I say Paul Mulcahy. On defense, he’s been effective on double teaming the post. On offense, it’s clear his three has improved - he needs to keep shooting if he’s open.
X factor for Iowa/Rutgers
- Thread starter RUSCFORMERLYRULOU
- Start date
I think this team will live or die with JY. Pike has the first five firing on all cylinders any Myles is a monster - but JY in relief of Geo is the key.
He is so physically gifted when he plays midfield general (to borrow from soccer) he elevates the team a lot with his defense and passing. That hasn’t been there of late. Too many turnovers.
Someone in the different thread said that was more based on the opponent and their style of play because he is a running gun player. We will see against Iowa tonight.
He is so physically gifted when he plays midfield general (to borrow from soccer) he elevates the team a lot with his defense and passing. That hasn’t been there of late. Too many turnovers.
Someone in the different thread said that was more based on the opponent and their style of play because he is a running gun player. We will see against Iowa tonight.
Myles Johnson. If he can a) stay out of foul trouble and therefore stay on the floor, and b) limit Garza and/or hang with him +- wise in points, I think the rest of our team is very equal to Iowa.
I debated JY too. I based Muclahy on empirical evidence of late. And of late, turnovers are the only empirical evidence I see out of JY.
For me the key to beating Iowa is for RHJ to shake off his shooting slump and score 20+ points. He has tourched Iowa in the past and it is hard to envision winning without him going off.
Toussaint is not a key guy for Iowa lately, to the dismay of most of their message board. He played 4 minutes vs Indiana, 7 vs Ohio State. He only played 7 minutes against us in January even with CMac going out with the ankle injury.
For us, it's got to be Myles staying out of foul trouble and playing 28+ minutes. I can envision scenarios where we win with Harper cold (see the last four games), if JY is out of control, etc. I cannot see us winning at Iowa if we have less than 20 minutes of Myles the Monster.
This. I'm confident we'll get solid defense and rebounding from Myles in the post (Garza will get his points regardless). We'll get a number of clutch shots from Geo. JY will be JY driving to the basket and hitting some 3 pointers. The biggest question is RHJ's scoring especially from the 3 point line. We desperately need him to score points tonight and join JY from 3 point land.
In addition, on the Iowa side the X factor is CJ Fredrick. I'm assuming he's playing. Iowa hasn't looked the same with him out of the lineup. Without him, all of a sudden their 3 point shooting as a team looks ordinary. Does it take him a half, or some time to shake off the rust before he starts knocking them down?
RHJ is a key factor in tonight's game. Yes he needs to finally get back his outside shooting touch but another key is his rebounding. Garza is effective from outside and if Myles is drawn out from the basket , someone else needs to clean up the boards and limit Iowa's offensive rebounds. Unlike past teams, Rutgers has been giving up too many offensive rebounds.
Easy to say, hard to do across the board.
So far Iowa has had 429 FT attempts, Opponents 311. By comparison RU has been almost exactly even at 306 and 307.
If Frederick plays tonight not sure how effective he will be. I think he is the X factor for Iowa because having him in the lineup opens up more for Weiskamp and Mccaffery. Obviously for us RHJ. We have been winning in spite of him. I think he shows out tonight and has a big game. If we can take this, we all but punched our ticket to the dance.
Hard to define "X Factor".... I usually look at it as a secondary factor to success, rather than the most important thing.
Johnson playing well is a a key to our success in almost every game, so I don't know if I'd call him an "X Factor". Harper playing well is also usually a key to our success, though we've shown we can win if he's off.
I think the two secondary factors that I look at beyond those two are Baker and Mulcahy. Baker can get into the zone and pull up for 10-15 footers, and Mulcahy can work in the middle of the zone and force Iowa to defend. If those two can find success, I think it will open up the game for Johnson and Harper offensively, too.
Johnson playing well is a a key to our success in almost every game, so I don't know if I'd call him an "X Factor". Harper playing well is also usually a key to our success, though we've shown we can win if he's off.
I think the two secondary factors that I look at beyond those two are Baker and Mulcahy. Baker can get into the zone and pull up for 10-15 footers, and Mulcahy can work in the middle of the zone and force Iowa to defend. If those two can find success, I think it will open up the game for Johnson and Harper offensively, too.
RHJ, Myles and JY are the keys tonight. If we get a classic RHJ vs. Iowa performance, well obviously be in good shape. Myles, as has been noted, needs to stay out of foul trouble and contain (not necessarily stop) Garza. Despite JY’s recent stretch, his game-breaking speed makes him perfect against Iowa. Beyond maybe Touissant, they don’t have one guy who can contain him off the dribble. JY drive/kick has the potential to play a big role tonight much like it did in the early parts of the season — might even be the key to get Harper some open looks to get going
MJ will be important defensively on Garza, but I think he also needs to be important offensively for us to succeed. That doesn't necessarily mean scoring a lot of points, but he needs to get touches in the post to both a) force Garza to work on the defensive end and potentially pick up fouls, and b) force the Iowa zone to collapse to allow open kickout looks from the arc.
We can't fall into a "pass around the outside of the zone" complacency - need to get the ball into the teeth of their zone to make things happen. And that's both Myles in the post, and also getting the ball in to someone like Mulcahy/Harper/McConnell at the FT line to force the zone to react.
Need to force their zone to defend the paint and not fall in love with the three.
We can't fall into a "pass around the outside of the zone" complacency - need to get the ball into the teeth of their zone to make things happen. And that's both Myles in the post, and also getting the ball in to someone like Mulcahy/Harper/McConnell at the FT line to force the zone to react.
Need to force their zone to defend the paint and not fall in love with the three.
Couple keys to the game (some obvious maybe some not so)
1. Myles & Cliff limit their foul trouble while containing Garza. Force him not to be able to run down the floor and get position but make him settle for a jumper where he still is good but ill live with him making mid range shots.
2. Attack the zone. Having guys like RHJ & Paul flash to the center of it and distribute or drive will be key.
3. Close outs on 3
4. Does CJ Frederick play. He has been out recently and I think its a big miss for them. If he is out or limited I think that helps RU here more than others may realize.
5. Limit 2nd chance Iowa points. They are good enough shooting the ball that giving them multiple chances will almost certainly result in a basket.
1. Myles & Cliff limit their foul trouble while containing Garza. Force him not to be able to run down the floor and get position but make him settle for a jumper where he still is good but ill live with him making mid range shots.
2. Attack the zone. Having guys like RHJ & Paul flash to the center of it and distribute or drive will be key.
3. Close outs on 3
4. Does CJ Frederick play. He has been out recently and I think its a big miss for them. If he is out or limited I think that helps RU here more than others may realize.
5. Limit 2nd chance Iowa points. They are good enough shooting the ball that giving them multiple chances will almost certainly result in a basket.
I like the way Paul is always looking to pass.. always looking to play help D... HOWEVER.. that's a two-edged swoard.. cuts both ways.. he has forced passes when he had an open shot.. he has looked to help while losing his man... I imagine there is a lot to say about our bayonne boy during game film analysis time. But his instincts and desires are all god ones... as an upper-classman he will be formiddable with all this experience.
He has to be more willing to pull the trigger on his shot. He's been a bit more willing there from the arc, but he needs to mix in some midrange shots, too. He'll take open catch-and-shoot threes, and layups - but rarely anything in between. Against a zone, he has to be ready to turn and pop 12-15 footer from the middle of the zone if they don't collapse on him.
Perimeter defense and rebounding.
If we can limit their threes and dominate the boards - we win.
Be very surprised if Myles is NOT in foul trouble - as Garza will get the benefit of the whistle. Cliff can offset this.
If we can limit their threes and dominate the boards - we win.
Be very surprised if Myles is NOT in foul trouble - as Garza will get the benefit of the whistle. Cliff can offset this.
Yes, I see your of X factor the same way too. If Ron does his thing and Garza is limited, then we have a good chance to win - but Paul doing those things I mentioned are important secondary factors.
We already know the Iowa plan will be to get the ball inside to Garza and force Myles to guard him.
Which in Garza’s case is never a offensive foul.
I THINK, when we play well, we do a good job of not allowing the ball inside, hopefully that saves Myles and forces Garza away from the basket....so he hits a few 3s, we will own the boards
Which in Garza’s case is never a offensive foul.
I THINK, when we play well, we do a good job of not allowing the ball inside, hopefully that saves Myles and forces Garza away from the basket....so he hits a few 3s, we will own the boards
Hopefully the team watched how Indiana frustrated Garza and apply the same strategy
agreed.. especially now.. any team with film on him will be playig PASS when he has the ball.. shock the world and take the open elbow shot.. and that, in turn, will make those short-range alley-oops WORK