Another take....R things actually that bad?

Scangg

Heisman
Mar 19, 2016
25,448
49,369
113
After tomorrow, it is likely there will be six teams at 8-6… assuming MSU beats OSU, Iowa beats Minny and Purdue beats NW.
Richie has been on fire with his picks this year and took OSU. They can't lose them all right?
 

Scarlet Shack

Heisman
Feb 3, 2004
26,298
16,009
73
Rutgers just lost to a 4 seed and a 6 seed on the road, the first by 6, the 2nd by 9 after allowing a 19-0 run but leading for 25 minutes.

The schedule is extremely favorable down the stretch. None of the 6 opponents are as good as the 2 RU just faced.

I think we need to consider. Let us see how it goes vs Nebby

there were over half dozen bubble schools who lost today, some to non tourney teams. Breath Rutgers fans breath
This …we lost by single digits to a 4 and 6 seed on the road and were in both games

Let’s take care of a pesky Nebraska and then put Wisconsin in the NIT on Saturday …

Two wins next week will have this fan base thinking 4 seed again …

Never as good as you look when your win , and almost never as bad as things seem off a L

Take care of Nebraska …
 

biazza38

Heisman
Nov 18, 2012
14,436
17,495
81
Our offense sucks and our defense has been meh without Mag.
We weren’t competitive today.
It’s not THAT bad, but I’m don’t understand the confidence going into the Nebby game. They are a competitive team that hasn’t quit. And we can’t shoot for crap.
We also have zero bench.
I really can’t wait until we don’t have to hold teams under 65 to win
 

Westcoast

All-American
Nov 14, 2001
22,416
5,976
113
The only games we've lost that we shouldn't have are Temple, SHU, and Iowa. We've balanced that out with wins at Purdue and Northwestern and a neutral site (yeah I know) over Michigan State. Are we going to be a 4 seed? No, that was a nice dream. But every single one of us would have signed up for where we're at now on November 1.

Thought experiment: Switch the @ Illinois game with the @ Purdue game and consider what your feelings on this team would be.
I'm ok with the loss today.
It was expected. But we had a chance to steal this one. Sitting Cliff so long after his 3rd doomed us.
 

fluoxetine

Heisman
Nov 11, 2012
23,529
16,898
0
Rutgers just lost to a 4 seed and a 6 seed on the road, the first by 6, the 2nd by 9 after allowing a 19-0 run but leading for 25 minutes.

The schedule is extremely favorable down the stretch. None of the 6 opponents are as good as the 2 RU just faced.

I think we need to consider. Let us see how it goes vs Nebby

there were over half dozen bubble schools who lost today, some to non tourney teams. Breath Rutgers fans breath
This is 100% the correct take. Today was brutal but it’s not like the ability to have horrific offensive droughts is some great surprise for this team. We were underdogs in both these games. We would’ve been underdogs in both these games with a healthy Mag. It’s a little disappointing not the get one of the two but it’s not some great tragedy. We are fine, we will play better
 

fluoxetine

Heisman
Nov 11, 2012
23,529
16,898
0
Our offense sucks and our defense has been meh without Mag.
We weren’t competitive today.
It’s not THAT bad, but I’m don’t understand the confidence going into the Nebby game. They are a competitive team that hasn’t quit. And we can’t shoot for crap.
We also have zero bench.
I really can’t wait until we don’t have to hold teams under 65 to win
Focus on more than just the most recent game. If we play like today all the time we are in trouble. There’s no reason this will happen though.
 

RU848789

Heisman
Jul 27, 2001
65,224
44,302
113
Rutgers just lost to a 4 seed and a 6 seed on the road, the first by 6, the 2nd by 9 after allowing a 19-0 run but leading for 25 minutes.

The schedule is extremely favorable down the stretch. None of the 6 opponents are as good as the 2 RU just faced.

I think we need to consider. Let us see how it goes vs Nebby

there were over half dozen bubble schools who lost today, some to non tourney teams. Breath Rutgers fans breath
Agreed and said fairly similar things in the thread I posted. Lose to NE and maybe it's time to panic, but beat them and we're 9-6 and need to go 2-3 against a schedule we should go 3-2/4-1 against if we play well, in order to lock up an NCAA bid. I expected those two losses especially w/o Mag and despite not having him, it's not like we were embarrassed against two very good teams (well, except for that 10 minute stretch today, but sometimes **** happens).
 
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anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy

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Michigan isnt a gimme, theyre playing better right now and we always struggle vs them to begin with.

Our team severely lacks talent. Imo its a miracle that pikes been able to even get them to this point. I didnt think wed win more than 8 big ten games. The fact were safely in the tourney right now is nuts. Win 3 more and were in
 

Scangg

Heisman
Mar 19, 2016
25,448
49,369
113
Michigan isnt a gimme, theyre playing better right now and we always struggle vs them to begin with.

Our team severely lacks talent. Imo its a miracle that pikes been able to even get them to this point. I didnt think wed win more than 8 big ten games. The fact were safely in the tourney right now is nuts. Win 3 more and were in
Mag would have been a good matchup for Howard too
 
Feb 6, 2022
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I don’t think it’s as bad as it seems. We may make the top four in the B10 tourney and we will def get an NCAA bid. The problem is we can easily be a one and done in each. The issue is our expectations for this team is much higher this year. We are all hoping for a sweet 16 this year based on some big wins but the reality of that not happening is becoming more apparent, esp after the loss of Mag. This may not be the year we hope for but the program is headed in right direction and will continue to be a force in the B10 and beyond. The future is still bright.Pike is building a great program and winning culture and will continue do so
GO RU
 

zebnatto

All-Conference
May 7, 2008
5,071
3,818
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Rutgers just lost to a 4 seed and a 6 seed on the road, the first by 6, the 2nd by 9 after allowing a 19-0 run but leading for 25 minutes.

The schedule is extremely favorable down the stretch. None of the 6 opponents are as good as the 2 RU just faced.

I think we need to consider. Let us see how it goes vs Nebby

there were over half dozen bubble schools who lost today, some to non tourney teams. Breath Rutgers fans breath
Good advice.
 
A

anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy

Guest
I don’t think it’s as bad as it seems. We may make the top four in the B10 tourney and we will def get an NCAA bid. The problem is we can easily be a one and done in each. The issue is our expectations for this team is much higher this year. We are all hoping for a sweet 16 this year based on some big wins but the reality of that not happening is becoming more apparent, esp after the loss of Mag. This may not be the year we hope for but the program is headed in right direction and will continue to be a force in the B10 and beyond. The future is still bright.Pike is building a great program and winning culture and will continue do so
GO RU
For me personally, I had low expectations coming into this season so I am really pleasantly surprised with how good weve been. I think we ultimately wind up on the 8-10 seed range at this point and then we just let it all play out.

The fact pikes been able to do what hes doing with this group is astounding. Theres a severe lack of talent and somehow hes getting them to the tourney. Amazing.
 

Rhuarc

All-American
Jul 25, 2001
6,506
7,038
113
I don’t think it’s as bad as it seems. We may make the top four in the B10 tourney and we will def get an NCAA bid. The problem is we can easily be a one and done in each. The issue is our expectations for this team is much higher this year. We are all hoping for a sweet 16 this year based on some big wins but the reality of that not happening is becoming more apparent, esp after the loss of Mag. This may not be the year we hope for but the program is headed in right direction and will continue to be a force in the B10 and beyond. The future is still bright.Pike is building a great program and winning culture and will continue do so
GO RU
At the start of this season, hardly anybody thought this team was better due to the loss of Geo and RHJ. They exceeded expectations out of the gate, played great D and showed just enough offense to win close games. Because of that, expectations increased.

Once you get into the grind of the conference schedule, some flaws showed up. Cam getting smothered and goes into scoring funk and has trouble getting off clean shots. Road games against good teams in hostile environments. Mag injury. Because of that, we need to lower expectations.

There's no reason that the season is over. We also could go on a big run if we can adjust to the loss of Mag and start hitting our shots consistently. A hot streak is definitely possible. The good news is it seems our NET is locked in a nice spot and will stay in the 20's as long as we win the games we're favored in. The fans just need to be patient and let it play out. I was disappointed after yesterday's game too, much more so than with IU. A lost opportunity but there's always the next game.
 

new jersey1_rivals661559

All-Conference
Oct 22, 2005
2,383
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As Aaron Breitman points out in his latest Scarlet Faithful piece, it may be beneficial to RU to have played two difficult road games right after losing Mag where they would have been underdogs even with Mag… than to have faced teams they are favored to beat with the increased possibility of losing these games because they are immediately adjusting without Mag.
 
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RUChoppin

Heisman
Dec 1, 2006
19,270
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he fouled in frustration after they took the ball away, do you think it was made up...the two players were there all alone there

It looks like he reached in a bit at first with no call, and then the player gathered and he just stood up with hands in the air. So, either the call was very very late, there was some contact that did not appear at all on camera, or the ref assumed there was contact and blew the whistle.

Regardless, it was probably one of the lightest fouls called in the game and easily the most negatively impactful on us. Omoruyi going to the bench is about the worst thing that can happen to us at this point, and he needs to know when to just give up on plays - which is hard to say to a competitive player, but he needs to play like he has 3 fouls from the opening tip.

I'd say the refs are good for at least one phantom on him a game, so he can't pick up cheap ones AT ALL. Pretty much zero margin for error.
 

bac2therac

Hall of Famer
Jul 30, 2001
248,924
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It looks like he reached in a bit at first with no call, and then the player gathered and he just stood up with hands in the air. So, either the call was very very late, there was some contact that did not appear at all on camera, or the ref assumed there was contact and blew the whistle.

Regardless, it was probably one of the lightest fouls called in the game and easily the most negatively impactful on us. Omoruyi going to the bench is about the worst thing that can happen to us at this point, and he needs to know when to just give up on plays - which is hard to say to a competitive player, but he needs to play like he has 3 fouls from the opening tip.

I'd say the refs are good for at least one phantom on him a game, so he can't pick up cheap ones AT ALL. Pretty much zero margin for error.


Going to get called for a silly reach in 85 ft from basket. He had no business doing that. His 2nd and 4th fouls were also were not good fouls. Cliff keeps killing the team.
 

RUChoppin

Heisman
Dec 1, 2006
19,270
13,695
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Going to get called for a silly reach in 85 ft from basket. He had no business doing that. His 2nd and 4th fouls were also were not good fouls. Cliff keeps killing the team.
But he wasn't called for the reach, is what I'm saying. He reached while the ball was loose, and no whistle. Then the player gathered the ball a few steps away and stopped, and Omoruyi stood up with hands in the air. THAT was what drew the whistle. He had already given up and was running down court when the whistle blew.

Yes, he should have given up earlier - can't do a one man press. But that also was a bit of a phantom call (or a very very late one).
 
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DHajekRC84

Heisman
Aug 9, 2001
30,708
19,815
0
the issue becomes yes the competition is easier but some of these teams may smell some blood in the water. The blueprint to beating RU is pretty much well known now. Our offense did struggle vs Michigan State as well. Need to nip in the bud right away with a strong start vs Nebby...a better first half than they had vs Minny
I never expected this to be a 4 seed but it's the reaction to adversity and lack of awareness that troubles me. The way we showed vs. SHU at home in a huge SHU game and these last two without Mag. And as you pointed out our offense at MSG was pretty darn bad too.

I would expect by Paul and Cliff would be playing smarter and the team better together as a whole on offense. Knowing strengths and the right guys taking the right shots at the right time. With the style we play and as little a margin of error exists in our tight games valuing every possession is key but lacking imho. THAT is my concern. Limping into the tourney will throw away a great deal of the equity we built earlier.
 

Scarlet Shack

Heisman
Feb 3, 2004
26,298
16,009
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The take on the board is beyond manic -depressive

When things are good…people get way too high

When things are little off…the shy is falling, self loathing is just too much

If you take a good look at college basketball RIGHT NOW…76 power confrence teams

There are 23 teams with 7 or less losses
There are 18 teams with 8 or 9 losses
There are 35 teams with 10+ losses

There is a lot of parity in major college basketball …whixh makes the margin for error to win much smaller …everywhere

We are four weeks and a day out from selection Sunday …and I am starting to see that there may only be 12-14 single loss teams power confrenxe teams

We are part of the mainstream of major college baskerball …and trending toward our 4th (yes I said that)….ncaa bid in a row . Not too many can say that

We certainly have sone depth issues with Mawot, making our margin for error which was probably average now below average

Sure , there is always room for improvement . And frustration after two tough losses on the road to two very good teams …both, objectively , we had teams on the ropes and didn’t get the knock out punch to get the win

But …let’s just focus on next week. We have six very winnable games coming up , and need to take care of business

Short of a one or two seed in the ncaa , everything is on the table for this year , from a 9 game winning streak and. A 3’seed in the ncaa (maybe four)….to a collapse and a NIT bid

What we are going is why This is why this confrence is a meat grinder …likely more so than any other confrncee …very few win less than seven and very few win more than 13….the Margin of error is low …with very good basketball teams in this league . The ncaa selection committee continues to agree

Let’s relax, and get the win against Nebraska on Tuesday ….and move forward
 
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RUChoppin

Heisman
Dec 1, 2006
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The take on the board is beyond manic -depressive

When things are good…people get way too high

When things are little off…the shy is falling, self loathing is just too much

If you take a good look at college basketball RIGHT NOW…76 power confrence teams

There are 23 teams with 7 or less losses
There are 18 teams with 8 or 9 losses
There are 35 teams with 10+ losses

There is a lot of parity in major college basketball …whixh makes the margin for error to win much smaller …everywhere

We are four weeks and a day out from selection Sunday …and I am starting to see that there may only be 12-14 single loss teams power confrenxe teams

We are part of the mainstream of major college baskerball …and trending toward our 4th (yes I said that)….ncaa bid in a row . Not too many can say that

We certainly have sone depth issues with Mawot, making our margin for error which was probably average now below average

Sure , there is always room for improvement . And frustration after two tough losses on the road to two very good teams …both, objectively , we had teams on the ropes and didn’t get the knock out punch to get the win

But …let’s just focus on next week. We have six very winnable games coming up , and need to take care of business

Short of a one or two seed in the ncaa , everything is on the table for this year , from a 9 game winning streak and. A 3’seed in the ncaa (maybe four)….to a collapse and a NIT bid

What we are going is why This is why this confrence is a meat grinder …likely more so than any other confrncee …very few win less than seven and very few win more than 13….the Margin of error is low …with very good basketball teams in this league . The ncaa selection committee continues to agree

Let’s relax, and get the win against Nebraska on Tuesday ….and move forward

Pike needs to use these next 6 games to workshop a way to win without Mag's defense, offensive rebounding, and eFG%. I'm not worried that much about making the tournament - I'm worried about flaming out early in the tournament.
 
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RUJMM78

Heisman
Jul 25, 2001
26,246
12,523
113
The schedule is easier based on who we are playing. Pretty much everyone has an equal number of home and away games.
The schedule is easier but Rutgers still has to put the ball in the basket.The loss of seven points from Mag has to be made up or Rutgers will struggle even to score 60 points.The absence of consistent 3 point scoring from Spencer and Hyatt makes winning far more difficult.
 

bac2therac

Hall of Famer
Jul 30, 2001
248,924
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Remember when Jerry Carino wrote a whole article dunking on RU fans for comments on Derek Simpson based on 1 five minute stretch vs Indiana
 

anon1753890747

All-Conference
Sep 29, 2006
3,859
3,644
72
If Cliff doesn't take that silly 3rd foul totally different game in my opinion. I am an optimist and believe the next 6 we right the ship and get used to play without Mag.
I agree, however what make you think he will change his propensity to get himself in foul trouble due to lack of defensive situational
Awareness
 

ru66

All-American
Jul 28, 2001
12,175
6,257
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At the start of this season, hardly anybody thought this team was better due to the loss of Geo and RHJ. They exceeded expectations out of the gate, played great D and showed just enough offense to win close games. Because of that, expectations increased.

Once you get into the grind of the conference schedule, some flaws showed up. Cam getting smothered and goes into scoring funk and has trouble getting off clean shots. Road games against good teams in hostile environments. Mag injury. Because of that, we need to lower expectations.

There's no reason that the season is over. We also could go on a big run if we can adjust to the loss of Mag and start hitting our shots consistently. A hot streak is definitely possible. The good news is it seems our NET is locked in a nice spot and will stay in the 20's as long as we win the games we're favored in. The fans just need to be patient and let it play out. I was disappointed after yesterday's game too, much more so than with IU. A lost opportunity but there's always the next game.
The early absences of Caleb and Mulcahy probably resulted in a couple of losses , that, and the OSU screwing can now put our season in real jeopardy after the Mag loss. The adversity this year is sometimes forgotten in the euphoria of our successes.
 
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RUChoppin

Heisman
Dec 1, 2006
19,270
13,695
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This team is like a flush in poker. It doesn't matter whether the lowest card is a 3 or a 7... but it has to be the same suit and work with the other four cards to be strong, or you're just hoping the other guy has bad cards on that hand.

Right now I feel like we're playing four-to-a-flush and hoping to find that fifth card in time for the tournament.
 

motorb54

All-Conference
Dec 22, 2005
10,092
4,479
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the issue becomes yes the competition is easier but some of these teams may smell some blood in the water. The blueprint to beating RU is pretty much well known now. Our offense did struggle vs Michigan State as well. Need to nip in the bud right away with a strong start vs Nebby...a better first half than they had vs Minny
In the last three we have scored 61, 60, and 60.
Need 65 or more.
On the plus side the two toughest of the six remaining are all at JMA/RAC: Michigan and Northwestern, in addition to Nebraska. The three road games are Wisconsin, Penn State, and Minnesota. So we are playing four of the five bottom teams.
Wisconsin blew a 17 point lead yesterday letting Nebraska go crazy from 3.
Cannot let Keisei Tominaga get going.
 
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Scarlet Shack

Heisman
Feb 3, 2004
26,298
16,009
73
Pike needs to use these next 6 games to workshop a way to win without Mag's defense, offensive rebounding, and eFG%. I'm not worried that much about making the tournament - I'm worried about flaming out early in the tournament.

I hear what you are saying , but while sone slight tweaking of what we do to improve is always part of coaching , the reality is you are not going to change the gameplan 4 1/2 months into the season with 4 weeks to go until selection. Sunday

People need to realize that the margin of error between number 13 (the first four seed) and number 52 (the last thirteenth seed ) is extreamkt low …and that what we do in the tournmwnt is gojng to be these exact tight games we are okaying night in and night out in the big ten …and the goal is to be peaking in three weeks …going into the win or go home mentality

We just need to get better at playing Rutgers basketball right now …which always has sone tweaks and subtle changes….as we head into mid February .

The big ten grind is almost over …and the end game of the regular season ks coming …so with An experienced group …they need to get a little more sense of urgency and play with that purpose ….
 
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anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy

Guest
Another positive is that the bubble is REALLY BAD. And the big ten is kinda trash again.

Basically if we just beat nebraska and minny were in. Weve built a very nice cushion
 

goru7

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Dec 12, 2005
6,437
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I dont know but the ref is standing right there...
It was exactly as Choppin described and the ref blew the call. Why would you defend it ? Horrendous take by you as it impacted the game. In fact , as I was texting my Illinois buddy during the game , I told him it was a ******** bad call and it was the BIG 10 refs gift to let Illinois back in the game.
 
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goru7

All-American
Dec 12, 2005
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The take on the board is beyond manic -depressive

When things are good…people get way too high

When things are little off…the shy is falling, self loathing is just too much

If you take a good look at college basketball RIGHT NOW…76 power confrence teams

There are 23 teams with 7 or less losses
There are 18 teams with 8 or 9 losses
There are 35 teams with 10+ losses

There is a lot of parity in major college basketball …whixh makes the margin for error to win much smaller …everywhere

We are four weeks and a day out from selection Sunday …and I am starting to see that there may only be 12-14 single loss teams power confrenxe teams

We are part of the mainstream of major college baskerball …and trending toward our 4th (yes I said that)….ncaa bid in a row . Not too many can say that

We certainly have sone depth issues with Mawot, making our margin for error which was probably average now below average

Sure , there is always room for improvement . And frustration after two tough losses on the road to two very good teams …both, objectively , we had teams on the ropes and didn’t get the knock out punch to get the win

But …let’s just focus on next week. We have six very winnable games coming up , and need to take care of business

Short of a one or two seed in the ncaa , everything is on the table for this year , from a 9 game winning streak and. A 3’seed in the ncaa (maybe four)….to a collapse and a NIT bid

What we are going is why This is why this confrence is a meat grinder …likely more so than any other confrncee …very few win less than seven and very few win more than 13….the Margin of error is low …with very good basketball teams in this league . The ncaa selection committee continues to agree

Let’s relax, and get the win against Nebraska on Tuesday ….and move forward
Excellent summary and perspective
 

RUChoppin

Heisman
Dec 1, 2006
19,270
13,695
0
I hear what you are saying , but while sone slight tweaking of what we do to improve is always part of coaching , the reality is you are not going to change the gameplan 4 1/2 months into the season with 4 weeks to go until selection. Sunday

People need to realize that the margin of error between number 13 (the first four seed) and number 52 (the last thirteenth seed ) is extreamkt low …and that what we do in the tournmwnt is gojng to be these exact tight games we are okaying night in and night out in the big ten …and the goal is to be peaking in three weeks …going into the win or go home mentality

We just need to get better at playing Rutgers basketball right now …which always has sone tweaks and subtle changes….as we head into mid February .

The big ten grind is almost over …and the end game of the regular season ks coming …so with An experienced group …they need to get a little more sense of urgency and play with that purpose ….
When one of your starters goes down for the season, you need more than slight tweaking. Especially when it is a starter in a role where we don't have a lot of redundancy (back to the basket post play, defense against big PFs).
 
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