Rutgers basketball: Texas transfer Jacob Young commits; point guard with pedigree

There is no doubt that Texas transfer Jacob Young, who committed to Rutgers Saturday night, has impact high-major talent.

But the addition of Young, who will sit out next season and then have two years of eligibility, raises a crucial question: What does adding a point guard of this pedigree mean for Rutgers’ backcourt going forward?

Here are five things to know about Young and his pledge:

1. The 6-foot-2 Young possesses the raw material to start in the Big Ten. The Houston native was a four-star recruit coming out of high school. His time at Texas was mostly unremarkable until the final month of this past season, when he averaged 13.3 points — including 29 against Texas Tech and 14 at Kansas. That may have been a glimpse into his future, and the Longhorns were sorry to see him go.

2. He’s more slasher than shooter. Young’s shooting numbers at Texas were not great — .354 from the field and .271 from 3-point range over two seasons, although they did uptick to .413 and .323 as a sophomore. But as Young told The Knight Report, he views himself as a point guard. That makes sense because Rutgers already has two promising off-the-ball talents in Geo Baker and Montez Mathis. A sit-out year should help Young build chemistry with those guys.

3. Much like incoming Rutgers wing Ron Harper Jr., Young has a famous father. Michael Young was a third-team All-America wing at Houston, helping “Phi Slamma Jamma” reach back-to-back NCAA Tournament finals in 1983 and 1984. He was a first-round draft pick of the Boston Celtics and played three NBA seasons. An older son, Joseph Young, appeared in 53 games as a guard for the Indiana Pacers this past season.

4. Baker probably will run the show next season. That’s not Rutgers’ optimal situation but it’s do-able — he has solid playmaking instincts, although he thrived off the ball as a freshman. Rutgers would love to bring in a postgrad point guard as a stopgap for 2018-19, but the postgrad market is hypercompetitive. The addition of Young could signal a shift in focus because the final open 2018 scholarship likely will be held for coveted wing Aundre Hyatt (a 2019 prospect who may reclassify 2018) or a power forward who can shoot (which remains a priority). Absent those options, it may be rolled over for the critical 2019 class.

5. Rutgers could be hedging its bet regarding top 2019 target Paul Mulcahy. The Scarlet Knights seemed to have the inside track at the Gill St. Bernard’s point guard, a program-elevating talent who is vastly under-ranked by the scouting websites. Mulcahy is starting to pick up broader interest now; he’s on Villanova’s radar. It’s unclear if Young’s addition will impact Mulcahy’s view of Rutgers — the opportunity to get the keys from day one obviously has been a big part of the attraction — but it makes sense for the Scarlet Knights to collect talent like Young while they can and not put all the eggs in Mulcahy’s basket.

Staff writer Jerry Carino: jcarnio@gannettnj.com.