Rutgers Hoops HC Steve Pikiell and his winning culture
Winning just seven games in the 2015-2016 season, the Rutgers Men’s Basketball program had hit a low point. A losing culture was running rampant and change needed to occur. This change started with the hiring of Steve Pikiell. The rest is history.
In 2020, it’s beginning to look like coach Pikiell has taken a “sleeping giant” out of its 29-year coma. But, it did not all happen at once. Instead, coach Pikiell rebuilt this once powerful program, brick-by-brick.
It started with changing the identity of the team. He envisioned a defense that would stifle its opponents, but he was inheriting one of the worst defensive teams in the country. So, he began to bring in his kind of players.
This process began with Eugene Omoruyi, who was unranked and an unknown commodity back in 2016, and followed with Geo Baker and Myles Johnson in 2017, both of which were low ranked three-star recruits that were barely looked at nationally. Now, the team is littered with players that were overlooked by blue-chip programs. You won’t find any McDonald’s All-Americans on this Rutgers’ team, but you will find grit and determination, along with a lot of attitude and toughness.
With the development of these hidden gems, Pikiell has slowly built one of the best defensive teams in the country. Currently, the Scarlet Knights sit at 14th in opponent points per game. They’re also one of the best rebounding teams in the country (19th) and are averaging 4.8 blocks per game (27th), to go along with it.
This season has been historic for Rutgers, but this has been coming for some time. Since Pikiell took the reins, the team has steadily improved each year. From three conference wins in his first season, to taking over Madison Square Garden during the Big Ten Tournament in his second, to winning seven conference games in his third, Pikiell has laid the foundation for what the nation is now seeing.
A sell out is no longer uncommon. Wins are now expected. A once laughed at basketball team is now beating everyone who steps into their trapezoid. The culture has changed, and Steve Pikiell is the reason for it.
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