Rutgers vs Central Arkansas Quickie

Final: Rutgers 87 Central Arkansas 84

Strokin'

The shot was always pretty, it just wasn't dropping. Mike Williams came to The Banks with a reputation as one of the better, if not the best shooter out of NYC in his class. The form was good, the results were not during his Freshman campaign. Now that they're dropping we get to see the real Mike... a smooth shooter with a killer instinct. He quickly became my favorite player for RU, even if Corey Sanders is the most entertaining. Williams finished the night 8-13 from the field, including 5-8 from deep (hitting all 5 of RU's threes) and 4-6 from the line for 25 points in 30 minutes of action.

Speaking Of Letter 3 Wearing Number 3

Corey Sanders has brought much needed swag to this group. It's easy to tell how much fun he has playing this game, stuff like that is contagious. Sanders finished the night w/14 points on 4-9 shooting and a perfect 6-6 from the charity stripe. More importantly for the Freshman point guard, however was his team leading 6 assists with only 3 turnovers. There's still at least 2-3 players per game where his teammates aren't ready/mishandle the pass...he should have multiple 10+ assist games this season.

Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

The game was far from pretty, the score was tied at 38 after the first 20 minutes. Personally I don't care, this is going to be a process. Any wins RU comes away with are bonuses as far as I'm concerned. That's not saying this group shouldn't go into every game feeling like they should win, it's just the players and fans need to realize success isn't created overnight. There will be plenty of nights as Big Ten play approaches that many will consider their opponents "more talented". There's nothing wrong with losing to a more experienced team who worked as hard as you, just don't get outworked by anyone. Trust in the system and your teammates, learn and grow together...the wins will come. Losing sucks for everyone involved, just don't let it affect your effort or love for the game. Every possession matters whether you're up 10 or down 20, it's all a small part of the end goal.

Dwayne and DeShawn

There's an athletic uptick in Piscataway. It's easy to see... the ability is there. Different players will have to polish their games in different ways, but the talent has arrived. DeShawn Freeman (who's been Rutgers best player so far this season) finished the night with 23 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks and 4 steals in 35 minutes...dude is just fun to watch. D.J. Foreman recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in 27 minutes while shooting 4-5 from the free throw line.