Pike could recruit better players from high school or portal. We have many average guys who work hard on defense most of the time. But we lack guys with "it". I mean we get excited about Dean. He is very limited. Hyatt is bad. Agee. Palmquist. Jones. A couple off the bench play good defense but have zip offense. These guys are bench players in the Atlantic 10. Just looking at the players off the bench for Michigan, you can see the talent. They are not stiffs like wut we have off the bench. Pike and staff need to recruit way higher, way higher. He has missed on every big time player except for Cliff. Jones remains a question mark. Pike is a 2* recruiter that's for sure.
We would be much better if..
- Thread starter ImBadRU
- Start date
I don't expect recruiting to change- because they don't care enough. I never read or hear about Pike showing up to recruits games, or rarely read about recruits saying Rutgers is recruiting them the hardest. Its seems thier content- on settling for players who are under recruited and just developing them. This could catch up to them in a bad way soon
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Watch it guys you're going to get attacked by Pike's Gestapo...the Pike-eez. Hey he got us to the dance last year and we hadn't been there in 30 years so that's good enough for the attackers who obviously don't have high expectations.
There are different ways to run a successful basketball program.The elite programs recruit top tier talent and simply reload every season.Mid level programs recruit lower level talent and gain success with player development.In a power conference there is a greater need for recruiting difference maker talent to keep up with league rivals.Rutgers is a mid level program that has found success by players over achieving but the performances have been inconsistent when it comes to scoring.Next year will show draamtic changes in the roster .Nobody knows how the new players will perform and what improvement will be shown by the bench players.
That's the exact opposite of what was reported early in Pike's tenure. I thought Pike was a gym rat and was all over the place watching games. I'm curious as to where the truth actually is.
I hope these fans understand that there are actually periods that have changed in the last year or so now on the calendar where visits are allowed and when they aren't.....you'd be surprised on how far common sense or lack of knowledge goes with some fans...."let me find something I have no idea what I'm talking about, post it on the message board because I don't like the coach".
I think it was a month ago where the OP didn't understand or know how assistant coaches are responsible for understanding the substitution patterns and player rotations for the opponents, so that we understand and can ensure we have the proper matchups...it was another laughable post that just shows nothing about basketball or shows that fans watch little to no basketball whatsoever.
Do our fans really and honestly believe that we are doing something wrong or differently than what pretty much every successful program does?? It would just be simpler to say "I don't watch College basketball or hoops in general and only watch RU games....."
I think it was a month ago where the OP didn't understand or know how assistant coaches are responsible for understanding the substitution patterns and player rotations for the opponents, so that we understand and can ensure we have the proper matchups...it was another laughable post that just shows nothing about basketball or shows that fans watch little to no basketball whatsoever.
Do our fans really and honestly believe that we are doing something wrong or differently than what pretty much every successful program does?? It would just be simpler to say "I don't watch College basketball or hoops in general and only watch RU games....."
Well, I'm not a Pike-eez(whatever the heck that is), but it really would have been the Dance 2 years in a row, just to be fair. The reality is, yes, there have been some head-scratching coaching decisions in his tenure, but isn't that with most coaches outside of the very best? We would really not be having this conversation right now had we beaten the teams we should have early on. Being 19-12 right now(20-12 had we played Rider), would have made our NET much better, and we would have pretty much punched our ticket already, not even counting the missed opportunities against Minny and NW.
This comes down to the players; this was a year in which a Head Coach is supposed to be able to lean on his veterans. Yes, he lost Myles and Young(but that happens everywhere), so there could be an understanding of a slow start, but not against this out of conference schedule. Pike had more than enough not to lose those games. Players have to make plays and take over games; Harper, Geo, Paul and McConnel have had highs, but have been incredibly inconsistent as well. You can blame that on coaching, but I put a lot of the blame on the players; players have to make plays at the end of the day.
If we are having this conversation at this time next season, fair enough.
Why is this hard to understand why the bench is weaker this year compared to the last 2 years and recruiting isn't developing because 5 Freshman are 5 freshman.
2019-20 Starters Geo 3rd, Tez 2nd, Ron 2nd, Yeboah 5th yr, Myles 3rd
Caleb 2nd yr and Carter 4th yr started games, JY 4th yr and Paul Freshman completed the 9 man rotation.
20-21 8 man rotation and starters, Geo 4th, JY 5th, Caleb 3rd, Tez 3rd, Ron 3rd, Myles 4th, Paul 2nd, Cliff Freshman
21-22 our balance in classes is off due to Covid and transfers,
Starter Geo 5th yr 141 games, 4498 minutes, Ron 4th year 117 gm 3367 minutes, Caleb 4th year 2406 minutes, Paul 3rd yr 2203 minutes, Cliff 2nd year 1140 minutes
Bench Hyatt 81 gm, 1070 minutes, Mag 37gm 372 minutes, Reiber.37 gm 256 minutes, Jaden 21 gm 187 minutes, Palm 27 gm, 150 minutes, Miller 20 gm 169:minutes, Ralph 67 gm, 1139 minutes(118 RU)
7 players with a total 3343 minutes equal to Ron's experience and less than Geo. with a 5th yr, a 2nd yr, and 5 freshman. Not an ideal bench in any year.
Sr Geo, Ron, Luke/Aiden, Ralph
Jr Caleb, Paul(more 3rd than 2nd but has extra yr)
So Hyatt(3rd but more 2nd), Cliff
Fr Mag, Reiber, Palm, Jaden, Jalen
We are just a young talented team overall, just need time and patience to fit the piece in the holes when they become sophomores and juniors together like Geo Myles, Ron, Tez and Caleb did in 19-20
2019-20 Starters Geo 3rd, Tez 2nd, Ron 2nd, Yeboah 5th yr, Myles 3rd
Caleb 2nd yr and Carter 4th yr started games, JY 4th yr and Paul Freshman completed the 9 man rotation.
20-21 8 man rotation and starters, Geo 4th, JY 5th, Caleb 3rd, Tez 3rd, Ron 3rd, Myles 4th, Paul 2nd, Cliff Freshman
21-22 our balance in classes is off due to Covid and transfers,
Starter Geo 5th yr 141 games, 4498 minutes, Ron 4th year 117 gm 3367 minutes, Caleb 4th year 2406 minutes, Paul 3rd yr 2203 minutes, Cliff 2nd year 1140 minutes
Bench Hyatt 81 gm, 1070 minutes, Mag 37gm 372 minutes, Reiber.37 gm 256 minutes, Jaden 21 gm 187 minutes, Palm 27 gm, 150 minutes, Miller 20 gm 169:minutes, Ralph 67 gm, 1139 minutes(118 RU)
7 players with a total 3343 minutes equal to Ron's experience and less than Geo. with a 5th yr, a 2nd yr, and 5 freshman. Not an ideal bench in any year.
Sr Geo, Ron, Luke/Aiden, Ralph
Jr Caleb, Paul(more 3rd than 2nd but has extra yr)
So Hyatt(3rd but more 2nd), Cliff
Fr Mag, Reiber, Palm, Jaden, Jalen
We are just a young talented team overall, just need time and patience to fit the piece in the holes when they become sophomores and juniors together like Geo Myles, Ron, Tez and Caleb did in 19-20
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Have we had anyone come off the bench and score in double figures this year?
Most of the time our whole bench doesn't get double figures in a game.
Most of the time our whole bench doesn't get double figures in a game.
Would love for you to see that no one is saying getting us to the dance arguable isn’t “good enough”. What is being said as how many RU coaches in the past failed to come close to the accomplishments. Those calling for Pike to be fired, can you guarantee what coach will come in and do better? Let’s remember we don’t have “bag men”
Put me solidly in the camp that there was no need for another thread on this topic. Its like the OP realized they hit the jackpot by fomenting a long winded exchange between the pro and anti-Pike groups in a thread two days ago about recruiting and decided to double down. While I think there is a reason to question and be critical of some recruiting and roster management decisions, anything beyond that just doesn't make a lot of sense. NIL and a more liberal transfer environment has changed the roster building playbook. Some are adapting more quickly than others. Pike needs to figure it out this off season.
I am firm believer that he no longer gets a pass for what shape the program was in before he got here. Let's just let this season play out an then evaluate where the program is.
I am firm believer that he no longer gets a pass for what shape the program was in before he got here. Let's just let this season play out an then evaluate where the program is.
Few are rarely in the game long enough to score that many. and it's clear that Pike had a certain role for each and sticks to his design. He has designed plays for them at designed times and designed rotations and minutes (in general).
You guys can report it to mods and suggest a merge. Not critiquing just suggesting.btw, wasn't this thread started 2 days before the other one?edit: lol. I just realized MAD started them both. So technically the question should have been why the Other thread haha. And that merged into this .
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^This says it all. Pick on the coach, his recruiting, and our weak bench all you want, but Pike put together a starting 5 for this year that can go toe to toe with almost any team in the country. We’ve beaten 5 top 15 teams in the same season, which is a rarity in college hoops.
It’s our starting 5 who are responsible for our successes and also our failures. Our bench, in spot minutes, for the most part has made a positive contribution this year.
When a true freshman has an assist wiped away by a questionable charge call, you can forgive it and chalk it up to youth and inexperience, but when your 5th year leader throws away too many lobs and long passes in the same game, it’s unforgivable. Is that the coaches fault, for trusting his leader to make better decisions with fewer unforced errors?
All that said, until the music stops this team is still good enough to earn their way into the big dance.