PISCATAWAY - Pete Kiss threw down his first dunk in eighth grade.

“My friend threw me a lob,” he recalled. “I didn’t know I could get up there."

He hadn’t logged a minute of organized basketball prior to that. Maybe it lit a spark. Before long the New York City native was on the radar of mid-major coaches — including Steve Pikiell and Jay Young, who tried to recruit him to Stony Brook. After a breakout freshman year at Quinnipiac (he averaged 13.3 points and 5.6 rebounds), the 6-foot-5 guard decided to transfer.

“Honestly I just wanted to get better and have an opportunity to help a bigger program on a bigger stage,” he said. “I think it’s just my competitive nature coming out, wanting to compete against bigger fish.”

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He’s getting his chance this fall. After sitting out last season per NCAA transfer rules, Kiss is an eye-popping presence at Rutgers practices. The sophomore owns the program’s top vertical leap (40 inches). In a telling move, Pikiell and Young match him against prized freshman Montez Mathis in Rutgers’ one-on-one drill, in which two players go at it until one scores.

“We’ve done that forever, since I was at Connecticut,” Pikiell said, referring to his playing days under Jim Calhoun. “It’s just really getting guys to compete. We don’t call a lot of fouls in that drill. You have to use a little toughness, and you’ve got to guard people.”

In Friday’s opening practice, Kiss schooled Mathis. He shot over him, dunked over him and shut him down. (See for yourself in the video atop this story).

But Mathis was ready for Tuesday's rematch, beating Kiss for a rebound and put-back during the first go-round. In their next duel, the ball came loose and bounced beyond the arc. Kiss skidded across the floor like a baserunner sliding head-first at the plate, wrestling the orange away as the coaches blew the whistle — a rare stoppage to prevent injury.

“Peter Kiss hates to lose,” sophomore guard Geo Baker said.

It goes unsaid, but Kiss and Mathis are competing for a starting backcourt spot alongside Baker.

“I get really passionate, as you can see,” Kiss said. “Montez is a great player. We love to go out and compete against each other.”

The Scarlet Knights, however, need more than energy from Kiss. They need him to make shots — a skill in short supply on the banks in recent winters. Kiss did not shoot efficiently at Quinnipiac (.408 overall, .277 from 3), but he was reliable at the free-throw line (.742).

“Being more consistent and taking good shots are things I’ve focused on here,” he said. “At Quinnipiac I had to do a bit of everything. It’s easier to focus on those things here.”

It’s working. Pikiell cites Kiss as the team’s top shooter. Look for him to be on the floor at the end of close games, when free throws become decisive.

“There are good free-throw shooters, and there are guys who want the ball at the end of games,” Pikiell said. “He wants the ball at the end.”

There are more accomplished players on Rutgers’ roster, and there are better-known newcomers. But Kiss might be the most intriguing — an X-factor on a young team finding its way.

One thing is certain: He’s eager.

“I can’t explain the excitement,” he said. “It’s been a long time coming. I can’t wait to finally get the ball up in the air.”

Staff Writer Jerry Carino: jcarino@gannettnj.com