Rutgers Basketball Is Winning Games Because These Millennial Players Finally Put Down Their Damn Phones

[NJ.com] - What impact does head coach Steve Pikiell believe it has had?

“I don’t know. Maybe they are using their phones less,” he said on Monday. “That’s what my hope is.”But when a head coach mentions something relatively unprompted, like what sounds to be the start of a jag against cell phones, you have to follow up.

“Put the phones away,” Pikiell reiterated. “The phones don’t help them shoot free throws. The phones don’t help them shoot 3s. The phones don’t help them prepare for games. Put the phones down, give the phones a break. Enough with the phones.

“Coach Pikiell, he doesn’t like social media, to say the least,” said freshman forward Ron Harper Jr. “He wants us to stay off social media because he told us that they’re always going to have to say something negative about you, and you really don’t need to hear any of that. As long as you and the people around you are good, we’ll always be fine.

Well, would you look at what we have here. Rutgers basketball on a winning streak! Shooting life back into the program like the days of Quincy Douby.

Why is it happening? Because the issue was solved. The goddamn millenials are finally listening to their coach. Specifically when it comes to what helps them on the court

“It’s an issue everywhere, [even with] my own family … yeah, phones are an issue. We waste a lot of time on the phones. I’m trying to get these guys to focus on things that are going to help them be better in basketball. The phones aren’t one of them. You can’t take the phone with you on the court.”

I now want to see a player take the phone on the court more than anything. I need this to happen just for all the takes. I imagine John Feinstein losing his shit if a player is out there running around posting an Instagram story as he’s dribbling the ball on the court. Give me a Joe Horn moment just one time.

What I really love here is the fact that Pikiell is just giving credit to something else. Yeah, it’s not the fact he’s a great coach and develops players. Nope, it’s too tough to give yourself credit. Instead let’s put the credit on getting off the damn phones. That’s why Rutgers has a guy like Geo Baker out there. That 34th ranked defense has nothing to do with gameplan.

Just hope that the phone thing sticks.