After this super disappointing season is the bar now so low that the half of the fan base that’s rose colored glasses over the top happy next year if we some how squeak out a winning season. So hard for me to believe where we were 4-5 years ago and how quickly we devolved.
Setting the bar low
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I really hope Pike realizes he’s not cut out for long term success in this new era and leaves with our thanks for giving us some hope for a few years. I’ve come to realize that no matter what happens he gets another year- but if he loses Grant, Sommerville and cant get a decent roster next year he will be gone.
This season is entirely different because of Bailey and Harper.In previous seasons there were lower expectations as seen by preseason rankings and Pikiell teams were based on player development more so than perceived talent .Next season has lots of unknowns with all the players leaving from this seasons roster.
But after where we were 2019-2022 we’re now just going to be accepting of only striving to hopefully have a winning season and ncaa tournaments are out of reach?
That era is over for all of college basketball. We finally got competitive, and they changed the rules on us. We now need to forge a new path through an uneven playing field, and what is likely to be a continually evolving regulatory environment.
If the season ends as we expect - getting bounced in the BTT by the quarters or earlier …next season the seat could get warm if the team is terribile. Missing the BTT next year could get him fired and that’s a weak COULD . I wouldn’t expect it. Worst thing that could happen in 2026 would be a nowhere/mediocre type of NIT season where Rutgers could give an unwarranted extension
The evolution of the college game also seems to be moving toward monetary incentives for teams and players in pre-and post-season tournaments. If the NIT is smart they’ll adopt big money prizes to regain interest.
nothing but a sweet 16 berth or a big ten title should be enough to get Pike another extension
Rutgers is a school that does not fire a coach unless the result is Little page like or a scandalous event
Good point . Even when they should have been fired before the scandal …
Littlepage : results
Wenzel : results
Bannon: scandal (although the results justified the firing )
Waters : resigned because of snow (results justified firing)
Hill jr: resigned due to Pitt baseball game (results justified firing )
Rice : fired due to practice video (results justified firing)
Jordan : fired due to results
Wenzel was the most successful of this esteemed bunch and he was fired straight up for bad results
He has close to a decade left on his current contract so extension isnt even a convo haha. Pat hobbs thought pike was lifetime contract worthy for winning 1 tourney game and making the play-in game in another haha.
People dont realize just how easy it is for a p2 program with our resources to get to the tourney. It should be the expectation annually
No. The huge huge majority (95%+) won’t be happy with anything short of a tournament berth. I’m honestly not sure where you get the idea that it’s any other way.
Yeah, if the contract weren’t an issue I think his seat would be pretty hot next year if it wasn’t going well (and to be clear, “well” means NCAA tourney not >0.500 overall). As it is the contract is probably prohibitive so he’ll get a few more years as long as there aren’t any scandals or Eddie Jordan level dumpster fires.
Also, a lot of these questions sort of have the same flavor to me as someone asking me if I am okay with the fact that it is raining outside. I don't have expectations of my weather; it's just an external factor that I have to deal with. For me, and for the 99.9% (possibly 100%) of people on this board that are not top level donors, the level of control I have over the decisions and play of the Rutgers basketball program basically mirrors the level of control I have over the weather. So any time spent thinking about what my "expectations" are is just wasted effort and general nonsense.
There is a sizable minority on this board that effectively prides themselves on bitching endlessly about the fact that it is raining outside because they have "high expectatations" and ironically those people somehow think the ones that aren't doing this are losers for having "low expectations".
There is a sizable minority on this board that effectively prides themselves on bitching endlessly about the fact that it is raining outside because they have "high expectatations" and ironically those people somehow think the ones that aren't doing this are losers for having "low expectations".
The idea only comes from my perception of this board, as well as some other Rutgers groups I’m in. It seems that for everyone complaining there are equal amounts saying we’re crazy and as long as we’re not absolutely last in the B1G or 300 in the net it’s all ok.
Your analogy to the weather is good and not lost on me. My perception is probably skewed. I don’t think those who don’t complain are losers or anything of the sort. I appreciate everyone’s perspective and have learned a lot from this board and my respect for most of its members have grown. My skewed perspective is just the result of too many knock down drag out arguments here and other places with those who tell me I should accept this state of the program, make excuses and be happy. I see your point, that group I’ve argued with (my own fault) may be more like 5-10% of the fanbase and no where near 50%. I’ll stop referring to it as such.
Good post and to be clear my weather post is not meant to be directed specifically at you.
Sounds right although realistically “well” probably only goes as far as being seriously in the thick of the bubble conversation next February. I think you’d have a lot of people complaining if we fell short, but it would be somewhat mixed. That would be an upgrade and a sign that Pike can succeed going back to his roots. What he can’t afford is an Eddie Jordan type season.
We will throw you a hell of a party if you leave as well.
Don’t know about that. Schiano’s middling results are fine for the majority of fans and after Ace and Harper leave Pike is sitting pretty on the same safe scale.
If Schiano can't do better than 7-6 10+ years into tenor 2.0 I don't think a majority of fans will be fine with that either.
I am sure they will. More excuses for him than seats in SHI stad.
Same for Pike. Low expectations. If Pike was at Indiana he’d have been fired 5 years ago.
Indiana would've kept Pike for the first three bad years and then fired him after his first good season? That would be a strange choice.