Author of the Jackson Donne series. Available now from Polis Books: BLIND TO SIN. Educator. Huge
#RHoops
fan. Repped by
@dzhyde
. (he/him) Former Blue Check
All right, trying this out. I've started a newsletter to chat writing. I t's called "High Octane and Unputdownable." The first email "Middle Aged Dad Talks Process" will be out on Wednesday.
I'd love for you to subscribe!
I sat through Fred Hill, Mike Rice and Eddie Jordan. I stayed until the final buzzer in some of those Eddie Jordan games.
What is happening with Rutgers basketball now is just... a dream come true.
I've had season tickets since 02-03. Sitting down tonight and seeing the student section full for a game against Howard... man, it's so fun to have a good program finally. Thank you, Pat Hobbs and Steve Pikiell for building this.
The Zach Edey special:
-Traveling with a dunk
-Throwing elbows, and getting a dunk
-Hanging out in the key for three or more seconds and getting a dunk
-Getting a dunk and 1 because he's the only player in NCAA to get continuation
*feels better for getting that off his chest*
Steve Pikiell, recruiter. Let this guy build and build. It's about to go crazy.
Chain him to the RAC. Give him a lifetime contract. And Dave Anderson rules.
Last Rutgers thing (for today). How good a coach is Pikiell? It looked like a lost transition season with a big time class on the horizon. But now he has you believing again. They are playing like the 13th ranked team in the country since Williams came back, per
@briannf
.
I love the love Pikiell and company are showing Dylan Harper. Going the extra mile(s) to try and land him is worth every single penny. This is an opportunity for Rutgers they can't pass up and should do everything it takes. I hope Dylan and family appreciate it.
Rutgers could sport a line-up of:
Cliff
Paul
Gavin
Cam
Noah
on the floor at one time, and you'd never be able to double Cliff because they can all make the three.
With Steve Pikiell in his 8th year and Greg Schiano starting his fifth, this is the longest Rutgers has gone without a coaching search in the two major men’s sports since the end of the Gary Waters era.
BREAKING: It appears that SCOTT HALL has become the first co-defendant in the Fulton election interference case to take a plea deal with prosecutors. Much more to come
BREAKING: Rutgers has landed a commitment from five-star guard Dylan Harper. Scarlet Knights and their third-ranked recruiting class just became a national program next year. STORY:
#knighthood
#rhoops
Thanks so for four years
@wizcliff77
! (Or Clifft as my little guy called you). Good luck in the future. The little guy really wanted to make you do push ups after we took this.
In 2021, Rutgers beat Clemson in the NCAAs. In the next 3 years, their coach seemed to be on the hot seat and now Clemson is going to the Elite Eight. Keep your head up and be patient, Rutgers fans. It can happen.
Pikiell never could quite figure this team out and get them rolling. That four game win streak felt like the best he could do. At the same time, he lost two of his top 3 players to the portal at the last second and still managed to get 7 Big Ten wins and a near .500 record.
Oooh, Rutgers beat a ranked team by 20 points. Let's see what the message boards have to say.
*opens first
@RutgersRivals
thread*
"Pike needs to wake up!"
And that'll be it for today.
I cannot control the actions if 18-22 year olds shooting baskets I cannot control the actions if 18-22 year olds shooting baskets I cannot control the actions if 18-22 year olds shooting baskets I cannot control the actions if 18-22 year olds shooting baskets I cannot control the
After beating the
#1
team in the country two years in a row, Steve Pikiell and Rutgers hoops start another season tomorrow and it’s sure to be full of twists, turns and excitement! Hoops is here!
Just popping in to say Ben had a little bit of a health scare that we discovered in the past week or so, but we got word today that he should be fine going forward. Breathing a long sigh of relief.
Rutgers resume is very weird:
-Weak non-conference, but this year they blew everyone out except Temple.
-Temple loss comes when down two starters
-OSU loss
-MSU win should be Q1 but last minute is changed to a home game
-Mag injury
-Best road win the in country
-Good road record
Dylan Harper announced his final five schools are Auburn, Duke, Indiana, Kansas and Rutgers.
His father, Ron Harper Sr., weighed in on Dylan’s recruitment with
@SethDavisHoops
.
Tyson Acuff: 81% free throw shooter
Zach Martini: 83% free throw shooter
Jordan Derkack: 73% free throw shooter
Bringing in guys who can close out games.
Couple of thoughts on this:
A) Good news
B) Win Thursday anyway
C) Love the jockeying for a spot
D) How far has our guy Aaron come? I mean this tweet is getting some national attention. Just look at one of the likes. It sticks out.
Per a source, the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee has confirmed they will consider Rutgers' controversial loss to Ohio State as part of their resume.
The Big Ten officially said the winning shot should not have counted. If RU won, it would have been a road Quad 1 victory.
I almost never talk about work on here. It's one of my personal social media rules. But tomorrow starts my 19th year working in public school. It's actually my 22nd, as I started substitute teaching in September of 2001.
Just joined in on
@aaron_breitman
's spaces to say that I think that was the loudest I've heard the RAC since that Ohio State comeback a couple of years ago.
Clearly, the media will only be happy with Rutgers basketball schedule if they are playing
11/6 UNC
11/9 Duke
11/18 Danny Hurley by himself
Vegas Tourney
11/30 The Lakers
12/4-12/7 2 Big Ten Games
12/14 Seton Hall
12/21 Princeton and hungry alligators
12/30 Air Bud’s Team
Rutgers social media RN:
Fan 1: “RUTGERS BASKETBALL IS AWFUL AND WILL NEVER WIN ANOTHER GAME OH GOD MY EYES I KNEW THIS WAS COMING”
Fan 2: “Maybe don’t panic.”
Fan 1: “What? Am I not allowed to critique the team after a loss?”
Hey RU Nation, been a tough few weeks but under Coach Pikiell, we always do well even when someone transfers. Things are gonna be fine! Have a great weekend, go RU!
I do not think Izzo is the reason the MSU RU game is at MSG instead of the RAC. I do not think Pikiell is the issue. I think the Big Ten saw and opportunity for a marquee game at noon. Don't think either team had much choice.
Here's what's both exciting and scary: If you follow great college basketball rebuilds of the last 25 years (say, Pitt and Nova for example) Pikes is following that to a T.
#RHoops
Quick Rutgers open practice report: Jeremiah Williams, Chol and Wolf really stuck out to me. Cliff is still a beast. Gavin didn't have his best practice but looked smoother than any tape I saw him on. Didn't get to see as much as I wanted because kids, but a fun day.
2024 5⭐️ Dylan Harper took an official visit to Rutgers this weekend, per his IG.
Harper was on campus with 5⭐️ Rutgers commit Ace Bailey who is currently sitting at
#3
in the ‘24 class.
He’s also considering Duke, Kansas, Auburn and Indiana.
#2
in the ESPN100.
You want my take on today? Losing Gavin is frustrating. To me, more so than Mag or Cliff, who in normal times would have been gone already. That said, I think there is a ton of positive momentum in the portal that the regular fan just hasn't heard about yet.
Okay, now that we are about a month out from the last Rutgers basketball game and we have seen how many players have been left to, hopefully, be replaced by better fits... what if Steve Pikiell got more out of this team than anyone could have expected?
I absolutely think Rutgers has done enough to get in and even not be in Dayton--but remember the committee doesn't just look at NET. That's only a part of the team sheet.