When Geo Baker came to Rutgers University, in 2017, the men’s basketball program was in shambles. Coming off 11 straight losing seasons and the hiring of the 5th new head coach in just 10 years, Baker was stepping into a culture of losing and mediocrity. He was also not a coveted or prized recruit in his own right. Ranked 414th in the country, not much was expected from him, but coach Steve Pikiell saw something special. From that point on, Rutgers was different, changed for the good.
In Baker’s first year, the team underperformed, but the freshman showed flashes of what was to come. His playmaking ability and propensity to make tough shots showcased a bright future. In his first ever Big Ten tournament, he provided 15 points in a win over heavy favorites Indiana that set the Rutgers fans into a frenzy at Madison Square Garden. Then, he followed this up with 25 points against 8th ranked Purdue to further solidify that this young kid from New Hampshire had potential to be a big-time player for this struggling program.
The next season, Rutgers continued to improve and won more conference games than they had in over 12 years. The leader of this team was Baker. He was becoming the face of the program and Rutgers suddenly had a culture that talented prospects wanted to be a part of.
Then, in his junior year, the program took the next step, and so did Baker. The Scarlet Knights won 20 games and the RAC became one of the best home courts in the country. They lost only one game there all year and the trapezoid of terror was born.
Living up to his potential as a tough shot maker, Baker became one of the most clutch shooters in the country that year. Against Northwestern, an overtime win for Rutgers, Baker led the team back from a 16-point deficit. At the 8:43 mark of the second half, down 14, Baker went on to score 17 points on 7/8 shooting that included a game tying three to send the game into overtime. Then, in a must win game at Purdue, Baker came up big again. In the last six minutes of regulation, Baker made every shot he took. He scored 11 points in that time, and helped Rutgers get to overtime. There, Baker sealed the deal for the Scarlet Knights when he hit one of his patented step-back jump shots to put Rutgers up three with just 11 seconds to go. They went on to win the game and were destined to make history, becoming the first Rutgers team to make the NCAA tournament in 29 years. However, a global pandemic thwarted this plan.
Instead of letting the set back hurt the program, Baker and his teammates only got better. They would go on to make the NCAA tournament in 2021, and win a tournament game. Of course, in Geo Baker fashion, he made the final two shots of the game, to move Rutgers into the next round.
This season, the history making has continued and Baker has had his fingerprints all over it. Their four straight victories over ranked opponents (by an unranked team) may never be done again. With a win in their final regular season game, Rutgers could be headed back, yet again, to the NCAA tournament.
Since arriving in 2017, Baker has helped turn Rutgers into the successful program that it is today, all while growing up himself. His consistent leadership and ability to make his teammates better has helped shape his legacy and the future of Rutgers basketball. His character, on and off the court has been a breath of fresh air. Does he have flaws? Yes, but without him where would Rutgers be? Baker, an unheralded recruit joining an inferior program, has helped change the culture of Rutgers basketball.
On Sunday, in another must win game, Baker will play one last time at the RAC. It will be the end of a five-year journey that has changed the Rutgers program forever. It is only right that Geo Baker, the big shot maker, will be saying goodbye to a packed house, in an electric environment, that he has helped build, from the ground up.
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