Cronin postgame

[MCKnight]

On Big Ten Network. Paraphrasing—-He praised Pike saying he’s a great coach, but there’s have and have nots in the money world, shame we don’t have salary cap and we’re playing even, compared this sport to MLB and not NFL with no salary cap

interesting comments, these coaches all talk, and know what’s going on

 

[Bob Chaewsky_rivals]

And they say positive things about each other no matter what they think.

 

[ScarletJocko]

We are openly being called a poverty program in coach-speak. Depressing

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

 

[NickRU714]

Politi couldn't be more wrong.
Everyone acknowledges we are at an extememe monetary disadvantage.
Nothing gets solved by sitting around crying "woe is me".

Its how we operate and try to improve despite it.
Need an entire basketball framework designed around trying to operate in that environment.

How much of the limited $3.5m went to Badalu?
Ware?
Our "defensive anchor" Baye Fall?
Dorian Jones who isn't even eligible?

 

[Mholinko]

Politi couldn't be more wrong.
Everyone acknowledges we are at an extememe monetary disadvantage.
Nothing gets solved by sitting around crying "woe is me".

Its how we operate and try to improve despite it.
Need an entire basketball framework designed around trying to operate in that environment.

How much of the limited $3.5m went to Badalu?
Ware?
Our "defensive anchor" Baye Fall?
Dorian Jones who isn't even eligible?

There is a level of responsible scouting and spending that needs to fall on the coaching staff

there is also a reality that nobody in the top half of the big ten or many major conference is operating on thin NIL margins

people hoping we can be a top half team requires a combination of infrastructure, improved scouting and an injection of resources

we will simply never be anything but bottom 4 with the current combo of scouting recruiting and money

 

[NickRU714]

Listen.
It sucks for the Rutgers HC (Pike or whoever).
You have to work harder than nearly every other coach in the Big 10.

But that doesnt remove you from responsibility and accountability of what is in their control.

Identifying affordable/undervalued talent and who they are spending the money
Maximizing the on court results as best available (gameday management)

It might still be disappointing because of the limited resources.
Our absolute ceiling with the best coaching and affordable talent might be a 10 seed.
(And then all the coaches and players get poached)

But we wont know until we try to get there.

 

[LotusAggressor_rivals]

No coach in a winning program wants a level playing field.

 

[NickRU714]

No coach in a winning program wants a level playing field.

Ask Cronin if UCLA and the Big Ten should give some of their media revenue to the AAC schools.
See how much of a level playing field he really wants.

 

[Mholinko]

Listen.
It sucks for the Rutgers HC (Pike or whoever).
You have to work harder than nearly every other coach in the Big 10.

But that doesnt remove you from responsibility and accountability of what is in their control.

Identifying affordable/undervalued talent and who they are spending the money
Maximizing the on court results as best available (gameday management)

It might still be disappointing because of the limited resources.
Our absolute ceiling with the best coaching and affordable talent is a 10 seed.
(And then all the coaches and players get poached)

But we wont know until we try to get there.

This is the truth and honestly it’s not much different than football scratching and clawing for 7-8 win seasons and a decent bowl game which is probably the ceiling too with the occasional 10 win campaign ala 2006

A quick google search for some articles written without even enormous research indicates there’s over 25 programs nationally operating on NIL budgets over 10 million and another 2 dozen probably operating close to that at 8-9 million

that leaves us best case a team that on its best days will fight for 8-11 seed regularly and maybe once in awhile have a top 25 team if things were RUN WELL year over year

 

[LotusAggressor_rivals]

Ask Cronin if UCLA and the Big Ten should give some of their media revenue to the AAC schools.
See how much of a level playing field he really wants.

Exactly.

 

[PhillyRU]

The thing is, RU doesn't just suck compared to UCLA. RU sucks compared to UIC and Portland State and Mercer and Cal Baptist — can't really explain that away with NIL deficiencies. And if we're getting a jumpstart on the autopsy this year, the reasons we suck are just as attributable to stubborn and thoughtless coaching as they are to an underfunded roster.

 

[LotusAggressor_rivals]

The thing is, RU doesn't just suck compared to UCLA. RU sucks compared to UIC and Portland State and Mercer and Cal Baptist — can't really explain that away with NIL deficiencies. And if we're getting a jumpstart on the autopsy this year, the reasons we suck are just as attributable to stubborn and thoughtless coaching as they are to an underfunded roster.

Funding has become the catch-all excuse. According to some, Indiana's NC in football had everything to do with money and nothing to do with coaching, evaluation, and player development. How is Miami of Ohio undefeated? How is the University of St. Louis 20-1? How is Nebraska 20-2? Why do these miracles happen everywhere except here? I think stubborn and thoughtless coaching, combined with deficiencies in talent evaluation and utilization has more than a little to do with it.

 

[EddieWilsonLives]

Badalu should be arrested for grand larceny. like in middle of a game he should handcuffed and walked out.

 

[Mholinko]

Funding has become the catch-all excuse. According to some, Indiana's NC in football had everything to with money and nothing to do with coaching, evaluation, and player development. How is Miami of Ohio undefeated? How is the University of St. Louis 20-1? How is Nebraska 20-2? Why do these miracles happen everywhere except here?

Miami Ohio would be nowhere close to undefeated in major conference basketball

St. Louis probably has similar Nil to us and a far better coach and talent evaluation and scheme … St. Louis would probably have 15 wins instead of 20 in big ten and we’d all sign up for that

Nebraska is somewhere in the mid tier of Nil which is a lot better than us and have a coach that one can argue is better or worse x and o but definitely is a better talent evaluator and better understanding of the portal

to those who tire of the Nil argument I ask this… do you believe with our current budget we can be a tournament team year in and year out? I think you know that answer and everyone else outside the fan base is telling you the same thing

 

[Mholinko]

The thing is, RU doesn't just suck compared to UCLA. RU sucks compared to UIC and Portland State and Mercer and Cal Baptist — can't really explain that away with NIL deficiencies. And if we're getting a jumpstart on the autopsy this year, the reasons we suck are just as attributable to stubborn and thoughtless coaching as they are to an underfunded roster.

But we can agree it is some of both can’t we

even the greatest evaluator of talent would have limitations about what could be done in the big ten with the least funding

 

[MCKnight]

We have to do more with less. But there are programs out there doing this. Recruiting and coaching better UCF and St. Louis to name a couple, Nebraska in our own conference. Identifying better talent with limited funds has to happen better. Hopefully with the GM this happens. In the past years, our portal adds have been formally recruited players, Fall and Buchanan, or a coach relationship, Francis and Acuff. Spencer was our one find. RU needs to find a few diamonds in the Rough. We will never afford the top talent 2 and 3 million dollar players,that will become 4 and 5 million dollar guys next year.

It’s sad that our off season and player movement is more exciting than our actual season.

 

[RUDiddy777]

Funding has become the catch-all excuse. According to some, Indiana's NC in football had everything to do with money and nothing to do with coaching, evaluation, and player development. How is Miami of Ohio undefeated? How is the University of St. Louis 20-1? How is Nebraska 20-2? Why do these miracles happen everywhere except here? I think stubborn and thoughtless coaching, combined with deficiencies in talent evaluation and utilization has more than a little to do with it.

Indiana went in a spending binge in the portal. They have the oldest roster in the country - with more than half of their roster 22-25 and an average age of 23 (and their coach is year 2).

That’s not identifying 18 year olds for talent and developing them. That’s finding grown men who have proven they are talented and making it work.

Nebraska is 20-2 because they have an elite coach, but even they’ve stumbled to 2 - 6/7 win seasons in the last 4 years.

 

[Mholinko]

We have to do more with less. But there are programs out there doing this. Recruiting and coaching better UCF and St. Louis to name a couple, Nebraska in our own conference. Identifying better talent with limited funds has to happen better. Hopefully with the GM this happens. In the past years, our portal adds have been formally recruited players, Fall and Buchanan, or a coach relationship, Francis and Acuff. Spencer was our one find. RU needs to find a few diamonds in the Rough. We will never afford the top talent 2 and 3 million dollar players,that will become 4 and 5 million dollar guys next year.

It’s sad that our off season and player movement is more exciting than our actual season.

Agreed with doing more with less but the less has to be greater than it is now

we shouldn’t be sitting in the same budget as top tier A10 schools and other strong mid majors

we’re in the richest conference in the country

 

[BillyC80]

We have to do more with less. But there are programs out there doing this. Recruiting and coaching better UCF and St. Louis to name a couple, Nebraska in our own conference. Identifying better talent with limited funds has to happen better. Hopefully with the GM this happens. In the past years, our portal adds have been formally recruited players, Fall and Buchanan, or a coach relationship, Francis and Acuff. Spencer was our one find. RU needs to find a few diamonds in the Rough. We will never afford the top talent 2 and 3 million dollar players,that will become 4 and 5 million dollar guys next year.

It’s sad that our off season and player movement is more exciting than our actual season.

Agreed. We’ve shown, with a few exceptions, that this roster can compete. I think as fans we just want to see our coaching staff direct a few things, in what we already knew would be a down year:

1) Don’t lose to Central Connecticut State
2) Beat Penn more handily than on a buzzer-beater
3) Finish off MSU that we led for most of the game
4) Find a way to get a final shot off to possibly tie USC
5) Don’t lose to an unranked UCLA by 32 points
6) Put your best players on the court to start
7) Do not begin most halves in a hole to dig out of.

Is that too much to ask of Pike and his coaches?

 

[RU-ROCS]

We are openly being called a poverty program in coach-speak. Depressing

The truth hurts!

 

[RU-ROCS]

Politi couldn't be more wrong.
Everyone acknowledges we are at an extememe monetary disadvantage.
Nothing gets solved by sitting around crying "woe is me".

Its how we operate and try to improve despite it.
Need an entire basketball framework designed around trying to operate in that environment.

How much of the limited $3.5m went to Badalu?
Ware?
Our "defensive anchor" Baye Fall?
Dorian Jones who isn't even eligible?

ANSWER: I suspect very little was spent on the bargain-basement players you mentioned - and it shows!

 

[NickRU714]

ANSWER: I suspect very little was spent on the bargain-basement players you mentioned - and it shows!

I'd actually really disagree.
For every player the response is "that guy isnt any good. He didn't cost much."
Everyone cant only make $100k.

$3.5m isn't a lot but the money had to go to someone.

If Fall was projected to be the "defensive anchor" and challenge/replace Ogbole as starting center?
I doubt Pike recruited him to be the 12th guy on the roster.

 

[T2Kplus20]

Indiana went in a spending binge in the portal. They have the oldest roster in the country - with more than half of their roster 22-25 and an average age of 23 (and their coach is year 2).

That’s not identifying 18 year olds for talent and developing them. That’s finding grown men who have proven they are talented and making it work.

Nebraska is 20-2 because they have an elite coach, but even they’ve stumbled to 2 - 6/7 win seasons in the last 4 years.

Recruiting and developing 18 year old kids is the past. Now it's about finding older/experienced players that can immediately produce. The game has changed. Anyone spending time recruiting HS is a dinosaur.

 

[bac2therac]

Miami Ohio would be nowhere close to undefeated in major conference basketball

St. Louis probably has similar Nil to us and a far better coach and talent evaluation and scheme … St. Louis would probably have 15 wins instead of 20 in big ten and we’d all sign up for that

Nebraska is somewhere in the mid tier of Nil which is a lot better than us and have a coach that one can argue is better or worse x and o but definitely is a better talent evaluator and better understanding of the portal

to those who tire of the Nil argument I ask this… do you believe with our current budget we can be a tournament team year in and year out? I think you know that answer and everyone else outside the fan base is telling you the same thing

Coaches son was a walk on and now major contributor

 

[bac2therac]

Agreed. We’ve shown, with a few exceptions, that this roster can compete. I think as fans we just want to see our coaching staff direct a few things, in what we already knew would be a down year:

1) Don’t lose to Central Connecticut State
2) Beat Penn more handily than on a buzzer-beater
3) Finish off MSU that we led for most of the game
4) Find a way to get a final shot off to possibly tie USC
5) Don’t lose to an unranked UCLA by 32 points
6) Put your best players on the court to start
7) Do not begin most halves in a hole to dig out of.

Is that too much to ask of Pike and his coaches?

Losing to Central conn st and not just losing to them getting wiped by 13 is a bad mark on Pike because every year he cannot figure out proper rotations in the first part of the season...that wont change next year with another 5 or 6 newcomers

 

[PhillyRU]

But we can agree it is some of both can’t we

even the greatest evaluator of talent would have limitations about what could be done in the big ten with the least funding

No doubt. Currently, our average two-point shot is taken 8 feet from the basket, which is 359th in the country and (I'd posit) a major reason why we have, by far, the lowest 2-point FG% of any power conference team.

Houston is one of the six teams with a further average 2-point shot distance, something they're able to get away with because they have tons of resources, elite talent, and they continue to play elite defense. For us, when you combine that offensive approach with a defense that does literally nothing well (doesn't force bad shots, doesn't force turnovers, is egregious at defensive rebounding), you get an embarrassing season.

RU would absolutely be better and more competitive with more comparable NIL resources. But we're also underperforming our current resources, dedicating a season in the portal era to player development that hasn't really materialized, especially on the defensive end, and doubling down on a style of basketball that limits our success no matter the success no matter our resource situation.

 

[LotusAggressor_rivals]

Indiana went in a spending binge in the portal. They have the oldest roster in the country - with more than half of their roster 22-25 and an average age of 23 (and their coach is year 2).

That’s not identifying 18 year olds for talent and developing them. That’s finding grown men who have proven they are talented and making it work.

Nebraska is 20-2 because they have an elite coach, but even they’ve stumbled to 2 - 6/7 win seasons in the last 4 years.

A lot of Indiana's players followed Cignetti from JMU, where he originally recruited and developed them. Many of their better players were made into grown men under his tutelage. And Indiana spent less on players than Oregon, who they beat twice, and Miami.

Hoiberg is clearly a better coach than Pike. He's winning at a football school with no basketball tradition whatsoever.

 

[Mholinko]

A lot of Indiana's players followed Cignetti from JMU, where he originally recruited and developed them. Many of their better players were made into grown men under his tutelage. And Indiana spent less on players than Oregon, who they beat twice, and Miami.

Hoiberg is clearly a better coach than Pike. He's winning at a football school with no basketball tradition whatsoever.

Spending “less” and spending food stamps is not the same

Indiana didn’t have Nike money but they did have mark cuban money and cignetti and the basketball program certainly didn’t sit there and say no thanks we want to get diamonds in the rough only

Indiana spent ALOT on their offensive and defensive line and paid Fernando Mendoza more than Rutgers could ever hope to

nobody is suggesting we need to be Oregon or even Indiana to compete and nobody is suggesting we should expect a national title

but suggesting with our infrastructure and current finances we could be a consistently nationally competitive team if all that changes is the coaching staff is disingenuous

People pointing to Miami of Ohio in the MAC Having a once in a lifetime season and St. Louis who is surely going to lose its coach and best players after this season are bad examples

rational fans are not looking for flash in the pan seasons or to elevate for one season just to lose all our best players and coach to the higher bidder

you guys aren’t seeing the long game that if we ever do get to that level you need to be able to maintain it because those people that got you to the next level are going to be worth more from coach to players than before they got you there on your beer budget

let’s just say this team had someone been 14-9 right now and not 9-14 and you had real signs of life and growth

NONE of them would stay here for exactly the same $ they were paid to come in the first place which brings me to my point about talent evaluation that Steve and co have shown no ability to replenish year to year in this climate

 

[ScarletJocko]

No doubt. Currently, our average two-point shot is taken 8 feet from the basket, which is 359th in the country and (I'd posit) a major reason why we have, by far, the lowest 2-point FG% of any power conference team.

Houston is one of the six teams with a further average 2-point shot distance, something they're able to get away with because they have tons of resources, elite talent, and they continue to play elite defense. For us, when you combine that offensive approach with a defense that does literally nothing well (doesn't force bad shots, doesn't force turnovers, is egregious at defensive rebounding), you get an embarrassing season.

RU would absolutely be better and more competitive with more comparable NIL resources. But we're also underperforming our current resources, dedicating a season in the portal era to player development that hasn't really materialized, especially on the defensive end, and doubling down on a style of basketball that limits our success no matter the success no matter our resource situation.

We also rank 354th in the nation in % of total shots from at the rim + 3 pointers. The 2 shots that modern basketball offenses optimize for. And we are 354th. We have a talent deficiency due to NIL, and a coaching staff that is minimizing our chances of winning with those kinds of numbers and poor, outdated offensive philosophy.

 

[bac2therac]

Indiana and Kansas State were among the highest spenders last year and what did it get them

Ucla is top 20 spending this year and bubble team

 

[littlenis5]

A lot of Indiana's players followed Cignetti from JMU, where he originally recruited and developed them. Many of their better players were made into grown men under his tutelage. And Indiana spent less on players than Oregon, who they beat twice, and Miami.

Hoiberg is clearly a better coach than Pike. He's winning at a football school with no basketball tradition whatsoever.

Were you saying this when he won 7, 7, and 10 games his first 3 seasons and went 16-16 year 4? Feels like it took NIL involvement to get his team to this level, not some great coaching

 

[Mr. Magoo1]

There is a level of responsible scouting and spending that needs to fall on the coaching staff

there is also a reality that nobody in the top half of the big ten or many major conference is operating on thin NIL margins

people hoping we can be a top half team requires a combination of infrastructure, improved scouting and an injection of resources

we will simply never be anything but bottom 4 with the current combo of scouting recruiting and money

Yes, and Pike either spent hardly any time at all or he has no idea how to judge talent. I’ll bet it’s a little of both. His best incoming player was handed to him in Francis and other than Powers, the rest are mid-major talents at best.

 

[Caliknight]

And they say positive things about each other no matter what they think.

That definitely isn’t true. Show me video of any B1G coach singing the praises of May.

 

[Loyal-Son]

And they say positive things about each other no matter what they think.

Didn't we just have an article YESTERDAY discussing the nasty disagreement between The MSU coach and a recent opponent?

I know you will ignore that or rationalize it - that is who you are.

 

[Mholinko]

Indiana and Kansas State were among the highest spenders last year and what did it get them

Ucla is top 20 spending this year and bubble team

There’s always going to be examples what’s your point? Can you find 3 High majors with our budget that are firmly in?

Indiana and ucla are both 10 seeds yes on bubble but how many teams are sitting above them that spent Rutgers money

I’ll tell you the answer it’s less than a few maybe UCF for high majors the rest definitely are operating above our weight class

 

[bac2therac]

There’s always going to be examples what’s your point? Can you find 3 High majors with our budget that are firmly in?

Indiana and ucla are both 10 seeds yes on bubble but how many teams are sitting above them that spent Rutgers money

I’ll tell you the answer it’s less than a few maybe UCF for high majors the rest definitely are operating above our weight class

Never said they werent

My point is giving Pike more money is meaningless given his choices the last 5 years and RU will still be bottom 4 in nil in league

Shu spent 6-7 mil and sits outside the field today

Marquette is an absolute train wreck

 

[Mholinko]

Never said they werent

My point is giving Pike more money is meaningless given his choices the last 5 years and RU will still be bottom 4 in nil in league

Shu spent 6-7 mil and sits outside the field today

Marquette is an absolute train wreck

But again acting like it’s JUST pike is wrong too

nobody could get us where we think we want to be under current circumstances that’s the point Cronin was making

I ask again how many teams are in right now from power 5 leagues that spent less than 7 million… let alone 4 million like us

 

[bac2therac]

But again acting like it’s JUST pike is wrong too

nobody could get us where we think we want to be under current circumstances that’s the point Cronin was making

I ask again how many teams are in right now from power 5 leagues that spent less than 7 million… let alone 4 million like us

It will be no different next year..we spend 8 they spend 12

Still same coach

 

[Mholinko]

It will be no different next year..we spend 8 they spend 12

Still same coach

We’re making same point

there are people on here who simply believe the wrong coach is in place and we can run it back with the same resources and be fine

I’m saying this isn’t an attractive job to replace pike with unless that part changes too