What went right for Rutgers in their first game:
The dynamic duo of Jamichael Davis and Tariq Francis being on the floor together really sparked the offense early and often with their speed. Both have lightning-fast
speed and automatic scoring and play-making ability. It reminds me of what Geo Baker and Jacob Young did together when they were here back in the 2020 season. Both of them play off of each other very nicely and have a lot of cohesion, with Francis scoring 20 points and Davis scoring 15 points. I can definitely see them being game changers vs the tougher opponents after the 5-game stretch of easier opponents. It’s great to see two point guards who can see the floor with great basketball vision, making their teammates better and also making players around them better.
The continuing rising star and the maturation process of Dylan Grant is really showing how much work he puts in during practice. He seems like a good influence for the younger players to seek advice from. He did have a very impressive rim rattling breakaway dunk in the game that would be good enough for the early highlight videos. Grant played this well as a freshman last year in some games, so it is no surprise he has gotten better. He was the second highest scorer vs Rider with 17 points and 7 assists, which is great to see how much of a team player he is. He was three points and three rebounds away from accomplishing a double-double. There are plenty of games to accomplish that goal as well. The program is very lucky to have him as a returning player, especially in this age of Name, Image, and Likeness.
The triumphant return of the speed limit 65 points and under defense was a major success in the first game of the season. I personally appreciated seeing it live and in person last night at the RAC from my season ticket seat. The defense should never have gone away last season, and it probably would have helped their chances. As a fan, I am very glad that Steve Pikiell stuck with his promise to reinstate the defensive strategy back where it belongs. The strategy worked so well during the 2019-2022 time frame that it makes me hopeful and nostalgic for things to come. It’s admirable how useful it is when the offense sometimes sputters. I hope all the future opponents in conference and out of conference get nervous at the fact that the dominant defense is back and here to stay.
What went wrong for Rutgers in the first game
The slow and laxidasical beginning to the game really made all of us fans at the game wonder what was going on out there. It was sort of understandable considering that it was the first game they played together as a group. As it continued on for many minutes, the fear did settle in a little bit that things could unravel quickly and disastrously. I am sure that the coaching staff will analyze the tape to better prepare them for the next game vs Maine on Monday. The sense of this team overlooking Rider was obvious, and they might have thought they could just roll the ball on the court and win with little effort. Also, a lot of the shot selections seemed a bit forced and not calculated well at all. Some of the lazy turnovers were a “what the heck was that moment” for the moments that it did happen. Luckily, the Scarlet Knights were able to pull away at halftime but if this happens vs a more elite opponent, it could easily finish them off quickly.
The loyalty Steve Pikiell has towards Emmanuel Ogbole continues, and it was obvious that it was going to happen even before tipoff. I understand that he collects a lot of rebounds on his own, but his offense really is lacking any substance at all. I would rather see an open competition for the five spot with Baye Fall and Gevonte Ware also in the mix. Let’s hope that coach Pikiell does see what every fan is seeing and decides to try another player at center who can score. I’m sure that Ogbole does practice better than what he does in game situations, but a change has to be considered at some point. I did look at the stat sheet, how the other centers did, and at least Gevonte Ware scored 2 points, which is better than nothing and shows he can score if ever given the chance.
The free-throw percentage was abysmal last night, which is not a surprise to me or anyone else who has been a fan for a long time through different coaching eras. Even Coach Pikiell pointed out how bad it was during his post-game press conference yesterday. It is one of those bad habits that Rutgers hasn’t been able to shake for a while, even before the Pikiell era. I often joke that the free throws have not been going in consistently for about 2 decades. There is a litany of games that it has cost them in the past, both in conference and out of conference, where it was a close contest and they didn’t get the win because of it. I’m sure it will get better; obviously, the film room session is key to adjusting the percentage to a higher rate. Tariq Francis went 4-5 from the line, and he seems to be the best portal piece we acquired so far.
The player of the game goes to Tariq Francis with 20 points. Below is a key highlight from the game that Tariq Franics had:
