5/23/2020 basketball Edit

Will Rutgers Hoops be an even deeper team next season?

Daniel Pierrot

Rutgers.Rivals.com

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights were one of the deepest teams in the country in 2019/2020. From the point guard position to center, Rutgers had multiple impact players in the starting lineup and coming off the bench. Next season, this trend should continue, but minutes will only get harder to come by.

Over the course of last season, many players chipped in for the team. Eight players averaged over 18 minutes per game and no player averaged more than 29 minutes.

Due to players graduating, Rutgers will not have Shaq Carter and Akwasi Yeboah for next season. This would leave a big hole at the back-up center spot and a starting small forward position for most teams, but not this roster. In fact, next year’s team may be even deeper.

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With the incoming freshmen class, that includes Cliff Omoruyi and Dean Reiber, the Scarlet Knights will be in no danger of being light at the center position. Instead, the combination of Myles Johnson and Omoruyi may be one of the strongest in the country. Then, add in Oskar Palmquist and Mawot Mag to the already jam-packed roster and you could be looking at some of the most competitive practices in the Big Ten.

The battle for minutes will be great to see. The team already has seven rotation players returning and Omoruyi is expected to play immediately. So, at the minimum we could see an eight-man rotation of players who can make a big impact on any game.

The starting positions will need to be earned more than ever. Omoruyi and Johnson will battle for the center position. Then, a combination of Ron Harper Jr., Caleb McConnell, Paul Mulcahy, Montez Mathis, Oskar Palmquist, and Mawot Mag will look to fill three spots. Meanwhile, Geo Baker and Jacob Young will mostly be running the point guard spot.

However, because of the talent off the bench, being a starter will not guarantee a certain number of minutes. In fact, the team that closes out a game could look much different than the one that started it.

These are all good things and it is the reason why Rutgers will start the season in the top 25. Their depth and quality off the bench will be one of coach Pikiell’s strongest weapons. For the first time under coach Pikiell, the Scarlet Knights will go into a season with high expectations and their collective unit will be one of the main reasons for it.