Sad Reality

[zappaa]

Good teams, good players and good coaches get better as the season progresses.
We’ve been sadly left in the dust.
You can argue the order, but all three have to be simultaneous.
Strangely, it was the case the two years before this debacle we’ve been watching for the last 2 months.

 

[bac2therac]

last years team was a joy to watch, this years team is hard to root for

 

[Shell21]

last years team was a joy to watch, this years team is hard to root for

I agree. Very hard to root for . It’s like we r just holding on for a tourney birth and playing not to lose . This is the way we play most games too, not aggressive enough , not confident enough , just out there

 

[MadRU]

Second game this year I didn’t watch any of it. Saw the score online, deleted the game I recorded.

 

[JMORC2003]

JY is the only one with any swagger

 

[zappaa]

This is true in every sport barring catastrophic injuries.
We have to be practicing ridiculously poorly.

 

[PSAL_Hoops]

last years team was a joy to watch, this years team is hard to root for

Yes - part of it was because they weren’t expected to be good. Now - losing this way after rising up to 11 in the national rankings feels like such a disappointment. We may be in pretty good shape to back into the NCAAs, but sadly those play in games are going to be a real possibility if we keep sucking like this which would blow almost as much as not getting in if we were to lose. Sigh.

 

[RUinPinehurst]

"Don't give up! Don't ever give up!"
-- Jimmy V.

 

[zappaa]

"Don't give up! Don't ever give up!"
-- Jimmy V.

That’s on the team and coaches, all we do is react to what they do

 

[Local Shill]

Second game this year I didn’t watch any of it. Saw the score online, deleted the game I recorded.

That’ll show em.

 

[NorthernKnight_rivals]

Ron Harper needs to sit. For a whole game.

 

[RUich]

I really have no real hope for the rest of the season. I was thinking we could actually win all 4 of the remaining games. Now it is obvious that we will be hard pressed to win any of them.
Harper's early season success is long gone. One friggen FG! He is best suited to be a designated free thrower if there was such a role.
Nobody has any idea of how to shoot baskets.
I love Paul but his passing skills are really bad. Way too many turn overs.
Baker just seems a shadow of his former self.
Pike is becoming a questionable coach game after game.
When does football start?

 

[willisneverrana43]

Ultimately, all the ideas about improving the offense through tactics is going to crash into a ceiling created by our offensive talent. The ultimate fix will be Pike recruiting more talented offensive players. For now, it's going to be defense and rebounding or bust. There's no way we should have failed to outrebound a smaller Maryland team.

 

[RUsojo]

We left version one of the team pretty early in the season for this new version so not hard to believe we’re not seeing progression

 

[zappaa]

We would be forced to play a different game with both Myles and Cliff in the game at the same time.
You’d think Pike would give that a try after watching no field goals and a perimeter only offense for 10 minutes

 

[babbs09]

Just disappointed man. I could craft some 8 paragraph diatribe about all the issues here but it just boils down to being disappointed. Disappointed in the loss, disappointed in the lack of fire, disappointed in blowing opportunities as a program. Just the same stuff that’s been happening the last 3 decades. And a little bit of being spoiled because we can all taste it but then its always just out of grasp and it’s a bummer. It’s been so fun to watch this team at times. Then so fvcking maddening to watch them other times. I get enough of the peaks and valleys from my wife. Can’t handle the stress lol.

But seriously, if we choke this away over the last few games then idk. Bummer. Hope they can figure this **** out. Seriously wouldn’t bother me if RHJ and Montez grabbed some pine for awhile and just let JY have the keys.

 

[bethlehemfan]

Ultimately, all the ideas about improving the offense through tactics is going to crash into a ceiling created by our offensive talent. The ultimate fix will be Pike recruiting more talented offensive players. For now, it's going to be defense and rebounding or bust. There's no way we should have failed to outrebound a smaller Maryland team.

The issue is when you don’t make shots and you don’t penetrate all things being equal you will be out rebounded. Maryland packed it in and dared us to shoot threes and we stunk it up.

 

[anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy]

last years team was a joy to watch, this years team is hard to root for

People really underestimated the loss of akwasi and to a lesser degree shaq carter. Akwasi was super super mature, he was an adult in a room full of children. He took the game very very serious to the point where he was often made fun of by his teammates and mocked. They made fun of him on video while imitating his accent saying, “i love this team so much, you guys are my brothers”. Now it couldve been in humor and likely was but i found it distasteful.

Akwasi and JY were two guys that werent in the clique. Ironically theyre probably the two guys who take the game most serious. Some have alluded to the notion of there must be a fractured locker room and while I wouldnt really call it fractured, not everyone sees eye to eye and further we have some disgruntled players.

i really feel for JY, hes here in jersey basically alone, giving it his all, working harder than anyone, his teammates dont really show him love like they show each other and on top of all this hes getting a raw deal from pike. I know some think hes gonna go play euro/china ball but if im him, im transferring to a program like bama where he’ll star in their uptempo offense + stifling defensive system

 

[Randal7]

last years team was a joy to watch, this years team is hard to root for

I loved last year's team. Those guys were all heart

 

[Colbert17!]

No more 3:00 AM wake ups this year to watch a game for me.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

I hate making excuses for them but this is the type of game where 8k screaming lunatics gets them back into it and maybe even a W

When it's dead quiet inside The RAC they lack comeback ability

Every player had poor body language today, disturbing stuff

 

[RUsojo]

People really underestimated the loss of akwasi and to a lesser degree shaq carter. Akwasi was super super mature, he was an adult in a room full of children. He took the game very very serious to the point where he was often made fun of by his teammates and mocked. They made fun of him on video while imitating his accent saying, “i love this team so much, you guys are my brothers”. Now it couldve been in humor and likely was but i found it distasteful.

Akwasi and JY were two guys that werent in the clique. Ironically theyre probably the two guys who take the game most serious. Some have alluded to the notion of there must be a fractured locker room and while I wouldnt really call it fractured, not everyone sees eye to eye and further we have some disgruntled players.

i really feel for JY, hes here in jersey basically alone, giving it his all, working harder than anyone, his teammates dont really show him love like they show each other and on top of all this hes getting a raw deal from pike. I know some think hes gonna go play euro/china ball but if im him, im transferring to a program like bama where he’ll star in their uptempo offense + stifling defensive system

just said in another post something kind of in line with this which is that it just feels like the last two years there has been a concerted effort not to give JY the keys, not to make him the man, a leader, even though everyone knows he’s the best player.

Pike def plays a role in that. And If I had to guess it’s the dynamic that makes the team disjointed on offense. In my head it’s Geo seeing himself as the Corey successor, they have group forming that is tight, and then JY comes in out of nowhere and the whole identity of the team changes. My feeling is if JY was embraced and pike and co worked to elevate JY it would work, but instead the revert to trying to keep their current power structure in place. Idk it’s a weird thing but feels like it’s a piece of this

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

last years team was a joy to watch, this years team is hard to root for

We weren’t at this time last year.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I loved last year's team. Those guys were all heart

This is the same team...with the same metrics...

 

[bac2therac]

We weren’t at this time last year.

Our level of play. Do you think this team is capable of games vs Maryland and Purdue like last year under pressure

Remember this weekend last year we thumped Illinois and lost to ranked PSU by 3 on the road

 

[willisneverrana43]

The issue is when you don’t make shots and you don’t penetrate all things being equal you will be out rebounded. Maryland packed it in and dared us to shoot threes and we stunk it up.

They weren’t outrebounded. It was a tie. But it shouldn’t have been. They should have outrebounded Maryland. This team has been one of the worst shooting teams in the country for 2-3 years now yet has won by rebounding and defense. Not yesterday.

 

[RUinPinehurst]

That’s on the team and coaches, all we do is react to what they do

It's "on" everyone. "Keep Calm And Carry On."

 

[Scarlet Shack]

People really underestimated the loss of akwasi and to a lesser degree shaq carter. Akwasi was super super mature, he was an adult in a room full of children. He took the game very very serious to the point where he was often made fun of by his teammates and mocked. They made fun of him on video while imitating his accent saying, “i love this team so much, you guys are my brothers”. Now it couldve been in humor and likely was but i found it distasteful.

Akwasi and JY were two guys that werent in the clique. Ironically theyre probably the two guys who take the game most serious. Some have alluded to the notion of there must be a fractured locker room and while I wouldnt really call it fractured, not everyone sees eye to eye and further we have some disgruntled players.

i really feel for JY, hes here in jersey basically alone, giving it his all, working harder than anyone, his teammates dont really show him love like they show each other and on top of all this hes getting a raw deal from pike. I know some think hes gonna go play euro/china ball but if im him, im transferring to a program like bama where he’ll star in their uptempo offense + stifling defensive system

People really underestimated the loss of akwasi and to a lesser degree shaq carter. Akwasi was super super mature, he was an adult in a room full of children. He took the game very very serious to the point where he was often made fun of by his teammates and mocked. They made fun of him on video while imitating his accent saying, “i love this team so much, you guys are my brothers”. Now it couldve been in humor and likely was but i found it distasteful.

Akwasi and JY were two guys that werent in the clique. Ironically theyre probably the two guys who take the game most serious. Some have alluded to the notion of there must be a fractured locker room and while I wouldnt really call it fractured, not everyone sees eye to eye and further we have some disgruntled players.

i really feel for JY, hes here in jersey basically alone, giving it his all, working harder than anyone, his teammates dont really show him love like they show each other and on top of all this hes getting a raw deal from pike. I know some think hes gonna go play euro/china ball but if im him, im transferring to a program like bama where he’ll star in their uptempo offense + stifling defensive system

This is a viable theory....

 

[brad1218]

This is a viable theory....

It’s viable because every locker room is like this. Every team has cliques, disgruntled players. I played college baseball and we always had guys that were talking of transfering. Didn’t like coach. Didn’t like certain teammates etc.

 

[anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy]

It’s viable because every locker room is like this. Every team has cliques, disgruntled players. I played college baseball and we always had guys that were talking of transfering. Didn’t like coach. Didn’t like certain teammates etc.

Very fair point, however these kids seem to be very very vocal and focused on non-basketball issues. Who knows, maybe its distracting them

 

[bethlehemfan]

Well we definitely miss a glue guy that can bang and get a rebound and make a big shot and stop those bad runs.

 

[RU-AGK]

This opinion will be brief and unpopular but I don't really care.

Maybe wait until you're out of season to make public how concerned you are with how many tens of dollars you're missing out on being a 'modern day slave' and not being able to sign t-shirts.

Many players in the aforementioned 'clique' were in complete social media agreement.

This team's priorities are out of whack.

 

[BillyC80]

Compared to last year, it’s the difference between being the hunter or the hunted.

 

[RUinPAC10land]

Some teams are cursed- the Jets, the Knicks, the Nets (mark my words), the Clippers, the Mets...

It's not the players' ability to shoot. They are getting cold at the wrong time. SMH....

It sucks but I am afraid that Rutgers Men's basketball and Football are until proven otherwise. (I was really hoping that this team would be the team to break it.) It sucks to see a team this talented underperforming.

 

[Perricone7]

The roster is just not constructed to compete at a sweet 16 level. The lineup needed to be:

Traditional PG that can knock down an open 3 ala the Michigan PG
Young/baker
Harper
Stretch 4
Johnson

 

[RU#1fan]

This is true in every sport barring catastrophic injuries.
We have to be practicing ridiculously poorly.

That’s on one person

 

[willisneverrana43]

And here comes the nutty stuff.

 

[Pancho1939_rivals]

you guys are insane. The problem is that we all try to be smart and for some reason people think Maryland and Michigan are both games that should have been won. We have people who are pissed that we lost to the #3 team in the country by 7 who has been beating the sh*t out of the other big 10 teams.

Michigan has 11 conference wins. the only team that has beaten michigan is Minnesota after michigan beat them by 25. The only teams to lose to michigan by 7 points or less are Rutgers(7), #4 ohio state (5), Penn state(4).....

Maryland 's first 11 conference games were #19 Rutgers, @ Purdue, @ #6 Wisconsin, #16 Michigan, @ Indiana, #5 Iowa, @ #12 Illinois, @ #7 michigan, @# 17 Minnesota, #14 Wisconsin, #24 Purdue.... While Maryland was 7-9 coming into yesterday's game it is completely ridiculous that people are upset that we lost them.

Yes to be upset that we played poorly during certain stretches of the game is warranted but to sit here and pretend that this team stinks or has regressed is outrageous... In reality, we have been doing what no other rutgers team has ever done before which is go through the meat grinder of the toughest conference in the entire country and still somehow are in a position to be in the NCAA tournament.

The reason why last year was more fun this year is because of expectations. Last year, we overachieved per expectations. This year we are underachieving expectations. All expectations are basically emotions. Thinking that something is/was better than what actually is.

People think and act like we have a bunch of 5 star studs. In reality, we are a bunch of 3 stars and we are playing like it. Up and down, sometimes great, sometime bad, most of the time average but at the end of the day we are exactly where we should be....fighting everyday to stay alive.

 

[RUJMM78]

Rutgers starting lineup scored a grand total of 29 points.I doubt such a performance would defeat Nebraska.The margin for error is very small in every remaining game.

 

[rcube1994]

you guys are insane. The problem is that we all try to be smart and for some reason people think Maryland and Michigan are both games that should have been won. We have people who are pissed that we lost to the #3 team in the country by 7 who has been beating the sh*t out of the other big 10 teams.

Michigan has 11 conference wins. the only team that has beaten michigan is Minnesota after michigan beat them by 25. The only teams to lose to michigan by 7 points or less are Rutgers(7), #4 ohio state (5), Penn state(4).....

Maryland 's first 11 conference games were #19 Rutgers, @ Purdue, @ #6 Wisconsin, #16 Michigan, @ Indiana, #5 Iowa, @ #12 Illinois, @ #7 michigan, @# 17 Minnesota, #14 Wisconsin, #24 Purdue.... While Maryland was 7-9 coming into yesterday's game it is completely ridiculous that people are upset that we lost them.

Yes to be upset that we played poorly during certain stretches of the game is warranted but to sit here and pretend that this team stinks or has regressed is outrageous... In reality, we have been doing what no other rutgers team has ever done before which is go through the meat grinder of the toughest conference in the entire country and still somehow are in a position to be in the NCAA tournament.

The reason why last year was more fun this year is because of expectations. Last year, we overachieved per expectations. This year we are underachieving expectations. All expectations are basically emotions. Thinking that something is/was better than what actually is.

People think and act like we have a bunch of 5 star studs. In reality, we are a bunch of 3 stars and we are playing like it. Up and down, sometimes great, sometime bad, most of the time average but at the end of the day we are exactly where we should be....fighting everyday to stay alive.

If you dont think the team has regressed, i dont know what to tell you. Not upset they lost to Michigan, or even Maryland, its the way they've been doing it. Long stretches where they dont score, offense is stagnant, poor movement, etc. as opposed to early in the season when everyone seemed to be loving it our there, fast break points, crashing the boards, finding the open man, and hitting shots.

Night and day from early on. Hopefully they can turn it around for last few games, in which case they would be a tough game for anyone in the tournament.