1/6/2021 basketball Edit

Rutgers Basketball versus Michigan State: Three Thoughts on the 68-45 loss

Craig Epstein

Staff Writer

It was a tough night for Rutgers as they got blown out by Michigan State 68-45 to drop to a 7-3 record overall and 3-3 in the Big Ten.

Here are three thoughts after the game:

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A Brutal Offensive Performance

No matter which way you slice it this game featured Rutgers’ worst offensive performance so far this season. Not only did the Scarlet Knights shoot about 30 percent from the field, but they went 3-12 from the three-point line and turned the ball over nine times.

“Got to give Michigan State obviously a ton of credit,” Rutgers Head Coach Steve Pikiell said in his postgame press conference. “They were great, Coach [Tom Izzo] had them ready. I didn’t have my guys ready and that’s on me. We certainly have to play better than this.”

In addition, Rutgers got outrebounded by the Spartans 45-25 which is enough to make any Pikiell-led team tear their hair out. If not for the fact they were able to force 18 turnovers, the final score of this game could have been much uglier.

Free Throws Are Still A Problem

What was once viewed as a minor weakness has now become a full-grown problem. Finishing the day shooting 6-of-17 from the free throw line, Rutgers not only currently struggles at the charity stripe, but appears to be psyched out at its mere presence.

“I don’t know, they can make a hundred in practice,” Pikiell said when asked about the team’s struggles from the line. “They take a lot of them and they’re good shooters too. Tonight we had one of those nights from the free throw line.”

Whether it is Ron Harper Jr., Montez Mathis, Jacob Young, or Geo Baker, nobody on the Scarlet Knights seem to be confident shooting free throws right now, especially Myles Johnson who missed all seven of his attempts. While they are a team that prides itself on shooting, Rutgers is going to have to figure out this free throw problem otherwise their offense will suffer and be in danger of having more nights like this.

Need To Have A Short Memory

While it is easy to get caught up in the frustration the last two games have brought, Rutgers is going to have to turn their attention quickly as the road in front of them does not get any easier.

“You gotta battle in this league, that’s what this league is,” Pikiell said. “We gotta play better and make sure that we bounce back. We just didn’t play Rutgers basketball which was disappointing.”

Not only is their next matchup against Ohio State going to be viewed as a revenge game due to what happened the last time they played the Buckeyes, but it is a game where the Scarlet Knights will have to try and pull themselves off the schneid as well.

Rutgers will look to get back to their winning ways when they return to the RAC to take on Ohio State on Saturday at noon on BTN.