Are we going to be any good?
- Thread starter rutcor
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As fans, the majority of games at the RAC this year with be competitive. Only 1-3 15-20 losses.
The team is composed of great, hardworking kids. Very easy to root for. Competitive games, and a roaring RAC? Where do I sign the dotted line?
RRRRRR
The team is composed of great, hardworking kids. Very easy to root for. Competitive games, and a roaring RAC? Where do I sign the dotted line?
RRRRRR
I think postseason is three seasons away, we got really good kids that will be great as upperclassmen. Unfortunately in this league good isn't good enough you need to be great.
seels has a realistic progression here.
I can see a Scarlet Shack prediction come true and i get where he is coming from, but I believe it is a low probability event.
We are still in foundation building mode. If we can maintain defensive intensity and win on the glass and get more than a fair share of 50/50 balls again this year I'll be happy. With that....if/when you get better talent it gets plugged in and we start to climb the ladder.
I can see a Scarlet Shack prediction come true and i get where he is coming from, but I believe it is a low probability event.
We are still in foundation building mode. If we can maintain defensive intensity and win on the glass and get more than a fair share of 50/50 balls again this year I'll be happy. With that....if/when you get better talent it gets plugged in and we start to climb the ladder.
I expect a similar record to last year's.
If things break right and Carter, Mathis, and Doucoure are as good as advertised, we could be sniffing an NIT bid next season.
If things break right and Carter, Mathis, and Doucoure are as good as advertised, we could be sniffing an NIT bid next season.
You have something when your team can compete and win on the road against conference foes.
NIT is not the NIT of old....you are a bubble team to be in the NIT....the days of being over .500 and in a Power league ended 5+ years ago.
The goal for this year is to improve and get in a position where 2018-19 and 19-20 are chances to move up the standings....we were 3-15 in league last year and the 12th and 13th place teams were 6-12....that's 3 games to make up.
The other goal is to bring Doucoure and Baker along as potential building blocks for 2018-19 and 2019-20. If you get any incremental improvement from Eugene and Thiam, consider it gravy.
My gut feeling based on watching the open practice a couple of weeks ago is we are another player away in the 2018-19 equation, unless we see a jump up from Eugene or Thiam this year. The OOC development is going to help a lot to accelerate that process.
The goal for this year is to improve and get in a position where 2018-19 and 19-20 are chances to move up the standings....we were 3-15 in league last year and the 12th and 13th place teams were 6-12....that's 3 games to make up.
The other goal is to bring Doucoure and Baker along as potential building blocks for 2018-19 and 2019-20. If you get any incremental improvement from Eugene and Thiam, consider it gravy.
My gut feeling based on watching the open practice a couple of weeks ago is we are another player away in the 2018-19 equation, unless we see a jump up from Eugene or Thiam this year. The OOC development is going to help a lot to accelerate that process.
I would argue that we have a better chance of having a better record this year than we do next year (when we lose Freeman, Williams, Sa, and probably Sanders). I know we're backfilling with good talent, but losing four upperclassmen on a team that's already short on talent will make things difficult next year.
So I agree with the poster above who says we're 3 years away (if we don't make a tournament this year).
So I agree with the poster above who says we're 3 years away (if we don't make a tournament this year).
I would think a winning record is the goal for this team. If that is achieved, I get the feeling we would play in a CBI if "invited". Also attainable may be getting out of the first day of play in the B1G Tournament, another goal to play towards.
NIT would be drastically overachieving...with the new selection process there, we'd have to be 8,9 in the league...minimum. We aren't ready for that just yet.
NIT would be drastically overachieving...with the new selection process there, we'd have to be 8,9 in the league...minimum. We aren't ready for that just yet.
I think BK is 100% correct. Having a winning record and making the CBI I think would be another step forward.
17-19 wins this season. Things have to go well but if they do, we end up with 17 wins. If they go great we could have a shot at 19 wins but there’s a huge differential between those two extra wins.
Does that mean we can’t only have 15 or 16 wins? No, it does not. But I’m expecting a Rutgers team that understands Pikiells expectations even more in year two and a very experienced backcourt with willians and Sanders with an injection of Geo baker who I think is on the All freshman Big 10 team at years end.
17 wins plus is my goal.
Does that mean we can’t only have 15 or 16 wins? No, it does not. But I’m expecting a Rutgers team that understands Pikiells expectations even more in year two and a very experienced backcourt with willians and Sanders with an injection of Geo baker who I think is on the All freshman Big 10 team at years end.
17 wins plus is my goal.
I expect this team to have a record similar to last season.Major improvement in scoring from the 3 point line and foul shooting are the areas that could result in 2-4 additional wins.As to the future a high profile go to scorer like Douby is needed to get the team to the 20 win level. Pikiell has the coaching staff to attract top tier talent but momentum quickly changes as time goes bye and there isn't dramatic improvement.
Lucky number 17. The BIG looks as talented as ever. I like how the schedule will allow the team to build momentum with some OOC in between BIG games. It will allow the team to mesh, get their shooting confidence back, and have some good energy in the locker room/RAC.
I firmly expect Rutgers to play very seriously against SJU. I believe Rutgers wins the game. Does anybody expect it to be anything but a serious game?
The players will play. We will make the RAC take off.
I firmly expect Rutgers to play very seriously against SJU. I believe Rutgers wins the game. Does anybody expect it to be anything but a serious game?
The players will play. We will make the RAC take off.
Man, I hope all of you guys are wrong. If all I have to look forward to this season is one or two more conference wins, it's hard to get excited. I think you are setting expectations pretty low, not surprising given the punishment we have endured for the past 30 years.
It has nothing to do with the past 30 years, why do think we should be much better compared to last year?
I don't know if Rutgers will be much better, but I have to hope so. Reasons for optimism are another year of better coaching, the addition of a real point guard and other potential impact players, and only one significant player lost. I think six conference wins should be the minimum goal for this team.
I hate to be a wet blanket, but I also see us not being appreciably better (if at all ) record wise this year. I have said this many times before but I don't see that we have adequate replacements for Gettys and Johnson THIS SEASON . I think Doucore and Geo will be better in the long run but they are both true frosh and its hard to see them as improvements. I do not see a huge positive change for the better in what has been our # 1 problem forever now--perimeter shooting.
We are in good hands for the long haul--but we were in a massive, MASSIVE hole that you don't dig out of in 1 or 2 years.
The wild cards are how much better can Sanders be? I can see him being about the same player he was last year and I can see him (hopefully) as taking a big step up. Can we get more out of Freeman than what we go last year? Can we get a lot more out of Thiam?
I hope these guys step up and we get over 0.500. But I'm not going to feel confident it will happen unless I see it.
We are in good hands for the long haul--but we were in a massive, MASSIVE hole that you don't dig out of in 1 or 2 years.
The wild cards are how much better can Sanders be? I can see him being about the same player he was last year and I can see him (hopefully) as taking a big step up. Can we get more out of Freeman than what we go last year? Can we get a lot more out of Thiam?
I hope these guys step up and we get over 0.500. But I'm not going to feel confident it will happen unless I see it.
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I agree with most of this just not the Geo part. Freshman guards have huge impacts all over the country. If he does not step right in and give us what Johnson did then he is not the player we thought. Johnson was adequate at best overall. I know he had some good games down the stretch but I would expect Geo to do the same by the end of the year. I think Doucore can give us everything Gettys did save the post up moves. Gettys ability to post up and score was HUGE during the out of conference schedule. Really saved us in some games. I don't know where that production will come from this year. It wasn't as much of a factor in big ten play.
Sanders off the ball will be interesting to watch. Pikiell plans on using him more off the ball at times. If and when Mensah and Sanders come together, it will be fun to watch.
Backdoor cuts, lobs, little post play, being the second person on the break. I think Sanders has potential for all of it, but it will be an adjustment. It will be interesting to see how it works out.
It is also good to note that while Gettys gave the team a lot, Pikiell coached in a way that went to his strengths. With different players now, they can play more uptempo, which will play to the majority of the teams strengths. I see Gettys and Johnsons production being replaced by the new, and needed skill set of Baker and Mensah. Doucoure will help rebound, but I don't think he shoots free throws as well as Gettys. I do think he is more athletic, and will average the same amount of rebounds Gettys did this year.
In a wait and see approach on this year. If we shoot like we have been shooting in recent years, not going to get my hopes up.
We lose Johnson and Gettys, and add Baker, Doucoure and Mensah. Until we see them on the court, it is hard to say that they will be impact players this year.
Agreed, but I am trying to be optimistic. I'm hoping Johnson will not be a major loss.
I definitely do see an improvement from Getty’s and Johnson vs a healthy Doorson and combination of Sanders, Geo and a Mensah. I think Doucore will be a nice substitute and I also think all the existing bigs are much more prepared and improved. I’m looking for a much improved team and therefore a better record than last year. Maybe by 4-6 games better, minimum.
Baker is much more advanced on both ends of the court than Nigel Johnson....it's not even a comparison....We are better defensively, because we have more length at guard and faster in the frontcourt.
Sanders is athletic, but can be master the details without owning the ball each possession, where he's allowed to score and create vs trying to create and be a scorer.....can he get his FT percentage closer to 67-70% against better opponents?? Against B1G opponents and other Power 5 type schools, his FT % was around 55%....that's not good enough for the guard handling the ball the most.
I equate FT shooting to RU not having an adequate punter last year....while it's not exactly the same thing, RU football is still struggling, BUT you give your entire team a chance, if you have a punter to make teams go further to score.....if Sanders specifically improves this one area, it drastically changes how we look each possession.
Baker is an absolute steal....legit in all aspects and I believe a building block to improve this years team vs last years....I think we need to see where the rest of the B1G is before seeing what type of record RU can get to....there are a lot of moving parts at Ohio State, Indiana, Illinois, Nebraska and PennState....my first thought after seeing the open practice is 17-14 and 6-12.....I think Corey comes through with making more FT's.....
Sanders is athletic, but can be master the details without owning the ball each possession, where he's allowed to score and create vs trying to create and be a scorer.....can he get his FT percentage closer to 67-70% against better opponents?? Against B1G opponents and other Power 5 type schools, his FT % was around 55%....that's not good enough for the guard handling the ball the most.
I equate FT shooting to RU not having an adequate punter last year....while it's not exactly the same thing, RU football is still struggling, BUT you give your entire team a chance, if you have a punter to make teams go further to score.....if Sanders specifically improves this one area, it drastically changes how we look each possession.
Baker is an absolute steal....legit in all aspects and I believe a building block to improve this years team vs last years....I think we need to see where the rest of the B1G is before seeing what type of record RU can get to....there are a lot of moving parts at Ohio State, Indiana, Illinois, Nebraska and PennState....my first thought after seeing the open practice is 17-14 and 6-12.....I think Corey comes through with making more FT's.....