To this core group who brought this program back from the dead, thank you.
I came to Rutgers in the fall of 2003 already a college hoops junkie. I don't know if I missed a home game my four years there. It was an exciting time to be a Rutgers fan, though we never really hit those highs again of my first year. I graduated, I kept watching, but slowly the team faded into obscurity. Like a lot of people, during the Eddie Jordan years I checked out. It was just too damn depressing to watch.
Then Pike was hired. He kept Corey and along came Geo. It was a defibrillator for the program's lifeless corpse. We had a heartbeat. We would f%^&ing scrap every game. It wasn't pretty and we didn't win much, but we fought. Ron, Caleb, Montez, and Myles came along and we scratched and clawed our way up the ladder more. Paul and Cliff, now we're cooking with gas. These guys made it easy to care, to really love this program. Every game was appointment viewing.
Last night's loss was heartbreaking. I said it in another thread, the Houston game left me pissed off, this one left me sad. Sad that we're not gonna see Geo, RHJ, and potentially Caleb suit up for Rutgers anymore. I'm also grateful.
This program is on a path. Maybe next year is a step back, maybe not, but we're done living in the basement. I'm excited to see Derek Simpson and god willing Jaden Jones take the reins and show us where this program can go next. I can't wait to get back to my seats in 216 next year and cheer on whoever is here.
I came to Rutgers in the fall of 2003 already a college hoops junkie. I don't know if I missed a home game my four years there. It was an exciting time to be a Rutgers fan, though we never really hit those highs again of my first year. I graduated, I kept watching, but slowly the team faded into obscurity. Like a lot of people, during the Eddie Jordan years I checked out. It was just too damn depressing to watch.
Then Pike was hired. He kept Corey and along came Geo. It was a defibrillator for the program's lifeless corpse. We had a heartbeat. We would f%^&ing scrap every game. It wasn't pretty and we didn't win much, but we fought. Ron, Caleb, Montez, and Myles came along and we scratched and clawed our way up the ladder more. Paul and Cliff, now we're cooking with gas. These guys made it easy to care, to really love this program. Every game was appointment viewing.
Last night's loss was heartbreaking. I said it in another thread, the Houston game left me pissed off, this one left me sad. Sad that we're not gonna see Geo, RHJ, and potentially Caleb suit up for Rutgers anymore. I'm also grateful.
This program is on a path. Maybe next year is a step back, maybe not, but we're done living in the basement. I'm excited to see Derek Simpson and god willing Jaden Jones take the reins and show us where this program can go next. I can't wait to get back to my seats in 216 next year and cheer on whoever is here.
