5 Shots And1: Rutgers vs Drexel

Photo by Alex Goodlett

1. Gettys Gets It

I've been hesitant to write anything on C.J. Gettys being that I haven't seen him play a ton and there was a lot of hype surrounding the young man amongst Rutgers fans. After watching him up close, I'm sold on his importance to this Rutgers team.

I'm much less concerned with his stats (13 pts, 9 rebs, 21 mins) than I am with the swag he brings to the Rutgers interior. For a long time Rutgers has been missing that kill or be killed mentality in the paint--Gettys is a guy who's willing to bang, and run his mouth while doing it. His teammates seem to love him, if he keeps this up most opponents and opposing fans will end up hating him. I can't stress enough how important it is to have a role player like this on a team that's going to have to fight for respect night in and night out.

At one point before a stoppage where the teams would return to their benches Gettys had some inadvertent contact with a Drexel guard. The Drexel player took exception to it and there was some quick back and forth before a ref stepped in. Before heading over to his own bench Gettys shot a look at the Drexel player and pointed to the Drexel bench, letting him know where he belonged.

I expect there to be more incidents like this as the season goes on. Maybe it'll reach a point where he needs to be calmed down, maybe it won't. Either way Rutgers desperately needed a guy who's willing to bang and let their opponents know stepping into the RAC will no longer be a warm up for your next opponent. The teams will only get larger and more physical from here on out, Rutgers needs Gettys to keep the same mentality when they do.

2. Star Watch

Both Corey Sanders and DeShawn Freeman found themselves in foul trouble during the contest.

Neither carried the team in this one, Rutgers still won by 21-- something every Rutgers fan should be thrilled about. Just think about that for a second... this team was being billed as Corey Sanders, DeShawn Freeman and a bunch of question marks heading into the season...THEY WON BY 21 ON AN OFF NIGHT FROM NOT ONE, BUT BOTH. Sanders finished the night 2-11 from the field with 11 points, 3 assists and 4 turnovers in 24 minutes. He only finished with three fouls, but all three came pretty early in the contest. Certainly not the best night out of Corey, my money is on it being his worst game of the season.

Freeman posted pretty solid numbers in his limited playing time-- he finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds (7 offensive) in only 17 minutes of action due to foul trouble (finished with 4). Taking away from the double-double was Freeman's 5 turnovers in the game, part of the 17 Rutgers would total on the afternoon.

3. Taking Flight

Nigel Johnson is a special athlete who came off the bench to lead Rutgers in minutes played while tying for their team high in points with 15. There's not much else to say here, he's just fun to watch. Once the game slows down a bit for him and he figures out when to down shift he's going to be an elite offensive Big Ten perimeter player.

There's no question he can blow past almost everyone in 6th gear, there's just times when 3rd or 4th gear gets you to your intended result faster.

4. Swing That D

The defense was active in this one, flying all over the place throughout much of the game. The length of this team helps cover up some mistakes and the effort is certainly there. The D is still a work in progress as there were plenty of possessions when players found themselves out of their lane.

All of this is to be expected early in the season with a new staff. Players are still figuring out where they should be on each possession, at some point it'll become second nature. The important part is that the effort was there against Drexel, minus a few hand swipe fouls. Expect the execution to match the effort at some point this season, when that happens Rutgers will be an annoyance for any opponent regardless of talent level.

5. A New Sheriff In Town...

...and boy is he fun to watch. Times are a changin' in Piscataway my friends, get ready to have some fun over the next couple of seasons. What stands out more than anything to me is the Us vs Them mentality the staff has instilled in the players. Whether it holds true during the tough times remains to be seen, but everyone seems to have bought in for the moment.

And1

#24 Rodney Williams a Drexel senior was fun to watch in this one.  Besides having the best stat line of the night for any player to see the floor he just flat out looked like he belonged. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on him for the rest of the season.

At one point late in the game someone questioned why coach Pikiell still had his main bodies in the game. I immediately turned and said "these guys need as many possessions out there together as they can get".