DePaul at Rutgers on TV now

[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.