4/15/2020 basketball Edit

Rutgers Scarlet Knights Basketball Signee Bio: C Clifford Omoruyi

Richie O'Leary • TheKnightReport

Publisher

Roselle Catholic High School (NJ) four-star center Clifford Omoruyi is now officially a Rutgers Scarlet Knight after signing his letter of intent on Wednesday.

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Statistics

• As a senior, Omoruyi finished with 14.2 points per game, 11.5 rebounds per game and 5.4 blocks per game while shooting 57% from the field.

• As a junior, he finished the season with 11.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg and 2.8 bpg.

Honors

• New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year

• First team All-State by NJHoops.com

• Second team All-State by NJ.com

• Sports Illustrated All-American nominee

Recruitment

• Pledged to Rutgers on March 29, 2020.

• Was recruited by Asst. coach Brandin Knight.

• Chose Rutgers over 20 other offers, some of the other schools Omoruyi was considering include Arizona State, Auburn, Kentucky and UConn.

Did You Know?

• Omoruyi is the highest ranked recruit to sign with Rutgers Basketball in the Rivals.com rankings era (EST. 2002)

They Said It

• National Basketball Analyst Corey Evans: “Cliff is the epitome of a rim presence. He has what might be an NBA body already, he is a shot changer, finisher and a great rebounder. He has continued to improve his all around skill set but is the ideal back line defender that controls the paint each time down the floor. Saying that Cliff is a huge addition for Rutgers is an understatement. With the way that Steve Pikiell wants to play especially on the defensive end, there might not be a better suited big man for Rutgers. Even more, it’s a statement of a recruiting win in which it can keep the best talent at home for college. addition is an understatement. With the way that Steve Pikiell wants to play especially on the defensive end, there might not be a better suited big man for Rutgers. Even more, it’s a statement of a recruiting win in which it can keep the best talent at home for college.”

• National Basketball Analyst Eric Bossi: “"It's impossible to overstate how big of an add Clifford Omoruyi is to the Rutgers program. It's not every day that you land your program's highest ranked player of the Rivals.com era, but that's exactly what Steve Pikiell and his staff have done."

"It wasn't until the very end that most, myself included, gave Rutgers a serious chance of landing the 6-foot-10 post player and the work they did to land him has to be admired. They surrounded his recruitment from all angles, got him on campus regularly and sold him on the vision of being a primary piece in building off of 2020's success and taking the program to new heights."

"The best way I know how to describe Cliff is that he's an ass-kicker. He'll take on anybody and while it won't always be pretty, he's going to scrap and claw. He should be physically ready for the Big Ten from day one, he runs the floor, he rebounds and he's a more skilled scorer than most have given him credit for being. Bottom line, he's a big time addition to the Rutgers program."

• Rivals.com Hoops Analyst Dan McDonald: "I think a lot of times with a recruit you have to factor in the on court impact and off the court. Cliff will be a big deal in both those areas. On the court, Rutgers is getting one of the best interior presences in the 2020 class. He controls the paint on both ends. I love that he tries to rip the rim down every time he attacks the bucket. Off the court, I think he's the type of recruiting win that signals this staff can win the big ones and make Rutgers into a perennial factor in the Big Ten.

• TKR Hoops Recruiting Analyst DeAnte Mitchell: "This is an absolute game changing, program altering and coaching uplifting move. Cliff Omoruyi is a very skilled and talented four man with so much upside that could expand his game out to 15 feet. He’s a very good rebounder, shot blocker and defender in the post. On offense, you can make the lob pass due to his incredible wingspan or throw it down low and watch him make the play over his right shoulder. But this commitment is more than getting one of the most talented players in the class of 2020. Rutgers won a recruiting battle against all odds. Outpaced the big boys and finally got their guy. This is big for the psyche of the fan base, the momentum of the coaching staff and future of the program."

• TKR Staff Writer Daniel Pierrot: “Cliff has incredible length and his body is built like an NBA player already. He is a great teammate and does all the little things to help his team win. He does not require the ball to make an impact on the game. He’s a great finisher, with his right hand. Off passes, he knows how to finish, but he does not possess a high level post-up game yet.

At the college level he will need to continue to develop on the offensive end. This includes getting better with his left hand and becoming more of a post presence. His defense will be initially what gets him a lot of minutes. If the offensive game develops correctly, he could be an NBA lottery pick, down the line.”