Now that is Rutgers basketball! That was my first post in the game thread after the first timeout. Rutgers from the get go were showing that they were going to cut the mustard today. The whole place could feel it. The RAC had the tension of a NCAA tourney game in that first half where both teams seemed locked in and laying blows on both offense and defense. Both teams never had anything more than 4 or 5 point leads and the lead must have changed a hundred times before halftime. You could tell that Illinois brought its toughness and A game in the first half as well. Obviously without Dosunmou. it was going to be tough for them but they came out fearless and went right after the paint trying to get Cockburn and Georgi going. Cockburn was particularly effective in the getting position and Illinois was doing a good job on the offensive boards...10-4 in the first half as Cockburn scored 8 and Georgi added 6. But note those numbers. Cockburn was held to just 2 points and Georgi held scoreless as an oppressive Rutgers defensive held Illinois to just 5 made fg until two garbage buckets in the last minute. For a key 7 minute stretch, RU held Illinois without a point where extending a 1 point lead to 12 which effectively was all she wrote.
That 7 minute stretch is what some may refer to as VINTAGE Rutgers basketball. It encompassed all the things that we know and love about our Scarlet Knights. Myles Johnson blocks, hustling for rebound, outlet passes to find the open man, Harper for 3, hands poking the ball away, turnovers generating points, finding the right man set up under the hop, finishing the layups and a raging building known as the RAC. Illinois was abused and oppressed during that stretch and RU all but broke the Illini's spirit. They would get a run of 5 points before RU came in with another wave of defense that took the lead to 14 and another corner 3 by Yeboah who layed the final dagger to make it 61-49 and from their was a rout the rest of the way. Illinois could do no right, crumbling under the deafening noise from the RAC which was building in its crescendo all through the 2nd half. The RAC and the players fed off of each other, a beautiful give and take of harmony, symphony and cacophony. The admiration was mutual they agreed.
This was easily RU's best complete game since the win over Penn State. There was not one point where you can even say RU was struggling or did not put forth the effort. After the last game, I asked when will this team learn its lesson? Well the verdict is out on the road. But this game..this was vintage Rutgers mustard...the kind we all fell in love with since the Seton Hall game. This was full of 40 minutes pounding nails imposing their physical will on their opponent until the Illini begging for mercy and sent to the torture chamber in the bowels of the RAC. Many even the biggest of fans on the board were sort of questioning whether this team had hit a wall or maybe had peaked or maybe just were not ready for the spotlight. BOLLOCKS! Today's performance should go a long way to dissipating all the worrying, the handwringing, negative nancys and ned. In a game where we had some fans worried RU would cut the cheese, RU cut the mustard. Today was a reaffirmation of the 2019-2020 season success. It was a reaffirmation of Coach Pikiell and his gameplan. It was a reaffirmation of Ron Harper Jr whose shot was left out in cornfield somewhere in Iowa. It was a reaffirmation of the RAC and the fans undying passion as we can taste what is about to come.
Individually...well again this was such a team effort especially on defense, however the superlative performance by Ron Harper Jr was one for the RAC annals. Ron hit on all 5 of his 3 point attempts, was 11-14 for the game for a 27 point performance, 6 boards and two steals. This was vintage Ron Harper tonight. Major kudos to him for sticking with it even as his confidence waned in the past few games. His spots he got around the basket for layups were works of art. Geo Baker back in the starting lineup where needed to be. Geo 7 assists...bravo. Geo had his moments but this wasnt going to be a game where we needed his miracles. He played within himself distributing the ball like a pro while limiting major mistakes. A confident Geo out there at home and well rested despite playing 32 minutes, when we needed him in the later stages. Paul Mulcahy 8 points, 3 assists in 27 minutes, the freshmen wunderkind, wise beyond his years, possibly his most comfortable game yet all around especially in shooting the ball. Myles Johnson, boy his defense tonight, 11 boards, 6 points, it says only 2 blocks but I thought more. Loved him coming off the bench tonight, loved him playing such tough D without fouling. He and Yeboah shut the paint down and it made Illinois take an ungodly 28 threes which simply is not their game. Shaq Carter valuable minutes with the start and throughout and hit his free throws. Yeboah, boy just came up big on both sides. It seems like you can always count on him to hit a big 3 at the RAC. 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks. Admittedly, Caleb, Montez, and Jacob struggled to find their groove today. All limited in minutes and just 2-15 shooting yet even with that, they still played decent defense when they were in. Even on off nights, they did not kill RU and did not force their game when it was not happening. So some credit there and credit to Pike for riding the right lineups. I think he is becoming a bit more flexible and its paying off. The coaching staff did a superlative job tonight in game prep and managing the game. Second half, Pike had them ready to come out guns blazing and really did a better job in the 2nd half of denying Cockburn any looks really and forcing Illinois to shoot rushed jumpers or 3s and the latter is not their game at all. Pike dared them to beat RU with someone besides Cockburn and Illinois guards just did not have it.
So savor this mustard tonight because every night in the Big 10 is a one game season. You are only as good as your last win. Michigan is an important rematch and a key needed win for the resume as we move toward March. I must say some of the bracketologists who are starting to become snarky about RU and drop their seeds can shove it. This team passes all eye tests. Rutgers sits in 4th place in the most competitive conference in the country. They can take their biases and shove it as schools like Louisville, WVU, LSU and Butler continue to lose games in bunches but yet never seem to take a hit in seeding. If any of them bothered to watch this game today, they would realize that Rutgers is sitting on the biggest and unlikeliest story in tourney history.
That 7 minute stretch is what some may refer to as VINTAGE Rutgers basketball. It encompassed all the things that we know and love about our Scarlet Knights. Myles Johnson blocks, hustling for rebound, outlet passes to find the open man, Harper for 3, hands poking the ball away, turnovers generating points, finding the right man set up under the hop, finishing the layups and a raging building known as the RAC. Illinois was abused and oppressed during that stretch and RU all but broke the Illini's spirit. They would get a run of 5 points before RU came in with another wave of defense that took the lead to 14 and another corner 3 by Yeboah who layed the final dagger to make it 61-49 and from their was a rout the rest of the way. Illinois could do no right, crumbling under the deafening noise from the RAC which was building in its crescendo all through the 2nd half. The RAC and the players fed off of each other, a beautiful give and take of harmony, symphony and cacophony. The admiration was mutual they agreed.
This was easily RU's best complete game since the win over Penn State. There was not one point where you can even say RU was struggling or did not put forth the effort. After the last game, I asked when will this team learn its lesson? Well the verdict is out on the road. But this game..this was vintage Rutgers mustard...the kind we all fell in love with since the Seton Hall game. This was full of 40 minutes pounding nails imposing their physical will on their opponent until the Illini begging for mercy and sent to the torture chamber in the bowels of the RAC. Many even the biggest of fans on the board were sort of questioning whether this team had hit a wall or maybe had peaked or maybe just were not ready for the spotlight. BOLLOCKS! Today's performance should go a long way to dissipating all the worrying, the handwringing, negative nancys and ned. In a game where we had some fans worried RU would cut the cheese, RU cut the mustard. Today was a reaffirmation of the 2019-2020 season success. It was a reaffirmation of Coach Pikiell and his gameplan. It was a reaffirmation of Ron Harper Jr whose shot was left out in cornfield somewhere in Iowa. It was a reaffirmation of the RAC and the fans undying passion as we can taste what is about to come.
Individually...well again this was such a team effort especially on defense, however the superlative performance by Ron Harper Jr was one for the RAC annals. Ron hit on all 5 of his 3 point attempts, was 11-14 for the game for a 27 point performance, 6 boards and two steals. This was vintage Ron Harper tonight. Major kudos to him for sticking with it even as his confidence waned in the past few games. His spots he got around the basket for layups were works of art. Geo Baker back in the starting lineup where needed to be. Geo 7 assists...bravo. Geo had his moments but this wasnt going to be a game where we needed his miracles. He played within himself distributing the ball like a pro while limiting major mistakes. A confident Geo out there at home and well rested despite playing 32 minutes, when we needed him in the later stages. Paul Mulcahy 8 points, 3 assists in 27 minutes, the freshmen wunderkind, wise beyond his years, possibly his most comfortable game yet all around especially in shooting the ball. Myles Johnson, boy his defense tonight, 11 boards, 6 points, it says only 2 blocks but I thought more. Loved him coming off the bench tonight, loved him playing such tough D without fouling. He and Yeboah shut the paint down and it made Illinois take an ungodly 28 threes which simply is not their game. Shaq Carter valuable minutes with the start and throughout and hit his free throws. Yeboah, boy just came up big on both sides. It seems like you can always count on him to hit a big 3 at the RAC. 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks. Admittedly, Caleb, Montez, and Jacob struggled to find their groove today. All limited in minutes and just 2-15 shooting yet even with that, they still played decent defense when they were in. Even on off nights, they did not kill RU and did not force their game when it was not happening. So some credit there and credit to Pike for riding the right lineups. I think he is becoming a bit more flexible and its paying off. The coaching staff did a superlative job tonight in game prep and managing the game. Second half, Pike had them ready to come out guns blazing and really did a better job in the 2nd half of denying Cockburn any looks really and forcing Illinois to shoot rushed jumpers or 3s and the latter is not their game at all. Pike dared them to beat RU with someone besides Cockburn and Illinois guards just did not have it.
So savor this mustard tonight because every night in the Big 10 is a one game season. You are only as good as your last win. Michigan is an important rematch and a key needed win for the resume as we move toward March. I must say some of the bracketologists who are starting to become snarky about RU and drop their seeds can shove it. This team passes all eye tests. Rutgers sits in 4th place in the most competitive conference in the country. They can take their biases and shove it as schools like Louisville, WVU, LSU and Butler continue to lose games in bunches but yet never seem to take a hit in seeding. If any of them bothered to watch this game today, they would realize that Rutgers is sitting on the biggest and unlikeliest story in tourney history.
