Rutgers men's basketball got a big lift Monday night.

A 6-foot-9, 243-pound lift.

Mamadou Doucoure has been ruled eligible by the NCAA to compete for the team as a true freshman during the 2017-18 season, as announced by the program on social media. He was a surprise addition to the 2017 recruiting class as he re-classified from 2018 after committing.

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Mamadou Doucoure has been certified by the NCAA eligibility center and ruled eligible to compete immediately. Welcome to #Rfamily! pic.twitter.com/IsV1LxNeh4 — Rutgers Basketball (@RutgersMBB) October 2, 2017

The Mali native graduated from Our Savior New American (N.Y.) and enrolled at Rutgers ahead of the fall semester. The NCAA inspected his academic coursework before ruling he could compete right away. The alternate outcome was for him to be ineligible and have to redshirt.

Doucoure was on the floor with his teammates Friday night at MidKnight Madness, the first practice of the preseason. Here's how the four-star recruit ranked No. 115 in the class of 2018 by Rivals.com is described on the school's official athletics website:

"Athletic and agile big man with the ability to play above the rim ... the physical tools to contribute immediately in the Big Ten ... runs the floor well and utilizes his length to block shots."

Doucoure, combo guard Geo Baker, forward/center Myles Johnson, point guard Souf Mensah and sit-out transfer Peter Kiss are the newcomers to Rutgers, which is hoping to finish with a winning record for the first time since 2005-06.

Doucoure will battle for immediate playing time and possibly a starting job in a frontcourt with senior Candido Sa, Shaq Doorson and Johnson. All stand at least 6-foot-9.

It's the second time in the last two weeks that a NCAA ruling has gone Rutgers' way.

Ryan Dunleavy may be reached at rdunleavy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rydunleavy. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.