Rutgers Basketball

With under four minutes to go in the first half against the eighth-ranked Georgetown Hoyas, Rutgers' swing-man Dane Miller had some difficulty laying the ball into the hoop in front of the Rutgers' student section. He missed a layup, tapped it up for a second miss, and finally tapped it home for a seemingly pedestrian first half bucket. 

Little did we know, the tap in would be a sign of things to come. 

With seconds remaining, it took Miller only one try, the one try he had, to fly in and tip in a Mike Rosario miss to put the Scarlet Knights up a point.  Some clutch free throw shooting, and an unanswered Austin Freeman 3-point prayer, gave the Knights an improbable upset victory over Georgetown.

This was a much needed win for the Knights and their maligned coach Fred Hill Jr.  Knight fans have chanted for his termination more than occasionally at the RAC this season, and the message board communities are already critiquing the in-game coaching strategies of possible coaching replacements as their respective teams win and lose games.

However, Hill and his boys threw a monkey wrench into the whole thing by beating the Hoyas on Valentine's Day.  The RAC was loud.  The fans had energy.  The team played inspired.  The offense looked in sync.  In short, they looked like a well-coached and talented team.

The issue that has faced Fred Hill and his team since his hiring has been that of consistency. 

The Knights have risen up in the Fred Hill era before.  They had back-to-back minumental upsets of Villanova and Pittsburgh in the 2008 season.  The Knights however, haven't ever been able to gain momentum from these wins.

It seems odd, but the fate of the Fred Hill era may rest on a seemingly meaningless game on Tuesday night at DePaul. 

The Blue Demons sport the Big East's worst record, and fired their coach midway this season. 

More than occasionally under Fred Hill, the Knights have looked lackadaisical, poorly coached, and unmotivated against teams like DePaul.  Those are qualities unaccepable for a team of this poor of record.

In the end, it is those kinds of losses, the type that may take place at DePaul this Tuesday, that will be what Hill will be left to mull over if he is indeed fired by Rutgers University.

However, if the Knights are able to keep the momentum rolling and beat an inferior team in DePaul, it may be a good sign for Fred Hill.

Has the former assistant figured out how to motivate and get the most out of his team?  Or, is the win against Georgetown a fluke in an otherwise dismal season at Rutgers? 

I'll be watching Tuesday night at 9.

Georgetown Hoyas @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights

4:00 PM ET, February 14, 2010

Louis Brown Athletic Center

Piscataway, NJ

PISCATAWAY –  Jonathan Mitchell didn’t miss a shot until 11:22 left in the second half and his career high 24 points would help be the deciding factor as the Scarlet Knights (13-12, 3-9) beat a top ten team for the first time since 2003 as they upset the No. 8 Georgetown Hoyas (18-6, 8-5), 71-68, at the RAC Saturday night.

The two teams kept it close the entire game as they would flip flop between five ties and nine lead changes in the first half alone.

Mike Rosario started the game off right for the Scarlet Knights hitting a jumper that would ignite a 7-2 Rutgers run. You could tell early on that Rutgers was very picky with their shot selections and extremely patience with the Hoyas zone defense.

Later in the first half, Rutgers smothering zone defense forced Georgetown into making frantic turnovers that would lead to another 9-2 run for Rutgers to put the score at 24-18 Rutgers.

With Hamady Ndiaye on the bench with foul trouble, Georgetown finally found a way around the Scarlet Knights zone defense by retaliating with their own 10-2 run to take the lead at 28-26.

It was a rough first half for the stars from opposing teams.  Greg Monroe of the Hoyas managed five points on 2-of-5 shooting from the field. After Rosario began the game with the first bucket, he would eventually miss his next eight shots in the first half. Six of those misses were from three and he ended the half with only two points. Ndiaye only played nine minutes thanks to two personal fouls.

On a good note, Mitchell was a perfect 4-of-4 from the floor with 10 points as the Scarlet Knights entered the locker room at half with a confident 33-32 lead.

Out of the gates in the second half, Rutgers let Mitchell continue his perfection, as he would initiate his own 8-2 run to put Rutgers up 41-34.

Greg Monroe got Georgetown back in the game on a three point play that was part of a 13-3 Hoyas run that would put them on top 49-47.

Rutgers would retain the lead a couple minutes later on a Dane Miller layup.

With under a minute to play, Monroe backed down Ndiaye and dropped in a layup to give Georgetown the lead, 66-65.

After a Rutgers timeout, Miller acrobatically tipped in a Rosario miss to hand Rutgers back the lead.

Austin Freeman’s free throws with six seconds left would put the Hoyas within one. Three seconds later, Jonathan Mitchell clinched the game for Rutgers on two free throws.

A desperation three pointer by Freeman bounced off the backboard and left Fred Hill on the side lines doing a Tiger Woods’ fist pump, while his squad celebrated with each other at center court.

Jonathan Mitchell’s career high led all scorers with 24 points. Dane Miller kicked in 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Hamady Ndiaye added 11 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks for the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers had a season-low eight turnovers.

Greg Monroe missed his 10th double-double on the season, leading the Hoyas with 19 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Austin Freeman contributed 17 points and  Hollis Thompson helped out with 10 points off the bench.

You can also find this article on: moxieTODAY.com

Georgetown Hoyas @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights

4:00PM ET, February 14, 2010

Louis Brown Athletic Center

Piscataway, NJ

Three weeks ago the Scarlet Knights (12-12, 2-9) visited the Nation’s Capital, only to be run around and humiliated by #8 Georgetown (18-5, 8-4). Rutgers looks to make up for that loss tomorrow when the two teams face off again at the RAC.

Mike Rosario and company are coming off an embarrassing win versus tiny Division II Caldwell College . Yes, you read that correctly. Rutgers should have easily dismantled the small school from Caldwell, NJ. Rather, the Scarlet Knights allowed the Cougars to stay close the entire game, barley managing to pull away with an eight point victory.

Meanwhile, Georgetown is on a two game winning streak and it doesn’t seem like it will be ending soon. After a disturbing loss to South Florida in D.C., the Hoyas handed Villanova its first Big East defeat of the season and then handled the Providence Friars in Rhode Island.

Last month when these two teams clashed, Rutgers attempted to minimize the Hoyas Greg Monroe's opportunities with a zone, but it just lead to easy three pointers for Georgetown. Mike Rosario was covered closely the entire afternoon, preventing the Scarlet Knights top player from taking over the game.

Georgetown shot 63 percent from the floor and 56.3 percent from behind the three, while Rutgers was left in the dust. Monroe was phenomenal the entire game, hitting his first eight shots, on way to 10 of 12 shooting with 21 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists. Jonathan Mitchell led the Scarlet Knights with 21 points.

Greg Monroe has been one of many bright spots fueling the Hoyas this season. After watching film on the lefty big man from Louisiana, I came to the realization that this guy is the real deal.

For a guy his size, he gets up and the down the court with relative ease, has the skill set to face up and put the ball on the floor or post up his opponents. Against Providence, he handed out 12 assists—a 6’10” power forward with 12 assists?, ask anyone that’s pretty impressive—which illustrates his great passing skills, amazing vision and ability to find open and keep them involved.

His smooth shooting stroke is just another piece to his game, but he doesn’t always take advantage of it. Georgetown’s Princeton style offense makes him the key ingredient and the Hoyas adapt to his style of play.

Georgetown started using the Princeton style offense when John Thompson III became head coach in 2004; he had this to say about it:

“The "system" is more about how you see the game than about plays. It’s about adjusting and adapting to your own skills and strengths, and the skills and strengths of your opponent.

If you look at the Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards, Northwestern, Richmond or Princeton, they obviously aren’t the exact same style of ball. But the principles they play are the same—movement, reads, sharing patience, and precision. You take the skills and personality of your team and tweak the system accordingly.”

The Scarlet Knights haven’t defeated Georgetown since February 11, 2003. If Rutgers shows up tomorrow playing like they did Tuesday night, the Hoyas will destroy them even worse than they did in January.

You can find this article and all of my other contributions at: moxieTODAY.com

Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ Louisville Cardinals

4:00PM ET, February 6, 2010

Freedom Hall

Louisville, KY

Louisville —Louisville put a halt to Rutgers mini Big East winning streak Saturday night at Freedom Hall, 76-60.

The Cardinals began the game on an 11-3 run and would never relinquish the lead. Louisville’s pressure defense gave Rutgers fits the entire night, leading to missed shots and turnovers by the Scarlet Knights.

In the first half Louisville would get up by as many as 17 points, but Rutgers would slowly inch closer at a comeback later in the game.

Louisville led at halftime, 43-32.

Rutgers started the second half by hitting its four first shots and cut the lead to four but couldn’t keep it close down the stretch.

Jerry Smith led the Cardinals with 16 points and Samardo Samuels added 14 points and 11 rebounds. Jonathan Mitchell and Dane Miller each contributed 17 points, while Mike Rosario kicked in 13 points for the Scarlet Knights. For the first time this season, Hamady Ndiaye earned a goose egg in the rejection category, by not recording a block.

Statistic Leaders From the Game:

Points: 2 tied (Rutgers): 17; Jerry Smith (Louisville): 16

Rebounds: 3 tied (Rutgers): 7; Samardo Samuels (Louisville): 11

Assists: Jonathan Mitchell (Rutgers): 7; Edgar Sosa (Louisville): 8

Blocks: Dane Miller (Rutgers): 1; 2 tied (Louisville): 1

Steals: Dane Miller (Rutgers): 4; Jerry Smith (Louisville): 3

Facts About the Game:

Muhammad Ali, a Louisville native, was in the crowd.

After dismantling St. Johns Red Storm Tuesday night, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (11-11, 2-8) look to make it three Big East victories in a row against the Louisville Cardinals (14-8, 5-4) at Freedom Hall Saturday afternoon.

Rutgers started off the Big East schedule a horrific 0-8, but after two wins at the RAC against Notre Dame and St. Johns, things are starting to click for the Scarlet Knights.

The past two wins you can thank in large part to senior Hamady Ndiaye and sophomore Mike Rosario . Ndiaye nearly recorded a triple double against St. Johns with 19 points, nine rebounds and nine blocks. His nine blocks were a school record in a Big East game.

Rosario, on the other hand, has been shooting lights out from all over the court. During the last two victories Rosario has combined for 57 points on 21 of 37 (56.8 percent) shooting, seven of 13 (53.8 percent) from behind the three-point line, and eight of nine (89 percent) from the charity stripe.

Jonathan Mitchell also found his shooting stroke against St. Johns hitting four 3-pointers to kick in 18 points for Rutgers.

Rick Pitino, head coach of Louisville, had this say about the Scarlet Knights, “we are playing against Rutgers who’s coming off two victories and two well played games beating Notre Dame at home and then beating St. Johns…a rival…in a rival game.

"They are getting great play out of their guard Rosario, they’re getting great play out of their seven foot center (Ndiaye), Mitchell is playing extremely well, Miller is playing extremely well…so right now Rutgers is playing good basketball at the present time.”

Louisville started the month of February on a good note defeating the University of Connecticut last Monday night, 82-69. The Cardinals smothering defense forced the Huskies to turn the ball over seventeen times leading to easy baskets and putting the game out of reach for UConn.

Edgar Sosa led the way with 15 points and eight assists, while Jerry Smith contributed 14 points and Samardo Samuels added 13 points for the Cardinals.

When asked about what improvements Mike Rosario has made from last season to this year, Pitino answered, “He’s just a year wiser, he doesn’t force as many shots, he’s got good size, he has a quick release, he gets to the basket, like Edgar, he’s very savvy around the rim.”

The Scarlet Knights are an abysmal 0-6 away from the RAC and if they want to continue this winning streak they must cut down on some of the mistakes they have been making. They turned the ball over sixteen times against St. Johns and also gave up 11 offensive rebounds, most of which, almost led to second chance opportunities for the Red Storm. Those blunders are just not going to be acceptable at Freedom Hall on Saturday.

Hamady Ndiaye going up against the bruising duo of Samardo Samuels and Terrence Jennings is going to give Rutgers a lot of trouble underneath the rim. Ndiaye will need tons of help near the basket if Rutgers wants to have any chance.

James Beatty and Rosario must stay in front of the Cardinals quick guards Sosa and Smith. After Louisville’s game against UConn on Monday, the Huskies interim coach George Blaney explained that the Cardinals guards’ ability to penetrate and get the ball to open men in the corners gave his team too much trouble.

Statistic Leaders for Each Team:

Scoring: Mike Rosario (Rutgers): 16.7 PTS/GM; Samardo Samuels (Louisville): 15.7 PTS/GM

Rebounds: Hamady Ndiaye (Rutgers): 6.5 REB/GM; Samardo Samuels (Louisville): 7.3 REB/GM

Assists: Mike Coburn (Rutgers): 3.6 AST/GM; Edgar Sosa (Louisville): 4.0 AST/GM

Steals: James Beatty (Rutgers): 1.4 STL/GM; 2 Tied (Louisville): 1.3 STL/GM

Blocks: Hamady Ndiaye (Rutgers): 4.9 BLK/GM; 2 Tied (Louisville): 1.2 BLK/GM

Facts about the Teams:

Last season, during their only meeting of the year, Louisville defeated Rutgers, 78-59.

The Scarlet Knights last victory against Louisville came on January 28, 2006.

You can also find this article on moxieTODAY.com

PISCATAWAY—For the second game in a row it felt like every shot Mike Rosario threw up somehow found a way to go in. Rosario’s career high 33 points were the driving force that would help lead Rutgers to its second straight Big East victory defeating St. Johns, 84-72.

From the get-go it was a sloppy game for both teams. After the teams traded three pointers to start off the game, they would combine for eight turnovers in the first five minutes.

When it seemed like Rutgers couldn’t get any momentum, St. Johns finding it way too easy to score. The Scarlet Knights switched to zone defense, and things started changing in favor of Rutgers.

Rosario and Jonathan Mitchell would hit back to back three pointers during an 11-2 Rutgers run that would put the score at 18-9 Scarlet Knights.

Rutgers zone defense was extremely effective, forcing St. Johns to take bad shots. But Rutgers inability to rebound gave the Red Storm many second chance opportunities.

At the two minute mark of the first half, Rutgers would get up by 15, it's biggest lead of the game, on a Mike Rosario three point play.

Rutgers led at halftime, 40-29.

In the first half, Rosario was eight of 11 from the field and three of 5 from behind the three point line for 21 points. Rutgers as a team shot 56 percent (14-of-25) from the field and 55.6 percent (5-of-9) from the three point line. They also managed to turn the ball over eight times and give up eight offensive rebounds.

Over the last five games, D.J. Kennedy was shooting 22 percent from the floor. But once the ball was inbounded in the second half, it was like a switch in Kennedy went off. Against man defense, Kennedy would just fly by his defender and either get fouled or find a teammate for an open look.

Kennedy knocked down a three pointer to put the score in single digits and the Red Storm a little closer to making a comeback. After another three pointer by Kennedy put the score at 60-54 Rutgers, that’s the closet it would end up getting.

Jonathan Mitchell’s three point dagger with 2:35 left, would initiate the RAC to go crazy and lock up another Big East victory for the Scarlet Knights.

Mike Rosario led all scorers with his career high 33 points, while D.J. Kennedy also scored a career high with 27 points. Hamady Ndiaye would add 19 points and nine rebounds, while Jonathan Mitchell added 18 points for the Scarlet Knights. Sean Evans contributed 11 points and Justin Burrell supplied 10 points for the Red Storm.

You can also find this article on moxieTODAY.com

After converting on their first Big East victory of the year, Rutgers looks to make it two in a row as they face off against St. Johns tonight.

The Scarlet Knights squeaked by Notre Dame last Saturday, 74-73. Mike Rosario ignited the Knights, hitting eight of 15 from the field, good for 24 points. On the defensive end, Hamady Ndiaye’s ability to prevent Luke Harangody from getting to the basket was extremely crucial. He forced the Irish’s star to take outside shots and not make any easy baskets. This led to the former Big East Player of the Year shooting a heinous eight of 26 from the floor.

St. Johns comes into town on a three game losing streak, after dropping their latest game to the Pittsburgh Panthers, 63-53. The Red Storm led at halftime, 28-24, but they gave the game away in the second half. Justin Burrell led the team with 14 points.

At the pre-game press conference leading up to tonight’s game, Norm Roberts, head coach of St. Johns, had this to say: “We don’t handle this game any different than if we’re playing UConn, Louisville or anybody else. It’s a Big East game. You know it’s gonna be a battle, you’re on the road, you’re gonna be in a hostile environment, obviously the RAC is a great environment and their student body really comes out and really helps them. So we’re gonna have to be very, very focused.”

If Rutgers wants to add another W to their record and get back to .500, they cannot allow St. Johns to break out to an early lead, as Pittsburgh condoned.

They must get Mike Rosario shooting early on as they did against Notre Dame. His knack for hitting shots needs to be taken advantage of early and often. Every team defensively will attempt to eliminate Rosario from the game completely. When this happens, it leaves easy opportunities for Dane Miller and Jonathan Mitchell. The stats may not show it, but they both can shoot exceptionally well, especially Mitchell.

Roberts also had this to say about Rosario and company: “As a whole, as a team, I think they have a lot of talent. Mike Rosario can really shoot the ball and score, and he really broke out against Notre Dame, making shots, so that’s gonna be a big key, that we’re gonna have to guard him well.”

Defensively they have to stop allowing easy transition baskets and shots. Against Notre Dame they played soft, not running through screens hard, allowing open shots. Hamady Ndiaye will hold down his fort underneath the basket, but can sometimes get bullied around. The loss of Gregory Echenique was huge, as it eliminated that bulky, hulk-like feature from around the rim. When Ndiaye is on the bench, Austin Johnson is called upon to fill in.

Mike Coburn’s energy off the bench and ability to get to rim will lead to open lay-ups for other Knight players or free throws for himself.

St. Johns doesn’t have a star like Scottie Reynolds or Greg Monroe or Luke Harangody, but they do have a D.J. Kennedy. Kennedy does almost everything on both ends of the court for the Red Storm. He leads the team per game in scoring, assists, steals, and is second in the rebound category by only .1.

Norm Roberts finished with this: “What we have to do is wear them down, we’ve gotta use a lot of bodies, we gotta pressure them defensively, take them outta what they wanna do, and limit their easy opportunities."

Rosario can’t do everything on offense and Ndiaye can’t control the defensive end by himself. If Rutgers wants their second Big East win, they will need others to come up big on both sides of the ball.

Team leaders:

Scoring: Mike Rosario (Rutgers): 15.7 PTS/GM; D.J. Kennedy (St. Johns): 15 PTS/GM

Rebounds: Hamady Ndiaye (Rutgers): 6.4 REB/GM; Sean Evans (St. Johns): 6.5 REB/GM

Assists: Mike Coburn (Rutgers): 3.7 AST/GM; D.J. Kennedy (St. Johns): 3.2 AST/GM

Blocks: Hamady Ndiaye (Rutgers): 4.7 BLK/GM; Dele Coker (St. Johns): 1.2 BLK/GM

Steals: James Beatty (Rutgers): 1.4 STL/GM; D.J. Kennedy (St. Johns): 1.2 STL/GM

Other facts/stats:

Hamady Ndiaye (Rutgers) leads the Big East in blocks with 99 through 21 games. Gavin Edwards (UCONN) is 53 behind Ndiaye for second with only 46.

After leading Rutgers to their first Big East win on the season, Mike Rosario was named to the Big East Conference Honor Roll.

Rutgers’ last victory against St. Johns at the RAC was January 24, 2004.

You can also find this article on moxieTODAY.com

PISCATAWAY —The Rutgers Men’s Basketball team hasn’t tasted a Big East regular season win since March 7, 2009. They got their first bite of one Jan. 30 after defeating Notre Dame 74-73, thanks in large part to Hamady Ndiaye.

Ndiaye shadowed Luke Harangody the majority of the night and held the former 2008 Big East Player of the Year to 19 points, below his Big East-leading average of 24.5 PPG. In the last 33 seconds of the game, Ndiaye blocked two of Harangody’s shots and beat him to an offensive rebound off a missed free throw.

Ndiaye forced Harangody to settle for the outside shot the entire game, resulting in Harangody missing 18 of his 26 shots.

On the offensive end, Mike Rosario of Rutgers couldn’t miss a shot to begin the game: He started off 4-4 from the field. Rosario’s first failed attempt didn't come until the five minute mark of the first half, and he finished the game with 24 points (8-15, 4-8 for three-pointers).

Tim Abromaitis started the game off with a two point lay-up for Notre Dame. Rutgers followed that up with two quick three-point shots to put the score at 6-2. Rutgers held the lead until the 5:58 mark in the first half.

Rutgers gave up the lead when Notre Dame went on a 24-7 run starting at the 12:22 mark of the first half.

Notre Dame led at halftime 35-33.

Rutgers regained the lead at the 17:05 mark of the second half, and wouldn’t look back; a Jonathan Mitchell three-pointer made the score 42-39.

Things got a little interesting, when with less than three minutes to go, Ben Hansbrough hit a jumper that put Notre Dame behind by only two. Then with .08 seconds left and down by four, Hansbrough nailed a three-pointer and tried to convince the refs he was fouled by Ndiaye, flopping backwards into his bench.

There was no call, and Rutgers celebrated their first Big East win this year.

Leaders from the game:

Points: Mike Rosario (Rutgers): 24, Luke Harangody (Notre Dame): 19

Rebounds: Dane Miller (Rutgers): 10, Tim Abromaitis (Notre Dame): 10

Assists: James Beatty (Rutgers): 5, Ben Hansbrough (Notre Dame): 5

Blocks: Hamady Ndiaye (Rutgers): 6, Luke Harangody (Notre Dame): 1

Steals: James Beatty (Rutgers): 3, Tyrone Nash /Ben Hansbrough (Notre Dame): 3

Other stats/facts:

Luke Harangody was 4-0 against Rutgers in his career coming into this game.

Notre Dame defeated Rutgers twice last year. First, during the regular season in Indiana, then once again at the Big East Tournament in the first round.

Ben Hansbrough is the brother of Tyler Hansbrough, the former UNC basketball star and current Indiana Pacer.

You can also find this article and more of my Rutgers articles/columns on moxieTODAY.com

The Rutgers men's basketball program has never been a powerhouse. It hasn't held a national ranking since 1979, hasn't made it past the first round of the NCAA Tournament since 1983, and hasn't appeared in the tournament since 1991.

Four years ago, the Scarlet Knights thought they turned a corner when they hired Fred Hill to take charge of their program, the man who recently helped bring one of the nation's best recruiting classes to Villanova as an assistant coach. 

Head Coach: Fred Hill; 32-60 in 3 years

Previous Season : 11-21 overall; 2-16 Big East (15th)

Departures : G Anthony Farmer, G Corey Chandler, G Earl Pettis, G/F Jaron Griffin, F JR Inman, F Christian Morris

Additions : G James Beatty, G Muhamed Hasani, F Jonathan Mitchell, F Dane Miller, F Austin Johnson, C Brian Okum

Rutgers has struggled to win since Quincy Douby left school early after the 2006-07 season to pursue a career in the NBA.

But the Scarlet Knights might have finally found another star in Mike Rosario as he led the team in scoring as a freshman. 

Last year, Rutgers was inconsistent early in the season as it lost to teams such as Saint Bonaventure, Lehigh, and Binghamton. A 9-4 start turned sour quickly when consecutive losses to North Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Connecticut marked the beginning of a nine game losing streak.

DePaul and South Florida were the only Big East teams the Scarlet Knights were able to defeat all season long.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG James Beatty , 6'2,'' 195 lbs, Jr.

Fred Hill has been searching for a true point guard since being named the head coach, and he finally has one.

Beatty averaged 13.4 points and 7.9 assists for a Miami-Dade Junior College team that had a 26-3 season. As a high school senior, he was named the North Carolina 4A State Player of the Year.

Beatty's arrival could not come at a better time since combo guard Corey Chandler was dismissed in August for violating athletic department policy. The depth at guard was further thinned when Earl Pettis decided to transfer to LaSalle.

Beatty should be able to add creativity to an offense that often has difficulty scoring.

SG Mike Rosario , 6'3," 190 lbs, So. (16.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 39 FG%, 84 FT%)

Rosario was the first McDonald's All-American to attend Rutgers.

He proved the honor was no mistake as he set a freshman scoring record at Rutgers with 517 points. Rosario led the team in 3-point baskets and free-throw shooting percentage.

He worked on his game this summer by playing on Puerto Rico's Under-19 team. Going into the season, Rosario needs to improve his ball handling as he dished out 45 assists while committing 94 turnovers last year.

SF Patrick Jackson , 6'6", 210 lbs So. (0.6 PPG, 0.6 RPG, 7 FG%, 80 FT%)

Coach Hill needed to see enormous improvement out of Jackson after a sub-par freshman year. Jackson did not disappoint on the team's trip to Spain during the off-season.

He led the team in scoring during the four-game trip with nearly 14 points per game. He also displayed a willingness to battle inside by averaging 7.3 rebounds per game.

Based on the numbers he posted in Europe, Jackson is now expected to emerge as one of the most improved players in the Big East.

PF Gregory Echenique , 6'9," 265 lbs, So. (8.4 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 2.4 BPG, 51 FG%, 67 FT%)

Last season, Echenique set the school's freshman rebounding record. His 78 blocks placed him second in school history for rejections for a freshman.

Following a similar path as Rosario, Echenique played for Venezuela's Under-19 team this past summer. The coaching staff is looking for the burly Echenique to average a double-double this year.

C Hamady Ndiaye , 6'11," 235 lbs, Sr. (5.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 2.2 BPG, 59 FG%, 65 FT%)

Despite playing most of the season with back problems, Ndiaye continued to be a defensive presence for Rutgers. Although still limited offensively, Ndiaye proves invaluable with his rebounding and shot-blocking ability.

With Echenique helping inside, Ndiaye can take less chances defensively and stay on the floor for longer periods without fouling out.

Projected Contributors

G Mike Coburn , 6'0," 185 lbs, Jr. (4.0 PPG, 2.1 APG, 1.6 RPG, 40 FG%, 68 FT%)

Coburn is a valuable player off the bench with the ability to play either guard position. He also provides leadership on a team lacking experience.

Coburn needs to keep his turnovers low and increase his shooting range to aid in the improvement of the Scarlet Knights.

G Muhamed Hasani , 6'3", 190 lbs, Fr.

Hasani was offered a scholarship without ever being seen by Coach Hill on the recommendation of Tim O'Shea, the head coach of Bryant.

In 2007, Hasani was recognized by the Basketball Federation of Kosovo as its best player under the age of 21.

Still only 20 years old, Hasani has lots of international experience and will provide Rutgers with another option at point guard.

F Austin Johnson , 6'8", 230 lbs, Fr.

As a senior for Blair Academy in Blairstown, NJ, Johnson averaged 18 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. Johnson will need time to develop but should pick up minutes due to his athleticism and passing ability.

F Tomaz Kokosinski , 6'7", 235 lbs, So.

Kokosinski only participated in three games last season and didn't score a point in any of them. He joined Rutgers as a walk-on and was a member of the 2008-09 Big East All-Academic Team.

Kokosinski is a hard worker in practice, but will find it difficult again to see much playing time.

G Mike Kuhn , 6'1", 185 lbs, So. (0.5 PPG, 0.0 APG, 67 FG%)

Kuhn averaged 1.5 minutes per game last season as a walk-on. As a senior at Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, NJ, he averaged 15.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists while serving as team captain.

Since Rutgers is thin at the guard position, Kuhn's ball-handling skills will probably be put to more use this season.

F Dane Miller , 6'7", 210 lbs, Fr.

Miller is a versatile player who would rather shoot outside than bang inside. He was rated as the 37th-best forward by ESPN.com out of high school.

Miller averaged 21 points and 15 rebounds as a senior at Rush-Henrietta High School in New York. His ability to run the floor will allow Rutgers to play at a faster pace.

F Jonathan Mitchell , 6'7", 225 lbs, Jr.

Mitchell sat out last season as a transfer from the University of Florida. As a true freshman, Mitchell played on a national championship team.

The former New York Mr. Basketball is a natural lefty who averaged 3.1 points and 1.8 rebounds two seasons ago. Mitchell will provide Rutgers with perimeter shooting and rebounding while battling Jackson for a starting spot.

C Brian Okam , 6'11", 245 lbs, Fr.

Okam is a versatile big man who will learn from Ndiaye as he adjusts to the college game. Okam did not play in high school last season because the Florida High School Athletic Association ruled him ineligible to participate.

Key Games

Nov. 14 Marist : It is always good to start off the season with a solid win at home.

Nov. 27 Massachusetts (Legends Classic in Atlantic City): This game will serve as a tool to evaluate how much improved this team really is.

Dec. 28 @North Carolina : Rutgers played well in a losing effort season against the Tar Heels last season.

Jan. 2 Cincinnati: It is vital that the Scarlet Knights start conference play on a positive note.

Feb. 2 St. John's : A key home game against a team Rutgers should be able to handle.

Season Outlook

Rutgers should be able to get to a strong start before facing North Carolina and starting conference play.

Much of Rutgers' success will depend on the play of Beatty at the point guard position. Turnovers have been a problem for the Scarlet Knights recently. Rutgers was next-to-last in the Big East in scoring last year and needs more quality possessions during the course of a game to increase its point production.

Under Hill, the Scarlet Knights have struggled to find more than one productive scorer each year. However, both Rosario and Echenique should average double-digits in points this time around. Based on his play earlier this year, Jackson should be able to establish himself as a reliable scoring option.

Rutgers has only been able to win five conference games over the last two years. This team should win at least that many this season alone. An NCAA bid is unlikely, but a trip to the NIT is a goal that the Scarlet Knights should be able to reach.