Let’s take a step back

[RU677381]

As horrible as the guys have looked the last two games, we need to give them a semi-pass. We are missing our leading scorer. We have played two games on the road with four freshman getting major minutes. Baker is at the same place he was last year in terms of slumping because, in part, playing too many minutes and worse yet, no Corey to pick up the slack, AND other teams guarding him so tightly because there is no other option. Speaking of which, both Thiam and Kiss have been exposed, the former because of an inability to create space and play decent defense, and the latter because he cannot dribble in traffic without turning the ball over nor can he defend, nor seemingly can he shoot. Even if Caleb were at 100%, we still have a viable rotation of seven players in a very demanding part of the schedule.

Let us wait until Eugene returns and we have a few more home games before we give up on these guys.

 

[bowlgoal]

I’m never giving up on these guys. I believe we bounce back Friday and get our second win against northwestern. But we have to really want it and come home with a fire to get back in the win column.

I am a little confused about last nights performance based on stamina. And this was the first time this year that I could say this but Purdue looked like a conditioned team prepared for the Olympics and we looked completely winded and unable to keep up? Did we try to play at their pace instead of slowing the game down. They are so much faster so our game plan may have backfired. Michigan State is quick but I think Purdue is the fastest team we’ve played so far.

Mathis is really good and Harper is coming along. Again, we lack a point guard and there were so many turnovers. Purdue hit a lot of contested shots and our defense played hard. They are just a step faster. We will be fine but that was a step back in the process last night. Maybe these guys need Navy Seals training like the Texas coach does in the off season? Painter is a really good coach

 

[NewJerseyHawk]

The team probably was out of routine being on the road for 3 days between games. I am not saying it matters Purdue is legitimately capable of beating anyone by 15 to 20 at home if you turn the ball over.

The unforced turnovers when we are doubled in the post will eliminate that post up game, if we cannot make passes out of the post or find the open guy. It's the downside of feeding the post vs driving and taking 3s. At least a drive has a chance to draw a foul, get an offensive rebound or score...and you can usually get back on defense......there's no defense to account for turnovers against good teams....they usually convert them into layups, dunks or fouls in transition.

 

[mikefla]

I agree. A step back is GOOD!

The team is mainly freshmen(and 1 Jr transfer)
with the win over OSU....this team is doing better than I predicted

for most teams AWAY games are hard to win...thats just a fact
and this week the guys get to play at the RAC
NW is a possible win

 

[seels2662]

I hate playing Purdue, we almost always have a stinker against them. Even in the B1G tournament last year we were playing the best I have ever seen in a decade and we still lost to them.

 

[PiscatawayMike]

I hate playing Purdue, we almost always have a stinker against them. Even in the B1G tournament last year we were playing the best I have ever seen in a decade and we still lost to them.

We played an excellent game against them at the RAC last season, but lost, 78-76.

 

[seels2662]

We played an excellent game against them at the RAC last season, but lost, 78-76.

I know but look at some of the games against Purdue at Purdue. It's almost always ugly.

 

[PiscatawayMike]

I know but look at some of the games against Purdue at Purdue. It's almost always ugly.

Yeah, the games at Mackey are always a nightmare, going back decades. I remember RU beat Iona in the first round of the NIT at the RAC then went to West Lafayette and got destroyed, 98-65.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

The team probably was out of routine being on the road for 3 days between games. I am not saying it matters Purdue is legitimately capable of beating anyone by 15 to 20 at home if you turn the ball over.

The unforced turnovers when we are doubled in the post will eliminate that post up game, if we cannot make passes out of the post or find the open guy. It's the downside of feeding the post vs driving and taking 3s. At least a drive has a chance to draw a foul, get an offensive rebound or score...and you can usually get back on defense......there's no defense to account for turnovers against good teams....they usually convert them into layups, dunks or fouls in transition.

I agree strongly with both points here

 

[bowlgoal]

With all of the Big 10 games we’ve played so far, I had 1-2 potential wins on my card. And Ohio State was not one of them. I figured maybe we had a chance to win at Wisconsin or at Minnesota and that we had a better chance of beating Maryland compared to Ohio State.

Northwestern on Friday is very winnable. It’s an important game considering what happened last night.

 

[BoroKnight]

Yeah, the games at Mackey are always a nightmare, going back decades. I remember RU beat Iona in the first round of the NIT at the RAC then went to West Lafayette and got destroyed, 98-65.

That's the one I was going to bring up. Brutal.

 

[willisneverrana43]

The “too many minutes” excuse for Geo is make-believe. He “slumped” during a recent period in which RU played all of 5 games—yes, just once a week on Saturdays—in a month, and he played well last year in the tournament when RU played every day at the end of a long season. His problems are something else, not minutes, or tired legs, or whatever else folks come up with.