Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Last Year:
15-17 overall, 5-13 Big East (13th)
Coach:
Mike Rice, Jr. (2nd season, 15-17)
Projected starting five:
G: Myles Mack, Fr.
G: Austin Carroll, So.
F: Dane Miller, Jr.
F: Gilvydas Biruta, So.
C: Austin Johnson, Jr.
Important departures:
Jonathan Mitchell 14.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg
James Beatty 8.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg
Mike Coburn 8.8 ppg, 1.9 rpg
Inside the numbers:
33 percent scoring returning
46 percent rebounding returning
Additions:
G: Myles Mack, 5’9”, 155 – ESPNU #63
F: Kadeem Jack 6’8”, 210 – MaxPreps #77
G: Elijah Carter, 6’2”, 170 – Rivals #114
C: Greg Lewis, 6’9”, 225 – Rivals #139
Schedule:
Toughest nonconference game: 12/29 vs. (10) Florida
Toughest in-conference stretch: 1/7 – 1/14 vs. (4) Connecticut, at (11) Pittsburgh, at West Virginia
Prediction:
11th in BE; 17+ wins; NIT berth
What to expect:
Rutgers made some serious strides last year as the scrappy Scarlet Knights played hard night-in and night-out, turning some heads in the process and making people recognize that they are no longer a gimme win.
While the Scarlet Knights lost three starters from last year’s team, Dane Miller and Gilvydas Biruta are left over to pass on coach Mike Rice’s style of play. The two big men will move Rutgers’ scoring threats primarily down low, but incoming freshman Myles Mack should make an immediate impact from the perimeter.
Austin Carroll will be the Scarlet Knights premium outside scoring threat in an effort to stop teams from closing in on Biruta and Miller in the post. A solid recruiting class has Rutgers looking like they have the tools to build for the future, the question is whether or not they can compete while waiting for their new talent to assimilate.