With Rutgers Basketball set to kick off the 2022-23 college basketball season on Nov. 7th as they welcome the Columbia Lions to town, it is time for The Knight Report crew to offer our record predictions for the Scarlet Knights this season.
FULL 2022 SCHEDULE....
CHRIS NALWASKY'S PREDICTION....
OVERALL RECORD: 18-13 (9-11)
The Rutgers men's basketball team will again be on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament in 2022-23, and it will get in. All signs point to Clifford Omoruyi making a big jump in year No. 3. We all know he's a great dunker, and he added touch around the rim as the year went along in 2021-22. Now, he can shoot the ball from deep which makes him as dangerous as possible. Omoruyi is no slouch on defense either with his length.
Paul Mulcahy will run the show at point guard. He will get his assists, but he also needs to score as Rutgers will have to replace the likes of Geo Baker and Ron Harper Jr., who saw his first NBA minutes on Monday for the Toronto Raptors. Caleb McConnell might miss some time with a knee injury, but he was the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year last fall. Expect his offensive stats to go up, too.
Mawot Mag has dealt with his share of injuries, but he has been making incredible progress and should be effective on both sides of the floor. Aundre Hyatt traveled abroad this offseason to hoop, and he can be a solid contributor this year with his hustle. He could be the x-factor along with Mag.
Dean Reiber should see minutes as a backup forward or center. He can stretch the defense at times. Transfer Cam Spencer didn't show off his marksmanship from long range in the recent exhibition against Fairfield, he has proven to be a consistently good 3-pointer shooter at his previous stop.
Derek Simpson is an exciting freshman guard who showed no signs of nervousness. Simpson is quick and athletic and can hurt you in many ways. Jalen Miller is a pest on defense at guard, and if he adds some points to his time on the court, that'll be a plus.
Antwone Woolfolk doesn't look like a freshman either. Expect him to see time as the backup big or even at the four spot, too. Antonio Chol has had nice words thrown his way by head coach Steve Pikiell, but getting his feet wet is a first step. It's been said he's a lights out shooter in practice. The walk-ons are Logan Stephens, Aiden Terry, and Andrew Fulin.
Rutgers might not see a fourth-place finish again in the Big Ten, but if it can win some games on the road this season, anything is possible. Pikiell wants his team to improve on defense and rebounding. Some of these contests might be a rock fight, but if these guys can step up, a history-making third year in a row of making the NCAA Tournament should be in the cards.
RICHIE SCHNYDERITE'S PREDICTION....
OVERALL RECORD: 19-12 (10-10)
This is the year that the Scarlet Knights basketball program makes it to the NCAA Tournament for three years in a row (technically four) for the first time in program history.
Now people on the outside might say that's a crazy prediction since the program did lose their top two scorers this offseason in Ron Harper Jr and Geo Baker, but they did add some replacement pieces in true freshman Derek Simpson and the Patriot League's leading scorer in transfer Cameron Spencer. Not to mention this team got a lot better defensively as well with the Big Ten's top defender Caleb McConnell returning and one of the B1G's best post defenders in Clifford Omoruyi.
Add that all together along with some solid role players in former four-star Aundre Hyatt, a fully healthy Mawot Mag, a stretch big man in Dean Reiber, some younger guys in Jalen Miller, Antonio Chol and Antwone Woolfolk and you have yourself a real solid squad.
Right now the expectation is that the Big Ten might be a bit weaker this year and with Jersey Mike's Arena having such a deadly home court advantage, I think tis year's Rutgers team is poised for great success yet again. Pike has righted the ship in Piscataway and the Scarlet Knights aren't going anywhere any time soon.
CRAIG EPSTEIN’S PREDICTION….
OVERALL RECORD: 20-11 (11-9)
This is such a difficult season to predict what will happen in the Big Ten considering just about every team lost major pieces and Rutgers is no exception with Geo Baker and Ron Harper Jr. However, the Scarlet Knights welcome back three All-Big Ten-type players in Caleb McConnell, Paul Mulcahy, and Cliff Omoruyi which I think will play a major role in their success. I also believe Rutgers will prove to be a deeper team than in years past with an assortment of young talent who will have their ups and downs. While I do not think the Scarlet Knights will be good enough to win the Big Ten, I could see them being a team not many people want to face due to their defensive tenacity and toughness. I have them finishing the season 20-11 (11-9) which should be good enough to earn a third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
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