This morning I reviewed the great job that the Rutgers men’s basketball staff has done during the July live recruiting period. I ended by saying as hard as they have worked, now is the time for results. And low and behold, they delivered this afternoon:

Thank you to everyone who has gotten me this far... Rutgers '21 ⚫️ pic.twitter.com/9rxeihjGoX — Geo Baker (@Geo_Baker_1) July 27, 2016

Baker is a 6’2” combo guard from New England, where he plays high school ball at Proctor Academy in New Hampshire. He had a tremendous summer on the AAU circuit and was gaining a lot of interest from mid-major and high-major schools. According to 247 sports, he held close to twenty offers, including Kansas State, George Washington, and George Mason. He recently said that Rutgers and George Mason were working the hardest for his services. The hard work of head coach Steve Pikiell and his staff have paid off in a big way.

While not rated by recruiting services, Baker has flashed a ton of potential and has made major strides in his development this past year. He has a ton of range as a shooter, but has improved his ball handling and decision making to make himself a more complete player. By all accounts, he has a great attitude and is a hard worker. He is the exact kind of underrated player that the Rutgers staff can develop into a valuable contributor for the program.

Everybody knows @dcbluedevilsNH 2017 G Geo Baker can score, but his playmaking and ball skills should be valued more. #AAUBoysSuperShowcase — Future150.com (@Future150) July 22, 2016

Proctor's Geo Baker had 23 points for @dcbluedevilsNH in their semifinal win. This kid is a confident shooter and smart player. @geo_baker_1 — Jake Perper (@JakePerper) July 24, 2016

Pikiell and the staff needed to produce results on the recruiting trail now that the live period is over. Just days after its conclusion, they landed one of their top targets. That is a major win for the staff as they work to bring in a talented class of 2017 recruiting class. Landing the first recruit for a class is always the hardest. Now that the staff have Baker committed, they can focus their attention on other top targets like Hasahn French, Mahktar Gueye, and most importantly, point guard Jose Alvarado. Baker’s commitment should not deter Alvarado regarding his potential future at Rutgers, as the staff made it clear they wanted both of them in the same backcourt. Baker is versatile and can play the 2, while Alvarado is a true point guard.

Today is a major step for the new coaching staff of Rutgers. Just a tad more than three months in their tenure and they are off and running on the recruiting trail. They now need to build off this momentum and carry it into the fall. Welcome to the banks Geo!!

Rutgers picks up a tough and shot making guard in Geo Baker https://t.co/hjcDxPnHCz — Corey Evans (@coreyevans_10) July 27, 2016