as we like.

Freeman has some moves inside and isn't a black hole when he gets the ball – he looks comfortable around the basket and he's made a some nice passes for easy buckets. But he needs to get a lot more touches.

Going forward teams are going to realize that Corey can distribute and will plan for that - so I think we need other options. It's a shame that Daniels hasn't shown the ball handling and passing skills to run the team. He has the athleticism to break down the defender - but he seems to drive solely to put a shot up – regardless of how bad that shot is. He really needs to think pass first.

Williams seems much more confident offensively than last year – the shot is starting to drop. But he really can’t create on his own.

Laurent is a ? right now – seems very tentative.

Foreman has a nice motor and seems to be finishing better – but is also limited offensively. Too bad he was cramping up in the 2nd half and couldn’t play as much. We needed another rebounder in there.

The center position is an issue right now – we really could use Doorson back, fouls have been a big issue and I think that’s affecting the defense through these first few games.

 

[bac2therac]

I think it says a lot more about SJU. RU should have talent comparable to UMass and perhaps Creighton (I know they were not good last year, and Clemson so to me this tournament coming up is a big test. RU needs at least split there. Once they get into the Big 10 every other team will have more talent than them at least by the rankings

 

[RUJMM78]

Definitely. I'm referring to players that I'd be comfortable starting and competing against any team in the B1G. Starting a lineup of Freeman and Sanders-type players still doesn't put us in the upper echelon with Michigan State, Maryland, etc., but it gives us a chance to win against any team in the B1G on any given night. At this point, that's all I'm asking for.

Rutgers isn't going to win B1G games unless they score close to 70 points per game based on the 3 pointer being such a big part of basketball games.The inability to make foul shots in the last two games better be corrected or scoring 60 points might be a problem.

 

[RUAEPI]

After taking some time and watching these games, I will say this team has potential. There will be games that we will win that people aren't expecting. Mike W. and Daniels will have games where they are dropping shots and that will open the inside for Freeman, and he will have to hit.

We miss a lot of easy shots. As the game slows down, those shots will drop. Too much rushing around the rim.

My biggest down spot so far is at the center position. Lewis? He looks like he took a step back. I hope that he turns it on. We have seen he has the potential for more, and he needs to be able to use his experience to his advantage.