I prefer to have a different outlook.I think I can sum up the extent of the analysis every "expert" will provide for Rutgers this year.
1. Rutgers went 15-17 with Ace and Dylan on the team last year.
2. Ace and Dylan are no longer on the team.
3. Therefore, Rutgers will suck this year.
End of analysis.
I prefer to have a different outlook.
After relying on two players last year Rutgers is taking the team play concept and we can expect to see a different style of play this season.
No more will the team go on the offense allowing only two players dominate the ball, but this years offense will be built around teamwork by sharing the ball and everyone will be taking their shot when open instead of surrendering the ball to one of the two designated shooters.
Rutgers MBB fans can expect a winning season with that type of play and hopefully win enough to be invited to the Big Dance
LOL! How true!I think I can sum up the extent of the analysis every "expert" will provide for Rutgers this year.
1. Rutgers went 15-17 with Ace and Dylan on the team last year.
2. Ace and Dylan are no longer on the team.
3. Therefore, Rutgers will suck this year.
End of analysis.
thats a pretty damning indictment of pikiell and i am getting a sense that some here on the board are thinking 14-17/6-14 will be an accomplishmentLOL! How true!
None of the so-called experts in the media or the negative nellies on this Board will also consider that RU went 15-17 the year BEFORE Ace and Dylan were on the team, so that last year's team with Harper and Bailey had exactly the same record as the prior team without them. I would add last season's team was 8-12 in conference, while the prior team without Harper and Bailey was 7-13 in conference.
And I would not surprised if this coming season's team has about the same record as each of the last TWO seasons, both overall and in conference. Not even a game or two better.
thats a pretty damning indictment of pikiell and i am getting a sense that some here on the board are thinking 14-17/6-14 will be an accomplishment
Pike is proving to be an : not ready for prime-time type of HC and if he doesn't take RU to the dance in the 2025-26 season , the 2026-27 should have someone else in charge.thats a pretty damning indictment of pikiell and i am getting a sense that some here on the board are thinking 14-17/6-14 will be an accomplishment
I don't see it that way. Pike can coach. Even if we only end up with 12-15 totals wins, Pike will manage to keep things interesting by keeping games close.This season has a Liittlepage/Jordan type of feeling. Hope I'm wrong.
Pike will have to grind out 50-49 rock fights to win games this year.
thats a pretty damning indictment of pikiell and i am getting a sense that some here on the board are thinking 14-17/6-14 will be an accomplishment
I don't see it that way. Pike can coach. Even if we only end up with 12-15 totals wins, Pike will manage to keep things interesting by keeping games close.
Littlepage and Jordan games were more often than not unwatchable. Opponents would regularly jump out to huge leads and cruise to victories.
Same guy who had Rutgers at 6 or 7 last year.
It's only July. Pre-season practice is when the real intense competition starts.I was more optimistic a couple months ago. if Buchanan only projects good enough to earn utility minute based on where he’s at right now that’s probably not a good sign. I think some of our fans are not being realistic about what it will take for this team to be an elite D that consistently holds opponents to under 60. We did it two years ago but we are not going to have a defensive center in the same galaxy as Cliff. I have high hopes for Nwuli but that team also had either Mag or J Will for almost every game. Is he going to be better than either of them on D as a true frosh? Probably not. That team had BOTH Derek and J Mike. Do we expect Mark or Francis to provide the same level of D? Hyatt and Oskar were 5th year players in Pike’s system. Grant wasn’t a better defensive player last year than either of them were 2 years ago. Are we expecting that to change in one off season? Are we counting on Euro frosh and Powers to match the D even of guys like Noah F, Austin Williams, etc.
Buchanan is a piece that in my opinion needs to be a hit as a rising junior who had success in a real league. If we’re not getting that I fear we’re in trouble.
It's only July. Pre-season practice is when the real intense competition starts.
Think you are taking what was said about Buchanan a little too serious. I've heard he looks good.I was more optimistic a couple months ago. if Buchanan only projects good enough to earn utility minute based on where he’s at right now that’s probably not a good sign. I think some of our fans are not being realistic about what it will take for this team to be an elite D that consistently holds opponents to under 60. We did it two years ago but we are not going to have a defensive center in the same galaxy as Cliff. I have high hopes for Nwuli but that team also had either Mag or J Will for almost every game. Is he going to be better than either of them on D as a true frosh? Probably not. That team had BOTH Derek and J Mike. Do we expect Mark or Francis to provide the same level of D? Hyatt and Oskar were 5th year players in Pike’s system. Grant wasn’t a better defensive player last year than either of them were 2 years ago. Are we expecting that to change in one off season? Are we counting on Euro frosh and Powers to match the D even of guys like Noah F, Austin Williams, etc.
Buchanan is a piece that in my opinion needs to be a hit as a rising junior who had success in a real league. If we’re not getting that I fear we’re in trouble.
I hope so. It was only on the podcast and as I said, it was intended to complement Nwuli not directly express any concern about Buchanan but it was presented in a way that stated that Nwuli could send Buchanan to the bench. On top of having more experience than anyone on the roster except J Mike, Buchanan probably has the best career offensive efficiency numbers blended across his college career of anyone on the team. I just feel that we really need for him to be a good addition.Think you are taking what was said about Buchanan a little too serious. I've heard he looks good.
This wouldn’t surprise me based on last season but Richie made it sound like Grant is a lock to start.In response to OSAL and seansherm,
Maybe ... Maybe Nwuli is competing with GRANT not Buchanan? I just thought of that. After all, the RU Athletics hoops website lists Buchanan as a guard, not a forward. Though I see Grant as a potential modest break-out candidate on offense.
I dunno ... we will know more in mid-October, or close. after the first exhibition game ... And then t he games have t be played.
We will finish somewhere between 17-15 and 15-17... Like most years with Pike
LOL this is very truethats a pretty damning indictment of pikiell and i am getting a sense that some here on the board are thinking 14-17/6-14 will be an accomplishment
LOL this is very true
What an embarrassment
Roster construction was a big problem but Pike did a poor job putting players in best position to succeed. I never see players run off of screens to get open. Iso ball for offense is so frustrating and it is all Pike seems to know. There are many coaches who run a motion offense (Purdue, Iowa before Fran got fired) and get more out of less.Not really. First of all - nobody will be thinking 14 wins is an accomplishment of any sort. The indictment on Pike for what happened last year doesn’t get any worse or better based on how this season goes. Nor does it change by reflecting on how the 2023-24 team did in matching the record on 2024-25.
Most of Pike’s problems in the past 2 years have been with roster construction rather coaching per se. The list of mistakes is long, but the addition of Noah Fernandez sits at the top of the list based on the timing of it, and the consequences that it ultimately contributes to. We had two established PGs on our roster expected to return along with a third one coming in - frosh J Mike (technically also J Will but he wasn’t expected to play). What the heck was Pike doing recruiting a graduating senior PG??? There’s no doubt this is what drove Paul out. Paul, our veteran player who despite any flaws you could point to, not only played PG but could slide to the 2 or 3 if we needed to and knew how to get Cliff the ball better than anyone else. If Cliff had a better season, maybe we could’ve convinced him to say? The consequences of this one decision were far reaching. It was also very dumb to bring in another kid running out of eligibility in Austin Williams. Pike set himself up for the situation he faced the next year where he barely had any returning players to use alongside Ace and Dylan and no experienced center. Instead, we brought in a bunch of kids who are used to being “the guy” at a lower level and assume they will be good complements to Dylan.
This was how we messed up. In terms of game day coaching, I don’t know how much better any other coach would’ve done. The holes in the roster were just too big.
Roster construction was a big problem but Pike did a poor job putting players in best position to succeed. I never see players run off of screens to get open. Iso ball for offense is so frustrating and it is all Pike seems to know. There are many coaches who run a motion offense (Purdue, Iowa before Fran got fired) and get more out of less.
I agree about the defense being dreadful. If not for elite scorers / shot makers like Ace and Dylan, the offense would have been equally as dreadful. At one point, we had four freshmen starting which could have meant a bright future but only one is remaining for this year. We all knew Ace and Dylan were one and done. Lathan was a black hole because he did not know how to pass or pass up long shots.The offense wasn’t really the problem. It was the D. We had one plus defender on the team and he played the same position as Dylan. What did Pike expect?
I agree about the defense being dreadful. If not for elite scorers / shot makers like Ace and Dylan, the offense would have been equally as dreadful. At one point, we had four freshmen starting which could have meant a bright future but only one is remaining for this year. We all knew Ace and Dylan were one and done. Lathan was a black hole because he did not know how to pass or pass up long shots.
We'll finish 18
Willing to bet on that?We'll finish 18