Rutgers Men's Basketball came into the 2024-25 season with one of its most hyped rosters in program history, led primarily by freshmen. Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper - projected NBA lottery picks in June - have lived up to their billings as the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked recruits in the 2024 class.
A bit further down the rankings, a third freshman emerged from the Scarlet Knights' first game and has played big minutes. Lathan Sommerville, ranked 109th, has broken through fighting for a starting center spot as a true freshman.
Four spots under Sommerville in the recruiting rankings sat a relative unknown - at least before Monday night's loss to Wisconsin.
Dylan Grant - ranked 113th in the class as a four-star out of Michigan Collegiate High School - got his first bout of major playing time after playing in three other games, including 14 minutes against Texas A&M, and passed his audition for a depth role off the bench.
On an off night for Harper and Bailey, with the former clearly still hindered from illness and the latter shooting 3-for-16 from the floor, Grant showcased his abilities and showed why he should continue to grow his role on the team, especially on a night where the Scarlet Knights got a season-high 41 points from their bench.
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The Mississauga, Ontario native checked into the game for the first time at the 5:13 mark of the first half after the Badgers took a 33-17 lead, their largest of the game. He played the remainder of the half, then 11 minutes in the second half, making hustle plays and becoming a big reason Rutgers stayed within arm's length of Wisconsin for much of his time on the floor. He finished tied with Sommerville for the best plus-minus mark on the team at plus-4. The two were also the only Scarlet Knights with a positive plus-minus figure.
Grant said after the game he was ready for the opportunity offered to him in the moment.
"I knew that if I got my opportunity, got my name called, I would just have to come out here and play as hard as I can, and that's what I did," he said. "We came up short, but we're still building."
One aspect the Scarlet Knights excelled in against the Badgers was following up shots. They collected 18 offensive rebounds - Rutgers' most in a game this season - and Grant tied for the team lead with three.
While all of the work on the offensive glass only led to 6 second-chance points, the Scarlet Knights were able to slow down the game and extend possessions with rebounding, as Grant played a large part in that aspect. Rutgers got to within three points late in the second half before Wisconsin went on another run to put the game out of reach. Grant chalked up his rebounding success to his effort and reach, trying to make plays for his team.
"Just getting in there, sticking my nose in," he said. "Using my length, just keeping the ball alive, I feel like that was a lot of what worked for me."
The athletic forward also scored his first collegiate points on a floater right below the rim during the first half, finishing tied for third with 8 points on the night on 3-for-8 shooting from the floor with a three-pointer as well.
"Just seeing that first shot go in, getting the confidence up, [it was a] big moment," Grant said.
The freshman's biggest contributions came outside of the box score, however. Scrapping for loose balls and offensive rebounds throughout the second half, Grant's effort and tools at the forward spot allowed Rutgers Head Coach Steve Pikiell to focus more on the defensive end and containing the Badgers' lights-out offensive attack. The defense-first strategy worked to start the second half as the Scarlet Knights clawed back into the game and turned it into a classic defensive matchup at Jersey Mike's Arena for a stretch of play.
At 6-foot-7 and 205 pounds, Pikiell can slot in Grant to play minutes at the power forward spot with some strong defensive chops, a position that has at times evaded Rutgers defensively this season. Options such as Zach Martini and PJ Hayes have struggled to stay in front of their matchups, while Bailey projects better defending at the small forward spot.
Even in small-ball lineups, his length and athleticism allows for some flexibility to play spot minutes at center if need be. Bailey has been playing that role in the five-guard lineups, but having Grant play as the de-facto center on defense allows Bailey to avoid fouls at the rim and lessens his burden on that end of the floor.
While spacing may be an issue with Grant's perimeter game a work in progress, his athletic ability also provides a lob threat on the floor on offense. WIth Rutgers trailing late in the game, Grant helped spark some energy in Jersey Mike's Arena with a transition alley-oop from Jamichael Davis to cut Wisconsin's lead to two possessions.
"I would say it was just a feel thing," Grant said on the highlight-reel dunk. "I saw my man leave to guard, I think it was JMike who threw the lob. I just pointed up, he threw it, and I just used my athleticism to go and finish strong."
Despite Grant's mini-breakout, the Scarlet Knights' season faces a crossroads. With two straight ranked opponents in No. 20 Purdue and No. 22 UCLA coming to Piscataway, Rutgers needs to start piling up wins fast in order to build any semblance of an NCAA Tournament resume, with the chances of an at-large bid dwindling with each loss.
Efforts from unexpected contributors such as Grant, as well as Tyson Acuff who scored a team-high 17 points on the night, will be essential as Pikiell looks for a consistent third option behind Harper and Bailey.
For Grant, he knows to keep working in the same fashion to bring the opportunities forward.
"Just continue to play hard in practice, and when my number gets called, just go out there and play as hard as I can."
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