justingolba
Guest
Big Ten Men’s Basketball Team Previews: Rutgers Scarlet Knights
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
David Berding-USA TODAY Sports
Can a guy like Derek Simpson make a big enough leap to help Rutgers fill in the gaps?
As we enter the fall season and college football gets underway, college basketball is right around the corner. As always, to prepare you for the season, Land-Grant Holy Land will be publishing Big Ten Team Previews.
Team: Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Head coach: Steve Pikiell, Eighth Season, 117-106
2022-23 record: 19-15 (10-10)
All-time record against Ohio State: 5-11
Returners: Clifford Omoruyi, Aundre Hyatt, Derek Simpson, Mawot Mag, Antwone Woolfolk, Antonio Chol
Departures: Oskar Palmquist, Jalen Miller, Dean Reiber, Cam Spencer, Paul Mulcahy, Caleb McConnell
Newcomers: Gavin Griffiths, Jamichael Davis, Noah Fernandes, Emmanuel Ogbole
Rutgers could very well be a top-five team in the country in 2024. They are bringing in Ace Bailey and possibly Dylan Harper Jr., the second and third overall recruits in the 2024 class behind Duke commit Cooper Flagg. Harper has not officially committed yet, but he is down to either Duke or Rutgers and is the younger brother of Ron Harper Jr., former Rutgers star. He has also been Crystal Balled by 247Sports to Rutgers. Those two, plus Gavin Griffiths and Derek Simpson, could create the best team Rutgers has seen in a very long time.
However, we are talking about this year, and Bailey and Harper are seniors in high school. Rutgers will be good this year, but they lost some key pieces, particularly on the defensive end.
Caleb McConnell and Paul Mulcahy will be missed on defense, while Cam Spencer and his sharpshooting is heading to UCONN. Gavin Griffiths is a top-75 overall, 6-foot-8 small forward who should be able to step right in and contribute for the Scarlet Knights, and Cliff Omoruyi is projected to be an All-Big Ten player this season. Aundre Wyatt and Mawot Mag are solid role players, and Derek Simpson is a popular candidate for one of the breakout players in the conference.
Noah Fernandes is a transfer from UMASS who averaged 13.2 points per game last season. He can be a solid scorer for the Scarlet Knights if he shows he can still score at a high level in this conference.
Austin Williams is also an interesting addition to Rutgers, as he averaged 16.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game for FIU and Hartford. Fernandes and Williams can come in and help replace the scoring they lost with Mulcahy, McConnell, and Spencer, who combined to average over 30 points per game last season.
Rutgers is squarely in the second tier of Big Ten teams with Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Maryland, and Ohio State — not in that order. It is just the teams that are not as good as Purdue and Michigan State, but better than Michigan and Northwestern.
They will be a fringe tournament team, and like a lot of Big Ten teams, their success will come from role players like Hyatt, Mag, and Simpson and what kind of leaps they can take as they will play increased minutes this season.
Ever since the Scarlet Knights lost Geo Baker and Ron Harper Jr., and even with them at times, they relied on their defense to win games. Losing McConnell and Mulcahy will leave some gaps in the defense that they will need other guys to step into and fill. A big question will be if the two transfers, Fernandes and Williams, can continue to be elite scorers in the Big Ten. If they can, Rutgers will be safely a tournament team.
Continue reading...
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
David Berding-USA TODAY Sports
Can a guy like Derek Simpson make a big enough leap to help Rutgers fill in the gaps?
As we enter the fall season and college football gets underway, college basketball is right around the corner. As always, to prepare you for the season, Land-Grant Holy Land will be publishing Big Ten Team Previews.
Team: Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Head coach: Steve Pikiell, Eighth Season, 117-106
2022-23 record: 19-15 (10-10)
All-time record against Ohio State: 5-11
Returners: Clifford Omoruyi, Aundre Hyatt, Derek Simpson, Mawot Mag, Antwone Woolfolk, Antonio Chol
Departures: Oskar Palmquist, Jalen Miller, Dean Reiber, Cam Spencer, Paul Mulcahy, Caleb McConnell
Newcomers: Gavin Griffiths, Jamichael Davis, Noah Fernandes, Emmanuel Ogbole
Outlook
Rutgers could very well be a top-five team in the country in 2024. They are bringing in Ace Bailey and possibly Dylan Harper Jr., the second and third overall recruits in the 2024 class behind Duke commit Cooper Flagg. Harper has not officially committed yet, but he is down to either Duke or Rutgers and is the younger brother of Ron Harper Jr., former Rutgers star. He has also been Crystal Balled by 247Sports to Rutgers. Those two, plus Gavin Griffiths and Derek Simpson, could create the best team Rutgers has seen in a very long time.
However, we are talking about this year, and Bailey and Harper are seniors in high school. Rutgers will be good this year, but they lost some key pieces, particularly on the defensive end.
Caleb McConnell and Paul Mulcahy will be missed on defense, while Cam Spencer and his sharpshooting is heading to UCONN. Gavin Griffiths is a top-75 overall, 6-foot-8 small forward who should be able to step right in and contribute for the Scarlet Knights, and Cliff Omoruyi is projected to be an All-Big Ten player this season. Aundre Wyatt and Mawot Mag are solid role players, and Derek Simpson is a popular candidate for one of the breakout players in the conference.
Noah Fernandes is a transfer from UMASS who averaged 13.2 points per game last season. He can be a solid scorer for the Scarlet Knights if he shows he can still score at a high level in this conference.
Austin Williams is also an interesting addition to Rutgers, as he averaged 16.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game for FIU and Hartford. Fernandes and Williams can come in and help replace the scoring they lost with Mulcahy, McConnell, and Spencer, who combined to average over 30 points per game last season.
Prediction
Rutgers is squarely in the second tier of Big Ten teams with Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Maryland, and Ohio State — not in that order. It is just the teams that are not as good as Purdue and Michigan State, but better than Michigan and Northwestern.
They will be a fringe tournament team, and like a lot of Big Ten teams, their success will come from role players like Hyatt, Mag, and Simpson and what kind of leaps they can take as they will play increased minutes this season.
Ever since the Scarlet Knights lost Geo Baker and Ron Harper Jr., and even with them at times, they relied on their defense to win games. Losing McConnell and Mulcahy will leave some gaps in the defense that they will need other guys to step into and fill. A big question will be if the two transfers, Fernandes and Williams, can continue to be elite scorers in the Big Ten. If they can, Rutgers will be safely a tournament team.
Continue reading...