I like our B1G tourney draw

[RU82]

Would certainly prefer a reeling Penn St over Michigan in the first round. But we have a realistic path to the final if we bring our A game. Michigan and Wisconsin are not horrible matchups for us.

 

[Rufaninga]

First 2 games against UM, seemed like we did not match up that well. I was hoping for a different first game draw.

Hope the ol' hard to beat a team 3 times in a year pans out.

 

[RUfromSoCal?]

nits are collapsing... would prefer them... but mich u. ain't much better... I like our chances....

 

[RUby RED]

Like the idea of facing Wisky in the quarters. As far as 1 seeds go, they don’t scare me in the least

 

[brookdale-soda]

I dont think it's a bad matchup. IMO our RAC loss was self inflicted. I thought UM played better at the garden. We missed an obscene amount of layups at the RAC.

 

[Plum Street]

I don’t like our chances in this one .

 

[bowlgoal]

We don’t match up well with them because of their PG and his ability to score when he needs to score. Similar to Winston. However, we are playing with house money so I expect us to play with confidence. Maybe this is the time we get them?

 

[Tango Two]

Michigan a bad match up

Probably the last team I’d choose to play

 

[RUwishbone]

don't worry be happy

 

[SirScarlet]

Michigan a bad match up

Probably the last team I’d choose to play

This. Michigan is a bad matchup for us.

 

[satnom]

RU makes shots, limit empty possessions and we beat them.

GO RU

 

[RuNutz]

We don’t match up well with them because of their PG and his ability to score when he needs to score. Similar to Winston. However, we are playing with house money so I expect us to play with confidence. Maybe this is the time we get them?

^this

 

[brookdale-soda]

We don’t match up well with them because of their PG and his ability to score when he needs to score. Similar to Winston. However, we are playing with house money so I expect us to play with confidence. Maybe this is the time we get them?

He scored only 9 points in our first meeting.

 

[phlop87]

I’d make sure Young is on him for 25-30 minutes. Make him work for everything on the offensive end go at him when we have the ball

 

[Rufaninga]

IF, our last 2 games is a new beginning of playing 40 minutes, then I like our chances against anyone. GOD I hope this is the start of a great RUN!

 

[Goku]

Michigan a bad match up

Probably the last team I’d choose to play

This the first team I want for these guys to play

1. I dont care about not matching up well. Let’s see these guys win against a team like that.

2. The guys are playing with confidence and unity right now

3. I bet these guys want to beat Michigan bad, especially because of the losses this year. Michigan always came across to me as a team that felt like Rutgers was a joke and the thought of losing would be unfathomable. I feel like half the league felt that way about Rutgers a few years ago. It’s time to let Michigan understand what if feels like to lose to Rutgers.

4. I feel like these guys had to play with a chip on their shoulders all year to prove people wrong. Now I bet they feel even more driven to prove that they can win a few more games in the postseason and shock the world. They want to shock Michigan

5. We have important guys peaking right now. Geo. Rhj. Tez. Young. Yeboah has been steady Eddie all year. I think these guys know they are playing well going into this game.

 

[gregkoko]

People in this thread way too scared of Michigan. RU is finding its game at the right time. VERY difficult to beat the same team three times in the same season. RU going at least to the B1G semis

 

[hinson32]

Would certainly prefer a reeling Penn St over Michigan in the first round. But we have a realistic path to the final if we bring our A game. Michigan and Wisconsin are not horrible matchups for us.

How is Michigan not a bad matchup? We haven’t figured out how to slow them down in two games.

 

[RU82]

How is Michigan not a bad matchup? We haven’t figured out how to slow them down in two games.

We had second half leads both times we played Michigan. They are tough. Pretty much the whole league is tough. I’d rather play Michigan than Ohio State.

I also like that Michigan St and Maryland are both on the other side of the bracket.

 

[zebnatto]

Same story: just make shots.

 

[scarletrat]

I wanted Michigan or Penn State. I think we are playing better than the prior 2 times we faced them--not easy to beat same team 3rd time. I suspect RU will be very up for this game.

If Dredd doesn't hit that shot, I think we would have been the 5 seed.

 

[needmorecowbell]

Would certainly prefer a reeling Penn St over Michigan in the first round. But we have a realistic path to the final if we bring our A game. Michigan and Wisconsin are not horrible matchups for us.

I would say Michigan and Michigan State are the most difficult match ups for Rutgers.

 

[hinson32]

We had second half leads both times we played Michigan. They are tough. Pretty much the whole league is tough. I’d rather play Michigan than Ohio State.

I also like that Michigan St and Maryland are both on the other side of the bracket.

My wife is a Michigan alum, so that means we lose. It’s my luck.

 

[RutgersChow]

Bad match up.

 

[YoucancallmeRay]

The last couple of games we've been hitting threes. If we keep that going, I like our chances. Sometimes teams just get hot and that might be us.

 

[LOU-RU85]

I like our draw as well. Let’s go!

 

[Colbert17!]

Michigan will be a tougher game for us then Wisconsin.
So let's get them out of the way early in our run.
Work with a guy over here who went to Wisconsin so it would be fun.

 

[Salvi's Headband]

All the teams are good. It's a crapshoot.

 

[gringo]

Michigan has lost 3 of their last 4. In there last 12 games only 2 teams have kept them under 70, RU and OSU.

The issue both games vs them was our 3 point shooting, 25% and 16%. Our last 2 games we have shot 46% from 3.

We win Thursday.

 

[RURM85]

Third time is a charm

 

[wheezer]

Bad match up.

I look at the big picture.

Michigan lost 12 games this year. 12
Say it with me . 12 losses

They are not invincible. They are not
Unbeatable. We just have to make our shots

I welcome the opportunity. Why wait till next year to pay them back. Do it now .
Do it when it hurts them even more

 

[hiwater]

We had second half leads both times we played Michigan. They are tough. Pretty much the whole league is tough. I’d rather play Michigan than Ohio State.

I also like that Michigan St and Maryland are both on the other side of the bracket.

We had second half leads until they went to the bigger lineup. They were not any slower playing 2 bigs. Both could shoot the 3 and both are rim protectors and very good rebounders. They dominated the boards when they played 2 bigs. That limited our second hand attempts and increased theirs.

 

[Scarlet Knut]

Michigan has lost 3 of their last 4. In there last 12 games only 2 teams have kept them under 70, RU and OSU.

The issue both games vs them was our 3 point shooting, 25% and 16%. Our last 2 games we have shot 46% from 3.

We win Thursday.

I was going to say pretty much the same thing. RU is peaking and UM isn't.

 

[hiwater]

Michigan has lost 3 of their last 4. In there last 12 games only 2 teams have kept them under 70, RU and OSU.

The issue both games vs them was our 3 point shooting, 25% and 16%. Our last 2 games we have shot 46% from 3.

We win Thursday.

UM did not play any better 3 point D than Penn St., Maryland, an Purdue. The difference was that we took the 3's without hesitancy in the last 3 games and it is easier to get a rhythm going when you are decisive. In both UM games, we would too often hesitate taking the open 3 only to eventually take it after a couple feints. You turn rhythm into forcing it. A few misses like that makes them less confident and more hesitant the next opportunity.

RU is going to have to look for their 3 point shots because UM is going to play a lot of 2 bigs and pack it in. They can't pack it in and cover the perimeter at the same time.

 

[theRU]

3rd time the charm? Maybe.
Pike has more time to scheme something up and get us ready? Maybe.
Unfortunately, when I was able to watch Michigan seemed to have alot of length that gave us trouble.

 

[red sail]

Thursday can't come soon enough. I don't know how I'm going to be able to focus at work for 3.5 days waiting to watch this game. I hate the match up against UM but I hope Pike/Hobbs/Knight have a great game plan.

 

[brookdale-soda]

I would say Michigan and Michigan State are the most difficult match ups for Rutgers.

Why is it a worse matchup than ohio state, iowa?

UM did not play any better 3 point D than Penn St., Maryland, an Purdue. The difference was that we took the 3's without hesitancy in the last 3 games and it is easier to get a rhythm going when you are decisive. In both UM games, we would too often hesitate taking the open 3 only to eventually take it after a couple feints. You turn rhythm into forcing it. A few misses like that makes them less confident and more hesitant the next opportunity.

RU is going to have to look for their 3 point shots because UM is going to play a lot of 2 bigs and pack it in. They can't pack it in and cover the perimeter at the same time.

Exactly. We had a stretch where we were way too tentative on offense passing for the sake of passing, sometimes past the open shot. Now were playing with house money. Be smart, but let em fly.

 

[BOCA93]

Michigan is the last team I wanted to see them matched up against. Simpson is a nightmare and has had his way both games. And they didn’t have Livers. And Myles has no answer for Teske. I agree it’s hard to beat someone 3 times but they seem to have RUs number. Frankly I’d rather see no doubles or help on Simpson and let him get a bunch of his stupid circus shot layups. That will mean he hasn’t racked up an absurd # of assists on open look threes.

 

[RUDieHard]

Because of the last 2 ginormous wins, we are going into this with house $$.

I expect us to play loose and confident. College Basketball is a streaky sport. I'm glad that we're over our slump and peaking at the right time.

Go Knights. Either way I'm proud

 

[Colbert17!]

Pike has more time to scheme something up and get us ready?

I hope it comes down to coaching. I love guys like Pike who've worked their way up through the ranks and has been part of the college game for almost 30 years. I was never a fan of the great player who can just step in and coach like Howard. I know he spent a few years as an assistant in the NBA but this is the first time at the college level in the postseason where he's the man and has to make the final decisions.
If it comes down to coaching my money's on Pike.