Rutgers Hoops offense will improve with Fernandes & Griffiths in the mix
It’s no secret, the focus this offseason for Rutgers men’s basketball was to hit the transfer portal and zero in on an experienced, impactful guard with all of the offensive intangibles. After all, guard play was not good enough this past season and Rutgers’ offense was pretty woeful.
Freshman guard Derek Simpson showed flashes of greatness this past season and stepped up in a big way when head coach Steve Pikiell challenged him to use his speed and beat defenders off the dribble to drive to the basket. But Simpson was the only guard and player on the team that had the ability to do this, and one player alone is not going to cut it.
Despite having an elite defense this past season, the Rutgers offense was almost unwatchable during stretches of the season. The Scarlet Knights finished 151st in offensive efficiency in the KenPom ratings, were one of the worst three-point shooting teams in all of college basketball as they shot a dreadful 32.1% from beyond the arc and finished near the bottom of the Big Ten in every offensive category.
In order to help solve some of the offensive woes and to add a dynamic threat, Rutgers turned to UMass transfer Noah Fernandes, the 51st rated player in the transfer portal according to Rivals.com. Fernandes committed to Rutgers nine days ago and head coach Steve Pikiell said of Fernandes:
“Noah brings a wealth of experience, excitement, an ability to really shoot the basketball and a great understanding of the game. He’s going to add a whole new dimension to our backcourt. He can really defend too.”
Fernandes is a career 42.8% shooter and averages 37.6% shooting from three-point range. Although Fernandes played in only 11 games with UMass last season due to an ankle injury, he shot 48.0% from the field and drilled 19-of-42 three-point shots for an effective 45.2%. Fernandes also averaged 13.1 points per game and averaged a serviceable 75.6% from the free-throw line during his three-year stint at UMass. Not only is Fernandes a scoring threat, but he is also a great ball distributor. During his career at UMass, Fernandes averaged 4.6 assists per game.
Fernandes has also risen to the occasion in big moments throughout his career. Rutgers fans probably remember his game-winning three from two years ago when the Scarlet Knights lost a stunner to UMass, 85-83.
Rutgers hopes Fernandes can replicate the same numbers he produced at UMass as he will also likely be the primary ball handler for the Scarlet Knights next season. Fernandes is a very crafty, speedy guard who can beat defenders off the dribble and find multiple ways to scorepoints. With Fernandes paired alongside Simpson, the Rutgers backcourt has become more of a threat and has significantly increased its ability to play up-tempo.
While Cam Spencer and Paul Mulcahy were Rutgers’ best three-point shooters last season as they averaged a combined 40.2%, no other returning Rutgers player shot better than 30.6% from deep. Fernandes is now another option for Rutgers when shooting the ball from beyondthe arc.
Rutgers has typically struggled from the free-throw line under Steve Pikiell. Last year Rutgers shot 70.2% from the free-throw line and missed a slew of free-throw shots in clutch moments. Noah Fernandes already averages better than the team average from the free-throw line at 75.6%. Although he may not be the best knock down shooter from the free-throw line, Fernandes is serviceable. Only Spencer and Simpson averaged better than 75% from the free-throw line.
With all of the recent recruiting headlines for Rutgers basketball, it’s easy for many to forget that the Scarlet Knights are bringing in a tremendous offensive threat in Gavin Griffiths for next season.
The heralded wing and five-star recruit from West Hartford CT will almost certainly be injected into the rotation immediately and for good reason. Many recruiting analysts and experts believe Griffiths, rated the 21st best high school player nationally in the Class of 2023 by Rivals, to be one of the nation’s purest shooters.
The 6’7 wing is a dynamic offensive player and elite shooter who can make shots from almost any range on the floor. In his debut at Jersey Mike’s Arena back in late December, Griffiths scored 33 points on 14-of-24 from the field and 4-of-8 from three-point range in a 71-56
win for his school Kingwoods-Oxford over Life Center. Griffiths also showcased his innate ability to score mid-range shots off the dribble and scoring off ball screens.
Rutgers fans can expect Griffiths to get his fair share of minutes next season. With Mawot Mag still recovering from his ACL injury and likely to return in December, expect to see a heavy dose of Griffiths early in the season and for him to step up in Mag’s absence. Even when Mag returns, Griffiths is likely expected to take a steady volume of shots when he is on the floor.
OVERALL OUTLOOK....
With the additions of Noah Fernandes and Gavin Griffiths to next year’s roster, the Rutgers offense immediately goes from a below average offense to a much-upgraded offense. Rutgers will become more dangerous from deep, and the offense will no longer be one dimensional when it mostly ran through the post last season.
Pikiell is adding two players that will become sure fire weapons on the floor but also possess the ability to distribute the basketball and create plays off the ball.
Not only are the additions of Fernandes and Griffiths a big boost for this team’s offense but it also takes pressure off of Spencer,Simpson, and Mulcahy, allowing them to free themselves up on the floor and to get quality looks to take shots.
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