Game thread for Rutgers v. NU

[NUCat320]

It was a really well-designed play by Rutgers. Spencer set up in the weak side corner, with #22 McConnell (27% from 3, 0-2 today) on the weak wing.

As the screen came, McConnell cut to the opposite corner, and Roper followed him, leaving Audige isolated on Spencer.

When Cliffy slipped the screen and Nicholson doubled, Roper didn’t react. In fact, he tightened up on McConnell, which required Audige to instinctively slide to Cliffy. It was the wrong instinct, as the game-tying dunk doesn’t hurt as much as the three.

There may have been confusion between Roper and Audige on them play. Roper said something to Chase just before the inbound. Roper was also lined up on Spencer at the start of the play, then followed McConnell, who had started on the wing before moving baseline and strong side corner.

I don’t understand why Audige wasn’t charged with simply denying the ball to Spencer.


I’m fine with letting Boo make a play without the timeout, but I can understand why some would want NU to call time and set up a play. It’s possible I can count NU’s clutch buckets inside of ten seconds in the last three seasons on zero hands.

I wish we got a replay of the loose ball. Nicholson definitely signaled timeout, and the play by play guy seemed to think he’d get it.

Tough loss to a good team. My goal was 5-4 for January. ESPN ‘matchup indicator’ actually gives NU a slightly better chance Sunday than tonight.

 

[SimpsonElmwood]

Overall that was another gritty performance. I expect this squad, unlike others in years past, to bounce back.

They will meet or exceed the 5-4 mark, 320.

 

[GatoLouco]

As the screen came, McConnell cut to the opposite corner, and Roper followed him, leaving Audige isolated on Spencer.

Matt could and should have not been so up on the pick. Mulcahy is not a drop back and drain a 3 type of guy. That's the 1st problem.

The second is what you wrote, Roper positioning is too close to his player on the strong side. He got himself out of helping in the Omuryu roll to the basket.

But it's not this play that frustrates me though. It happens, mistakes or not even calling timeout before we turn it over right after. The lack of poise on offense for 2 minutes was the disappointing thing to me. I thought we had improved on that. We had the game on a lucky bank shot and we threw it away by not just rolling normally on offense.

Time for 💤

 

[wildcatpn]

Overall that was another gritty performance. I expect this squad, unlike others in years past, to bounce back.

They will meet or exceed the 5-4 mark, 320.

Gotta get 3 of the next 5 looking at the schedule. Would put us at 6-4 with no Nebraska or Minnesota in the last 10 games. Have to win home games which makes tonight’s loss so tough.

 

[EagerFan]

Problem was in the pick and roll and the strong side defense. If Audige closes too aggressively on Spencer Omuruyi has an easy dunk

We were up by three. A million times out of a million I defend the three and give up the dunk. Put the ball in Boo’s or Chase’s hands and make them foul.

 

[NUCat320]

We were up by three. A million times out of a million I defend the three and give up the dunk. Put the ball in Boo’s or Chase’s hands and make them foul.

It was a two point NU lead. NU was in a hurry because they needed a shot, now down one. Dunk would’ve tied it.

 

[GatoLouco]

We were up by three. A million times out of a million I defend the three and give up the dunk. Put the ball in Boo’s or Chase’s hands and make them foul.

We were up by 2.

In a vacuum what you are saying is correct. But when you execute the rule you have in your mind and drives your instincts is to close out on the player closest to the ball. And trust your team to rotate.

Imagine you have two guards up top. And you are guarding a guy at forward. Your teammate double teams. Your role is to rotate to the guard left unattended and trust the rotation to get to your guy.

 

[EagerFan]

In a vacuum, sure.

With the game on the line and knowing they’re going to try and get it in his hands? Meh.

Chase worked hard and did great all game, that was just a brain fart imho.

But like Matt’s free throw shooting, it kinda bums me out.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

I was at the game and coming out of the timeout, the singular consensus in our group was

"Whatever we do defensively, we cannot allow Spencer to get off a 3."

It was pretty gross to watch our defense in that situation. At the time my reaction was "WTF is Audige doing?" (He had been late to close out on another made 3 earlier in the game).

Then I got home and re-watched the game on tv. In the fatal sequence, Mulcahy had Buie in front of him. Omoruyi set a soft screen that seemed intended to draw Nicholson out. Mulcahy stepped to his left. Nicholson came flying out to double him at the 3 point line. He should have been told to stay with Omoruyi - and you knew Rutgers would run that action. Mulcahy was not looking to shoot and he wasn't going to get past Buie.

So Omoruyi was immediately wide open down the lane for a likely game-tying dunk and Audige left Spencer to try to stop that. Roper hedged toward the "not a serious threat" shooter in the corner.

The pressure was on Rutgers. We should have been in straight man to man defense, with Audige on Spencer. No matter what we chose to do, Audige should have been on top of Spencer. If Rutgers wants Mulcahy to shoot, fine. If they wanted to try to get two from Omoruyi inside, fine. He had done squat offensively against Nicholson. McConnell? Please shoot.

Very disappointing that the Rutgers coach knew exactly what we would do and got the best possible outcome.

 

[DaCat]

I was at the game and coming out of the timeout, the singular consensus in our group was

"Whatever we do defensively, we cannot allow Spencer to get off a 3."

It was pretty gross to watch our defense in that situation. At the time my reaction was "WTF is Audige doing?" (He had been late to close out on another made 3 earlier in the game).

Then I got home and re-watched the game on tv. In the fatal sequence, Mulcahy had Buie in front of him. Omoruyi set a soft screen that seemed intended to draw Nicholson out. Mulcahy stepped to his left. Nicholson came flying out to double him at the 3 point line. He should have been told to stay with Omoruyi - and you knew Rutgers would run that action. Mulcahy was not looking to shoot and he wasn't going to get past Buie.

So Omoruyi was immediately wide open down the lane for a likely game-tying dunk and Audige left Spencer to try to stop that. Roper hedged toward the "not a serious threat" shooter in the corner.

The pressure was on Rutgers. We should have been in straight man to man defense, with Audige on Spencer. No matter what we chose to do, Audige should have been on top of Spencer. If Rutgers wants Mulcahy to shoot, fine. If they wanted to try to get two from Omoruyi inside, fine. He had done squat offensively against Nicholson. McConnell? Please shoot.

Very disappointing that the Rutgers coach knew exactly what we would do and got the best possible outcome.

So... you're saying we got out-coached at the end. This time I think you're right.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

So... you're saying we got out-coached at the end. This time I think you're right.

I was one of those who was surprised we didn't call time out when we had the ball and a 2 point lead with a minute to play. It seemed very likely that Rutgers would foul Nicholson, so it would have been a chance to take him out for either Barnhizer or Berry. Alternatively, we could have tried to score immediately, with 2 guys guarded by 1 - this would likely have put us up 4 - but we pulled the ball back out, didn't call time, ran the clock down and didn't get a good look whatsoever.

Pikiell (and assistants) definitely got the better of Collins (and assistants) on the Rutgers possession with 20 seconds left.

I was also confused as to why Berry was on the bench at the end of the game when he had played well. And why Barnhizer only played 7 minutes when he was physically making his presence known. His clean block on Reiber's attempted dunk (called a foul) showed that he was competing at a high level.

 

[JT2311]

Completely disagree with the “don’t let their D get set” stance. Rutgers proved how great action on offense can beat good defense. They called a TO to draw up that last play and we played it how they expected us to a T. They were going to get a wide open dunk for the tie or a 3 from their best shooter for a chance for the lead. Chase was left with an impossible task and that was all by design out of their TO.

We do not have the personnel to just wing in the final seconds. We have proved that time and time again. Collins should’ve used a TO on the possession following the banked 3 instead of watching us settle for a Chase deep fade way and he should’ve used one the second Boo crossed half court. Would’ve had about 12 seconds on the clock.

 

[phatcat]

Without Buie we're not even close to being in the game to win it at the end.

Of course. He played like a warrior. But in the end, he made a bad play that cost us a chance to win. It's not like he missed the winning shot. He did what he often does, lost control and gave up the ball without giving us a chance to win. He's played nearly 100 games. Shouldn't happen.