Interesting how other teams are focused and come to the RAC and win or lose a nail biter.
Lafayette
- Thread starter ru_upstate
- Start date
Interesting how other teams are focused and come to the RAC and win or lose a nail biter.
Fair point. Then maybe we should be avoiding one of our annual WTF games since we only had one thus far (Bonnies).
I do not see any way that Lafayette can beat us. We, however, on the other hand, can lose to them if we don’t turn them over and have one of those games where the ball just doesn’t go in the hoop. They can get hot from three. On balance I don’t see that this should even be a close game but, being an RU fan I do generally see the glass as half empty rather than half full. If we are ready to play it should be a comfortable win. But, well, wtf games happen. Hopefully St Bonnie was ours and it won’t happen again.
As of 12/17/19, Sagarin ratings has it as a 10-point win for #53 Rutgers (81.96) over #177 Lafayette (71.78) on a neutral floor, a 14-point win at the RAC.
Seems about right, just purely based on stats.
Could be closer, based on us being the hunted and experiencing a letdown after the SHU win.
But it could also be a wider margin of victory for RU, if we can muster the intensity we’ve shown in our last 3 games.
Could be closer, based on us being the hunted and experiencing a letdown after the SHU win.
But it could also be a wider margin of victory for RU, if we can muster the intensity we’ve shown in our last 3 games.
The bottom line is that we have seen several inexplicable letdown or crap the bed games over the past couple of years. At the very least there have been subpar efforts around the holidays.
Lafayette has crap the bed written all over it. This is a dangerous game for us and they need to treat Lafayette like they did Stephen F. Austin.
Lafayette has crap the bed written all over it. This is a dangerous game for us and they need to treat Lafayette like they did Stephen F. Austin.
We got off to a great start against the Hall, but that will not happen every night. I know the coaching staff will point that out. They need to focus and bring the same energy. Being a good defensive team usually means, having the energy level high already. We just need to win.
I remember well the day St. Peter's shot lights out against us and beat us easily 68-50 on November 25, 2014. We were favored by a lot and it was embarrassing. We also lost badly to Duquesne 78-62 at home on January 3, 1991 when we were favored by quite a few points. These 2 losses were near Thanksgiving and just after Christmas. I have been at almost every home game since the RAC opened and there are numerous games near the holidays that we have lost or struggled. Players go home for a few days and might not be focused as much as they should at times. That is why I am concerned about Lafayette.
We can’t turn the game into a free throw and 3-point shooting contest. Free throws .. Lafayette is #38 (75.80%), we are #279 (66%). 3-point shooting ... Lafayette is #6 (41.90%), we are #312 (28.70%).
Good to know but have they faced a defense like ours that can contest the three?
Isaac Suffren announced a couple days ago he was leaving Lafayette.
16.1 mpg (played in all 8 games, 1 start), 6.0 ppg (.474 FG%, .400 3P%), 1.8 rb, 0.9 ast, 0.6 stl, 1.3 tov
Looks like he was their guard depth. They have 4 guards that average 22+ min, then him at #5 with 16.1.
Top four:
Jaworski (8 starts) - 32.1 min, 19.8 ppg (.442 3P%, 6.5 attempts)
Stephens (1 start) - 26.4 min, 10.6 ppg (.389 3P%, 2.3 attempts)
Perry (7 starts) - 24.9 min, 8.0 ppg (.750 3P%, 1.0 attempts)
Stout (7 starts) - 22.1 min, 5.4 ppg (.351 3P%, 4.6 attempts)
Beyond the top four, the other guards listed on sports-reference now (subtracting Suffern, and Petrie who is out for the year with injury):
Jay Vaughan, So. - 1 game this year for 3.0 min. 13 total min last year.
Cal Reichwein, Sr. - 1 game this year for 2.0 min. 44 min over first 3 years.
16.1 mpg (played in all 8 games, 1 start), 6.0 ppg (.474 FG%, .400 3P%), 1.8 rb, 0.9 ast, 0.6 stl, 1.3 tov
Looks like he was their guard depth. They have 4 guards that average 22+ min, then him at #5 with 16.1.
Top four:
Jaworski (8 starts) - 32.1 min, 19.8 ppg (.442 3P%, 6.5 attempts)
Stephens (1 start) - 26.4 min, 10.6 ppg (.389 3P%, 2.3 attempts)
Perry (7 starts) - 24.9 min, 8.0 ppg (.750 3P%, 1.0 attempts)
Stout (7 starts) - 22.1 min, 5.4 ppg (.351 3P%, 4.6 attempts)
Beyond the top four, the other guards listed on sports-reference now (subtracting Suffern, and Petrie who is out for the year with injury):
Jay Vaughan, So. - 1 game this year for 3.0 min. 13 total min last year.
Cal Reichwein, Sr. - 1 game this year for 2.0 min. 44 min over first 3 years.
If this was a Fred Hill Jr coached team the Lafayette game would be a cliff hanger on the final possession.
My only concern will be if Lafayette shoots well from long range early and we force it and shoot poorly on offense.
Like the Bryant game?
Look, RU should win by over 10 but if they take it easy and don't give a full effort, Lafayette is capable of winning
One thing in our favor, other than being the superior team, is you have guys fighting for minutes. Default minutes that we have seen in the past are gone. 2018-19 ended that.
Lafayette coach Fran O’Hanlon is a scorekeeper’s nightmare. He substitutes at every break in the action. I am old enough to remember him as a heady guard at Villanova.
Any night any team can lose. Its evident with this wacky year of CBB. We should win, coach needs to keep them focused like the last two games. Defensive intensity and dont play down to competition. Defense leads to transition points. Hope im right.
Next year we should play at their place.
Road game for NET purposes and we can visit the Crayola factory before a road game.
Road game for NET purposes and we can visit the Crayola factory before a road game.
Just need to avoid those thorny "cylinder" infractions!
That aside, this is the sort of game where the team needs to just keep chopping. :CHOP::CHOP::CHOP:
I would assume players from Lafayette and other schools also go home for a few days.Fans need to stop making excuses for poor performances against mediocre opponents.Failure to do so will only perpetuate the dismal record of 13 straight losing seasons.Winning matters and so does the need for a sense of urgency to change past failures.
So bball has been bad because the fans excuse poor performances? I think you just might be blaming the wrong people here.
If we are still old RU, we will blow this game. This would be typical for RU after a big win. Let's see what happens.
How can a team ranked 8th in FG%, 5th in 3-pt FG% and 40th in FT% have 2 losses in 8 games, when the highest ranked team they’ve played is #111 in KenPom?
Obviously there must be a few holes in their game.
To their credit, they’ve played 4 of their 8 games on the road, and they’ve won 3 of those.
Our defense (throw Mathis and Young at Jaworski, forcing him to give up the ball or take bad shots), rebounding, multiple scoring options and home court should add up to a win for us.
Obviously there must be a few holes in their game.
To their credit, they’ve played 4 of their 8 games on the road, and they’ve won 3 of those.
Our defense (throw Mathis and Young at Jaworski, forcing him to give up the ball or take bad shots), rebounding, multiple scoring options and home court should add up to a win for us.
Hopefully some of you saw what SHU did to Maryland tonight. As I've stated many teams pull off upsets around the holidays which is what SHU did tonight. We cannot overlook Lafayette.
I guess I have to repeat. Yes, St. Joe’s is down this year, but they did win at Dan Hurley’s UConn.
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anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy
Guest
Whenever you face a team that can shoot like Lafayette you have to be concerned. All it takes is a few missed shots by RU and them hitting a couple 3’a to swing a game.
going through kenpom here are some takeaways, most of which im sure have been outlined already.
- Theyve beaten a pretty good Penn squad
- theyre the 2nd best shooting team in america
- theyre the 3rd best team in america from 3
- they are pretty bad defensively except for defending the 3 where they rank 69th nationally (nice)
- they dont turn other teams over, 348th in america in that category.
- they play at a slow pace and shoot about 76% from the line.
with all this laid out here would be my keys.
1) speed them up. Theyre not comfortable when sped up, get out and run on them.
2) set up the D and play man, theyll crush a 2-3. Blitz screens/hedge hard. Cant give them room to work off screens.
3) pick them up full court. Dont let them set up their Offense until theres 20 left on the shot clock, this will limit their offensive sets to generate good looks.
4) get to the hole. This isnt a team that is aggressive and tries to strip the ball. So time for ron to play bully ball
going through kenpom here are some takeaways, most of which im sure have been outlined already.
- Theyve beaten a pretty good Penn squad
- theyre the 2nd best shooting team in america
- theyre the 3rd best team in america from 3
- they are pretty bad defensively except for defending the 3 where they rank 69th nationally (nice)
- they dont turn other teams over, 348th in america in that category.
- they play at a slow pace and shoot about 76% from the line.
with all this laid out here would be my keys.
1) speed them up. Theyre not comfortable when sped up, get out and run on them.
2) set up the D and play man, theyll crush a 2-3. Blitz screens/hedge hard. Cant give them room to work off screens.
3) pick them up full court. Dont let them set up their Offense until theres 20 left on the shot clock, this will limit their offensive sets to generate good looks.
4) get to the hole. This isnt a team that is aggressive and tries to strip the ball. So time for ron to play bully ball
Mathis and Young need to give Jaworski the Powell treatment. Do not ever help off him.
I am all for hyping an opponent and keeping our players engaged. Having good games against Ivies and worst does not even come close to being in the same universe as Powell. I'd bet guarding Jaworski is no different than guarding a typical 2nd or 3rd perimeter option on an average B1G team. Now I haven't seen Jaws play, just guessing.
He is arguably the best pure shooter in the sport. #1 in eFG% last season, second in 3P%.