Who knows, but we've been playing at a really high level since the blowout at Illinois (I thought we played ok against SHU, but couldn't hit enough shots), winning our last 3 B1G games, including the huge win over #1 Purdue and a good win over UM and now a nice blowout win over Nebraska. If we just hadn't blown those two games to Lafayette and UMass, we'd be in the conversation for the bubble right now (would be 11-3/3-1 vs. 9-5/3-1). Yeah I know it doesn't work like that, but the point is we're certainly playing light years better than earlier in the year and now there's at least a path back to the tourney now, if we can finish out 0.500 to get to 18-13/11-9 (if we can get the Rider game back) - if we can do that, 1 win in the B1G tourney might be enough, but probably 2 would be needed. Quite a nice turnaround from where we were - very happy for the staff and the players.
Could this actually be Pike's best team?
- Thread starter RU848789
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If they play this way on the road, then I will say yes.
If we beat UMass and Lafayette we wouldn’t be on the bubble, we would be safely in
If we hadn't blown those two games against Lafayette and UMass we probably are ranked or close to it. We'll inside the bubble area
Over 20 assists again today, wow. That’s the mark of a true TEAM.
But wait - didn't a lot of the idiots on this board call for Pike to be fired. I am so confused.
But in all seriousness , those dopes should be embarrassed and just go away - but they won't and will continue to spew warped negativity.
But in all seriousness , those dopes should be embarrassed and just go away - but they won't and will continue to spew warped negativity.
Any of us, including me, who dissed recruiting, needs crow. The team and talent is there. Its execution and enthusiasm. Hyatt in the portal is not even close to bad. And Reiber as a recruit was solid and makes the Agee as backup almost a really good get if he's 3rd man up.
Miller is a true point guard and will be as good a defender as Young once he hits his stride.
Wish we had won those 2 stupid OOC games.
Miller is a true point guard and will be as good a defender as Young once he hits his stride.
Wish we had won those 2 stupid OOC games.
Best team play is a yes! Need to see what this team can do on the road in the B1G.
Was going to say let’s wait to see what we look like on the road.
The turnaround has been impressive though - and it’s not like we shot lights out in the first half either. We won this game with defense Pike style and then shot well in the second half to make it a complete blow out.
The turnaround has been impressive though - and it’s not like we shot lights out in the first half either. We won this game with defense Pike style and then shot well in the second half to make it a complete blow out.
To me, Pikes biggest mistake this year was initially planning to redshirt Miller. His defensive intensity off the bench might have been the difference against Lafayette, U mass, and Depaul
Luckily we played the three (maybe four) best big men in the conference so far and are 3-1
The reality is if they didn’t screw up early (and to some degree get unlucky) they’d be right where we hoped they’d be and a near tourny lock. Great effort today almost everybody on the team played well.
Could it be? I guess, there’s still a lot of time left. But it certainly hasn’t been so far. As always, people are waay overreacting to recent games instead of looking at all the data available. We are still well outside the bubble currently.
4 in a row after only 8 at Seton Hall.. keep it up!
Good to see Agee and Jones get back in... glad to see Pike doesn't have much of a "dog house".
Weird note: good job by Nathan with the crew cut.. doesn't look like a soft big man now.
I forgot about that and it’s a fair point.
For me - I wasn’t so much caught up in the generic “best team yet” comments (our other teams had scares that could’ve gone the other way too) as I was the talking up of the bigs. We looked really bad down low against those mid majors.
Nebraska isn’t big, and they are a poor defensive team, however, for the first time this season I saw at least a possible avenue Pike could’ve been coming from. I still don’t think this will end up being our best front court ever but MJ could not buy a bucket from anywhere other than right underneath the hoop. If this group can make those shots enough to keep teams honest that’s a big deal and it was missing from past teams. And we’re not letting BIG centers have their way down low as I feared we might (other than Kofi so far).
Obviously, I was being provocative with the thread title, but sometimes I get sick of the incessant negativism of some posters and the dozens of "sky is falling" threads we've had, so why not a positive thread title, even if a bit overexuberant. For me, we need to win one or two on the road to really start to think this will be a tourney team, but it's also at least obvious now that we're a good team, who just went through a rough patch, and we're capable of dancing this year, if we continue playing well.
Hyatt for Montez is going to be a net positive by the end of this season.
Hard to blame Pike for thinking we could win those games without Miller but his defensive intensity could have turned those all into wins potentially. That play is contagious
Remember Carino did say the practice he went to preseason was by far the best shooting practice he has seen from Rutgers in all the years covering
Was thinking same thing so thanks for posting. Not that I’m sure it is, but at least it’s in the conversation so all the asshat pudknockers who flipped out can bite it.
They shot well in garbage time though.
The only thing that concerned me about us today was inbounding the ball. That’s something they need to work on before we go out on the road.
I have been saying this all along. This is his best team from a leadership and teaching perspective.
I do not think Myles and Young were capable of more. Cliff and Reiber are teachable and has a huge upside.
I do not think Myles and Young were capable of more. Cliff and Reiber are teachable and has a huge upside.
We will know a LOT more about this team in a week
Since the Clemson game , we are playing like a top 5-10 team at the RAC
But 0-4 on the road this year
If we get the next two wins by 8-12 points like I think we can...then truly, SEASON ON!!!
Since the Clemson game , we are playing like a top 5-10 team at the RAC
But 0-4 on the road this year
If we get the next two wins by 8-12 points like I think we can...then truly, SEASON ON!!!
I think the confidence Hyatt, Miller and Reiber are playing with and getting Mag back takes some load off starting five and doesn’t give us a major dropoff when they are inserted. Some here didn’t like having Maine and CCSU on the schedule, but I think those games helped solidify the team play and were confidence builders for those who needed it. After the Michigan game we were all on edge to see if we would regress today or continue to build better. We got the right answer.
Okay... here are some of your posts from the low times in November.
For this first one.. the thread title you made was..
"Positives we can take from tonight's loss"
This is your most positive post... and, luckily, prescient..
I dunno.. but it looks to me like you are now calling out the type of negative posts that you participated in. There's a word for that, isn't there?
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Have to win some games on the road. Just can’t win at home.
they'll be out like roaches on a disgarded piece of fried chicken next time we dont play well
I also agree that we need to take it one game at a time. I thought that PSU ,in spite of the loss, gave Purdue a tough time today. They are playing pretty well and it will be a difficult environment on Tuesday night. It will be a good win if we can pull it off.
Very good angle and makes sense. Cliff and Dean hitting shots from further out changes the offense. Hell, cliff putting most things around the rim in, changes the offense too, as compared to Myles.
The biggest drop off and our biggest vulnerability is definitely defense down low. But, we can't really get on Pike too much about that...hes got a highly touted kid in Cliff in the fold, and Myles was an elite post defender who just wanted to go home after graduating. It is what it is, but per your post, maybe we can mitigate it with offense etc.
Way off base with this post, as you're mining posts from right after the worst loss of the Pike era and a loss as bad as any we've had in 10+ years. People are going to be pretty upset after a loss like that (it's almost like citing posts from game threads, which we know are full of rants even by level-headed posters) and I bet you could find dozens of pretty negative posts from posters who aren't usually that negative, right after that game. And even then, it was clear that my first post was half in jest - do you actually think one loss would make me give up tickets after being a season ticket holder for 30+ years and after seeing far worse teams and coaches?
Also, none of my posts was anywhere near as negative as the many calling for Pike's head or saying some really horrible things about the team and players - I think few posters would put my post-Lafeyette thread in that category. IMO, only the 2nd post you cited was really negative and even in that one I left an out, i.e., "Unless Pike can work some miracles really fast this season is toast." But congrats for being "that guy" who mines old posts in some odd attempt to derail a thread.
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