Jerry Carino

@njhoopshaven

Steve Pikiell faces a massive task: Making Rutgers men’s basketball competitive.

With his first season at the helm approaching -- full practices begin this weekend after months of limited-time workouts -- Pikiell discussed the challenge and his progress in frank terms in this wide-ranging Q&A with Gannett New Jersey.

Q. What’s the biggest difference between this team now and when you started working them out in the spring?

A. I think health. Every single guy had some kind of injury. Today we’ll have a workout with 14 guys who will actually all be working out. So health and conditioning probably are the two biggest. When I first worked them out, I thought they were very, very poorly conditioned.

Q. What specific improvements have you seen in terms of conditioning?

A. They couldn’t do a one-hour workout the first time. They all had hands on their knees, huffing and puffing. Twenty minutes in, they were done. Now they can actually get through one hour. Now I’ve got to get them to get through one hour and compete. Competing is the next part. Getting through a one-hour workout is not enough.

RELATED: Early projections for NJ's eight college hoops teams

Q. Who has emerged in terms of leadership?

A. Great question (long pause). We’ve got a long way to go in that department. It’s part of the problem.

Q. Will you name captains, and if so, when?

A. Once someone earns that, we will. No one has earned it. I want everything here to be earned. In fairness, we have no seniors either, except for C.J. (Gettys, a graduate transfer), who just arrived here five minutes ago.

Q. Who has improved or surprised you the most over the past few months?

A. Shaq (Doorson) has lost 45, 50 pounds. He couldn’t get through any workouts and now he is. He’s starting to show me some jumping ability, so I like his improvement.

RELATED: Breaking down the Rutgers hoops schedule

Q. We’ve heard good things about Issa Thiam and Candido Sa. Which newcomers are ready to make the biggest impact?

A.Eugene (Omoruyi) for sure. Eugene’s body is the most ready (he’s 6-6, 220). His ball-handling, his toughness, the things he brings us are the things we desperately needed.

Q. Where is Corey Sanders at in terms of becoming the type of guard you envision?

A. He’s progressing. One of his biggest strengths -- he doesn’t realize this yet -- is I think he could be a really good defender. I think he can improve the most in that area. He’s blessed with some great DNA. He’s really quick, has quick hands and a terrific leaping ability. You’ll see the biggest jump in his game on that side of the ball.

Q. How is Deshawn Freeman doing and how are you going to handle him given that he’s still recovering from his knee injury?

A. He’s doing a good job of getting healthy and getting in better shape, which is important. He’s able to get through workouts now. He’s an intriguing guy. I haven’t seen him at full speed yet. I don’t know how much of that is the injury and how much is he’s not in good shape. We’re dealing with both now. He’s unique because he’s undersized but very crafty around the basket.

RELATED: Tribute to Abe Suydam, model Rutgers supporter

Q. I know this group’s ball-handling has been a big concern of yours. How is this coming along?

A. I am still very concerned about that. That’s our biggest emphasis with our guards and wings. Eugene helps a lot in that area. He’s a very good ball-handler. We have a lot of areas to get better in, but when you have small guards, you really better be able to handle the ball and not turn it over.

Q. This is Rutgers' biggest frontcourt in a long time, but most of these guys have played just a handful of college basketball games. What do you need to see from them between now and the season opener?

A. The biggest thing is we need them to stay healthy, and part of that is we’re in good shape. One of our biggest weaknesses is rebounding the ball. We’ve got to find guys who are consistent rebounders. As I said in our meeting the other day, the great part is there’s a lot of playing time out there. That’s important. We don’t have any guys who have locked down a (starting) position. The best defender and the best rebounder are starting.

Q. How big of a rotation do you see yourself using to start the season?

A. I don’t have that answer yet. Some years at Stony Brook I played 11, 12 guys. I’d probably like to play more guys---it creates more competition and practices are better. But last year I had guys like Jameel Warney who could play 40 minutes. Part of that is: How long can they play hard for? If Shaq can play hard for four minutes, I’m going to take him out at four minutes.

Q. After all the success you’ve had, how much different has it been to start over?

A. It’s got to be. We’re starting back at zero with some of the basics, teaching kids how to compete and teaching kids how to defend. But they’ve been willing to learn and willing to listen. If they jump on board, we’ll get better.

Staff Writer Jerry Carino: jcarino@gannettnj.com.