Heat Check -- Ranking Rutgers Basketball's top sneakers this season
This three year-growth period that Rutgers basketball has been experiencing will forever remain in RU fans’ hearts. A season complete with twists and turns, peaks and valleys, insatiable comebacks and defeats where lessons were learned.
And through it all, Jersey Mike’s Arena kept its energy afloat.
Coach Steve Pikiell expected peak effort, intensity, and a little bit of “tuning out the noise” - an ode to him reportedly smashing his home phone in an effort to send a message of silencing all distractions and critics who think lowly of Piscataway’s gritty bunch.
It worked for the time being as the Scarlet Knights went on to beat Michigan in round one of the Big Ten Tournament, but ultimately it could only take them so far.
New Jersey’s premier state university went 19-14 in what was supposed to be a transitional year. Long-time standouts-turned-graduates Geo Baker and Ron Harper Jr. went into the professional world to seek alternate ventures and the ball was in the court of seniors Caleb McConnell and Paul Mulcahy, two of RU’s guys since the Knights’ resurgence three years ago.
They didn’t carry the weight by themselves. In underclassmen Cliff Omoruyi, Derek Simpson, Cam Spencer, Aundre Hyatt and the rest of those who will continue to make a name for themselves as the years go by, this momentous run only ends when they say it does, even if they didn’t qualify for this year’s NCAA Tournament.
The on-court product’s been one worth remembering this season - a rousing win in MSG, huge comeback victory against Penn State, and once again vanquishing of the nation’s No. 1 team in hostile territory.
But so has the Scarlet Knights’ kick game. Adidas has been a gratuitous partner to Rutgers University’s basketball program, and we’ll be counting down the 10 best shoes your Scarlet Knights sported both on the RAC floor & away from it this season.
No. 10 - DAME 8 "Dame Time"
The first shoe on our list comes from way of junior Aundre Hyatt who donned the famous Dame 8 in the “Dame Time” colorway.
RU wouldn’t be where they’re at this season without contributions from the 6’5 forward out of the Bronx, whose tenacity underneath the bucket off the bench was supported from the synthetic build throughout the upper and Bounce Pro-cushioning of the mid-top shoe.
The shoe’s color template - in adidas’ official words -
“Opts for an all-white makeup, which allows for the Trailblazers-friendly red that animates parts of the top and bottom-halves to revel in the spotlight.
Branding on the top of the tongue present standard logos for adidas Dame product, but components on the medial side, heel and sock-liner boast colorway-specific details: “4th QTR K.O” and “TIME” messages leave their mark on #0’s latest basketball shoe.”
With the Dames on, Hyatt finished this season opener against Columbia with 12 points, 10 rebounds and a pair of assists.
No. 9 - TRAE YOUNG 2.0 "Cloud White / Core Black / Matte Gold"
Coming up next on our countdown: beloved walk-on Aiden Terry, who wore this Trae Young 2.0 colorway on February 1, a game that saw the Scarlet Knights handle business at home 90-55 over Minnesota.
A shoe that is designed to cater to the agility and speed of its user, the Trae Young 2.0 contains two pieces of technology that focus on those two factors.
“BOOST and Lightstrike work in tandem with an adaptive SCK360, semi-laceless upper to deliver enhanced comfort and game-changing support,” per adidas.
Upon entering the game in its waning moments, Terry was embraced from RU faithful chanting his name. Terry, on his birthday nonetheless, put the finishing touches on the romping the Scarlet Knights gave the Golden Gophers via a deafening corner three that sent Jersey Mike’s Arena into a frenzy!
No. 8 - HARDEN Vol. 6 "Vivid Red"
Another team favorite: the Harden Vol. 6 are one of the many personal preferences for the 2022-23 Knights. Shown above, Big 10 Co-Defensive Player of the Year and venerable senior Caleb McConnell has emerged as one of the program’s most prominent faces.
McConnell’s desired footwear of choice this season, the Harden Vol. 6 have the same BOOST technology as the Trae Young 2.0s within the sole but possess bands on the forefoot and heel that stabilize the foot and are designed for cutting, stopping and starting.
Vol. 6s are environmentally friendly and are made in part with recycled content generated from production waste as well as post-consumer household waste.
Leading the conference in steals with 2.6 per game, he became the first player to win the accolade in consecutive seasons since Purdue’s Kenny Lowe in 2004.
No. 7 - Adidas Exhibit A "Rutgers PE"
Next up on our countdown is senior Paul Mulcahy, who went with his desired Exhibit A mid-top sneaker designed for virtually every position on the court.
A ventilated, textile overlay add stability over the top of the foot, while the patented Lightstrike cushioning, and rubber outsole are responsive enough to generate explosion at a moment’s notice.
You can see how Mulcahy, one of the most versatile players wearing Rutgers scarlet, chooses these as his favorite personal pair.
Under the bright lights is where the Bayonne, NJ native thrives, and the atmosphere within Madison Square Garden on February 4 proved no different.
The senior finished the night scoring eight of the Knights’ last 15 points over Michigan State, and had himself a night with 17 points, three assists and two rebounds in a 61-55 win.
No. 6 - Trae Young 1 "Black/Purple/Orange"
Caleb McConnell makes another appearance on this year’s countdown, sporting another colorway of Trae Young’s shoe line in a home game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
This was the Atlanta Hawks All-Star point guard’s first signature shoe, and it was tailor-made for guard use.
The Trae Young 1 features a sleek leather upper, lightstrike cushioning and a BOOST midsole that offer responsiveness and comfort, and laceless construction with tongue-and-heel pull tabs that allow an easy on-and-off process when you’re done playing in them.
The 6’6 shooting guard grew accustomed to playing in low-top sneakers this season, and shoes like this were in his wheel of choice all season. Particularly in this game, he scored 12 points in them, grabbed 8 rebounds and dished a pair of assists, albeit in a home loss.
No. 5 - Harden Vol. 7 "Custom PE"
Heading into our final five shoes, the Harden Vol. 7 has recently become starting center Cliff Omoruyi’s shoe of choice during the team’s trip to Chicago in the Big 10 tournament. Omoruyi rocked this never-seen-before colorway during their 62-50 win over the Wolverines.
Harden Vol. 7s are a one-in-a-kind type of footwear on the court and a fashion statement off it. Just like the future Hall-of-Fame point guard from the Sixers’ fashion sense suggests, the Harden vol. 7 are for self-expression.
The upper exterior borrows its padding from puffer jackets while the hybrid BOOST and Lightstrike midsole technology serve up lightweight energy while the traction pattern supports each jump, cut or change of direction.
Not only did the 6’11 Montclair and Roselle Catholic export rock the court with these unique sneakers, but he also rocked the rim, dominating on the glass and providing that defensive “oomph” on his way to a team-dominating victory, nabbing a team high eight rebounds and helping his Knights seal the door shut on UMich via an 18-3 run.
No. 4 - Harden Vol. 6 "Custom PE"
Coming up next in our top 5 - freshman Derek Simpson’s custom player exclusive Harden Vol. 6 colorway.
Brazen in an orange upper, violet heel and cream toe, the Harden Vol. 6 also contains BOOST technology in the midsole of the shoe for energy return, while the bands on the forefoot and heel provide that stability the most active of players need.
Active might as well be the middle name of the 6’3 freshman out of Mount Laurel. In his debut season as a Scarlet Knight, Simpson startled Piscataway faithful all season as the offensive spark plug as starting lineups’ on-ball threat at point guard.
In this contest against the Hawkeyes, Simpson scored eight points, grabbed a rebound and an assist as the Knights fought valiantly against visiting Iowa but suffered only their fifth loss of the year.
No. 3 - Dame 8 Grey Three/Red/Core Black
We’re nearing the end of our countdown and appearing at three is Mawot Mag’s Dame 8 Grey Three/Red/Core Black colorway.
Though we touched on the Dame 8s details earlier and it’s synthetic build throughout the upper and Bounce Pro-cushioning that supports the foot and the user’s speed and precision when cutting on a dime, this specific colorway pays tribute to NBA star Damian Lillard and the first time he competed with and beat some of the world’s greatest ballers.
Mag brought this colorway out as a key component in what is arguably one of Rutgers’ biggest wins of the season, a 68-64 OT win over the Buckeyes.
It’s also fitting that Mag wore the Grey three; the 6’7 junior from Melbourne, Australia came up clutch when the moment called for it, draining a massive three in the left-most corner to raise the RAC’s decibel levels and close shop on OSU. He finished with 15 points, grabbing 8 rebounds with a lone assist in the process.
No. 2 - Trae Young 1 "Christmas Edition"
We’re down to our last two sneakers! Next up was a team favorite during the holiday and beginning of 2023: the Trae Young 1.
As we said earlier about the Trae Young 1 - it has a sleek leather upper but with the Christmas colorway, it’s “decked” with a textile design reminiscent of an ugly Christmas sweater.
Lightstrike cushioning and a BOOST technology in the midsole aside, the joyful rendition of Trae Young's iconic shoe features a green and red Christmas graphic printed upper that features patterns of Santa Claus, basketballs, ornaments, and snowmen all over.
Similar design elements can also be seen on the insoles, which complement the Mint Green overlays and outsoles, the distinctive “Trae” stocking on the back pull button, and the responsive Boost cushioning on the heel of the shoe. We couldn’t think of a better shoe to hand out buckets to defenders like gifts on Christmas Day.
And with them, that’s what the senior did. McConnell played a complete game - 6 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists and a couple of steals to his name. And not to be forgotten - he set the pindown that freed up Cam Spencer’s game-winning three ball, giving then national No. 1 Purdue their first loss!
No. 1 - Harden Vol. 6 "Monogram"
And the No. 1 shoe for the 2022-23 season… look no further than the arguable undisputed favorite of the Scarlet Knights when it comes to footwear. The Harden Vol. 6 returns to the list and in the most integral spot, with its most integral colorway.
The Monogram colorway is an important one, the name alone suggests that right away. The shoe’s pink overlay is a notable tribute to those in the fight against Breast cancer, and its low-profile upper is scattered with James Harden’s signature logo.
The sneaker is built with a snug fit in mind with breathability, bands on the forefoot and heel to increase foot stabilization, BOOST technology in its midsole and its rubber outsole lets up very little slippage.
In what was the biggest game of the freshman’s career to that point, he put on a show worth remembering. Rutgers, in a tight battle with the contentious Michigan Wolverines, got a massive boost in scoring productivity with the help of Simpson, who scored all of his 13 points in the second half, helping RU outscore Michigan 37-22 and secure a berth in the Big 10 quarterfinal against Purdue. A star was surely born in Chicago that afternoon.
And there you have it, yet another Rutgers Scarlet Knights’ sneaker countdown has concluded.
Though RU fans won’t be able to see additional sneakers and more exclusive colorways on the Match Madness floors this season, anticipation for the Scarlet Knights’ future is still at an all-time high and optimism will continue to remain, because that’s what Steve Pikiell’s vision for the program’s future - and the beliefs of Rutgers fans - entail.
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