GAME 3: Meh

[bac2therac]

Well never argue with 3-0 but that was a rather unimpressive win and at times ugly. RU did come out and play with some energy early opening up a 16 point lead as Jacob Young was unstoppable and Mathis seemed money tonight. That would quickly change with Harper on the bench with 2 fouls the last 5 minutes or so of the first half, RU was stymied by the Hofstra zone and could hardly generate any offense. Still the RU defense was exceptional in the first half. Hofstra limited to just 22% shooting and I think only one fg in about 9 minutes. Everything looked good when RU started out strong in the first 5 minutes of the 2nd half to go up 22 but everything after that was dismal.

Cannot really pinpoint why it happened, was RU just tired, did they lose their focus, did they mail it in, did they take it for granted. I do not think Hofstra was any good in this game. RU missed layups, bunnies, free throws and combined with a defense that all of sudden was giving up back to back dunks the game got way more interesting than it should have. Allowing a 17-5 run, RU saw its lead cut to 10 but it would never get under that so give some credit to RU for at least doing the bare minimum at the end to win this game. Yes its a backhanded compliment, the game was truly never in doubt but it was devoid of any style points.

Cannot be stressed enough, without Geo, this just isnt a complete team and while it isnt as glaring on the defensive end, offensively you have to be worried a bit. Young was extremely hot early but then cold as ice later hitting on just 1 of his last 9 shots and no buckets after his opening 3 of the 2nd half. Cliff isnt ready to be an offensive threat more than a dunk. Myles still has trouble finishing. Mulcahy is a basic zero threat for a defense to worry about. Mag isnt ready to be counted on for more than a bucket or two. So basically you are putting more pressure on Harper and Mathis to deliver and with Harper sitting due to foul trouble..be smarter Ron, you can see how RU will struggle at times with certain lineups. I will credit Mathis tonight because after struggling for the middle part of the game, I thought he made a couple of plays late that sealed the win with his dunk and then defensive scramble on the other end. Luckily Geo will not be out the whole season but he is likely going to be out for Syracuse. We can pray that this team starts to learn that nothing is earned. You cannot go up 22 and then expect your opponent to roll over. I felt at times in the 2nd half, RU wasnt putting forth the needed mindset to finish the game in the way you want them to. 15 turnovers is way too many. Perhaps 3 games in 5 days took their toll and tired legs factored in.

Want to get back to the defense. So overall that was the one positive. This game was RU's best thus far. Even as Myles struggled offensively, he was dominant defensively with 5 blocks and 9 boards and just swatting away anything Hofstra tried to do inside. Also felt that the D was comfortable focusing on letting Hofstra try to beat them from 3 so while they go open looks, the switch to double on some other guys I felt was the right one. Mulcahy grabbled 9 boards he did contribute in that way along with 7 assists. Mag had a couple of moments, good to see Palmquist hit a 3 and Reiber made his foul shots but nothing out of the ordinary. Would have liked to see some more shots by Cliff but he continues to gain the needed minutes for experience. Each minute the young guys get are important even if it doesnt feel like coming along quickly...in reality they are.

Foul shooting at 18-29 remains bad and will cost them at least one or more games this season.

So move on, don't burn the tape because this team needs to see some of their laziness and what they are doing right and wrong in attacking the zone. Its good to be critical when a team is 3-0 and wins by 14. 3-0 should always be celebrated. RU has shown flashes in its first 3 but yet each game seemed to have some stretches of unevenness. Again the mold isnt set yet so this team will only get better. Just need to find a way to get a win in that Syracuse game and hopefully another one scheduled before it.

 

[FastMJ]

Agree with the asssessment. It was an ugly win. Too sloppy around the offensive rim and free throws ugh.

 

[kcg88]

Michigan tied 29-29 with Oakland, who lost by 52 to Xavier a few days ago.

Everyone's some degree of sloppy this early.

 

[Perricone7]

Not too worried about this one. Just felt like a sluggish early season non p-5 game. I’m sure the empty stands doesn’t help matters. This team will not miss those bunnies in a week or 2. My biggest concern is it seems Johnson has plateaued offensively. Need more offense from the 5 spot.

 

[rutgers93]

We need Palmquist to develop because we need another outside shooter

 

[RU82]

More than anything what this game showed is that we really, really, really need to get Geo back ASAP. He’s a calming influence on the floor that nobody else can replicate.

 

[bac2therac]

Michigan tied 29-29 with Oakland, who lost by 52 to Xavier a few days ago.

Everyone's some degree of sloppy this early.

our sloppy in previous years would have life death struggles so its good that we are still winning by double digits despite not playing well.

If Geo was healthy I wouldnt be too concerned about a game like this but the prospect of him possibly missing games against a couple of power 5 schools if we schedule another this week has me concerned if we have enough in the arsenal against better competition. If Young is not hot you see what happens

 

[bigmatt718]

At the end of the day, we beat a team who won 26 games and wouldve been in the Dance by 14. 3rd game in 5 days so team probably has heavy legs.

 

[RUby RED]

We need Palmquist to develop because we need another outside shooter

Not that we should be relying on freshman, but feels like we’ll need Palmquist to hit a couple threes against Syracuse if we want to successfully stretch their zone. Can’t simply rely on Ron and maybe JY (if he’s hot) to be our only 3 point threats in a game like that

 

[wisr01]

At the end of the day, we beat a team who won 26 games and wouldve been in the Dance by 14. 3rd game in 5 days so team probably has heavy legs.

They won their conference tournament last year so they were in the tournament, no?

 

[bigmatt718]

They won their conference tournament last year so they were in the tournament, no?

Yeah they did. Maybe I worded that poorly.

 

[BigEastPhil]

It was a sloppy performance. I don’t know whether it was due to team being tired and / or disinterested but I’m concerned about this team when we play Syracuse and or big 10 conference play without Geo

Without Geo and with the exception of Harper, we have no one who can consistently hit the outside shot and our bench with exception of Myles and Mag don’t contribute much.

Against Syracuse’s zone, we ll need to be patient and hit the outside shot.

 

[goru7]

I would not take much about the sloppiness tonight , since there were at least 7-10 layups missed with no one around our players that were rushed , rimmed out , or not shot to finish strong. Those missed layups would have taken the lead from 16 to 30 or more and instead kept it to 14-16 before Hofstra hit a few threes. There are a lot of good things , like our fast break, our dominant rebounding , Myles shot blocking without fouling that was dominant as he should have been against a non Power conference team. This game was never in doubt and the early start to take a big early lead , then again to start the second half to extend to 20 points were really good signs. Paul, Cliff, Myles, and Ron grabbing 10 rebounds in any game is no longer a surprise. Paul was almost unselfish to a fault , giving up easy buckets. The day he gets that killer mine set , is the day he becomes an all conference player. Jacob , Ron and Montez can go off any game and have each improved. Without being challenged like they would be in conference against better players, it is hard to keep up energy and intensity and that played out. We really did not try to shoot threes in any of these 3 games, except for Ron in the FDU game. They was a concerted effort to go to the basket and penetrate for a closer shot even against the zones the team saw in all 3 games. We will be sharper in conference play. We played almost 3 games without Geo without missing a beat , which we struggled with just last year. Pike as usual will clean up the sloppiness and ramp up the defense and we are sitting pretty as the 24 th ranked team in the country. The only thing that does not seem to be fixed is hitting free throws.

 

[wisr01]

It was a sloppy performance. I don’t know whether it was due to team being tired and / or disinterested but I’m concerned about this team when we play Syracuse and or big 10 conference play without Geo

Without Geo and with the exception of Harper, we have no one who can consistently hit the outside shot and our bench with exception of Myles and Mag don’t contribute much.

Against Syracuse’s zone, we ll need to be patient and hit the outside shot.

Don't have to shoot from outside to beat their zone. Keys are shifting the zone, attacking the gaps that you dictate, quick accurate passing and attack from behind the zone (folks don't have eyes in back of head lol). My teams spent several hours a week on zone offense and we got to the point where teams learned very quickly do not play zone against us or we will DESTROY you. The key is to force the defense to guard what is front of them (with ball reversals, cutting, and screening actions) and then attack from behind the zone.

 

[richthedentist]

Agree with 2 things and others and I hate harp on this as I started a separate thread after the last game but I agree with you in that our foul shooting will cost us at least 1 if not 2 games
Also I see NO improvement from Mulcahy as he was left wide open in the middle of the zone inside the lane numerous times and just refuses to shoot and then took a couple of wide open shots late that were bricks. That area in the lane the high post is where you can beat the Syracuse zone but you have to shoot the ball to do it

 

[anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy]

2 huge concerns

1) we dont run an offense
2) we dont hit foul shots

Were a bubble team at best. Not a bad thing but not what everyone thinks we are

 

[bac2therac]

2 huge concerns

1) we dont run an offense
2) we dont hit foul shots

Were a bubble team at best. Not a bad thing but not what everyone thinks we are

i am still scratching my head at posters saying we have a final 4 type team....wow

 

[JonathanAlan]

We need Palmquist to develop because we need another outside shooter

I agree . Good to see him make his first points because he's looked hesitant and lacking in confidence. If he begins to make some outside shots , he'll be significant contributor. I like Mag a lot. He'll be very good .

 

[RU05]

Were a bubble team at best. Not a bad thing but not what everyone thinks we are

i am still scratching my head at posters saying we have a final 4 type team....wow

Anything less then tourney appearance is a big dissapointment.

Final 4? I mean, yeah, let's just make the tourney for the first time in 20 something years.

 

[JonathanAlan]

i am still scratching my head at posters saying we have a final 4 type team....wow

Akwasi was a good replacement for Eugene. Unfortunately I haven't seen that replacement for Akwasi--namely someone who is a strong rebounder , tough defender and consistent outside threat. Mag could be that player but not this year .....

 

[zappaa]

i am still scratching my head at posters saying we have a final 4 type team....wow

If Cliff had an Oturu type impact and Geo was healthy, We’d be close.
I don’t see that from Cliff.

 

[bac2therac]

agree the tourney IS not a unreasonable expecaton this year, falling short given what we have coming back would be a disappontment...that would change if say Geo missed alot of the season

 

[RU05]

If Cliff had an Oturu type impact and Geo was healthy, We’d be close

I think fans that are critical about our double digit win are underestimating the fact that we are down our starting pg who is arguably our best player.

As per Cliff, let's give him a couple more games before making conclusions as to what he is or is not.

 

[bac2therac]

Akwasi was a good replacement for Eugene. Unfortunately I haven't seen that replacement for Akwasi--namely someone who is a strong rebounder , tough defender and consistent outside threat. Mag could be that player but not this year .....

yeah Mag not ready for that nor should he. We really could have used another 5th year player to get us through, honestly I believe Doucoure should have been guided to a lower program

also we have no legit 3 point threat...yes Geo and looks like Ron can hit them but thats not their main game, makes it tougher to win when you dont have those high percentage dagger guys

 

[cubuffsdoug_rivals]

If we're a bubble team, so are Uva., Illinois, Michigan, Kansas, Villanova, and Arizona State, to name a few. I have yet to see anyone outright dominate lesser teams. The exception being Gonzaga. People have to remember teams didn't have a traditional preseason. A lot of teams are out of sync.

 

[brucelaw8]

Offensively we were sporadic at best.Jacob got hot and was then very cold.He is flat out a total disruptive force on defense.JY is probably the top defensive guard in America,which alone could get him to the NBA.Paul M lost confidence in his shot, but does enough other things well to compensate.Before we know it our heart and soul will be back.All is well in RU land.

 

[Dpgru]

I would like to see Paul M take some shots when he posts up against the zone. It is essentially a foul line J. He hits a few of those and the D has to close out on him and it creates passing lanes. He was wide open on several occasions today and still looked to pass. He could be a real zone breaker from that spot.

 

[RU05]

I don't know when, but I think when Reiber is ready to assert himself, he'll bring a 3 pt shooting threat.

He's also clearly one of our better ft shooters.

 

[RU05]

I would like to see Paul M take some shots when he posts up against the zone. It is essentially a foul line J. He hits a few of those and the D has to close out on him and it creates passing lanes. He was wide open on several occasions today and still looked to pass. He could be a real zone breaker from that spot.

He passed up a wide open look from inside the key today. And his game is pass heavy, he's a play maker my nature, but he does need to look for his shot more, especially when he is wide open just feet away from the basket , it will make his game that much more effective.

 

[RU848789]

At the end of the day, we beat a team who won 26 games and wouldve been in the Dance by 14. 3rd game in 5 days so team probably has heavy legs.

Yep, I think people are overlooking that Hofstra is a pretty good team, even with losing their top 2 scorers; don't forget we're essentially down 2 starters and a valuable sub vs. last year. FF talk is crazy, but anything less than the tourney will be a disappointment after last year.

 

[anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy]

i am still scratching my head at posters saying we have a final 4 type team....wow

People still arent realizing how big a loss yeboah is. Imo were not in the tourney last year without him. Caleb is a tough loss too for end of game situations when we need foul shots made. End of game last year when we needed foul shots it was geo caleb akwasi ron shaq. All were damn good foul shooters. Were gonna lose alot of close games this year at the line

 

[Degaz-RU]

McConnell’s absence is being felt, especially without Geo in the lineup. We just don’t have enough “answers” right now, and the offense seems disjointed as Pike weaves in the freshmen.

 

[zappaa]

People still arent realizing how big a loss yeboah is. Imo were not in the tourney last year without him. Caleb is a tough loss too for end of game situations when we need foul shots made. End of game last year when we needed foul shots it was geo caleb akwasi ron shaq. All were damn good foul shooters. Were gonna lose alot of close games this year at the line

Both can shoot

 

[Mr. Magoo1]

We played sloppy and seemed disinterested at times. However, this Hofstra team will be better than many people think this year.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

He passed up a wide open look from inside the key today. And his game is pass heavy, he's a play maker my nature, but he does need to look for his shot more, especially when he is wide open just feet away from the basket , it will make his game that much more effective.

He should also be looking to draw fouls as a shooter in that situation.. when the hoop has a lid on it for him.. get that body contact.

 

[rufeelinit]

A few thoughts:
I didn't care for some of the pass/shoot decision making on the offensive end.

We got to practice against a zone team but struggled at times attacking it.

Without Geo and Caleb, and getting little from Palmquist, Reiber and Duke we are a little thin.

Oscar looks like the most likely of the three to develop into a 5-10 minute contributor.

I think Mag is ready to be in the rotation.

Paul and Myles need to be offensive threats particularly in the paint.

Sounds like ND is looking for a game around December 4th and is willing to travel. We should consider it.

 

[cyrock3]

I liked what I saw out of Reiber more than Palmquist to be honest. Aside from the 3 pointer, most of what I saw from Palmquist didn't look like he was ready. He got beat a few times, and that layup miss was a "slam my remote down on the floor" moment for me.

Reiber played within himself, took what was given, and looked solid on D.

 

[Scangg]

We were some sloppy finishing around the rim away from this being a blowout against a good Hofstra team. Relax people lol. Many other B1G teams struggling in their OOC schedule against smaller schools worse than we have

 

[Anon1751594821]

We were some sloppy finishing around the rim away from this being a blowout against a good Hofstra team. Relax people lol. Many other B1G teams struggling in their OOC schedule against smaller schools worse than we have

Very true. We missed at least 7-10 fairly easy shots right at the hole that would normally go down. If they were made, we end up winning by 25-30.

Best of Luck,
Groz

 

[mikefla]

I like what is see from Reiber..and MAG. Both will end up getting minutes. Omoruyi is contributing immediately. That 3 GOOD frosh.

We have a good amount of talent. I HOPE they pick up where last years 20 win team left off.

We will know more after the Cuse game.......