Thoughts on Rutgers vs St. John's last night

What's good Ya'll

The start of college basketball is right around the corner, and I'm hyped!  I watched the Rutgers vs St. John's scrimmage last night and here are some thoughts.

Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper looked as good as advertised on the offensive end. Bailey led Rutges with 25 points, while Dylan wasn't far behind with 20. Both players got to their spots pretty efficiently and utilized their size to score over defenders.  

There were several plays where both players went to Hero ball and forgot they had teammates on the floor.  Overhandling, especially with Harper, will improve as the season progresses. Not surprised to see both players fall back on their habits when challenged.  Harper, when pressured, dribbled too much to try and create an advantage.  These are high school habits that will be corrected by Coach Pikiell.  

Overall, I liked what I saw from the Diaper Dandy's!  They have the ability to score at every level. They will have the green light to create at will.  As they improve the offense of Rutgers will be vastly improved from last season.

PJ Hayes was aggressive and effective.  He came to Rutgers known as a shooter but he's got much more to his game.  He got to the rim for an And-1.  He made a nice cut resulting in a layup behind the defense.  

In my interview with Rutgers Associate Head Coach Brandin Knight during the offseason, he smiled and talked about the positive attributes that PJ Hayes will bring.  Coach Knight said Hayes' feistiness and grit were pleasant surprises and they were on display last night.  

Rutgers gave up 21 offensive rebounds, something you rarely see from a Pikiell-coached team.  The Scarlet Knights can't be led in rebounding by wing Jordan Derkack (7) if they want to compete consistently every night in the Big Ten.  I did like Derkack's aggressiveness.  He had the block of the night as RJ Luis thought he had a clear run at the rim and Derkack met him there!  

Defensively, Rutgers will have to improve.  Especially on the interior where Zuby Ejiofor of St. John's dominated with 27 points and 13 rebounds.  Emmanuel Ogbole has improved his conditioning over the offseason but he's gonna have to kick into another gear soon.  Rutgers doesn't have a lot of depth in the interior and Ogbole's presence will be a key factor in how well Rutgers does this season.  

Get ready Big Ten fans because Bailey and Harper will be must watch TV!  We only get to see them this year so enjoy them and Rutgers basketball.  Gonna be a fun season!

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Stephen Bardo