By Steve Politi | NJ Advance Media

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The Scarlet Knights (15-18) more than doubled their win total in their first season under Steve Pikiell, making the jump from awful to competitive. Rutgers, without a question, is a basketball program trending up. Pikiell is right: "Better days are ahead for Rutgers basketball," he said at the Big Ten Tournament.

So how quickly can Rutgers make that rise? In 2018, this team can compete for a postseason bid for the first time in more than a decade. That almost certainly will be the NIT, but given the program's struggles, that would be an accomplishment worth celebrating.

Here are 10 things that have to happen for Rutgers to make that jump next season:

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John Munson | NJ Advance Media

1. Find a scorer

Well, this isn't brain surgery, folks. Rutgers became an elite rebounding team in 2016-17 and, while the season-ending loss to Northwestern didn't show it, was mostly stout on defense.

But putting the ball in that orange cylinder? This was a problem.

Rutgers must add somebody who can shoot. Maybe that player turns out to be incoming recruit Geo Baker. Maybe Pikiell finds a junior college scorer this spring. Or maybe that player is already on the roster. No matter how it happens, Rutgers needs to get a whole lot better offensively.

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2. Improve free-throw shooting

This is one of the few regrets from Pikiell's first season, because it's not a stretch to think that 15-18 record could be reversed if the Scarlet Knights could make their foul shots. They ranked 347th in the country -- that's just four slots from rock bottom -- at 62.3 percent. That has to improve.

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Geoff Burke | USA Today

3. A full roster returns*

There is an asterisk on this, because a few transfers to open up scholarship slots aren't necessarily bad. But Pikiell needs his key players, especially Corey Sanders, Deshawn Freeman and Nigel Johnson, back on campus next fall. Sanders flirted with the NBA Draft last spring before (wisely) staying put. He shouldn't get any ideas this offseason, either.

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Pikiell moving Rutgers toward a March that matters

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4. Offseason work

Pikiell mentioned this during his postgame comments after the season-ending loss to Northwestern. He inherited an out-of-shape team 11 months ago. "If you were at my first workout, I was worried about every game," Pikiell said.

Well, it's clear that several players, like big man Shaq Doorson, still need that level of polish in the weight room. Rutgers needs to see another dramatic improvement in conditioning and strength between now and opening tip next November.

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Noah K. Murray | USA Today

5. Replace the big guy

C.J. Gettys was a fan favorite who made the most of his 22 minutes a game during his one season in Piscataway, grabbing 5.2 rebounds a game. He was often outclassed against Big Ten competition, but Pikiell still doesn't have a lot of size on this roster. Will Doorson be ready to pick up his slack?

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Rutgers-Seton Hall rivalry is alive again

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6. Out-of-conference upgrade

Rutgers started the season 11-1 against a softer-than-soft schedule, and that helped boost confidence and fan interest. But Pikiell should add a December challenge for this team to better prepare it for the brutal Big Ten competition. Strength of schedule matters for a team with postseason aspirations, even for the NIT.

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Noah K. Murray | USA Today

7. Young wings develop

With a smooth shooting stroke and a long 6-foot-9 frame, Issa Thiam looks like he could be an NBA player ... until you look at his stat line. He averaged just 3.9 points a game as a freshman, and clearly, he's still learning the sport. How big of a jump can he take in his second college season? No player on that roster has a bigger upside.

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8. Start digging

OK, so the 2018 postseason doesn't depend on what's happening outside the Rutgers Athletic Center. But everything else about this program does. Pikiell mentioned the practice facility several times during his press conference on Thursday, because he knows the type of impact it could have on recruiting. Will he have steel girders to show the next high school players on campus visits?

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Sanders: 'This is my team'

Strong words after the loss to Northwestern.

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NJ Advance media file photo

9. Fan support

There were a few times this winter when the RAC felt like one of the better home-court advantages in college basketball, but not enough of them. The fans, especially the students, need to make that building an intimidating place to play in 2017-18 -- so intimidating that it helps steal a win or two.

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10. SCORERS!

Yes, we're repeating ourselves, but Rutgers made 41.1 percent of its shots in 2016-17, good for (gulp) 316th in the country. This team can win some games with defense and effort, but how many times did the Scarlet Knights lose a game in the second half because it couldn't buy a bucket? Too many. Pikiell has to find somebody who can score. Can he?

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Complete coverage of the Big Ten Tournament

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Steve Politi may be reached at spoliti@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevePoliti. Find Steve on Facebook.