On Friday, December 3, 2021, in the first half of the NCAA college basketball game in Champaign, Illinois, Paul Malcashi of Rutgers (4) dribbles, Ron Harper Jr. (24) A screen was set up on Trent Frazier, Illinois. (AP Photo/Michael Allio) Associated Press
In Friday night's top ten opener, Illinois's Rutgers finished with a 35-point field goal at halftime at the State Farm Center.
The Scarlet Cavaliers didn't get close to 18 points in the rest of the game, which eventually swelled the score to their biggest loss under coach Steve Pikiell (see below for more details). Most of what happened in the second half was irrelevant, so for this reason, the ratings and final thoughts of these players were mainly based on the first 25 minutes or so of the game.
The following are the player scores that Rutgers University completely lost to the University of Illinois (for score standards, please see here):
We usually keep the head coach until the end, but Rutgers' absence in Champaign started with him, so the player's performance will be the same.
The Scarlet Cavaliers seem to be unable to compete with Illinois, and Illinois is expected to once again enter the top ten of the league. For a series of reasons, this is Pikiell, but most importantly, it started with an offensive problem that his team has been trying to solve for a long time.
As Mike Cuzens and Robbie Hummel’s broadcasters pointed out in the middle of the first half, “The flow gap between offense and defense is already huge.” The University of Illinois made the offense look easy, and Roger Sri Lanka makes the score look and feel like a root canal.
Rutgers has two fatal scoring droughts in any half: a 5-minute scoring drought in the first half allowed Illinois to turn a 1-point lead into an 11-point lead (Rutgers University) Behind double digits in the last 30 minutes) and scored 3 points in 8 minutes of the second half, which allowed Illinois to turn an insurmountable 19-point lead into a truly powerful 33-point advantage.
"We dribbled the ball over in the first half," Piciel said. "We let ourselves fall into a big hole, you can't let yourself fall into a hole in the league. Our offense did not help us in the first half, we did get the shots, clean shots, we didn't finish."
Rutgers University’s free throw percentage is 66.2%, three-pointer percentage is 27.7% (nationally 315th), two-pointer percentage is 44.4% (nationally 287th), effective field goal percentage this season is 43.5 % (No. 319 in the country). According to KenPom's data, despite facing an adjusted schedule of 164th in defensive efficiency, the Scarlet Cavaliers ranked 140th in the country in terms of adjusted offensive efficiency, and scored less than 0.9 points per round in the half of the game this season.
They scored 51 points against Lafayette, and their adjusted defensive efficiency ranks 290th in the country. They made 8% of their 3-pointers against Lehigh and 15% against Lafayette. They made 28% of their two-pointers against Illinois.
Under Pikir’s leadership, offensive struggles are nothing new-Rutgers has never surpassed the 72nd place in the country in terms of adjusted offensive efficiency, and is expected to fall below the fourth time in the past six seasons. 100 points-but this does not mean that they are justified in the problem. Anything that can attribute them to them-no clear offensive identity, heavy reliance on personal organization and a roster of few capable scorers, a project philosophy that puts defense first-all of these can be traced back to the master coach.
Unless you have a top 20 defense, as Pikiel's Rutgers has in the past two seasons, it is almost impossible to win consistently at this level of offense. When the defense falters like Friday, it usually results in a serious loss like that.
Blaming the blame on the defensive struggle, which Piciel often does, is not far-fetched for Friday's game. According to Bart Tovik, Rutgers lost 86 points when scoring 1.24 points per round. This was the lowest defensive performance since losing to Illinois in the top ten championships last season. But Piciel also admitted that his team's lack of success on the offensive end affected their efforts on the other end.
"This is a theme of this group," Pikiell said. "Obviously, when you focus on this time, you will not focus on 90% of the other things you can do. So this is a problem. We will continue to solve it. Obviously, shooting is an important part of the game, but you Can complete 90% of the rest of the game. It did affect our defense, we missed some early layups, and we let it affect every aspect of today’s game. When you are on the away field with them such an excellent ball You can’t have a night like this when the teams played against each other, and we did it.”
The Scarlet Cavaliers could play the old Rutgers defense and fly around on the court, but they may still lose the game on Friday night because they can't throw the ball into the sea.
In the long run, Rutgers will not hit the wall in order to win games in the 1950s, but better solve its long-term offensive struggle to prevent ugly games like this. Whether it comes from recruiting better offensive geniuses, rebuilding offensive philosophy from scratch, or anything else, Rutgers needs to make changes and pray to reverse this situation.
But this does not seem to be a priority.
"I'm also worried about where our defense is," Pickier said when asked if he was worried about his offensive struggle. "If we can't score, they can't score. This has always been our motto. I will look at the tape. I do think we have a lot of layups, a lot of beautiful looks....We have to get better ."
Statistics: 5 points on 1 of 9 shots (6 of 2 shots 0), 4 rebounds, 1 turnover in 27 minutes.
Harper's season of ups and downs continues. After taking over in the second half of Rutgers's victory over Clemson, Harper was completely eliminated from Friday's game by Illinois forward Coleman Hawkins. The recruiting target of the former Rutgers University blocked Harper from the beginning, leaving him no room for manipulation. Harper hit his first and only field goal, a three-pointer, with 1:44 left in the first half.
A game summed up the game well: Hawkins completely covered Harper and took the ball from him after their one-on-one match.
Statistics: 4/14 shooting scored 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist in 27 minutes.
Jones is not efficient, but he is the only one who can create any offensive end for a long time in the first half. He was blocked twice, had poor shot selection, and missed a conversion opportunity, but he made two mid-range jumpers and fought hard on the rebounds to get Rutgers' four offensive rebounds that day. one of.
If there is one thing to take away from his performance, it is that Jones is not lacking in confidence. As a scorer, this is a good quality. Once Jones improves and learns to better choose his position while remaining aggressive, he has a great chance to become the best offensive weapon at Rutgers University. . The defense is not very good, but this is a problem for the team on Friday. This should be accompanied by experience.
Statistics: 26 minutes 2/11 shooting 4 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 turnover.
Marcash was completely overtaken offensively, and when he did get an open near the rim-including an open layup in the transition-he missed it, which shouldn't be surprising at this point. According to Synergy's data, his non-backed singles shooting at the basket this season is 4 of 17 (23.5%); only 9 players in the country have made at least 15 such attempts to shoot at a worse rate.
He is not alone—according to StatBroadcast, Rutgers made 6 of 16 shots from the basket—but he is the most fouled person.
The enthusiastic Illini crowd specifically targeted him, booing him when he dribbled onto the court, and chanted his name ironically many times in the evening. This may not be the last time Malkasi has become a top ten away goal, so he had better adapt as soon as possible.
Statistics: 2/7 shots, 5 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 turnover in 26 minutes.
McConnell started well at both ends, hitting a three-pointer in his first shift, delivering an assist and playing some solid defense, but from there it went downhill. When he fouled Alfonso Pramo two minutes before halftime, his frustration was obvious, and he would never be able to reverse the situation.
Statistics: 8 points on 4/9 shooting in 23 minutes, 3 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls.
Omoruyi was handcuffed from the beginning and needed a perfect balance between motivation and foul avoidance, while defending the country's third-biggest foul player who entered the game. He pierced the needle well and only picked up a first-half foul on the moving screen.
Omoruyi performed well in his first few shifts, controlling Cockburn without a bucket in the first () minutes of their shared court and forcing him to make a mistake. It wasn't until 9 minutes and 19 seconds of the first half that Coburn scored. When Omorui was on the court, he scored 8 of the season's lowest 13 points. Yes, he was defeated in some high and low moves to give up easy dunks, but even the best big man in the country will give it to Coburn, he is arguably the best center among the top ten centers. Omoruyi’s effort only really matters in the first 20 minutes-the game is over at half-time, so it's hard to know how difficult Illinois was against Coburn in the second half of a tight game-and he proved Defensive task.
On the offensive end, Omoruyi went up and down. He hit a mid-range jumper and stretched through the dunk to show his height, but he also missed a pick-and-roll aerial relay dunk, missed two other mid-range attempts and was unable to complete any shot attempts to make a back shot. He struggled with rebounds at either end, which was his lowest number of rebounds this season.
After missing the air relay, he heard Illinois fans chanting "You are not Kofi". Even if he was, he couldn't save Rutgers from a bad performance.
Stats: 2/4 shooting, 4 points, 1 rebound, 1 block and 2 turnovers in 19 minutes.
Aiji maintained his defense against Omar Payne, committed two smart fouls against Coburn, knocked him down on the court during the transitional period and easily shot the ball, and got strong on Hawkins. The block. He is not a bonus, but he did not hurt Rutgers.
Statistics: 3/5 shooting 8 points, 2 rebounds, 1 turnover in 15 minutes.
Mag knocked down his two three-pointers, which was an encouraging sign, but they came too late. He played nearly half of the time in garbage time, the game was completely out of control, and he did not have much impact in his short first half of the game.
A player spends most of his time in trash, and it is unfair to score him, especially since most of the 10 players on the field are reserve players for the two teams, so he won't get a point.
Stats: 0 points on 0-for-1 shooting, two turnovers in 11 minutes.
Hyatt missed his only shot and made a three-pointer midway through the first half. It looked like he hesitated before shooting. This is a clear sign that his confidence has been hit by how hard he shoots from deep. This season he is currently shooting 3 of 16 from three-pointers (18.8%). He didn't do much else, flipping the ball twice, the latter happened when Damonte Williams tried to snatch the ball from his back when he tried to turn his back.
Statistics: 1/3 field goal scored 2 points, 2 assists, 4 fouls in 12 minutes.
Miller played some more stingy defenses and showed that he was not afraid by causing a stir with veteran guard Trent Fraser. He remained pristine on the offensive end-he was allowed to hold the ball on the first offense and immediately drive to the rim, where he met an Illinois guard who forced a shot, but he had no chance to enter— But he is sculpting to play a good little role as a defender. If he wants to stay longer on the court, he must lower it by one or two levels: he commits 10.5 ridiculous fouls every 40 minutes.
For the same reasons as Mag mentioned above, he won't get results.
Statistics: 1/3 shot 3 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 13 minutes.
For the same reasons as Miller and Marg, he won't get a rank.
Statistics: 1/1 shot scored 2 points, 6 minutes 2 rebounds.
Reiber signed in with 6 minutes and 07 seconds left in the game. The Scarlet Cavaliers trailed 75-40. The game is over. For the same reasons as the above three, he won't get a level.
DNP: Geo Baker (hamstring injury)
In the old cars of Steve Pikiell's time, where does the loss rank?
The 35-point loss tied with Pikiell's biggest time in six years at the helm; the Scarlet Cavaliers lost to No. 1 with the same advantage. 13 Purdue University, January 2019.
Under Pickier's leadership, Rutgers has lost at least 30 points four times. Coincidentally, everyone is on their way against Illini and the boiler manufacturer. In addition to the two mentioned above, at both ends of the nine games at McGee Arena and State Farm Center in January 2018, there were two losses of 31 points.
Even in Pickiel’s best season, there are some old things: last year’s top ten championship loss of 22 points to Illinois, last March loss to Nebraska by 21 points, and 11 points to Michigan State University. The score was far worse than what the final score showed. But Rutgers University has not been played like this in any competitive season of its NCAA Championship, which marks another sign of the direction this season.
The defensive strategy opens up the shooter, but it makes sense
In the entire game, almost every Scarlet Cavaliers had at least one three-point shooter rushing to the open. That's because Rutgers University is packed with paint to try to control Coburn. Considering that he scored a season-low 13 points on a 50% field goal percentage, it was effective, but it also paid for multiple perimeters. The price of open shots. This is a trade-off that Rutgers has to choose between the two-the defensive shooter is close and the foul-prone center Cliff Omorui is one-on-one with Coburn almost every time he holds the ball- -And there is no real correct answer. Pickiel bet his players can use enough strength to shut down and influence enough shots to slow down Illinois. It was a gamble that he lost, but it made sense, and it was hard to blame him; if he chose another route and Cockburn left, he would be blamed for leaving Omoruyi alone without help. If Pickiel does this, he deserves to die. If he doesn't oppose Illinois's energetic offense, he deserves to die.
Rutgers University made 2 of 4 free throws and 50%. This reduced the Scarlet Cavaliers' shooting percentage this season to 66.2%, which could easily be their best result under Pickier's leadership, but it is a far cry from the 70% mark that has not been reached since the 2014 campaign. .
More worrying than the field goal percentage is the number of free throws made by the Scarlet Cavaliers. Two free throws in the entire 40-minute basketball game are sad, and they lack aggressiveness on the offensive end.
"I beg our players to lay up and stay tough," Piciel said. "We need an auxiliary way of scoring."
Coburn actually "won" the tip, but the ball eventually fell into Harper's hands, and Rutgers got the first possession of the ball. We will give this to the Scarlet Knights because, frankly, it was one of the highlights of their terrible night.
Rutgers has a 7-1 record in the first round of this season.
For friends in the desert
Even when it found 9.5 points, Rutgers University did not come close to covering the spread. The Scarlet Cavaliers now lead 1-7.
I sincerely thank Mike Couzens of ESPN for telling my story aloud on Friday's broadcast of the game, and the correct pronunciation of Cliff Omoruyi's story. Announcers correctly attribute the source where they find information for their broadcast and should always be praised.
Personally, he allowed me to show my parents our last name to be broadcast on national television. Seeing them with pride and brilliant smiles at that moment, I will cherish them forever.
The Scarlet Cavaliers played against the country's top teams in the first ten home games of the season. With Purdue University’s victory over Iowa on Friday night, the boiler manufacturer will rise one place in the Associated Press’s top 25 polls for the first time ever, ranking first, which means that Rutgers University will Become their first opponent as a top team. nation.
This will be one of the last chances for the Scarlet Cavaliers to save the season. Defeating the country's No. 1 team for the first time in the history of the project will be enough to offset the astonishing defeat of the KenPom team Lafayette, which is below 300, and will bring a huge resume to Rutgers University in March. Losing will not end the season, but in a year when the Big Ten League fails, the chances of changing the season will be reduced, and there will not be many.
KenPom: 96 (7th in the last game; -29 in the preseason)
Bart Torvik: 116 (-28th in the previous game; -58 in the preseason). This is the first time that Rutgers University's BT ranking has fallen below 100 since February 2019.
Note: Use Bart Torvik's date filter to eliminate preseason bias by tracking from the day the college basketball season begins (11/9). Rutgers University ranks 160th in the country in the adjusted efficiency ranking.
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Brian Fonseca can be contacted at bfonseca@njadvancemedia.com.
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