Good game yesterday

[TC4THREE]

We played one of our best games of the year and it ended up being a somewhat comfortable win, but we never quite pulled away. I've seen many good teams come into Mackey Arena and get down 20 points and end up walking away with a 30+ point loss. Rutgers didn't let that happen and I didn't feel really comfortable until after the last TV timeout. A few comments....

- Good to see that Harper looked pretty effective after the hand injury. I don't know how close to 100% he was/is, but I didn't really notice it bothering him.

- Really like your starting five. They have evolved a ton since December and seem to understand how to function better as a unit. Aside from Harper, I especially like Omoruyi and Mulcahy. I like our two centers, but I love the athleticism Omoruyi. He'll be a terror next season. Mulcahy is a great floor general. Not a big fan of Baker because of his whining about getting paid but he can hit tough shots along with Harper. And then they all combine to play really good team defense. Coach Painter was accurate in his postgame assessment regarding Rutgers. They are going to be a nightmare for some high seed in the 2nd round of tournament.

- Your coach is great. Couldn't believe when I was on here before our first game and saw some people wanting to fire him. He's done a tremendous job with your program and he's comfortable in his own skin which is important. He knows what he needs to win and he's going to get those players....rankings be damned. Coach Painter is similar. He's put together several top 10 teams at Purdue and I think we've only ever had one five-star recruit in that time. He concentrates on getting good players who care about winning and fit into what we like to do. I think your coach is the same way from what I've seen. He doesn't need a roster full of McDonald's All-Americans to put together a conference contender.

- Not team related but I wanted to add that I visit all the fan boards throughout the season and I think this board is the best free board in terms of general discussion of the entire conference. I see good insights here regarding teams other than just Rutgers all the time. Like any message board, there are some that are just homers and I'm still sorting out which are which but I visit this board more frequently than others because I like different perspectives on our team as well as others and I find some good ones here.

Good luck the rest of they way. We could really use you beating Wisconsin again next weekend and hope our teams meet again in Indy.

 

[fluoxetine]

Welcome.

Purdue is really good this year.

 

[jordkap]

I agree on the free board part. This is by far and away the best one I’ve seen. Glad it’s the team I root for. Good luck to Purdue, hope we see you guys again! Partially because that means it’s either the Big Ten finals or Sweet 16

 

[shields]

Some of our fans were a joke with the anti Pikes stuff. Good luck to Purdue and tell Ivey to go pro.

 

[richthedentist]

We played one of our best games of the year and it ended up being a somewhat comfortable win, but we never quite pulled away. I've seen many good teams come into Mackey Arena and get down 20 points and end up walking away with a 30+ point loss. Rutgers didn't let that happen and I didn't feel really comfortable until after the last TV timeout. A few comments....

- Good to see that Harper looked pretty effective after the hand injury. I don't know how close to 100% he was/is, but I didn't really notice it bothering him.

- Really like your starting five. They have evolved a ton since December and seem to understand how to function better as a unit. Aside from Harper, I especially like Omoruyi and Mulcahy. I like our two centers, but I love the athleticism Omoruyi. He'll be a terror next season. Mulcahy is a great floor general. Not a big fan of Baker because of his whining about getting paid but he can hit tough shots along with Harper. And then they all combine to play really good team defense. Coach Painter was accurate in his postgame assessment regarding Rutgers. They are going to be a nightmare for some high seed in the 2nd round of tournament.

- Your coach is great. Couldn't believe when I was on here before our first game and saw some people wanting to fire him. He's done a tremendous job with your program and he's comfortable in his own skin which is important. He knows what he needs to win and he's going to get those players....rankings be damned. Coach Painter is similar. He's put together several top 10 teams at Purdue and I think we've only ever had one five-star recruit in that time. He concentrates on getting good players who care about winning and fit into what we like to do. I think your coach is the same way from what I've seen. He doesn't need a roster full of McDonald's All-Americans to put together a conference contender.

- Not team related but I wanted to add that I visit all the fan boards throughout the season and I think this board is the best free board in terms of general discussion of the entire conference. I see good insights here regarding teams other than just Rutgers all the time. Like any message board, there are some that are just homers and I'm still sorting out which are which but I visit this board more frequently than others because I like different perspectives on our team as well as others and I find some good ones here.

Good luck the rest of they way. We could really use you beating Wisconsin again next weekend and hope our teams meet again in Indy.

Question for you do you think Williams should play more? He seems to be much better than Edey; Have they ever played the two of them together?

 

[Randal7]

We played one of our best games of the year and it ended up being a somewhat comfortable win, but we never quite pulled away. I've seen many good teams come into Mackey Arena and get down 20 points and end up walking away with a 30+ point loss. Rutgers didn't let that happen and I didn't feel really comfortable until after the last TV timeout. A few comments....

- Good to see that Harper looked pretty effective after the hand injury. I don't know how close to 100% he was/is, but I didn't really notice it bothering him.

- Really like your starting five. They have evolved a ton since December and seem to understand how to function better as a unit. Aside from Harper, I especially like Omoruyi and Mulcahy. I like our two centers, but I love the athleticism Omoruyi. He'll be a terror next season. Mulcahy is a great floor general. Not a big fan of Baker because of his whining about getting paid but he can hit tough shots along with Harper. And then they all combine to play really good team defense. Coach Painter was accurate in his postgame assessment regarding Rutgers. They are going to be a nightmare for some high seed in the 2nd round of tournament.

- Your coach is great. Couldn't believe when I was on here before our first game and saw some people wanting to fire him. He's done a tremendous job with your program and he's comfortable in his own skin which is important. He knows what he needs to win and he's going to get those players....rankings be damned. Coach Painter is similar. He's put together several top 10 teams at Purdue and I think we've only ever had one five-star recruit in that time. He concentrates on getting good players who care about winning and fit into what we like to do. I think your coach is the same way from what I've seen. He doesn't need a roster full of McDonald's All-Americans to put together a conference contender.

- Not team related but I wanted to add that I visit all the fan boards throughout the season and I think this board is the best free board in terms of general discussion of the entire conference. I see good insights here regarding teams other than just Rutgers all the time. Like any message board, there are some that are just homers and I'm still sorting out which are which but I visit this board more frequently than others because I like different perspectives on our team as well as others and I find some good ones here.

Good luck the rest of they way. We could really use you beating Wisconsin again next weekend and hope our teams meet again in Indy.

You guys are absolutely LOADED. I'll be rooting for you in the NCAA tourney when you aren't playing us.

 

[SBP]

I hope Purdue goes all the way, they’ve got the horses, no doubt. ( that is if we don’t, of course )

 

[The RUT]

Classy post.

Good luck the rest of the way. Looking forward to more of the Mackey vs RAC comparisons for years to come.

 

[TC4THREE]

Question for you do you think Williams should play more? He seems to be much better than Edey; Have they ever played the two of them together?

I can recall them playing together a couple of times. Once at the end of our BTT game against Ohio State last year where we needed a basket at the last possession of the game. We used Williams at the top of the key to feed Edey in the post which is actually a really good way for us to get the ball into the post that I'm sure the other team didn't prepare to defend. The other time is a week ago when we were getting blown out by Michigan.

I actually love how we use them. Both average right under 20 minutes a game I think. For big men like that, I think you lose something when they have to go deeper into games. They just don't have the same type of endurance as a guard. Yeah, either one could play 30+ minutes but at 20 minutes they can go as hard as they can for 5-6 minutes then get a rest for 5 minutes and come back later and go just as hard. Also, it insulates them from foul trouble. With Williams, there were numerous games when he started he'd pick up a foul in the first few minutes. Then it's to the bench for 8 minutes and when he comes back in he's still worried about picking up a second. When he comes in off the bench, he's almost always immediately fully engaged and not worried about fouls. I'm not really worried about foul trouble until they both have 2 fouls in the first half. I think that's maybe happened once this year. It's certainly a unique situation because both guys are starter quality but having them both out on the floor together won't work defensively. It's only due to Williams sacrificing some ego and being willing to come off the bench that it works like this. Most seniors with his ability would probably not be ok with this.

I also think Edey might be better than what you think if you watch him every game. Williams is certainly more versatile, and I think he's probably played a few of his better games against Rutgers. But Edey is a beast in his own right and leads the nation in field goal percentage. When he get the ball deep in the post, he's as close to automatic as anyone in the country. But, to your point, Williams is really good in the post, on the boards, and an excellent passer on top of that. There's a reason he's on the floor more often at the end of games. His ability to pass means that we can run our offense through him at the end of games and he either gets a one-on-one matchup for a good look or, if the other team doubles him, we often can get a layup or open 3.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Obviously Purdue is a very good team. What keeps you from being elite is guard (point guard) play. I am worried about Ivey who plays so fast when you get in to a NCAA tournament game and the pace slows down quite a bit.

Good news every team has a few warts.

 

[DirtyRU]

We played one of our best games of the year and it ended up being a somewhat comfortable win, but we never quite pulled away. I've seen many good teams come into Mackey Arena and get down 20 points and end up walking away with a 30+ point loss. Rutgers didn't let that happen and I didn't feel really comfortable until after the last TV timeout. A few comments....

- Good to see that Harper looked pretty effective after the hand injury. I don't know how close to 100% he was/is, but I didn't really notice it bothering him.

- Really like your starting five. They have evolved a ton since December and seem to understand how to function better as a unit. Aside from Harper, I especially like Omoruyi and Mulcahy. I like our two centers, but I love the athleticism Omoruyi. He'll be a terror next season. Mulcahy is a great floor general. Not a big fan of Baker because of his whining about getting paid but he can hit tough shots along with Harper. And then they all combine to play really good team defense. Coach Painter was accurate in his postgame assessment regarding Rutgers. They are going to be a nightmare for some high seed in the 2nd round of tournament.

- Your coach is great. Couldn't believe when I was on here before our first game and saw some people wanting to fire him. He's done a tremendous job with your program and he's comfortable in his own skin which is important. He knows what he needs to win and he's going to get those players....rankings be damned. Coach Painter is similar. He's put together several top 10 teams at Purdue and I think we've only ever had one five-star recruit in that time. He concentrates on getting good players who care about winning and fit into what we like to do. I think your coach is the same way from what I've seen. He doesn't need a roster full of McDonald's All-Americans to put together a conference contender.

- Not team related but I wanted to add that I visit all the fan boards throughout the season and I think this board is the best free board in terms of general discussion of the entire conference. I see good insights here regarding teams other than just Rutgers all the time. Like any message board, there are some that are just homers and I'm still sorting out which are which but I visit this board more frequently than others because I like different perspectives on our team as well as others and I find some good ones here.

Good luck the rest of they way. We could really use you beating Wisconsin again next weekend and hope our teams meet again in Indy.

Great post and spot on, thx for sharing!

 

[TC4THREE]

Obviously Purdue is a very good team. What keeps you from being elite is guard (point guard) play. I am worried about Ivey who plays so fast when you get in to a NCAA tournament game and the pace slows down quite a bit.

Good news every team has a few warts.

Eric Hunter has been playing great for the past month or so. I'm not as worried about our guard play....at least offensively. If a team wants to slow it down, we're good with that. Our pace is actually on the slow side nationally and we are still one of the top offensive efficiency teams in the country. We can get the ball in the post where we usually have matchup advantages. If we are doubled there, we shoot around or over 40% from the 3-point line as a team so that's covered. And as the year has gone on, we've also found more ways to isolate Ivey and let him attack either by just beating his man off the dribble or using a high ball screen. Offensively, I feel like we are closed to a finished product. Just like any team, we are a bad shooting night away from having issues but it feels like we have the process figured out on how to go about scoring based on whatever the opposing defense shows (pressing, doubles, zone, etc).

What I fear is our defense. It's simply not very good and I think most coaches know exactly how to attack it. Our guards get beat off the dribble way too much and it almost always results in a layup/dunk or an open 3. We always double the post, which puts our help defense in motion which also usually results in an open shot for someone.

Aside from that our free throw shooting has been shaky in certain games. I'm always worried when we are trying to hold on to a late lead and haven't got to the double-bonus yet. I feel like when we're in the 1-and-1, it's an empty possession waiting to happen if they foul the right guy. That's something that can show up any given game. I was encouraged by Edey's free throw shooting yesterday as it's been a struggle for him this year after actually being really good as a freshman last year.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I was surprised you double the post.

I'll root for you guys obviously in NCAAt, but against most of the other B1G schools.

 

[TC4THREE]

I was surprised you double the post.

I'll root for you guys obviously in NCAAt, but against most of the other B1G schools.

Regarding post doubles, that's actually one of the bigger gripes you read on our board. I think most fans are on board with it when it's like Kofi Cockburn we're doubling but we seem to make no distinction in choosing who or who not to double. When we're doubling Nebraska's backup center, it seems like an unnecessary move that usually ends up giving the other team a better shot than what a one-on-one post up move would've been. I think the reason we do it so consistently probably has much to do with keeping our big men away from foul trouble.

 

[richthedentist]

I can recall them playing together a couple of times. Once at the end of our BTT game against Ohio State last year where we needed a basket at the last possession of the game. We used Williams at the top of the key to feed Edey in the post which is actually a really good way for us to get the ball into the post that I'm sure the other team didn't prepare to defend. The other time is a week ago when we were getting blown out by Michigan.

I actually love how we use them. Both average right under 20 minutes a game I think. For big men like that, I think you lose something when they have to go deeper into games. They just don't have the same type of endurance as a guard. Yeah, either one could play 30+ minutes but at 20 minutes they can go as hard as they can for 5-6 minutes then get a rest for 5 minutes and come back later and go just as hard. Also, it insulates them from foul trouble. With Williams, there were numerous games when he started he'd pick up a foul in the first few minutes. Then it's to the bench for 8 minutes and when he comes back in he's still worried about picking up a second. When he comes in off the bench, he's almost always immediately fully engaged and not worried about fouls. I'm not really worried about foul trouble until they both have 2 fouls in the first half. I think that's maybe happened once this year. It's certainly a unique situation because both guys are starter quality but having them both out on the floor together won't work defensively. It's only due to Williams sacrificing some ego and being willing to come off the bench that it works like this. Most seniors with his ability would probably not be ok with this.

I also think Edey might be better than what you think if you watch him every game. Williams is certainly more versatile, and I think he's probably played a few of his better games against Rutgers. But Edey is a beast in his own right and leads the nation in field goal percentage. When he get the ball deep in the post, he's as close to automatic as anyone in the country. But, to your point, Williams is really good in the post, on the boards, and an excellent passer on top of that. There's a reason he's on the floor more often at the end of games. His ability to pass means that we can run our offense through him at the end of games and he either gets a one-on-one matchup for a good look or, if the other team doubles him, we often can get a layup or open 3.

Thanks as said above hope to see you guys in the Big final!!

 

[goru7]

Well , I am glad you come in peace but that was not your tone in December after we beat you. Glad you are a little more complimentary which you weren’t in December.
Regarding your points , Ron was not himself , despite hitting his first 2 threes ( his only ones all game ) he only had 3 rebounds and never drove to the basket to get some fouls and I am almost thinking he didn’t want to bang his hand and played very tentative and hung outside all game except for 1 back cut in the first half. Geo did not shoot well and we could have used both of them yesterday.

Good observations on our starting five as they have been playing lights out. Also good call on Cliff and Paul as they are drastically better than December , especially Paul who finally decided to use his size to his advantage and become a scorer , a shooter and always a great passer. He averaged a triple double in high school and we have waited 2.5 years for it to surface. When he hit that 3 to cut it to 62-52 with 9 minutes left , I thought we were going to win . But Ivey showed why he is a lottery pick and he got fouled and hit his foul shots . Plus Caleb and Paul in foul trouble all night hurt us. Cliff also was thrown some bad alley oops that caused some transition problems. Cliff has improved tremendously this year but the last 10 games have been awesome. He has NBA athleticism and hope he continues to develop. Although Caleb had 3 steals and leads the conference with 63( 20 more than anyone ) , you did not see him work on defense which is normally very disruptive.

You are also correct that most teams would have been blown out the way you started that game hitting 6 threes from everywhere, Sasha’s bank and Williams hitting a 3 , which I doubt he has taken one from, plus his entire repertoire from 2 , but there we were 32-31 and 36-35 with 2 minutes to go in the half until the ******** moving screen call on Paul and then Cliff’s taunt that let you close in a 9-1 surge to go up 9 at half that was a shame. Painter was incredibly complimentary and knew Purdue played really well , only 7 turnovers , and shot well. But we are finally playing up to our potential sharing the ball and getting almost 5 guys in double figures every game and not as dependent on getting Ron or Geo to score 25 or more to give us a chance to win. Our defense is elite at times and I hope Painter is right as we will be a nightmare for a higher seed in the tourney. Depending on our seed , the Big 10 tourney should be fun as well.

On your last point , other than some idiots that were calling for Pike ‘s head early , this is a great message board with great various opinions. We also probably have the best Bracketologist in the business our own BAC , who has been doing it over 10 years and usually more accurate than Lunardi. Check out that thread. It is a treat for college basketball junkies.
Thanks for your post and congrats on breaking our 4 game winning streak against Purdue. This conference is a war but I love the rivalry that is building with our teams , with great coaches doing it the right way .

 

[IL Lusciato]

We played one of our best games of the year and it ended up being a somewhat comfortable win, but we never quite pulled away. I've seen many good teams come into Mackey Arena and get down 20 points and end up walking away with a 30+ point loss. Rutgers didn't let that happen and I didn't feel really comfortable until after the last TV timeout. A few comments....

- Good to see that Harper looked pretty effective after the hand injury. I don't know how close to 100% he was/is, but I didn't really notice it bothering him.

- Really like your starting five. They have evolved a ton since December and seem to understand how to function better as a unit. Aside from Harper, I especially like Omoruyi and Mulcahy. I like our two centers, but I love the athleticism Omoruyi. He'll be a terror next season. Mulcahy is a great floor general. Not a big fan of Baker because of his whining about getting paid but he can hit tough shots along with Harper. And then they all combine to play really good team defense. Coach Painter was accurate in his postgame assessment regarding Rutgers. They are going to be a nightmare for some high seed in the 2nd round of tournament.

- Your coach is great. Couldn't believe when I was on here before our first game and saw some people wanting to fire him. He's done a tremendous job with your program and he's comfortable in his own skin which is important. He knows what he needs to win and he's going to get those players....rankings be damned. Coach Painter is similar. He's put together several top 10 teams at Purdue and I think we've only ever had one five-star recruit in that time. He concentrates on getting good players who care about winning and fit into what we like to do. I think your coach is the same way from what I've seen. He doesn't need a roster full of McDonald's All-Americans to put together a conference contender.

- Not team related but I wanted to add that I visit all the fan boards throughout the season and I think this board is the best free board in terms of general discussion of the entire conference. I see good insights here regarding teams other than just Rutgers all the time. Like any message board, there are some that are just homers and I'm still sorting out which are which but I visit this board more frequently than others because I like different perspectives on our team as well as others and I find some good ones here.

Good luck the rest of they way. We could really use you beating Wisconsin again next weekend and hope our teams meet again in Indy.

Hey great post...thank you for dropping by! My step dad is a Purdue alum. Agree with many of your insights and we had a good two games this year. Big ten ball is fun.

 

[TC4THREE]

Well , I am glad you come in peace but that was not your tone in December after we beat you. Glad you are a little more complimentary which you weren’t in December.
Regarding your points , Ron was not himself , despite hitting his first 2 threes ( his only ones all game ) he only had 3 rebounds and never drove to the basket to get some fouls and I am almost thinking he didn’t want to bang his hand and played very tentative and hung outside all game except for 1 back cut in the first half. Geo did not shoot well and we could have used both of them yesterday.

Good observations on our starting five as they have been playing lights out. Also good call on Cliff and Paul as they are drastically better than December , especially Paul who finally decided to use his size to his advantage and become a scorer , a shooter and always a great passer. He averaged a triple double in high school and we have waited 2.5 years for it to surface. When he hit that 3 to cut it to 62-52 with 9 minutes left , I thought we were going to win . But Ivey showed why he is a lottery pick and he got fouled and hit his foul shots . Plus Caleb and Paul in foul trouble all night hurt us. Cliff also was thrown some bad alley oops that caused some transition problems. Cliff has improved tremendously this year but the last 10 games have been awesome. He has NBA athleticism and hope he continues to develop. Although Caleb had 3 steals and leads the conference with 63( 20 more than anyone ) , you did not see him work on defense which is normally very disruptive.

You are also correct that most teams would have been blown out the way you started that game hitting 6 threes from everywhere, Sasha’s bank and Williams hitting a 3 , which I doubt he has taken one from, plus his entire repertoire from 2 , but there we were 32-31 and 36-35 with 2 minutes to go in the half until the ******** moving screen call on Paul and then Cliff’s taunt that let you close in a 9-1 surge to go up 9 at half that was a shame. Painter was incredibly complimentary and knew Purdue played really well , only 7 turnovers , and shot well. But we are finally playing up to our potential sharing the ball and getting almost 5 guys in double figures every game and not as dependent on getting Ron or Geo to score 25 or more to give us a chance to win. Our defense is elite at times and I hope Painter is right as we will be a nightmare for a higher seed in the tourney. Depending on our seed , the Big 10 tourney should be fun as well.

On your last point , other than some idiots that were calling for Pike ‘s head early , this is a great message board with great various opinions. We also probably have the best Bracketologist in the business our own BAC , who has been doing it over 10 years and usually more accurate than Lunardi. Check out that thread. It is a treat for college basketball junkies.
Thanks for your post and congrats on breaking our 4 game winning streak against Purdue. This conference is a war but I love the rivalry that is building with our teams , with great coaches doing it the right way .

Regarding December, I think you took my response differently than was my intention writing it. But that's in the rear view mirror now. Sometimes it's hard to read an opposing message board because some fans inevitably do not see things similar to you because they don't watch your team as much as you do. I think I read a few posts more or less disregarding Purdue because we had lost to Rutgers in prior years and I kind of flippantly suggested that it should be an easy win for Rutgers then. My point was that last year did not matter in this years matchup and that we are a much better team than last year. My intention was never to suggest we couldn't lose. I've been around much too long to think that about almost any Big Ten road matchup. Again, may not have come across like I intended and I shouldn't have responded specifically to those posts anyway. It's an opposing message board so you can't be offended every time you think someone may not give your team what you think is their proper due.

BTW, Williams is now 5-11 from 3 on the season so that one is not quite the fluke you might think. He can hit them if you leave him open but obviously we're not structuring our offense to get him those looks consistently.

 

[BigRnj]

Purdue is very tough to beat but I think our chances are a bit better if Cliff scores on 1/2 of his missed dunks (all tough… no chippies) and Ivy doesn’t get to the line every time someone looks crossly at him (he got a few star calls). Remember we beat them in our 4 prior games.

 

[TC4THREE]

Purdue is very tough to beat but I think our chances are a bit better if Cliff scores on 1/2 of his missed dunks (all tough… no chippies) and Ivy doesn’t get to the line every time someone looks crossly at him (he got a few star calls). Remember we beat them in our 4 prior games.

Idk what to say regarding the fouls except it sounds like every Purdue thread when we play on the road. You have to control what you can control and obviously the two missed dunks you mention fall in that category for Rutgers. The other one that stands out is the technical foul on Omoruyi. Completely unnecessary from Rutger's perspective. But trust me I'm sure both teams in any game can come up with a long list of what-ifs to move the game towards their favor.

 

[shields]

The tech on Cliff was just dumb. Good luck to Purdue.

 

[RU848789]

We played one of our best games of the year and it ended up being a somewhat comfortable win, but we never quite pulled away. I've seen many good teams come into Mackey Arena and get down 20 points and end up walking away with a 30+ point loss. Rutgers didn't let that happen and I didn't feel really comfortable until after the last TV timeout. A few comments....

- Good to see that Harper looked pretty effective after the hand injury. I don't know how close to 100% he was/is, but I didn't really notice it bothering him.

- Really like your starting five. They have evolved a ton since December and seem to understand how to function better as a unit. Aside from Harper, I especially like Omoruyi and Mulcahy. I like our two centers, but I love the athleticism Omoruyi. He'll be a terror next season. Mulcahy is a great floor general. Not a big fan of Baker because of his whining about getting paid but he can hit tough shots along with Harper. And then they all combine to play really good team defense. Coach Painter was accurate in his postgame assessment regarding Rutgers. They are going to be a nightmare for some high seed in the 2nd round of tournament.

- Your coach is great. Couldn't believe when I was on here before our first game and saw some people wanting to fire him. He's done a tremendous job with your program and he's comfortable in his own skin which is important. He knows what he needs to win and he's going to get those players....rankings be damned. Coach Painter is similar. He's put together several top 10 teams at Purdue and I think we've only ever had one five-star recruit in that time. He concentrates on getting good players who care about winning and fit into what we like to do. I think your coach is the same way from what I've seen. He doesn't need a roster full of McDonald's All-Americans to put together a conference contender.

- Not team related but I wanted to add that I visit all the fan boards throughout the season and I think this board is the best free board in terms of general discussion of the entire conference. I see good insights here regarding teams other than just Rutgers all the time. Like any message board, there are some that are just homers and I'm still sorting out which are which but I visit this board more frequently than others because I like different perspectives on our team as well as others and I find some good ones here.

Good luck the rest of they way. We could really use you beating Wisconsin again next weekend and hope our teams meet again in Indy.

Great post - 95% of us thought the Pike haters were nuts, too. Huge respect for Painter and the program he runs, as you guys always seem to have talented and balanced teams that play hard and together. Would love nothing more than to oblige your request regarding WI, lol. Good luck...

 

[goru7]

Regarding December, I think you took my response differently than was my intention writing it. But that's in the rear view mirror now. Sometimes it's hard to read an opposing message board because some fans inevitably do not see things similar to you because they don't watch your team as much as you do. I think I read a few posts more or less disregarding Purdue because we had lost to Rutgers in prior years and I kind of flippantly suggested that it should be an easy win for Rutgers then. My point was that last year did not matter in this years matchup and that we are a much better team than last year. My intention was never to suggest we couldn't lose. I've been around much too long to think that about almost any Big Ten road matchup. Again, may not have come across like I intended and I shouldn't have responded specifically to those posts anyway. It's an opposing message board so you can't be offended every time you think someone may not give your team what you think is their proper due.

BTW, Williams is now 5-11 from 3 on the season so that one is not quite the fluke you might think. He can hit them if you leave him open but obviously we're not structuring our offense to get him those looks consistently.

Thanks for the clarification because that was exactly my recollection. I think we have built up a healthy rivalry that involves 2 hard nosed tough teams and hope it continues.

Thanks for the heads up. I like a lot of this board watch BTN 7 days a week and we watch a lot of the teams. I personally have not seen him take 1 three all year and maybe 1-2 foul line jumpers so that is impressive 5-11 . It was a good looking stroke.

 

[mugrat86]

After watching Howard make an *** out of himself, I am more and more proud of what Pike built here. I think Painter is also a class act. The fact that Howard did not even had the sense to apologize after the game shows me he has no clue of the impact of his actions.

I have often asked the Pike haters which BIG1G coach that they would rather have and many mentioned Howard and I totally disagreed. The only ones I would consider would be Painter and Underwood. Obviously if Izzo was younger, also him. I had one idiot who claimed he would take everyone but Hoilberg

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

We played one of our best games of the year and it ended up being a somewhat comfortable win, but we never quite pulled away. ...

Really weird that the 2 Rutgers-Purdue games were so different offensively. But it is pretty clear that if we didn't play amazing defense both games we'd have lost both by high dbl figures.

Here's what I noticed... we tend to score a bunch in transition... but not Sunday night. You guys shot too well and even then, you hit the boards too hard for us to get comfortable defensive rebounds where we could start a fast outlet. Your team D stepped up... you'll need that in the tourney. Good luck.

Not sure I want to see you guys in the B1G Ten tourney.. but if we do it is good news for us either way.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

I have often asked the Pike haters which BIG1G coach that they would rather have and many mentioned Howard and I totally disagreed. ...

well.. guess I have to defend the "Pike Haters" again.

DePaul, Lafayette, UMASS... suspect recruiting... there was plenty of reasons to doubt Pike...

But I am so happy the team is making him look good now. Probably did not deserve all the blame then.. and probably doesn't deserve all the credit now.

But he did put this team together and we are enjoying it now.

 

[RU1-Newtown, Pa]

I was in the house at Mackay last night with my son who attends Purdue. The end of the first half and first 5 minutes of the second half hurt us. Matt Painter is a class coach and Purdue is the king of college basketball in Indiana.

Mackay is a great venue for basketball and the noise level was unbelievable. Basketball is a religion in Indiana and Purdue holds the claim of more Big Ten championships then the team from Bloomington.

For Rutgers faithful it is simple..front and center this Wednesday v Michigan.

 

[mugrat86]

well.. guess I have to defend the "Pike Haters" again.

DePaul, Lafayette, UMASS... suspect recruiting... there was plenty of reasons to doubt Pike...

But I am so happy the team is making him look good now. Probably did not deserve all the blame then.. and probably doesn't deserve all the credit now.

But he did put this team together and we are enjoying it now.

What a dumb response. He lost 2 key players from the team and Cliff was a raw piece of clay that took time to develop and you seem to poopoo his success

 

[RC80]

If you get an opportunity, listen to Painter's post game comments; besides his comments on RU - around the 7-minute mark, he gives a really detailed answer on why he doesn't use a zone D. I found it the type of answer most coaches don't give you.

 

[Arizona Knight]

I don’t think Williams has ever missed a shot against us. At least that’s what it seems like. Beast.

 

[Scangg]

Obviously Purdue is a very good team. What keeps you from being elite is guard (point guard) play. I am worried about Ivey who plays so fast when you get in to a NCAA tournament game and the pace slows down quite a bit.

Good news every team has a few warts.

Sounds like you won't have Purdue going too far in your bracket.

What about the theory that other teams are even less equipped than B1G schools to handle Edey and Williams inside and that the B1G refs allow more contact. Could lead to teams in foul trouble and a lot of FTs for Purdue in the dance

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Sounds like you won't have Purdue going too far in your bracket.

What about the theory that other teams are even less equipped than B1G schools to handle Edey and Williams inside and that the B1G refs allow more contact. Could lead to teams in foul trouble and a lot of FTs for Purdue in the dance

Guard play. That is what wins.

Purdue is good. Best in B1G

 

[shields]

NBA scout said in paper that Reiber is the most improved player in Big Ten. Just think how silly that Lafayette game is when you look at Paul and Reiber getting better. That game was so long ago.

 

[Rutgers25]

Guard play. That is what wins.

Purdue is good. Best in B1G

think you’re underestimating Ivey’s ability to carry Purdue. He makes them go and is precisely the kind of guard that can lead them to a deep tournament run.