Rutgers vs Wake Forest Quickie

So You're Saying There's A Chance

It's never a good thing when you shoot 26% in a half, only making 10 field goals. The good news for Rutgers was that Wake Forest would shoot 33%, only making 11. The game wasn't pretty early and wouldn't become a thing of beauty, but it was close at the end which always leads to some excitement.

Here were your 1st half shooting numbers...

Wake: 11-33 (33.3%), 3-14 (21.4%) 3PFG

RU: 10-38 (26.3%), 1-9(11.1%) 3PFG

So yeah, it's never pretty when the shooting percentages are that low.

BLF

Blowing leads fast. Wake Forest would hold a 9 point lead with just over 8 minutes remaining in the first half, and a 5 point lead at the break. Rutgers would hold a 12 point lead with just under 9 minutes remaining in the second half. Turnovers killed Wake in this one while horrendous shooting doomed Rutgers, neither would be able to hold onto their lead.

All By Myself

Rutgers finished the contest with 27 made baskets...recording only 6 assists. Need more ball/player movement and better shot selection, same as last season. The good news is the players are learning, it will be figured out at some point...just don't expect it to be in the immediate future.

The Good

Corey Sanders looked very comfortable in the second half as he racked up points. Step back 3 had nice form and rotation on it, attacked the rim well. The more experience he gets, the more Rutgers fans will be able to witness his full arsenal.

Jonathan Laurent had a solid game (ignoring the last defensive possession) going 5-10 from the field for 10 points; while also contributing 7 rebounds. Greg Lewis finished with 9 rebounds, Mike Williams finished with 6...

The Bad

Freeman, 2-9

Williams, 1-10, 0-5 3PFG

Lewis, 4-12

Daniels, 1-5

You get the idea...tough to win when shooting lines look like that.

The Ugly

We can start with the charging call on Corey Sanders which should have been an and1 bucket, but that final play call though...

Rutgers down 1 with 4 second left had the opportunity to steal the victory as they inbounded from under the Wake basket. I get the logic of making sure the ball gets in play; with that being said to have your leading scorer in the game throwing it into a kid having an off night, (Williams was 1-9 before that final shot) doesn't make much sense to me...then again I don't get paid to make these decisions.

Also, if you don't trust anyone else on the roster to be able to get the ball in play there I really don't know what to tell you.

With that little rant out of the way let's remember that this is a process with a very young team and the right head coach for the job. Patience is key...even if that is impossible to explain to those of you who have been watching this act for decades now.

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.

Rutgers vs St. John's MBB Recap

I don't want to talk about it...I can think of three people who need to return to Foot Locker, however.