PISCATAWAY, N.J. — D.J. Rivera’s two-handed reverse dunk in the final seconds added an exclamation point to another bad loss for Rutgers.Rivera led Binghamton with a game-high 23 points as the Bearcats downed the Scarlet Knights, 66-56, at the Rutgers Athletic Center on Saturday. It was their first-ever victory over Rutgers, and their first win against a Big East team.
“I don’t look at it as a step back,” said Rutgers head coach Fred Hill, whose team was coming off a dramatic 66-62 victory Wednesday at Rider. “We didn’t play well; we didn’t shoot well. And you get that a lot of times with young people. You’re going to be up and down. We’re certainly not a polished, efficient team yet.
Here’s are a few quick notes…
**Mike Rosario lost just four games in his last three years at St. Anthony, and didn’t lose a single game last year when the Friars won the Tournament of Champions. He has already lost three games this year.
**Beginning with the Dec. 28 game at North Carolina, RUtgers plays the No. 1, 2 and 3 teams in the nation in succession. Their first two Big East games are home to No. 3 Pitt and at No. 2 UConn.
**After that it doesn’t get much easier: home for No. 25 Marquette; at No. 16 Syracuse; at Cincinnati; home for No. 11 Louisville.
shu07grad / December 6, 2008
Losses to St. Bonaventure, Lehigh, and Binghamton…all at home. Freddie’s resume is getting more and more impressive by the day!
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shu1996 / December 7, 2008
Zags- You claimed that when you blasted Gonzo it was b/c you were doing it as a reporter to report the facts. How long can you hold off on a similiar article about Fred Hill. The guy cannot coach. Great recruiter- No doubt. Coach- Cannot get it done. SHU is off to a great start b/c Gonzo can coach, by all measures his players were rated less and came to school with less hoopla than Fred Hill’s bunch. Yet these players plateau and do worse every year (Inman) under Fred and at SHU players (Laing, Guase, Garcia etc) get better every year b/c Gonzo can coach.
Granted Gonzo is a difficult to swallow (to be nice) but he can coach..ur buddy Fred might give you all the interviews you want but at what point do you call it as we all see it? It’s obvious ur still bitter at SHU..every article has a little jab or something negative to add…but yet RU loses to this joke of a squad, their fist win versus a BE team and it’s all roses in ur article…what a joke!!
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Adam Zagoria / December 7, 2008
SHU,
Thanks for the comment. It’s always nice to receive them from knowledgable hoops fans.
As a Seton Hall fan, I’m sure you’re pleased to see Rutgers struggle, but I have to question your reading comprehensions skills as this story is hardly rosy. Please read it again and note the references to the “bad loss for Rutgers,” the fact that they’ve lost to St. Bonaventure, Lehigh and now Binghamton at home and the quotes from an obviously frustrated Mike Rosario.
As for this absurd notion, perpetuated by captain 1111 and others, that I tweak Seton Hall at every turn, let’s examine the facts. I have written numerous positive pieces on Seton Hall, from a story last Xmas about Bobby and his family to stories this year on Jordan Theodore and others.
I have never “negatively recruited” against Seton Hall or any other school for that matter, nor have I written anything that was untrue or factually incorrect.
***Here’s me interviewing Jarrid Famous recently:
http://www.zagsblog.com/2008/11/16/big-east-schools-trying-to-get-famous/
“It was a good experience watching the Seton Hall Pirates play,” Famous, who sat with his younger sister and a friend, told me.
He already has a connection to Seton Hall because Pirates assistant Dermon Player coached Famous for a year with the MetroHawks AAU program.
“It’s close to home,” Famous said of Seton Hall. “It’s a Big East program. I don’t want to be too close to home, and I don’t want to be too far. My father likes the school. My father’s a big influence in my decision. He likes the school. That was our No. 1 school. You have to visit the No. 1 school first.”
***Here’s me talking to Arsalan Kazemi’s adviser before the SHU visit, again an interview only here.
http://www.zagsblog.com/2008/10/17/kazemi-sets-visits/
Arsalan Kazemi, a 6-foot-7 combo forward from The Patterson (N.C.) School, has set his schedule of visits.
Kazemi, who took the SAT recently and expects his test results Oct. 23, will visit Seton Hall next weekend (Oct. 24), Rice (Oct. 31) and Maryland for a scrimmage against Northwood University Nov. 8.
“The scores are going to come out on the 23rd. The next day we’ll take a trip to Seton Hall,” said Anthony Ibrahim, Kazemi’s adviser. “Rice on Halloween and after that Maryland for a scrimmage.”
**Here’s Jayon James listing Seton Hall as his favorite.
http://www.zagsblog.com/2008/10/28/james-lists-seton-hall-as-favorite-jackson-looking-at-marquette/
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Seton Hall may not yet have any commits from the Class of 2009, but one 2010 prospect lists the Pirates as his favorite.
Paterson Catholic junior point guard Jayon James says Seton Hall is at the top of his list.
“They’ve been recruiting me since going into my freshman year,” the 6-foot-5, 225-pound James said at the Eddie Griffin Challenge. “They offered a group of us when we were freshmen (James, Fuquan Edwin, Trevor Clemmings and Isaiah Epps). They’ve been on me first, so I could stay close to home. They feel like family.”
If I’m “negatively recruiting” why are these kids telling me these answers? Why do they and their coaches continue to talk to me?
Call Bob or Dan Hurley, Kevin Boyle, Phil Colicchio or Tommie Patterson and check into it.
I ask the kids and their coaches what schools they’re considering and I report that. I’ve never once suggested a kid go to or away from a certain school.
Again, call the coaches instead of making baseless and factually erroneous charges. Do some homework and see what has actually been reported.
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shu1996 / December 7, 2008
Adam- Thanks for getting back to me..here is what my homework found and the funny part is I was asking why Fred Hill is getting a free pass, not about SHU negative reporting.
All the articles you listed were BEFORE your “Gonzo Being Gonzo” article on 11.17 by the way.
One quick example:
We beat Monmouth soundly and you mention Gonzo suspension in the first game of the Big East at the end..necessary??..it’s not even the next game but you found a way to plug it into your article at the end. Why mention that again at that point when SHU fans are feeling good about our start?
As for saying you’re recruiting agst SHU…please re-read my post ..never even remotely suggested it. The whole point of my post was you got on SHU and Gonzo when you thought it was deserved…..at what point does Freddie getting a little roasting for his poor coaching..thats all.
I said you were a little bitter at the end..I guess an entire article about our coach and your little spat with him would be enough research or homework. Yet, I said little bitter, there is not a full out assualt about you (no idea who captian 1111 is) agst SHU. I hope you both move on and continue to work together to give us fans the info we learn from your site.
The kids and coaches talk to you b/c you’re a great source, a great writer and have a pulse on recruiting better than anyone in the state in my opinion.
Not blind either, I know our coach is crazy, difficult to deal with etc..at times I get upset with his antics. Just don’t like how Fred Hill gets a free pass. His recruiting has been ridiculous good..yet he still cannot get it together. What is going on there seems to be a legitimate question which is what I asked your opinion on.
Am I happy for RU struggles..not really. I like when SHU does better but root for them to suceed unless they are playing us, when the BE does well it helps everyone recruit. I actually follow thier football team and root for them.
Your last point was for me to call the coaches and ask myself…sure…send me over their numbers along with Santa Claus number as well. Both know it’s not happening.
Not looking for a pissing match, don’t think you are recruiting agst SHU, never said that..both my posts ask the same thing..3 really bad losses so far, overall coaching has been poor, kids look terrible but are very talented coming out of high school, at what point does he get put on the hot seat as it is coaching in my question.
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