Outlook: Well, what can I say? Rutgers got 7 Big Ten wins last season. It’s over. They did it. I know most of you are sayin’ “Hey, any idiot could do that.” Well, it was tough for them, so back off!

Billy Madison = great movie; Rutgers basketball = not usually great, but getting better! The Scarlet Knights enjoyed their best season ever in the Big Ten and the program’s best overall year since 2011. Steve Pikiell has proven in his three-year tenure in Piscataway to be the right man for the job and now sets his sites on crashing the Bubble come March. Prior to Eugene Omoruyi’s transfer announcement, this looked to be a squad that could legitimately compete for a top 8 finish in the Big Ten. While this is still a possibility given all of Pikiell’s returning pieces, Omoruyi’s departure is a significant blow to a program on the rise. Pikiell brings back nearly everyone from a squad that ranked 330th in experience last season (played four freshmen and two sophomores major minutes) and brings in two high-level transfers with which to compete for an NCAA Tournament appearance.

Pikiell’s offenses over the years have been defined by offensive glass crashing. His squads consistently rank among the nation’s best o-board units and last year was no exception. Of course, to rely so much on offensive rebounding usually means you’re a poor shooting team, which Rutgers definitely was in 2018-19 when it shot 31.2% from three and 47.2% inside the arc. Aside from glass crashing, the Knights mostly played through Omoruyi on the block or via Geo Baker penetration. Pikiell also ratcheted up the tempo last season, as 2018-19 Rutgers was his fastest squad in his head coaching career, ranking 4th in pace in the Big Ten.

Rutgers will still rely heavily on offensive rebounding to score points. The Knights should be an improved shooting team, but not enough to warrant the glass game any less important. Instead of Omoruyi on the block, Pikiell will turn to a combination of big men in sophomore Myles Johnson, senior Shaq Carter, and Stony Brook transfer Akwasi Yeboah for production. Johnson was just OK posting up last season, but he owned the offensive glass when he roamed the floor, ranking 1st in the Big Ten in offensive rebounding rate and 9th overall in the country. Defensively, Johnson was second to the graduated Shaquille Doorson in rim protection effectiveness. Without Doorson, Johnson likely steps into the starting center spot. Carter, too, was a beast on the glass last season but decidedly much less impactful on the defensive end (a 1.7% block rate is pretty awful for a player his size and position). Carter is a better post scorer than Johnson, however, as he poured in 1.00 PPP on post-ups last year (95th percentile in the country). Yeboah is an enormous get from the transfer wire, especially with the loss of Omoruyi. Recurited by Pikiell at Stony Brook in 2015, Yeboah was a 1st Team All-Conference player in the America East last season and should start right away for Rutgers at either the 3 or 4 spot. His rebounding and defensive chops will allow him to stand up to other conference 4s despite standing just 6’6”, and his three-point range and ball skills will allow him to play out on the wing. Yeboah brings scoring to a team sorely lacking it.

The aforementioned Baker, a Big Ten Honorable Mention All-Conference honoree last season, will resume his role as Rutgers’ point guard after assuming the duties from Corey Sanders in 2018-19. Baker took a large step up in usage when he took the reins of the offense and was counted on to provide perimeter scoring on a nightly basis. His uptick in usage resulted in a downswing in efficiency, but the additions of Yeboah and maturation of others should help relieve the pressure this season – a 41.9% finishing clip around the rim must certainly improve. Freshman point guard Pat Mulcahy will serve as the primary backup lead guard. Mulcahy has excellent size for the PG position at 6’5”, possesses a high basketball IQ and expert ball handling and passing skills. If he acclimates quickly to the college game, it could allow Baker to slide back over to an off-guard spot, where he’s probably better suited.

Fighting for minutes at the shooting guard slot will be sophomore Montez Mathis and Texas transfer Jacob Young. Mathis started 23 games last year as a freshman but was objectively poor offensively. He shot a putrid 23.9% from downtown and 55.6% from the FT line, an area he frequented thanks to his ability to get to the rack. Mathis was much more impactful defensively where his 6’4” 200-lb. frame could be put to better use. Young is much more of a scoring guard than Mathis. He was inconsistent at Texas, but had some shining moments during his sophomore year in 2017-18. Young scored 29 points in the Big 12 Tournament against Texas Tech and followed it up by playing all 40 minutes against Nevada in the Big Dance. His shooting and scoring potential will be key for Rutgers’ overall offensive improvement and Baker’s efficiency.

Pikiell’s wing corps (in addition to Yeboah) consists of sophomore Ron Harper Jr., junior Peter Kiss, and sophomore Caleb McConnell. Harper is a big wing at 6’6” 230 lbs. and has “POTENTIAL” written in big letters across his forehead. Though he shot poorly overall last season, he drastically improved his stroke in Big Ten play and proved to be a capable finisher in traffic and on pull-ups inside the arc. This is a crucial year for Harper, as he’ll be expected to be one of Rutgers’ primary go-to options. Kiss, formerly of Quinnipiac, will compete for spot starts in his second season in Piscataway. He brings shooting and passing to the table, though he’s yet to prove the shooting part during his college career. McConnell should carve out a role as a shooter off the bench and secondary ball handler. On the other end of the floor, he and Baker both ranked in the conference’s top five in steal rate in 2018-19.

Much like its offense last year, Rutgers was tough in the paint and on the glass defensively. The Knights tend to give up a higher than average amount of transition opportunities due to their glass crashing ways, but overall, they were solid defensively last season. Omoruyi and Doorson were two of Rutgers’ best defenders last year, so the younger players and newcomers will be counted on to pick up the slack. Yeboah should be able to make up for most of Omoruyi’s defensive impact, while Johnson looks to be a natural replacement for Doorson.

Bottom Line: Rutgers is a well-coached team with an ever-improving roster. However, the Big Ten is extremely deep this year, so it’s tough to predict the Scarlet Knights to finish anywhere higher than 12th or 13th. A major offensive leap must happen in order for Rutgers to knock on the door of the NCAA Tournament, which doesn’t appear to be in the cards. Expect the Knights to be a competitive ball club and play plenty of close games within conference play. Their toughness and coaching should allow them to compete on a nightly basis.