DePaul at Rutgers on TV now

[Coler]

Rushdan made a very good point after the game.

"We come out the way we came out the last couple of games and we're going to get blown out," Rushdan said. "It needs to start in practice. We need to push each other. We can't think we can show up for games. The Big East is one of best conferences. Going against three ranked opponents that way isn't going to cut it."

 

[cohenzone]

Sure, they get credit for not folding their tents. On the other hand, playing inspired ball for 8 minutes out of 40 will get them a 25+ point blow out against UConn, ND and Baylor. And in the 2 games I've seen DePaul play, us and Rutgers, they show very little stopping ability and that killed them when Rushdan became super aggressive. That continuous failure, it strikes me, is coaching.

 

[D Wynn]

No offense to Rutgers, but they have a whuppin' coming their way on February 4.

Rutgers will be fine and trust me they will be ready when it’s time to battle on Feb 4, 2012. They might not score very many points, often playing down to their level of competition but they will not back down to UCONN or ND. This team has more fight than any team in recent years but still have room for improvement. People may not like Rutgers, believe me, the Scarlet Knight will fight until end and they will be ready when it’s time to rumble.
GO RU!

 

[speedoo]

Rushdan has been playing great in the closing minutes of games recently, literally taking over games. It will be interesting to see if she can continue this in the big games coming up, and whether that translates into a first round draft pick. Betcha the NY Liberty folks are noticing.

If she does play in the WNBA or professionally elsewhere, she will need a perimeter game because she will not be able to score inside like this against much better defenses than she has been seeing.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

If their goal is to be a Sweet 16 team, sure, it was a step in the right direction. If their goals for the season are loftier than that, they have no business being in that position to begin with against DePaul.

Rutgers does play a bit eratic - I'm not sure that their performance in any game can accurately predict future games.

But - as to Sweet 16 - realistically, is there anything wrong with that? Sure the team - all decent teams - want more, and a lot of fans have unrealistic expectations. I keep saying "on any given day" and that is the bottom line. I believe that Rutgers is indeed more or less accurately ranked around #11/#12 and could easily lose to a lower ranked team - or beat a higher ranked one. Get to the sweet 16 and go from there.

 

[alexrgct]

Rutgers does play a bit eratic - I'm not sure that their performance in any game can accurately predict future games.

But - as to Sweet 16 - realistically, is there anything wrong with that? Sure the team - all decent teams - want more, and a lot of fans have unrealistic expectations. I keep saying "on any given day" and that is the bottom line. I believe that Rutgers is indeed more or less accurately ranked around #11/#12 and could easily lose to a lower ranked team - or beat a higher ranked one. Get to the sweet 16 and go from there.

Nothing wrong with it per se, but a program like Rutgers with a legendary coach and very good recruiting should be aiming higher. I agree that from what I've seen at this point, a Sweet 16 appearance would be about right. But I'm skeptical Kentucky, Tennessee, Marlyand, Ohio State, etc. SHOULD really be any better than Rutgers. That's what would be frustrating to me as a fan, that my team would be back at home watching teams it was emminently capable of beating but for a lack of consistency continuing on in the tourney.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

The point to me is that - if you can get to the sweet 16 - you can move on "on any given day". Rutgers has never been a true "elite" program - as I documented earlier this year by several different measures we have been somewhere in the area of the 10th best team in DI since Viv arrived - the elite are the first few and obviously include UConn and Tennessee. IIRC Duke was highly indicated also. BUT - in 2007 we advanced to the elite 8 by beating a better Duke team - lucky? sure, but we then won our elite 8 game and in Cleveland beat LSU before falling to Tenn.

I have also documented that Rutgers success is consistent with CVS's prior coaching record. In spite of what some UConn fans may think, Vivian has never claimed that Rutgers is "better" than UConn, only that we can compete and sometimes win on some "given days". In fact, she has described UConn as the model program that all programs aspire to be.

So yes, the goal is a final four. But - it is not always a realistic goal, unlike for a UConn where it is realistic every year.

 

[ScarlettB]

Let's see how we do in the next three games and we'll have a better idea of how far we might get in the NCAA tournament. This team has exceeded preseason expectations, so, as a fan, I am pleased with the team's performance this year. Would I like us to be 20 -0 vs 17 -3, sure, but prior to the start of the season, knowing we had lost Chelsey Lee, I am very pleased.

 

[VAUConnFan]

If their goal is to be a Sweet 16 team, sure, it was a step in the right direction. If their goals for the season are loftier than that, they have no business being in that position to begin with against DePaul.

It's basketball. Let us not forget how precariously close DePaul came to upsetting UConn four years ago; This after UConn won a thrilling game in Baton Rouge over LSU, an eventual Final Four team.