8/18/2020 basketball Edit

An early look at the updated Rutgers men's basketball roster for 2020

Chris Nalwasky • TheKnightReport

Beat Writer

A week ago, the Big Ten Conference announced that it was postponing the 2020 season for all fall sports until at least 2021.

No decision has been made regarding winter athletics. The only thing known is that the process is being evaluated.

Over the weekend, Rutgers men's basketball released its updated roster for the 2020-21 season. And while nobody knows when practices and games will go on, it's never too early to take a peek at the players who will be trying to break an NCAA Tournament drought of a whopping 30 years.

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Rutgers hoops 2020-21 roster

Seniors

G Geo Baker (0), 6-4, 195: Baker is up 10 pounds compared to last year's official roster. In 2019-20, Baker was named All-Third Team Big Ten after averaging 10.9 points with team-bests for assists (98) and steals (31) while shooting nearly 40 percent from the floor and 77.2 percent from the free-throw line. Baker has become a superstar and the captain is a leader on and off the court. The Derry, N.H. native has hit countless big shots in his career in crunch time and other pivotal moments. Expect Baker to start once again and provide a huge impact.

G Jacob Young, (42), 6-2, 185: Young had a rocky start as a Scarlet Knight, but found his role and groove as the year went on. Young provided sparks of offense off the bench and relentless defense. Young also had 31 steals, 56 assists, and bucketed 8.5 points per game. Expect Young to see a similar role as a stud sixth man.

G Nick Brooks, (23), 6-1, 185: Up five pounds from last year, Brooks is a solid walk-on guard from local Somerset, N.J. Brooks limited action in five games. He switched his number to No. 23 from No. 3.

Juniors

G/F Ron Harper Jr., (24), 6-6, 245: The Franklin Lakes native stepped up as a sophomore last season netting 12.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game with 25 blocks while starting every game and logging a team-high 871 minutes. Harper Jr. shined against tougher foes, scoring 16.1 points per game while shooting 50 percent from the field and 87 percent from the foul line against ranked competition. Expect to see Harper Jr. be even better as a junior as the hometown hero.

C Myles Johnson, (15), 6-11, 255: The Long Beach, Ca. native steadily improved from the his redshirt freshman season to his sophomore campaign as a starter shooting 60.2 percent from the floor, the sixth best single-season mark in Scarlet Knights history and the best in the conference. He grabbed 245 rebounds while averaging 7.8 points. He had a team-high 40 slam dunks and held his own on the defensive end against the powerful and ultra-talented centers in the league. Johnson will battle for the starting spot at center once again, but expect to him to get the job.

G Caleb McConnell, (22), 6-7, 195: McConnell gained five pounds and was hot and cold in 2019-20. McConnell is versatile and has spent time at point guard as well as forward. He played admirably when Baker was out with injury, including bucketing 20 points on a perfect 8-for-8 shooting with five assists. McConnell started 21 games averaging 6.7 points and 3.7 rebounds with 25 steals. He shot 41.1 percent from the field and a Rutgers-best 79.2 percent from the free-throw line. McConnell has a good chance to starting at forward this season.

G Montez Mathis, (10), 6-4, 210: Mathis, who changed his number to No. 10 from No. 23, gained five pounds from last year when comparing the roster. Mathis started all 31 games last season (only Harper Jr. did the same) and upped his tenacious defense. Mathis, a Maryland native, notched 7.4 points and 3.5 rebounds with 30 steals. Mathis improved his 3-point shot despite scoring less points overal.

F Mamadou Doucoure, (11), 6-9, 250: After missing the majority of his sophomore year due to a back injury, he redshirted that season and came back and played off the bench in 2019-20. With new additions to the team, you can expect to see Doucoure in a reserve role in the paint once again.

F/C Luke Nathan, (55), 6-11, 235: Nathan actually lost 10 pounds compared to last season. The Randolph High product is a hard-working walk-on for the team. He played in five games a year ago.

Sophomores

Paul Mulcahy, (4), 6-6, 210: Up five points from his freshman campaign, the unselfish floor general is a dynamic passer. The Bayonne native was second on the team with 61 assists and shot a rock-solid 54 percent as he found open spots on the court. He saw time in all 31 games as a backup His assist to turnover ratio of 2.17 ranked sixth compared to Big Ten qualified players and he also contributed 12 steals and nine blocks. Mulcahy, who has great size for a point guard, is expected to have the same role as he did a year ago.

Freshmen

C Clifford Omoruyi (5), 6-11, 240: The prized recruit of the class, the four-star from Nigeria is slated to be a big presence at center. Omoruyi brings with him already a strong defensive prowess. He's still learning the game and improving his offense. Omoruyi is the first consensus top-50 high school recruit to commit to Rutgers since Kadeem Jack in 2010 and the first from New Jersey since Mike Rosario in 2007. For Roselle Catholic last year, he produced 14.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 5.4 blocks per game while shooting 57 percent, many on dunks. Big things are expected for "Big Cliff".

F Oskar Palmquist, (1), 6-8, 220: Palmquist came over from Sweden and enrolled in the spring semester in 2020. Palmquist has good size, can shoot, and is said to be one of the most athletic members of the team.

F Mawot Mag, (3), 6-7, 210: Mag, who is from Sudan, played on one of the top teams in the nation in high school at Prolific Prep in California. He's had to deal with a full injuries in his junior and senior seasons, but he averaged 11.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in his limited final campaign. Mag went under the radar, but is a good defender as well.

F Dean Reiber, (21), 6-10, 225: Reiber is a grinder who put together a junior season where he averaged 16.8 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.5 blocks while shooting 56 percent. He averaged 17 points and six rebounds as a senior. His grandfather is a Rutgers grad.

F Daniel Lobach, (2), 6-7, 210: Lobach, a walk-on from North Carolina, did not see game action and redshirted as a freshman as he was working his way back from an injury. It remains to be seen what he can do in game at the Big Ten level.