Politi on Pikiell

kcg88

Heisman
Aug 11, 2017
10,862
17,230
0
He's exactly right, except an NIT bid isn't likely. Assuming a loss to Seton Hall we'd have to go 9-11 in conference play to pull off a winning record. That ain't happening.

But yeah, now is where Pikiell gets to prove he can build a program and not just a team. That was a very good way of putting it, and that's how he'll be judged in two or three years.
 

superfan01

All-American
May 29, 2003
8,780
8,005
0
Pikes fate will be determined how he does in the 2022 transfer portal. We were huge net losers in the 21 portal. Pike must now be a huge net winner. Keep Cliff and jones and bring in several big pieces. Otherwise it's lights out.
 

zappaa

Heisman
Jul 27, 2001
75,774
92,881
103
I agree 100 percent Pike should have every opportunity including next year to turn the ship around.
Cries of firing him are ludicrous.
He is not above criticism however it comes with the territory, especially after the WAY over the top evaluation of his team pre-season
 
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DHajekRC84

Heisman
Aug 9, 2001
30,708
19,816
0
One can still be frustrated and disappointed with team and coach so far this year , pointing out perceived weaknesses/opportunities while still giving him credit and giving him his chance to fix things. Agree he earned that and hope he does!
Even if we don't produce all the w's at least putting together a better execution and competitive effort. My expectations weren't to make the dance then go back into hibernation again but to ride somewhere in the the top half of the league most years.
 

RU848789

Heisman
Jul 27, 2001
65,455
44,480
113
It boggles my mind that people are calling for the head of the first guy to get us to two straight tourneys (yes, we were going in 2020 until COVID) since the mid-70s and the first win since 1983. Sure, this team is looking like it will struggle to win more than 5-6 games in the B1G (and less is possible) and Pike clearly has earned some criticism, but it's way too early to count Pike out.
 

Greene Rice FIG

Heisman
Dec 30, 2005
40,437
23,613
0
Pikes fate will be determined how he does in the 2022 transfer portal. We were huge net losers in the 21 portal. Pike must now be a huge net winner. Keep Cliff and jones and bring in several big pieces. Otherwise it's lights out.
2022 transfer portal is very important. His "fate" being determined is a little dramatic.
 

Mr. Magoo1

Heisman
Nov 15, 2001
15,588
16,511
113
He’s earned lots of goodwill by having two tournament level teams. Unless this season and next are disasters, he’s here for at least two more. If he didn’t blow up expectations in the pre-season, we’re probably not having this discussion..although expectations were already pretty high.

IMO, I think it’s critical that;
1. He keeps Cliff and Jones here next season
2. He, or someone on his staff, hits the transfer portal hard.
3. The team improves this season. This is the easiest one by far because we are a mess right now.
 

LeapinLou

All-American
Jul 24, 2001
13,467
7,497
113
I share the underlying concern that Cliff could transfer. Keeping him will be Pike's biggest recruiting task.
 

ancienthooper

All-Conference
Jan 16, 2019
1,204
2,839
113
It's really something when Steve Politi has to tell a fan base they are being too negative and sensationalist.
This. Along with his tremendous reporting of the Logan Kelley situation, I have a newfound level of respect for Politi.
 

ColonelRutgers

All-American
Dec 15, 2003
7,119
9,333
113
Even though we all feel like we had two consecutive tourney teams the fact that we didn’t actually experience two in a row no doubt is now having an effect on how Pikiell is being viewed IMO. In a lot of ways we still feel a lot like a one year wonder which we were really weren’t. If we actually went through not one but two selection Sundays with him I think he would be looked at differently by some.
 

Scarlet Blind_rivals

All-Conference
Aug 5, 2001
4,715
4,779
62
2016-17 15-18, 2017-18 (7 ret/top10) {#1, #2, #4}, #6, #7, #9 #10
2017-18 15-19, 2018-19 (5 ret/10) {#3, #4, #5}, #7, #9
2018-19 14-17, 2019-20 (7 ret/10) {#2, #3, #4, #5}, #6, #7, #8, -#1EO,+Yeboah
2019-20 20-11, 2020-21 (8 ret/10) {#1, #2, #4, #5}, #6, #7, #8, #10{Douc), 5 fr
2020-21 16-12, 2021-22 (6 ret/10) {#1, #3}, #6, #7, #8, #9(Mag-12gm,70 min)
Hyatt was 5th on LSU, 4.2pts just above #8 Cliff
Gonzales-Agee 2nd on SJSt, 11.1pts on a bad mid major

2018-19 was our worst season, for the lack of returning scorers but we showed improvement at the end, winning 7 B1G games with class of 18(RHJ, Tez, Caleb) and Myles. Our two most successful season, we returned 4 of the top 5 scorers from the year before, and added pieces we need.

This year with #3 Geo injured, we have the least amount of returning scorers in Pike's 6 seasons, even 2016-17, only RHJ at #1 of the top 5 scorers on last year's tourny team. That's a lot of scoring to replace.

Pike is struggling to find go to scorers in the first 8 games, no one is stepping up consistently, best game being Clemson. RHJ is carrying too much on his back figuratively and literally. This season is on par with 2018-19 BUT if it comes together we have a much higher ceiling potentially than the 7 wins in 2018-19 with Cliff is more of a Sophomore, and freshman Jaden, Mag, Oskar, Reiber and Jalen, and.2 transfer Hyatt, Gonzales-Agee. 7 new pieces to integrate with only 5 established guys, 4 w/out Geo.
 
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BillyC80

Heisman
Oct 23, 2006
17,237
15,761
72
Pike has clearly earned some leeway to turn things around. But you have to wonder what he thought after we barely scraped by with victories in the first 3 games. We certainly did not look like the best team he ever assembled.

With the evidence and game films he had from those close early games, something should have changed in practice and in his lineup and usage of players to avoid a humiliating loss to Lafayette. That’s what I found most troubling and frustrating.

By the way, of all the comments he made preseason to pump up our players and get the fans excited, the one I found most baffling was his description of our backup center Agee as 6’10 and 260. That was a head-scratcher that was well beyond coachspeak. I just thought it was really strange coming from Pike.

All that being said, I’m behind him and the team 100%, and I think we make a good showing against Purdue.
 

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
14,350
13,677
78
He deserves to take heat for the way he propped this team up. He’s no where near on the chopping block though and being angry about how the pre-season expectations were communicated is different from being unhappy with him overall as a coach.
 

Salvi's Headband

All-American
Oct 30, 2006
5,569
9,436
0
Even though we all feel like we had two consecutive tourney teams the fact that we didn’t actually experience two in a row no doubt is now having an effect on how Pikiell is being viewed IMO. In a lot of ways we still feel a lot like a one year wonder which we were really weren’t. If we actually went through not one but two selection Sundays with him I think he would be looked at differently by some.

This is a great point. Also think that if we had closed the deal against Houston and we all had "Sweet 16" t-shirts and hats we would feel differently too.
 
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NewJerseyHawk

Heisman
Jan 11, 2007
24,850
39,882
113
Just because he took this team out from the grave doesn't give him that much leeway to not continue to improve on what he has done. He is getting paid good money to continue success .

I am not saying Pike has done a good job this year, but his first 5 years have been pretty remarkable.

The normal question is if all programs pay good money to their coaches to continue success, what is the bar for the rest of the B1G programs, the ACC programs, the SEC, Pac 12, Big 12 and Big East programs??

All of the Power 5/6 programs pay about the same if not more for their HC....and RU has an alumni that does not ensure their HCs in basketball, are armed with consistent talent each and every year.....

The question is, what makes RU dramatically different than 60 of the other Power 5/6 programs, that are not considered "blue bloods"???

I am not saying RU should finish last in the B1G or should be content with getting to the NCAAs in 4 years after Eddie Jordan left things essentially empty.....what is the benchmark 15 to 20 programs around the country that improves every single year without any hiccups, off-years or setbacks over a 5 to 10 year span??
 
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Knightmoves

Heisman
Jul 31, 2001
30,851
16,938
113
Pikes fate will be determined how he does in the 2022 transfer portal. We were huge net losers in the 21 portal. Pike must now be a huge net winner. Keep Cliff and jones and bring in several big pieces. Otherwise it's lights out.
Keeping Cliff and Jones may be dependent on how this season turns out. That outcome is now questionable.

If it ends poorly and we lose both then the floor drops out from under the program and under Pike as HC.
 

bethlehemfan

Heisman
Sep 6, 2003
15,353
16,845
113
Because it wasn’t true - he had to have known it wasn’t true and therefore did it to sell more tickets (I.e. lied to the fans). Now he can’t admit it because it would be dumping on his team.
I doubt he knowingly lied and I doubt people bought tickets because of what he said. Season tickets were already pretty much gone outside of bleachers before he said anything. I don’t listen to coach team assessments good or bad. This reaction is comical
 

richthedentist

All-American
Aug 2, 2001
11,293
8,916
113
I agree 100 percent Pike should have every opportunity including next year to turn the ship around.
Cries of firing him are ludicrous.
He is not above criticism however , it comes with the territory, especially after the WAY over the top evaluation of his team pre-season
But he has to take criticism on some awful decisions due to his stubborness; We know Muhammed and Quinerly wanted to come back to Rutgers and he said no which is utter stupidity as these two players would be way better than anyone on our roster
 

rutger80

All-Conference
Oct 14, 2013
2,477
1,762
0
I'm sure Pike knows as everyone else does, that it's a results-oriented business. Have there been missteps? Of course. Will there be more? Of course, it's the nature of the beast. It's a matter of how you overcome and limit them that will tell the tale.
I wouldn't mind him bringing in his old boss for a little advice now and then.
 

Greene Rice FIG

Heisman
Dec 30, 2005
40,437
23,613
0
But he has to take criticism on some awful decisions due to his stubborness; We know Muhammed and Quinerly wanted to come back to Rutgers and he said no which is utter stupidity as these two players would be way better than anyone on our roster
Why was it utterly stupid?
 

Pancho1939_rivals

All-Conference
Jun 26, 2012
1,887
2,907
113
Just because he took this team out from the grave doesn't give him that much leeway to not continue to improve on what he has done. He is getting paid good money to continue success .

Leeway? We are not even a quarter of the way from a second round NCAA lose for the first time in 30+ years and people want him fired? you call that leeway?

Success is not a straight line. Anyone who believes or tells you that has never had to work for anything in their life. Kind of like what Harbaugh said after the ohio state win. Some people start life on third base and think they hit a triple. In this analogy rutgers was basically the bat boy when pikiell took over. There are always ups and downs. Rutgers was starting so far behind that the appropriate amount of leeway is probably 3 or 4 bad years.

Do i have to continue listing coaches who had down years at much better programs that ultimately succeeded?

For the 10,000 time Rutgers program was so bad that Hobbs could not recruit two Atlantic 10 coaches to take the job. One coach is from Jersey and the other was in an internal catfight with his AD. They still both wouldnt take the job

At the end of the day rutgers is rutgers and one ncaa tournement does not erase 30 years of terrible to mediocre basketball. That is even more true today with NIL and places like kansas having kids get paid 100k per year. So if rutgers wants talent. They need the local community to start paying for it.
 

kcg88

Heisman
Aug 11, 2017
10,862
17,230
0
But he has to take criticism on some awful decisions due to his stubborness; We know Muhammed and Quinerly wanted to come back to Rutgers and he said no which is utter stupidity as these two players would be way better than anyone on our roster
We know one particular user with a penchant for exaggeration has said that. Big difference.

By the way, people would have killed Pikiell for taking a 25% three point shooter who butted heads with Jay Wright.
 
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Pancho1939_rivals

All-Conference
Jun 26, 2012
1,887
2,907
113
But he has to take criticism on some awful decisions due to his stubborness; We know Muhammed and Quinerly wanted to come back to Rutgers and he said no which is utter stupidity as these two players would be way better than anyone on our roster
Who knows they wanted to come here? What did they want in return to come here?
 

Yeah Baby

All-American
Aug 14, 2001
19,261
6,466
0
He deserves leeway for sure. He did two years in a row what we hadn’t done in 30 years. Let’s hope he can do it again.

As for this season, we have looked mediocre and bad except for the Clemson game. We have guys who can score and we have guys who can play D but only a few who can do both well at this time. We also lack rebounding and energy IMO. No reason we can’t win some games if we play like we did against Clemson. It’s a season long grind but hopefully our fans will help steal a few games at home.
 
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