Decent season but terrible ending.
Plenty to build on for the future
Plenty to build on for the future
2018-2019 Season Thoughts Thread
- Thread starter Tango Two
- Start date
5 sellouts a chance to get the casual fan into it and lose all 5. PSU who has literally no fans and we have a historic comeback and lose by 1 on senior day and yet another sport where they destroy our storybook ending. Historic buzzer beater loss in another one. End the year with other team dunking on us with flagrant fouls. Yea great season. But at least we pulled off the barn burner against Columbia.
14-17, you are what your record is.
14-17, you are what your record is.
Not as much as you might think. The only three legit Big 10 players out there are Harper, Johnson and Omoruyi.
With the experienced guards we have on the staff it's a disgrace that Mathis is still out of control.
Not the right time to have a thread like this since everyone is sour from tonight
Pike's plan is to get kids to play great defense and let them just play on the offensive end. Offensively, all of our guards have regressed, outside of maybe Caleb. Their offensive fundamentals suck, and they don't know what's a good shot - not sure they've even heard the words jump stop. Our post players never face up and go strong. They just back in every time. Mathis is still out of control. Pike thought Geo could play the point in this league. Forget the fact he thought Souf Mensah and Bulloch could play at all in this league. Defensively, Pike is a man coach but is recruiting kids who can't stop penetration, and he has kids fighting over screens who just can't do it. Pike is a great face for the program and he's brought a lot of enthusiasm back to he RAC, and I love the fact that he likes being at RU and has his kids playing with intensity, but after that there's a lot to be desired.
His offensive game is limited to drives to the basket which were successful in high school against smaller defenders.He needs to develop a jump shot off the dribble and improve his foul shooting.
Some of you guys act as if a three game sample is indicative of a whole season . We expected a lot of ups and downs and unfortunately we had downs to end the year which leaves a bad taste in our mouth about the team and individual players .
None of our players maybe minus Eugene are finished products by any means . That doesn’t mean we should judge them at their best or worst . When we were on our winning streaks every player was great and now they all suck .
I think anyone would take 7 conference wins to start the year including me . I think each player will add a little to their game in the offseason and you will see a much more consistent brand of basketball . It is a lot easier to get guys to improve their game off of losses because it provides the staff and players with clear cut things they need to work on . This season and the way it ended will be a valuable experience to our guys moving forward .
None of our players maybe minus Eugene are finished products by any means . That doesn’t mean we should judge them at their best or worst . When we were on our winning streaks every player was great and now they all suck .
I think anyone would take 7 conference wins to start the year including me . I think each player will add a little to their game in the offseason and you will see a much more consistent brand of basketball . It is a lot easier to get guys to improve their game off of losses because it provides the staff and players with clear cut things they need to work on . This season and the way it ended will be a valuable experience to our guys moving forward .
Good post, I know you and I have had our disagreements.
how any could watch the offense we ran tonight and then come out optimistic...this goes beyond Geo playing the point, we literally did not run an offense and when it was easily apparent that everything need to be from inside, we didnt do that. That is on the coach. The ball handling on this team is atrocious. Eugene god love em for being a warrior is good for at least two lazy horrible passes a game, one at the feet. We had Peter Kiss passing to no one. Caleb McConnnell forcing passes out of control. Shaq stone hands, Geo always good for some awful dribbling where his pocket is picked.
He’s streaky and it doesn’t always seem like his head is in the game. He needs to quit racking up dumb fouls, let the game come to him and develop a shot in the off season for him to be a difference maker on this team.
A much better season than most expected.
A bad ending
The kids were gassed
Geo Baker was a non factor way too often
There was DEF improvement
A bad ending
The kids were gassed
Geo Baker was a non factor way too often
There was DEF improvement
The Pen St first half was a disgrace
They didn't reward their long time and diehard fans, they needed to win that night.
Tonight was just dreadful and has to be unacceptable going forward.
Losing to a team with 6 ficken players
They didn't reward their long time and diehard fans, they needed to win that night.
Tonight was just dreadful and has to be unacceptable going forward.
Losing to a team with 6 ficken players
Season was pretty good. Realistic prognosticators had this as a rebuilding year without Sanders, no reason to think RU wouldn't be struggling to stay out of last, and yet look what happened, much better results than the first 4 years in the conference. On offense, it was a rebuilding year. But the defense was more consistent and the freshmen picked up the slack, did enough to win 7 games in arguably a tougher conference than any of the 3 prior incarnations against which RU totaled 7 wins. And they were closer to 8 or 9 wins than 5 or 6.
No one save maybe Eugene was consistent whatsoever on offense, and not knowing who your #2 option was on any given night hurt the team. I think that was a lot of what we would see in falling down big in the 1st half in many games before picking it up. Harper should settle into a more consistent role going forward. Geo needs to do some soul-searching in the offseason about what he wants to be on offense. Pretty much everyone has obvious things to work on, even if it's free throw shooting. Coaches, too. Get some better shots for guys, figure out what you're going to do about high screen and rolls, and when to double the post and make a team beat you from 3.
Iowa is playing arguably the worst basketball in the B1G over the past 2-3 weeks, so laying the wood in IC gave people a false sense that we were playing tournament-level ball... we were that day, but other than that, we weren't. Then these last 3 games were indeed regression, worst 3 game stretch with EO on the floor since December before the lineup sorted itself out... but there's no good reason this should be a sign of things to come.
For much of the year I thought this was one of my 5 favorite RU teams of the past 25 years. I'm not as sure now after these last 3 but I think they still make the cut. Lots of fun being competitive again, and a little more than just the moral victory competitiveness of Pike's first two years.
12-67 first four years in the B1G, 7-12 this year with mostly underclassmen. Not that hard to see the forest through the trees here. The immediate future is much brighter than the immediate past, and the long term future will be much brighter than the long term past if '20 and '21 recruiting is an improvement over '16 and '17.
No one save maybe Eugene was consistent whatsoever on offense, and not knowing who your #2 option was on any given night hurt the team. I think that was a lot of what we would see in falling down big in the 1st half in many games before picking it up. Harper should settle into a more consistent role going forward. Geo needs to do some soul-searching in the offseason about what he wants to be on offense. Pretty much everyone has obvious things to work on, even if it's free throw shooting. Coaches, too. Get some better shots for guys, figure out what you're going to do about high screen and rolls, and when to double the post and make a team beat you from 3.
Iowa is playing arguably the worst basketball in the B1G over the past 2-3 weeks, so laying the wood in IC gave people a false sense that we were playing tournament-level ball... we were that day, but other than that, we weren't. Then these last 3 games were indeed regression, worst 3 game stretch with EO on the floor since December before the lineup sorted itself out... but there's no good reason this should be a sign of things to come.
For much of the year I thought this was one of my 5 favorite RU teams of the past 25 years. I'm not as sure now after these last 3 but I think they still make the cut. Lots of fun being competitive again, and a little more than just the moral victory competitiveness of Pike's first two years.
12-67 first four years in the B1G, 7-12 this year with mostly underclassmen. Not that hard to see the forest through the trees here. The immediate future is much brighter than the immediate past, and the long term future will be much brighter than the long term past if '20 and '21 recruiting is an improvement over '16 and '17.
Overall, this is the best season Rutgers has had since 2006 (maybe about equal to Rice's first season).
For a while, we looked pretty bad and seemed on par with Pikell's first two seasons. During the Northwestern home loss I believe I posted that we didn't seem to be making any progress.
From that point through the Iowa game, we had an 11 game stretch where we were 6-5 against teams with an average ranking of ~47. The team over that 11 game stretch played like a tournament team.
The last three games were obviously disappointing.
I don't think it is too far fetched to expect that next year's team could play like the team that showed up for that 11 game stretch for an entire season. If we do that, we can have a shot at making the tourney.
P.S. for those saying our record hasn't improved over three years..
this team comes in 9th in last year's Big Ten
this team comes in 11th in the 2017 Big Ten
P.P.S.
SOS
2017 #76
2018 #80
2019 #32
For a while, we looked pretty bad and seemed on par with Pikell's first two seasons. During the Northwestern home loss I believe I posted that we didn't seem to be making any progress.
From that point through the Iowa game, we had an 11 game stretch where we were 6-5 against teams with an average ranking of ~47. The team over that 11 game stretch played like a tournament team.
The last three games were obviously disappointing.
I don't think it is too far fetched to expect that next year's team could play like the team that showed up for that 11 game stretch for an entire season. If we do that, we can have a shot at making the tourney.
P.S. for those saying our record hasn't improved over three years..
this team comes in 9th in last year's Big Ten
this team comes in 11th in the 2017 Big Ten
P.P.S.
SOS
2017 #76
2018 #80
2019 #32
We started the season with this lineup.
Shaq Doorson (limited offense,.not an adept passer, solid rebounder, hard worker)
Eugene Omoyuri (expanded offense but injured again), but a complete basketball player after 2 years developing during live games).
Issa Thiam (Stationary shooter, doesn't rebound and OK defensively....incomplete basketball player, not strong physically, not a dribbler or rebounder at B1G level.
Peter Kiss (not a threat off the dribble, good stationary shooter,.OK defender but not a creative player for himself.
Geo Baker (complete player, can dribble pass, shoot and defend)....played too many minutes.
The bench was the following
Mamadou Doucoure -.incomplete...no go to move offensively and foul prone...has upside but likely a redshirt.
Myles Johnson (never played before.....made most of redshirt but sub 50% from line is costly and potentially dangerous as a primary starter.
Montez Mathis (never played before,.solidified defense)... needs to fix rotation on shof and understand that he had a very goo fresh season.
Ron Harper Jr. (never played before, upside throught the roof)
Caleb McConnell (never played before....staff took way to long to figure out what's there..only earned minutes after they discovered he could play.
Shaq Carter (JUCO who barely played the 1st 4 to 5 games, started to score a little but proved to be slower to adjust defensively).
If anyone thinks this is capable roster, needs to look the entire parts, very carefully.
Shaq Doorson (limited offense,.not an adept passer, solid rebounder, hard worker)
Eugene Omoyuri (expanded offense but injured again), but a complete basketball player after 2 years developing during live games).
Issa Thiam (Stationary shooter, doesn't rebound and OK defensively....incomplete basketball player, not strong physically, not a dribbler or rebounder at B1G level.
Peter Kiss (not a threat off the dribble, good stationary shooter,.OK defender but not a creative player for himself.
Geo Baker (complete player, can dribble pass, shoot and defend)....played too many minutes.
The bench was the following
Mamadou Doucoure -.incomplete...no go to move offensively and foul prone...has upside but likely a redshirt.
Myles Johnson (never played before.....made most of redshirt but sub 50% from line is costly and potentially dangerous as a primary starter.
Montez Mathis (never played before,.solidified defense)... needs to fix rotation on shof and understand that he had a very goo fresh season.
Ron Harper Jr. (never played before, upside throught the roof)
Caleb McConnell (never played before....staff took way to long to figure out what's there..only earned minutes after they discovered he could play.
Shaq Carter (JUCO who barely played the 1st 4 to 5 games, started to score a little but proved to be slower to adjust defensively).
If anyone thinks this is capable roster, needs to look the entire parts, very carefully.
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our SOS is actually 83 according to the NET rankings and our non conference sos is 315
We didn’t finish last. Progress made. Let’s build on that.
Words to oldie..."Build me up butter cup" feel appropriate.
Why do you build me up (build me up) buttercup, baby
Just to let me down (let me down) and mess me around?
And then worst of all (worst of all) you never call, baby
When you say you will (say you will) but I love you still
I need you (I need you) more than anyone, darlin'
You know that I have from the start
So build me up (build me up) buttercup, don't break my heart
Why do you build me up (build me up) buttercup, baby
Just to let me down (let me down) and mess me around?
And then worst of all (worst of all) you never call, baby
When you say you will (say you will) but I love you still
I need you (I need you) more than anyone, darlin'
You know that I have from the start
So build me up (build me up) buttercup, don't break my heart
Meh the NET rankings are garbage. I know they are being used for NCAA selections and in future years it will be important to optimize for a decent NET ranking, but in terms of actually evaluating the team's play and the actual strength of the schedule that is completely irrelevant.
EDIT: Also I don't even see where you are getting this number? I can't find a NET strength of schedule. I see here (https://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/rankings/sos) that our opponent winning percentage is ranked #82 but that is completely meaningless.
Yes sir. I would say a lot of opportunities for improvement vs. Desired but that's splitting hairs. agree again.
Great season. So much more than i expected out of this group. 1 senior. This season taught our young guys a lot about physical and mental toughness. The guys got better and better, the freshman stepped up throughout the year. This is a great group of guys who should be middle of the pack next year and be in the NCAA tournament discussion.They brought the fans and university a lot of joy with their play. Pikiell better watch out he is one year ahead of the rebuilding plan. there wil be expectations next season. THESE GUYS CAN HANDLE IT!
Baker, mcconnell, Johnson, Harper, and Gene all showed they can be impactful big 10 players.
the most disappointing thing for me was the loss to Fordham. We cant have games like that. Next year i expect to be on the bubble. if we loss to fordham that will kill us.
i think the Iowa game took so much energy and effort that the guys couldnt recover. So much emotional energy that they just couldnt get back. Specifically baker. he just got worn down by more athletic guards throughout the year.
Baker, mcconnell, Johnson, Harper, and Gene all showed they can be impactful big 10 players.
the most disappointing thing for me was the loss to Fordham. We cant have games like that. Next year i expect to be on the bubble. if we loss to fordham that will kill us.
i think the Iowa game took so much energy and effort that the guys couldnt recover. So much emotional energy that they just couldnt get back. Specifically baker. he just got worn down by more athletic guards throughout the year.
Going into this season I was looking for:
- Winning record/non-losing record
- not finish last
- upset a ranked team
- upset a rank team at home
- win a road conference game
- 500 or better in conference, and
- winning record.
The NET uses the rpi sos. I only bring it up because this is what the selection committee uses
It was a terrific season:
1) Seven league wins.
2) Now have respect from other schools and "experts".
3) Freshmen proved themselves capable.
4) Gave fans a fun season with realistic hopes for the future.
5) Coach Pike proved he is the real deal.
6) Improved as destination for future recruits.
7) Far exceeded expectations.
1) Seven league wins.
2) Now have respect from other schools and "experts".
3) Freshmen proved themselves capable.
4) Gave fans a fun season with realistic hopes for the future.
5) Coach Pike proved he is the real deal.
6) Improved as destination for future recruits.
7) Far exceeded expectations.
I didn’t see the game last night due to work and don’t feel like watching given my disappointment with how the season ended. It was a fun but maddeningly frustrating season. It’s amazing how close we were to having a season that would have been a huge success by all of our standards. Don’t crap the bed at Fordham, no miracle shot for Iowa, and playing even somewhat decently in the first half and coming out with a win against Psu and I think we all would’ve been pretty damn happy. There are also the Illinois and Wisconsin games that really get to me because they were winnable road games.
A lot of “what if’s” on my part here but I also feel like there was potential for disaster that was avoided. Had we lost Columbia, our season really could’ve taken a different turn.
I enjoyed watching Harper, johnson and McConnell develop, and at times Mathis. Mathis is certainly an athlete and can defend, but he was out of control on offense a lot. I get the feeling with Mathis that he had a few good games, got over confident and tried to do too much.
Hoping Young can score, Geo can become more consistent, Mulcahy can be a serviceable freshman and Gene becomes an absolute nightmare for teams in his final season.
Also, would love a grad transfer. I don’t know if this is realistic, but it would be great to bring in someone with experience who can give Mathis a year to redshirt and develop.
Gonna be a long offseason, and I have cautious optimism for next year.
A lot of “what if’s” on my part here but I also feel like there was potential for disaster that was avoided. Had we lost Columbia, our season really could’ve taken a different turn.
I enjoyed watching Harper, johnson and McConnell develop, and at times Mathis. Mathis is certainly an athlete and can defend, but he was out of control on offense a lot. I get the feeling with Mathis that he had a few good games, got over confident and tried to do too much.
Hoping Young can score, Geo can become more consistent, Mulcahy can be a serviceable freshman and Gene becomes an absolute nightmare for teams in his final season.
Also, would love a grad transfer. I don’t know if this is realistic, but it would be great to bring in someone with experience who can give Mathis a year to redshirt and develop.
Gonna be a long offseason, and I have cautious optimism for next year.
That was the #1 goal for this season. Next season should have two: (1) get bye on first day of Big Ten Tournament; (2) finish at least one game above .500.
Yeah, okay.
I agree it is relevant when discussing NCAA bids but for evaluating the actual performance I wouldn't use it. That thing considers a win over NC Central to be better than a win over Rutgers which is... laughable. I don't understand why they use that crap.
P.S. The first line of this post can sound sarcastic but I do not mean it sarcastically.
A tour of the season courtesy of computer rankings - thoughts at bottom
11/9 vs N/A F Dickinson - W 90-55 (1-0) - Ranking after N/A
11/11 vs N/A Drexel - W 95-66 (2-0) - Ranking after N/A
11/16 vs N/A St John's - L 65-84 (2-1) - Ranking after N/A
11/19 vs #89 E Michigan - W 63-36 (3-1) - Ranking after #60
11/23 vs #185 Boston Univ - W 54-44 (4-1) - Ranking after #55
11/28 at #80 Miami FL - W 57-54 (5-1) - Ranking after #59
11/30 vs #22 Michigan St - L 67-78 (5-2, 0-1) - Ranking after #75
12/3 at #6 Wisconsin - L 64-69 (5-3, 0-2) - Ranking after #53
12/8 at #264 Fordham - L 70-78 (5-4, 0-2) - Ranking after #94
12/15 at #71 Seton Hall - L 66-72 (5-5, 0-2) - Ranking after #99
12/22 vs #303 Columbia - W 68-65 OT (6-5, 0-2) - Ranking after #104
12/29 vs #331 Maine - W 70-55 (7-5, 0-2) - Ranking after #108
1/5 vs #32 Maryland - L 63-77 (7-6, 0-3) - Ranking after #107
1/9 vs #17 Ohio St - W 64-61 (8-6, 1-3) - Ranking after #91
1/12 at #40 Minnesota - L 70-88 (8-7, 1-4) - Ranking after #94
1/15 at #20 Purdue - L 54-89 (8-8, 1-5) - Ranking after #101
1/18 vs #62 Northwestern - L 57-65 (8-9, 1-6) - Ranking after #120
1/21 vs #17 Nebraska - W 76-69 (9-9, 2-6) - Ranking after #96
1/26 at #85 Penn St - W 64-60 (10-9, 3-6) - Ranking after #89
1/30 vs #39 Indiana - W 66-58 (11-9, 4-6) - Ranking after #78
2/2 at #34 Ohio St - L 62-76 (11-10, 4-7) - Ranking after #84
2/5 vs #6 Michigan - L 65-77 (11-11, 4-8) - Ranking after #82
2/9 at #84 Illinois - L 94-99 OT (11-12, 4-9) - Ranking after #91
2/13 at #65 Northwestern - W 59-56 (12-12, 5-9) - Ranking after #84
2/16 vs #24 Iowa - L 69-71 (12-13, 5-10) - Ranking after #87
2/20 at #5 Michigan St - L 60-71 (12-14, 5-11) - Ranking after #84
2/24 vs #40 Minnesota - W 68-64 (13-14, 6-11) - Ranking after #74
3/2 at #26 Iowa - W 86-72 (14-14, 7-11) - Ranking after #67
3/6 vs #57 Penn St - L 65-66 (14-15, 7-12) - Ranking after #68
3/10 at #44 Indiana - L 73-89 (14-16, 7-13) - Ranking after #73
3/13 #45 Nebraska - L 61-68 (14-17, 7-13) - Ranking after #77
Notes:
(a)
- You only have to go back to before the Minnesota game to find a stretch that went better than as expected, so as dissapointed as we can be as fans with the:
- last game
- last two games
- last three games
- last four games (yes, the last three losses did enough to wipe out the Iowa win + a little bit more)
We can't credibly be disappointed with the last five (2-3 vs Minnesota, at Iowa, vs Penn St, at Indiana, Nebraska)
(b)
Our ranking last year was #132. At no point this season, even following the Northwestern home loss, did we appear to be worse than last season.
(c) The low point of this season was clearly the Northwestern home loss. The stretch from Fordham through Northwestern was awful.
(d) We recovered quite well from that point
(e) If you consider only our games after that Northwestern game (a stretch where we went 6-8) we would be ranked #47. This is bubble territory. If we as we played from that point onward (yes including the last three games) with no improvment, we could possibly make the tournament.
(f) I think it is reasonable to expect improvement from here and that a top 40 ranking is a reasonable expectation for next season
(g) The rankings mentioned here for the games are at the time of the game. The current rankings of our opponents are:
#5 Michigan St
#8 Michigan
#11 Purdue
#15 Wisconsin
#20 Maryland
#31 Iowa
#38 Minnesota
#41 Indiana
#43 Ohio St
#44 Nebraska
#50 Seton Hall
#51 Penn St
#56 St John's
#81 Miami FL
#84 Illinois
#86 Northwestern
#156 E Michigan
#217 F Dickinson
#237 Drexel
#238 Columbia
#240 Boston Univ
#258 Fordham
#336 Maine
11/9 vs N/A F Dickinson - W 90-55 (1-0) - Ranking after N/A
11/11 vs N/A Drexel - W 95-66 (2-0) - Ranking after N/A
11/16 vs N/A St John's - L 65-84 (2-1) - Ranking after N/A
11/19 vs #89 E Michigan - W 63-36 (3-1) - Ranking after #60
11/23 vs #185 Boston Univ - W 54-44 (4-1) - Ranking after #55
11/28 at #80 Miami FL - W 57-54 (5-1) - Ranking after #59
11/30 vs #22 Michigan St - L 67-78 (5-2, 0-1) - Ranking after #75
12/3 at #6 Wisconsin - L 64-69 (5-3, 0-2) - Ranking after #53
12/8 at #264 Fordham - L 70-78 (5-4, 0-2) - Ranking after #94
12/15 at #71 Seton Hall - L 66-72 (5-5, 0-2) - Ranking after #99
12/22 vs #303 Columbia - W 68-65 OT (6-5, 0-2) - Ranking after #104
12/29 vs #331 Maine - W 70-55 (7-5, 0-2) - Ranking after #108
1/5 vs #32 Maryland - L 63-77 (7-6, 0-3) - Ranking after #107
1/9 vs #17 Ohio St - W 64-61 (8-6, 1-3) - Ranking after #91
1/12 at #40 Minnesota - L 70-88 (8-7, 1-4) - Ranking after #94
1/15 at #20 Purdue - L 54-89 (8-8, 1-5) - Ranking after #101
1/18 vs #62 Northwestern - L 57-65 (8-9, 1-6) - Ranking after #120
1/21 vs #17 Nebraska - W 76-69 (9-9, 2-6) - Ranking after #96
1/26 at #85 Penn St - W 64-60 (10-9, 3-6) - Ranking after #89
1/30 vs #39 Indiana - W 66-58 (11-9, 4-6) - Ranking after #78
2/2 at #34 Ohio St - L 62-76 (11-10, 4-7) - Ranking after #84
2/5 vs #6 Michigan - L 65-77 (11-11, 4-8) - Ranking after #82
2/9 at #84 Illinois - L 94-99 OT (11-12, 4-9) - Ranking after #91
2/13 at #65 Northwestern - W 59-56 (12-12, 5-9) - Ranking after #84
2/16 vs #24 Iowa - L 69-71 (12-13, 5-10) - Ranking after #87
2/20 at #5 Michigan St - L 60-71 (12-14, 5-11) - Ranking after #84
2/24 vs #40 Minnesota - W 68-64 (13-14, 6-11) - Ranking after #74
3/2 at #26 Iowa - W 86-72 (14-14, 7-11) - Ranking after #67
3/6 vs #57 Penn St - L 65-66 (14-15, 7-12) - Ranking after #68
3/10 at #44 Indiana - L 73-89 (14-16, 7-13) - Ranking after #73
3/13 #45 Nebraska - L 61-68 (14-17, 7-13) - Ranking after #77
Notes:
(a)
- You only have to go back to before the Minnesota game to find a stretch that went better than as expected, so as dissapointed as we can be as fans with the:
- last game
- last two games
- last three games
- last four games (yes, the last three losses did enough to wipe out the Iowa win + a little bit more)
We can't credibly be disappointed with the last five (2-3 vs Minnesota, at Iowa, vs Penn St, at Indiana, Nebraska)
(b)
Our ranking last year was #132. At no point this season, even following the Northwestern home loss, did we appear to be worse than last season.
(c) The low point of this season was clearly the Northwestern home loss. The stretch from Fordham through Northwestern was awful.
(d) We recovered quite well from that point
(e) If you consider only our games after that Northwestern game (a stretch where we went 6-8) we would be ranked #47. This is bubble territory. If we as we played from that point onward (yes including the last three games) with no improvment, we could possibly make the tournament.
(f) I think it is reasonable to expect improvement from here and that a top 40 ranking is a reasonable expectation for next season
(g) The rankings mentioned here for the games are at the time of the game. The current rankings of our opponents are:
#5 Michigan St
#8 Michigan
#11 Purdue
#15 Wisconsin
#20 Maryland
#31 Iowa
#38 Minnesota
#41 Indiana
#43 Ohio St
#44 Nebraska
#50 Seton Hall
#51 Penn St
#56 St John's
#81 Miami FL
#84 Illinois
#86 Northwestern
#156 E Michigan
#217 F Dickinson
#237 Drexel
#238 Columbia
#240 Boston Univ
#258 Fordham
#336 Maine
This was a good year. A very young team simply ran out of gas. Four frosh, who had never played this long or intense a season, & soph Baker who played too many minutes out of necessity throughout the early part of the season. There is a great deal to build on here. Very valuable experience was gained & games[skill sets] will be refined & improved. Overall Pike did an excellent job & the future is bright.
Just a note as part of the "season thoughts". Doorson finished his career with 77 blocks, which ties him for 19th all time in Rutgers history (matching Mike Jones 1991-93).
After one season, Johnson finished with 23. If he were to keep that pace for four seasons, it would bring him to 92, which would be good for 15th. If he kept up his rate of blocks but increased his average minutes from 17.6 to 25.0, that would bring him to 33/yr for the next three years, which could find him around 122 total blocks, which would be good for 8th. To get any higher on the list than that, he'd need to average 46.3 blocks per year over the next three years to tie Dane Miller with 162 for 7th.
After one season, Johnson finished with 23. If he were to keep that pace for four seasons, it would bring him to 92, which would be good for 15th. If he kept up his rate of blocks but increased his average minutes from 17.6 to 25.0, that would bring him to 33/yr for the next three years, which could find him around 122 total blocks, which would be good for 8th. To get any higher on the list than that, he'd need to average 46.3 blocks per year over the next three years to tie Dane Miller with 162 for 7th.
On this team Baker was the most important player. Non factor? I get it.
Let's not forget Baker played all 40 minutes.
Hopefully, Mulcahy can be the point guard we've been searching for, for years.
I watched the Illinois-Northwestern game (some of it, anyway) after ours and was surprised to see Illinois running the same offense we did. Handoffs at the top of the 3 point line and then dump the ball into the post. Occasional penetration and kick out. The difference was that Illinois had some shooters (Frazier) and Big Georgi is more polished a scorer than Myles.
Don't have the season stats in front of me, but if we can improve to averaging over 72 ppg, with a true pg (reducing turnovers and better distribution), I think we can add 5 or 6 more wins.
I watched the Illinois-Northwestern game (some of it, anyway) after ours and was surprised to see Illinois running the same offense we did. Handoffs at the top of the 3 point line and then dump the ball into the post. Occasional penetration and kick out. The difference was that Illinois had some shooters (Frazier) and Big Georgi is more polished a scorer than Myles.
Don't have the season stats in front of me, but if we can improve to averaging over 72 ppg, with a true pg (reducing turnovers and better distribution), I think we can add 5 or 6 more wins.