The Impact of Rutgers Hoops guard Jacob Young

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are currently on a path to history. Their five wins in conference play, through only seven games, is the best start for the program since entering the Big Ten. To do this, the team has had to look to many players to step up and play a big role. So far, no player has stepped up more than Jacob Young.

At the start of the season, Young struggled mightily with his role on the team. Coming off the bench, he shot an ugly 38% from the field and averaged 2.6 turnovers in the month of November. The scariest part of those numbers was that the competition was the easiest the Knights would see all year. There was concern that his offense would struggle even more when entering conference play.

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Instead, his game has gone to the next level. Since entering conference play in January, Young has shot 47% on his way to 12.2 points per game. Even more, Young has begun to limit his turnovers. In those five games, Young has averaged 1.2 turnovers and has been a spark plug off the Knights’ bench. Coach Steve Pikiell said of Young, “I think Jacob brings a different element to our team. He’s quick, he’s fast, and I think he’s playing really good basketball.”

One consistent thing Young has done all year is play great defense. In conference play, that has not let up. Between him and Montez Mathis, the Rutgers backcourt has held great scorers like Marcus Carr (16.1 points-per-game) and Cam Mack (12.9 points-per-game) to subpar performances.

When Geo Baker was forced to miss three conference games, it was Young and Caleb McConnell who stepped up to help lead the Knights to two victories. In the team’s one loss, Young was the only player to score in double digits. His 16 points nearly carried the team to its second Big Ten road win of the season and it showed his importance on the offensive end.

To explain the rise in Young’s play, coach Pikiell said, “He’s become a really good practice player. I think he’s improved so much in that area and you can see the results on the court.”

Moving forward, Young will continue to be a major part of this Rutgers team. His improvements on the offensive end and his stellar defense will be an asset to have off the bench. This Rutgers basketball team would not be the same without Jacob Young.