Game 8, 2019-20: at Rutgers (11/29)

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MikeUMA
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Game 8, 2019-20: at Rutgers (11/29)

Post by MikeUMA » Mon Nov 25, 2019 10:57 am

On to the next one.

UM travels to the RAC for the first time since Rutgers was still a member of the Atlantic 10. Last time we were there, it got weird.
https://umasshoops.com/games/1994-95/02071995.htm

In the pre-season, Rutgers was picked to finish 12th out of 14 in the Big Ten. So far, they're off to a 4-1 start, all but one at home.
Bryant put a scare in them for the season/home opener, but RU prevailed 73-71.
Destroyed Niagara 86-39
Beat Drexel 62-57
Lost to St. Bonaventure in Toronto, 80-74
Beat Stephen F Austin 69-57

They have one more game before us, at home again, vs NJIT, tomorrow at 7 on Big Ten Network.

Geo Baker (6'4" G Jr) leads the team in scoring (12.8 ppg) and assists (4.0), and chips in 3.2 rpg.
Akwasi Yeboah (6'6' F Grad) is second in scoring at 10.8 ppg. He's been coming off the bench so far.
Ron Harper Jr. (6'6" G/F So) adds 10.4 ppg
Four players give them 7-8 ppg:
Caleb McConnell (6'7" G So)
Montez Mathis (6'4" G So)
Jacob Young (6'2" G Jr)
Myles Johnson (6'10 C So)
Production drops off after that.

Doesn't look like they're big on the 3, they only hit .304 so far, and Baker leads them with 8 makes on the season. (We're shooting .368 on the season, even after the past two days dragged down that percentage.)

The glass may pose another problem for us. RU averages 40.4 rpg, while we're at 32.1.

2 PM tip at the RAC on Friday. BTN+ gets the coverage, I think that's streaming only, no traditional TV. BTN is owned by Fox, so it won't be carried by ESPN+.
https://www.btnplus.com/schedule?day=2019-11-29

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Re: Game 8, 2019-20: at Rutgers (11/29)

Post by uz2b-len » Mon Nov 25, 2019 11:35 am

2 PM tip at the RAC on Friday. BTN+ gets the coverage, I think that's streaming only, no traditional TV. BTN is owned by Fox, so it won't be carried by ESPN+.
https://www.btnplus.com/schedule?day=2019-11-29
F
"All credit to my teammates, all glory to God."-- Chaz Williams

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Re: Game 8, 2019-20: at Rutgers (11/29)

Post by MJatUM » Mon Nov 25, 2019 12:09 pm

This one might be tough to watch... Looks like Reddit has trouble getting BTN+ games and I'm sure as hell not paying $14.95 for a monthly pass.

Anyone with a FloSports subscription should look into it because it looks like there is a partnership there that might include BTN+.

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Re: Game 8, 2019-20: at Rutgers (11/29)

Post by MikeUMA » Mon Nov 25, 2019 12:58 pm

Rutgers is still trying to find their footing after two major events in recent years:
- The Mike Rice incident
- Upgrading from the AAC to the Big Ten

Eddie Jordan took over after Rice was canned, and went 5-13 in RU's last year in the AAC. He lasted two seasons once RU went to the Big Ten, as Rutgers only managed three conference wins in those two.

Steve Pikiell got the job for the 2016-17 season, moving over from a successful run at Stony Brook, with 4 America East regular season titles and an NCAA Tournament appearance. RU went 3-15 in the Big Ten in Pikiell's first two seasons, but they did improve to 7-13 last year.

Pikiell was at Stony Brook when they beat us in the 2013 NIT, when we didn't want to be there and played like it.
https://umasshoops.com/wiki/doku.php?id ... tony_brook

Pikiell was also on staff at George Washington from 2001-05, when they went from two seasons near the bottom to an NIT to a league tournament title in '05.

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Re: Game 8, 2019-20: at Rutgers (11/29)

Post by MassMan06 » Mon Nov 25, 2019 3:44 pm

This is a game we need to win. Early season results do not indicate Rutgers is all that good this year, and with some practice and rest I feel hopeful about our chances.

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Re: Game 8, 2019-20: at Rutgers (11/29)

Post by DoctorJ » Mon Nov 25, 2019 5:52 pm

Whet your appetite for UMass vs Rutgers with a blast from the past! ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z96ge7TfKPY
Refuse To Lose!!!

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Re: Game 8, 2019-20: at Rutgers (11/29)

Post by Marty Peretz » Mon Nov 25, 2019 6:11 pm

Hope to see some of you there!

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Re: Game 8, 2019-20: at Rutgers (11/29)

Post by capezona » Mon Nov 25, 2019 8:11 pm

DoctorJ wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 5:52 pm Whet your appetite for UMass vs Rutgers with a blast from the past! ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z96ge7TfKPY
Thanks! That was fun. I forgot how good Kennard Robinson was. That was a great team.

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Re: Game 8, 2019-20: at Rutgers (11/29)

Post by TheInsider » Mon Nov 25, 2019 9:46 pm

Rutgers starts the 4 game stretch until we play Maine. I feel like 2-2 would be satisfying.. 1-3 would be ehh.. 0-4 would really be a set back. Obviously anything beyond 2-2 would be a bonus

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Re: Game 8, 2019-20: at Rutgers (11/29)

Post by bobolink » Mon Nov 25, 2019 10:13 pm

I expect we'll be underdogs in each of the next 4 games, but as of now we're only big underdogs in 1, and that 1 is Rutgers. Perhaps a combination of game locations and Harvards losses.

The RAC (Rutgers Athletic Center) can be a very tough place to win. Last year Rutgers was 10-7 at home vs. 4-9 away. The year before, they were 13-9 home, 0-9 away and before that 10-7 home, 3-9 away. This year they're 4-0 at home 0-1 away. Granted, much of this is about the quality of the competition, but even if you only take their conference games, where the quality of competition is about equal home and away, they're much better at home. Tough place to win.

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Re: Game 8, 2019-20: at Rutgers (11/29)

Post by UMassHoops » Tue Nov 26, 2019 8:31 am

uz2b-len wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 11:35 am
2 PM tip at the RAC on Friday. BTN+ gets the coverage, I think that's streaming only, no traditional TV. BTN is owned by Fox, so it won't be carried by ESPN+.
https://www.btnplus.com/schedule?day=2019-11-29
F

Boo and F from me as well. ESPN+ has been a godsend for us out of towners.

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Re: Game 8, 2019-20: at Rutgers (11/29)

Post by Roadtrip » Tue Nov 26, 2019 8:59 am

Hulu Live TV has the B10 network.

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Re: Game 8, 2019-20: at Rutgers (11/29)

Post by MikeUMA » Tue Nov 26, 2019 9:38 am

^
Is that BTN or BTN+? There's a difference.
https://www.btnplus.com/

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Re: Game 8, 2019-20: at Rutgers (11/29)

Post by Roadtrip » Tue Nov 26, 2019 10:29 am

Ah, thanks, Mike. No Plus.

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Re: Game 8, 2019-20: at Rutgers (11/29)

Post by Jackson96 » Tue Nov 26, 2019 4:39 pm

Looking at the stats (not taking into account the level of opponents) they seem to be pretty good on defense and can rebound. They don’t do a lot of damage from three on offense but get to the line quite a bit more than their opponents.

Then you look at their opponents and realize they haven’t played much of anyone and the one time they did, they lost to a St Bonaventure team that has struggled this year.

Interested in watching the Geo Baker kid who is from NH I believe and the Mulcahy kid who seems to have a pretty creative game. Then there’s a former transfer target of ours Peter Kiss, although he’s not playing much.

It’s a road game against a P5 school, but it’s certainly a winnable road game against a P5 school. Especially if we cut the turnovers back to the pre-casino game levels and Pierre and East get back on their games.
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