Rutgers Basketball Head Coach Steve Pikiell talks with the media about the offseason, preseason expectations and more following practice on Tuesday as the Scarlet Knights opened up practice this week.
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Pikiell on what it’s like having Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey on the team:
"They're not sleepers, that's for sure. I think you saw that they're elite passers, great kids from great families and I'm thankful that they're here. I think the guys around them also appreciate their skill set and their work. They're both going to have really good years. They're talented players, but, ultimately, they work. They're good teammates and they really pass the ball at a high level, and I like that and their teammates like to play around them and they're young. Their best basketball years are ahead of them. These kids had a lot of choices now and they picked us, so we're very appreciative.”
Pikiell on the new recruits and their commitment to the team:
“Especially with five freshmen fresh out of high school. They get recruited because they put the ball in the basket, but they have made strides too. We only had four hours a week. Tomorrow we will start at 20 hours. I haven't had them for that long of a time, but they're getting better. They play some amazing defense and we’ve got some tremendous length. We’re as big as we’ve been at every position. I think Emmanuel (Ogbole) made huge strides. He's good, he's physical and he's tall. I really like where he is. As for our returning guys, obviously Jamichael (Davis) Is a great defender. Jeremiah (Williams) can guard anybody, he's a good defender, and now with Dylan’s (Harper) size, they can do some great stuff, so we're getting better. I don't think any coach in the country, will tell you they like their team or their defense is amazing, or anything right now. We're figuring it out. We’ve got good leadership. Zach Martini is giving us some fire too on that end with his voice and his leadership.”
Pikiell on facing upcoming challenges and adversity:
“There’s always a challenge, you know? We've already dealt with some injuries, too. That’s always challenging. I think it's what you got to get used to now. College basketball has changed, but you have to build a team every year. I like these guys. They’re good learners and we’ve got a nice blend. We have some older, fifth-year guys that've been from winning programs. Then, our blend of the five freshmen that are talented, long and athletic. It's a huge challenge. But I love my staff. I have everybody back. We brought Jay Young back into the fold; a veteran coach and Brandon Knight has been spectacular.”
Pikiell on Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper: “They are really unique. Ace (Bailey) is so big and can play five positions. They've been playing all their lives. They’ve played top competition too. They can play multiple positions.”
Pikiell on Zach Martini: “Zach (Martini) is an excellent cutter. He's a good screener. He does some little things that I think will help Ace and Dylan. PJ (Hayes) shoots the ball at a high level. He's really learning our defense. So, I think if we surround those guys and give them some room to do what they can do, they’ll continue to show me something new every day.”
Pikiell on choosing captains: “Since the season has been over last year, Jeremiah was the one guy in the gym all the time. He was the guy getting Emmanuel (Ogbole) into the weight room. He really started that journey. He was the voice in our locker room and he was the voice in the huddles. Once our new guys came in, he was the guy. Zach (Martini) kind of earned that. He had everyone's respect and showed true leadership.”
Pikiell on Jamichael and his journey on the team: “Jamichael has never missed a practice and his effort is awesome. He's spent a lot of time this summer working on the things that he didn't do as well on last year. He's got this maturity about him. He’s got a toughness about him, too. I think the three guys that returned were clearly our toughest guys and then we added some more toughness, too. I think toughness is a big part of what we were missing last year, and I'm very thankful. He continues to be one of our toughest guys, never takes a play off. I never sub them out of practice. He's never tired. He's our best-conditioned guy. He just keeps getting better, and I love that in an athlete. He's a grinder. He was probably overlooked as a recruit and wants to prove to some people that he's pretty good too.”
Pikiell on team chemistry since the beginning of pre-season: “I think they like each other as you can see on the court. I think they play well together, and they make extra passes. They hang out off the court. We haven't hit any adversity yet. We haven't played a game yet. That’s always a huge part of this whole thing. So, we’ll know more once we get to that part of the season. You have to have guys who want to play together, want to sacrifice together and not be selfish. So, I hope we have it. Dylan see’s floor like no one I've had at that point guard position. But I want to play fast. I played for UConn. That's all we did with head coach Jim Calhoun. We ran and we pressed. I'm excited about this year. The guys are in better shape and feel really good about that. They all came back and they did a lot of work.”
Pikiell on home court Advantage: “We have the best home court advantage in the country. I think we're 58-13, losing to like six ranked teams. The fans do a great job. Every game is televised. This arena is jumping every time we play in it. I think our league is a pretty national stage. We just added four more teams that, last time I checked, weren’t division two programs. They're a pretty good basketball programs. I like home games. I like our fans coming out. We're sold out every game.”
Pikiell on high expectations: “Every year I have been here I still have that trophy case in my office looking to win a national championship. From day one, the first year I got here, I have been trying to win a national championship. So as far as expectations, bring them on. I love that. Our expectations haven't changed. We've always had high expectations. Just because we get Ace and Dylan, doesn't mean they go any higher. We expect to be really good this year. We expect to play the best defense on a top-10 defensive team.”
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