newjerseynewsroom.com

BY MATT SUGAM

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

PISCATAWAY – Mike Rice walked into the locker room and barley even addressed his shell-shocked team. He couldn't. There was nothing to say to them.

They didn’t just lose. They didn’t just get blown out. They weren’t just outplayed.

They were outmuscled and embarrassed.

West Virginia was like that grade school bully that took your lunch money. But it was more like the Mountaineers asked Rutgers for it and the Scarlet Knights begrudgingly obliged before receiving an atomic wedgie and swirly.

“We certainly showed that we have a glass jaw when they started making Big East plays,” an exasperated Rice said. “A very well coached team with tougher players than Rutgers won a game tonight.”

Like a disappointed father who just saw his son cower from a bully, Rice was speechless. He told them to bring it in and he would see them tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. for practice.

The silence sent more of a message than any chewing out could do.

In a game marred by fouls, missed shots, missed free throws and turnovers, Rutgers (8-7, 0-2) would get their doors blown off by West Virginia (11-4, 2-1) to the tune of 85-64.

"I thought it was ugly across the board," Rice said. "That's a hell of a description of what that game was. There was no urgency on offense, defense, free throws. So it will be interesting to see how we respond tomorrow and how we respond on Saturday [against UConn].”

Despite a 10-0 run to start the second half — which was followed by five straight misses — the 25 point halftime deficit was too much for Rutgers to overcome. And aside from that spurt, the Knights would never even make it a game.

“They [West Virginia] lost a tough game to Seton Hall a few days ago and they took out their anger on us,” Mike Poole said.

The worst part about this game for Rutgers? This game is followed by a bout with the defending national champs, who — like West Virginia — got blown out by Seton Hall right before their trip to the RAC.

And this atrocious loss comes less than a week after Rutgers upset No. 10 Florida.

How far away does that game feel?

“Great question,” Rice said before a long pause. “Far.”

“Right now it feels like it was an eternity ago,” Poole said.

So after showing a glimmer of the potential of what they could be, the young team is right back to square one.

“We’re not going to go 100-0. We’re not going to go 0-100,” Poole said. “We just got to get better and stay consistent.”

But they are on the verge of going 0-3 in the Big East with the No. 8 team in the country coming to town. A team that will also be looking to take thier frustrations out on Rutgers after an embarrassing loss. So they have to get better and more consistent quickly, or it could turn into a long season for the callow team.

“I’ll get their attention tomorrow. I have no idea what’s going to happen Saturday. I know one thing,” Rice said. “I’ll get their attention tomorrow.”

This time, it won’t be quietly.

For more Rutgers basketball coverage follow Matt Sugam on Twitter @MattSugam and on Facebook