Rothstein preseason top 45

May 11, 2010
72,487
56,952
0
 

BigEastPhil

Heisman
Nov 25, 2007
19,337
13,608
66
Big 10 is not looking very strong per Rothstein which is expected given relatively poor recruiting and poor record of incoming transfers compared to other power leagues.

Just another reason why a stronger OOC schedule is needed.
 

RutgersSam

All-Conference
Nov 6, 2004
6,507
1,780
113
B1G has been vastly overrated by most the last few years...it was probably the 4th or 5th best conference in terms of elite teams. It has quantity not much quality, and things are about to get worse it seems.

I'm a huge fan of Gavin Griffiths.. if Pike can secure his commitment, it would be the biggest recruit for RU in recent memory if not in the last 20-30 years. I see him as an elite college player.
 

Plum Street

Heisman
Jun 21, 2009
27,306
23,010
0
B1G has been vastly overrated by most the last few years...it was probably the 4th or 5th best conference in terms of elite teams. It has quantity not much quality, and things are about to get worse it seems.

I'm a huge fan of Gavin Griffiths.. if Pike can secure his commitment, it would be the biggest recruit for RU in recent memory if not in the last 20-30 years. I see him as an elite college player.
Cliff says hello
 
  • Like
Reactions: Yeah Baby

NewJerseyHawk

Heisman
Jan 11, 2007
24,788
39,724
113
Big 10 is not looking very strong per Rothstein which is expected given relatively poor recruiting and poor record of incoming transfers compared to other power leagues.

Just another reason why a stronger OOC schedule is needed.

I have no idea how this take was arrived at on poor recruiting or transfers in, the league has been at the top or 2nd in recruiting for at least 4 to 5 straight seasons.

Matthew Mayer just landed at Illinois from Baylor, Ohio State landed 3 starters via the portal and the HS recruiting has been pretty consistent.

Probably best to wait until the transfers and commitments are completed, instead of an inaccurate "way too early Rothstein Top 45".
 

combes

Heisman
Jul 10, 2001
36,256
10,766
66
Here’s the Torvick for Big Ten.

 

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
14,244
13,565
78
If the B1G is down, don’t you think we would win more games? (All things equal)
By that logic, don’t you think maybe you ought to be less fearful of playing a few more halfway decent teams OOC?

All things equal, if we can win 12 of 20 BIG games, your logic says it’s rare we’ll do worse than 6 of 10 OOC unless we make the non-conference harder than the BIG schedule…
 
  • Like
Reactions: batts

Greene Rice FIG

Heisman
Dec 30, 2005
40,437
23,613
0
By that logic, don’t you think maybe you ought to be less fearful of playing a few more halfway decent teams OOC?

All things equal, if we can win 12 of 20 BIG games, your logic says it’s rare we’ll do worse than 6 of 10 OOC unless we make the non-conference harder than the BIG schedule…
not if we aren't sure of what the rotations are going to look like
we want to give time to younger players
we want to be fresh by the end of the season

watching the game vs. Notre Dame it was obvious to me the team flat out ran out of gas. it wasn't a lack of effort. our key players were playing 35+ minutes every game.

Unless you have 10 guys who are "playable" there is a lot of value in shrinking the amount of stress minutes. Last year we had to fight up the mountain all year once we dug a hole.
 

Greene Rice FIG

Heisman
Dec 30, 2005
40,437
23,613
0
maybe a poor analogy.....you are a GM of a baseball team and you have the ability to move the fences and the only thing you care about is winning.....how do you move the fences?
 
Dec 30, 2017
763
753
0
B1G has been vastly overrated by most the last few years...it was probably the 4th or 5th best conference in terms of elite teams. It has quantity not much quality, and things are about to get worse it seems.

I'm a huge fan of Gavin Griffiths.. if Pike can secure his commitment, it would be the biggest recruit for RU in recent memory if not in the last 20-30 years. I see him as an elite college player.
Huge fan? Going to guess you never watched more than a highlight video and rankings are making you such a fan
 
  • Like
Reactions: jerzeyguy

Fighter of the Nightman

All-Conference
Jul 8, 2019
2,477
2,633
0
The Big Ten was “overrated” because its game had developed to fit its talent inconference, IMO - elite, old school big men ruled the day, and rosters were constructed to compliment that. With the departure of Kofi, Garza and others and the guards that flanked them, along with an influx of new transfers and young talent, I think you’ll see the Big Ten’s style of play adapt, as well. Maybe what looks worse on paper is actually better suited for inter-conference play! Heck, no one thought the ACC was “good” this year, and look what they did.

P.S. The Big Ten was only really overrated in 2020-21 … we had zero teams seeded above a 3, and we accordingly had zero teams in the Elite Eight. People simply kept clinging to the previous year’s narrative, but we honestly were not RATED that highly, lol.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rutger80

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
14,244
13,565
78
not if we aren't sure of what the rotations are going to look like
we want to give time to younger players
we want to be fresh by the end of the season

watching the game vs. Notre Dame it was obvious to me the team flat out ran out of gas. it wasn't a lack of effort. our key players were playing 35+ minutes every game.

Unless you have 10 guys who are "playable" there is a lot of value in shrinking the amount of stress minutes. Last year we had to fight up the mountain all year once we dug a hole.

Okay - but no matter what, the OOC is going to be leaps and bounds easier than the conference schedule to begin with just based on half the BIG games being played on the road. Last year was the absolute max for us with true road games (3). That’s not even factoring the massive dip in the overall caliber of teams.

We’ll find out in a few weeks when the ACC challenge match ups come out the extent of concern there should be on the OOC schedule. Let’s just hope they send us to South Bend and not Boston. We’ll be in much better position if that happens. Having @ BC and Seton Hall as our only remotely real games would put immense early pressure on our guys to not only win out against the low major bottom feeders, but to also not lose both the real games.
 

Greene Rice FIG

Heisman
Dec 30, 2005
40,437
23,613
0
So we have 12+ road games. Whether ND is a 30 or BC is a 120 is as important as in Minny a 30 or 120 or NEB is a 50 or a 140.

If we are 9-2 OOC (with a weak one)
10-10 in B1G
1-1 B1Gt

I like my chance at 20-13
 

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
14,244
13,565
78
So we have 12+ road games. Whether ND is a 30 or BC is a 120 is as important as in Minny a 30 or 120 or NEB is a 50 or a 140.

If we are 9-2 OOC (with a weak one)
10-10 in B1G
1-1 B1Gt

I like my chance at 20-13

First of all, it appears next year we only will have 11 road games (the ACC challenge game will likely be the only non-conference one). BC finished at 141 by the way which is still quad 3 on the road.

I think you might not be grasping how much worse next year’s OOC schedule could be than ever before. We may be looking at -0- Q1 games, 1 Q2 game (assuming SHU is a top 75 team), 1 Q3 game, and the rest Q4s. That would be legendary.

On your other point, I’m not exactly sure why you’d like our chances at 20-13 with a schedule like this? Which permutation do you think would get us in? Oh and don’t throw Indiana at me as their 20-13 record included a run to the BIG finals, a Q1 OOC win (ND) and a Q2 OOC win (St John’s). Plus not that their non-conference was great but several of their Q4 wins were NET top 200 (only one 300+). Again - we’d have a mediocre conference record, plus potentially zero non-conference wins better than NET 250ish. I can’t see how that would be good enough.
 
Last edited:

Greene Rice FIG

Heisman
Dec 30, 2005
40,437
23,613
0
We won't know how bad our OOC schedule is until the season is over. We also don't know how good B1G will be. We also don't know how ready our team will be on Day 1.

It is EXTREMELY unlikely the schedule will determine whether we make the tournament. It will be the team that plays the schedule in front of them that determines whether we make the NCAAs.

The committee does a pretty good job of placing the right teams. If our schedule is weak, but our team is good we will find a way to win enough games. If our team is bad then the schedule won't matter.

The analysis/debate that I think is worthwhile is what is the optimal type of schedule for the 2022-23 Rutgers basketball team.

If you think we are deep and definitely a NCAA caliber team than a tough schedule makes sense getting the team ready for March. Playing different teams with different styles OOC may prepare us for NCAAs.

If you think we are a work in progress that will get better as the season moves on and the team is a borderline NCAA caliber team than you play a weaker OOC allowing to get wins while we figure things out and let newcomers get their feet wet in a lower stress environment.

If we really are a rebuilding team you play a weak schedule to not stop momentum and have a losing season.
 

Greene Rice FIG

Heisman
Dec 30, 2005
40,437
23,613
0
bottom line....many are overrating the need for a OOC schedule and definitely not taking in to consideration what a tough OOC does to a record.
 

kcg88

Heisman
Aug 11, 2017
10,862
17,230
0
bottom line....many are overrating the need for a OOC schedule and definitely not taking in to consideration what a tough OOC does to a record.
I've looked at it more and I don't have a giant problem with the schedule except that I think we should try to get in a neutral site tournament every year. Obviously too late for that this year. It doesn't need to be the highest profile one. Minnesota played in one last season with Princeton, WKU, and South Carolina. Why can't we do that?

The rest of the schedule is fine. CCSU and Coppin State will be awful, we know that. Columbia and Bucknell will likely not be as bad as they were last season, although Columbia is 2-26 in their last two seasons of Ivy League play and somehow hasn't fired the coach. They could be wretched again but hopefully they can be like #275 and not #351. Rider is the fine sort of #175-250 team to schedule.

Throw in a middle to bad ACC opponent and Seton Hall and one other P5 game and it's fine. Especially for a team working in so many new pieces.
 

Greene Rice FIG

Heisman
Dec 30, 2005
40,437
23,613
0
I've looked at it more and I don't have a giant problem with the schedule except that I think we should try to get in a neutral site tournament every year. Obviously too late for that this year. It doesn't need to be the highest profile one. Minnesota played in one last season with Princeton, WKU, and South Carolina. Why can't we do that?

The rest of the schedule is fine. CCSU and Coppin State will be awful, we know that. Columbia and Bucknell will likely not be as bad as they were last season, although Columbia is 2-26 in their last two seasons of Ivy League play and somehow hasn't fired the coach. They could be wretched again but hopefully they can be like #275 and not #351. Rider is the fine sort of #175-250 team to schedule.

Throw in a middle to bad ACC opponent and Seton Hall and one other P5 game and it's fine. Especially for a team working in so many new pieces.
Could be wrong here......I think the neutral site tournament would take away our BS tournament and end up costing us froma games played and home gate stand point. There is a reason we form that as a tournament.
 

kcg88

Heisman
Aug 11, 2017
10,862
17,230
0
Could be wrong here......I think the neutral site tournament would take away our BS tournament and end up costing us froma games played and home gate stand point. There is a reason we form that as a tournament.
The money we get from an extra home game or two is negligible in the grand scheme of things considering the TV money that rolls in. Also these tournaments generally pay the teams they invite. A small tournament wouldn't be much but it would help offset whatever we lose by not selling seats for a game against Coppin State.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Local Shill

Greene Rice FIG

Heisman
Dec 30, 2005
40,437
23,613
0
I understand and respect what you say and the lost revenue may be small, but it isn’t like the athletic department is showing a profit. 2 extra home games could mean a better assistant coach.

I do think the season ticket holder is paying a flat rate and not a per game price so it doesn’t matter all that much. The price I am paying for my seat I don’t think moves based on how many home games we have.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rusty_Screw_88

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
14,244
13,565
78
I've looked at it more and I don't have a giant problem with the schedule except that I think we should try to get in a neutral site tournament every year. Obviously too late for that this year. It doesn't need to be the highest profile one. Minnesota played in one last season with Princeton, WKU, and South Carolina. Why can't we do that?

The rest of the schedule is fine. CCSU and Coppin State will be awful, we know that. Columbia and Bucknell will likely not be as bad as they were last season, although Columbia is 2-26 in their last two seasons of Ivy League play and somehow hasn't fired the coach. They could be wretched again but hopefully they can be like #275 and not #351. Rider is the fine sort of #175-250 team to schedule.

Throw in a middle to bad ACC opponent and Seton Hall and one other P5 game and it's fine. Especially for a team working in so many new pieces.

Absolutely nobody would be complaining if we were planning to add another neutral tourney plus another P5 game. I’d actually be fine just adding the neutral tourney. I wouldn’t want to add too many potentially losable games.

Green is hoping we fill out the schedule with more low majors. No neutral tourney. No extra P5 game. Just Seton Hall at home, the ACC challenge game and a collection of Q4s.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Local Shill

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
14,244
13,565
78
bottom line....many are overrating the need for a OOC schedule and definitely not taking in to consideration what a tough OOC does to a record.

For the thousandth time, nobody is suggesting a “tough” schedule. Just a few more real games like we usually have. Not only 2.

In 2016-17 - Pike inherited a 7 win team. No team fits the rebuild prototype more than that one. We played @ SHU, @ Miami, @ DePaul and @ Stonybrook. We also played a neutral game against Fordham. That season we escaped the non-conference schedule with 2 losses. The following year we played your kind of schedule and we ended up losing more.
 
The Knight Report

Latest

  1. 01 The Knight Report Four-Star Forward Brandon Woodard commits to Rutgers Basketball
  2. 02 The Knight Report Rutgers Wrestling's Newest Star Anthony Knox Addresses His Past and Looks Ahead
  3. 03 The Knight Report Full 2026-27 Rutgers Wrestling Schedule Released
  4. 04 The Knight Report Rutgers Football HC Greg Schiano talks Indiana game week
  5. 05 The Knight Report How former Rutgers Football players performed in the NFL's Week Three