With bracketology in the rearview mirror I'm tagging in for bac and taking over the constantly-updating long piece beat. Here is my first stab at the 2022-23 transfer watch. Names in each category are roughly ranked in order of how much I want them to come to Rutgers.
My plan is to keep this first post updated, but whenever I edit it I will make a new post with the rundown of who I've added. Got a name you think should be on here? Let me know!
In The Portal, Confirmed Rutgers Interest
G Marcus Hammond, Niagara (6'3" 173) - A Queens native and three year starter at Niagara, he is a lifetime 39% three point shooter and checks a lot of boxes for what Rutgers needs: ball handling, scoring, facilitating. As the best player on a MAAC team he was counted on to do a lot, so his role would be smaller and more defined at Rutgers. I really want this guy.
PG Sam Sessoms, Penn State (6'0" 189) - Sessoms transferred to PSU from Binghamton. I'm not entirely clear on the new transfer rules. I know everyone gets one freebie, which he's used. He's spent four years in school and is presumably graduating, so I'm not sure if grad transfers get an extra free transfer. In any case, Sessoms upped his shooting, hitting 42% of threes (though only on modest volume) which represented a big improvement over his career numbers. In my opinion he's kind of an empty calories guy, giving you points but taking a lot of shots to get there. And he's nothing special as a facilitator or defender. I'd pass here.
G/F Ithiel Horton, Pittsburgh (6'5" 200) - Originally from New Jersey and started his career at Delaware, so may have so sit out a season. He's a good shooter (39% from three) but doesn't really do a ton else on the court. In his final four games with Pitt for example he didn't attempt a free throw, and he's not really any sort of rebounder. He missed a lot of time at Pitt because of a suspension for an arrest for assaulting a police officer. Charges were dropped.
SG Ethan Wright, Princeton (6'4" 190) - Wright was one of the more efficient guys in the Ivy League this past season... he seems like a solid option but maybe not the best we could get. He's a good shooter but not a great one (39% on threes last season, 37% for his career) and doesn't bring a ton else to the table. He was a good rebounder in the Ivy League but I can't imagine that's going to transfer to the Big Ten at his size. He's not really a ballhandler or facilitator. And he had the luxury of playing with two of the best players in the Ivy League in Tosan Evuomwan and Jaelin Llewellyn (plus two other sharpshooters, both over 40% from 3, in Drew Friberg and Ryan Langborg). So I can't help but feel he's maybe not as well-positioned for success as it may seem.
C Neal Quinn, Lafayette (7'0" 260) - He led Lafayette in usage and, weirdly, assists. Clearly his role would be different (smaller) at a power conference school but he has a decently well-rounded game. He drew a ton of fouls, blocked some shots, grabbed some rebounds, shot free throws at an acceptable clip (66%). He's not a shooter, obviously, but otherwise seems like he can give you what you need from a backup center. I'd worry about how he does defensively especially on the glass: As a team, Lafayette ranked dead last in the Patriot League in giving up offensive rebounds. He's going to be outclassed athletically but if he can give you 85-90% of what Ryan Young gave Northwestern then I think that's acceptable.
He's going to take an official visit to Rutgers. Other report visits: Penn State, Buffalo, Richmond. Assuming Cliff comes back, Quinn would get more playing time at any of those schools. But he's from New Jersey and Rutgers maybe best-positioned to get to the tournament from that group of four schools. He played three season at Lafayette but would be eligible for two more seasons if he wanted.
In The Portal
Consider this section a wishlist of guys who have entered their name, with a slight bump for those who've had interest from Rutgers in the past.
F Jalen Bridges, West Virginia (6'7" 225) - If you want a near one-for-one Ron Harper Jr. replacement this is your guy. He's been a very strong offensive player for the Mountaineers in two seasons, leading the Big 12 in three-point percentage as a freshman. He shot a more pedestrian 33% as a sophomore but still had a great offensive rating thanks to free throws, two point efficiency, and the fact he never turns the ball over. I haven't seen a "Bridges is hearing from these schools" list but he'd be one of my first phone calls if I were Pikiell. West Virginia native so who knows if he'd want to play in the Big Ten, but I hope we throw our hat in the ring.
PG Camryn Winter, Drexel (6'2" 185) - Originally from Long Island, Winter has led the CAA in assist rate the past two seasons. He's been an up-and-down shooter, canning 41% last year but just 28% this year. He does most of his work inside the arc where he's been... decent against CAA defenses. He doesn't draw as many fouls for a guy with a ton of two point attempts so I'm guessing he's taking a lot of two point jumpers. Cut that part of his game out and ask him to run the offense without shouldering the scoring load and I think he can be a really good stopgap/mentor to help ease Derek Simpson in.
SG Tyreke Key, Indiana State (6'3" 205) - I'm putting pretty low odds that Rutgers would be able to get into the mix for the Tennessee native but he was a dynamic scorer at Indiana State before missing the 2021-22 season with shoulder surgery. He was teammates at ISU with Jake LaRavia who just had a fantastic season at Wake Forest.
F/C Grant Basile, Wright State (6'9" 225) - Basile is basically what you'd get if you stuck Dean Reiber on a Horizon League team for four seasons. He had his big breakout between his sophomore and junior years, turning into a super-efficient scorer who could stretch the floor. He would even bring the ball up the floor for the Raiders at times. His three point shooting dipped in 2022 (down to 28.5%) but he's a threat from outside and a load to deal with inside. He's originally from Wisconsin so look for the Badgers here.
G/F Cam Spencer, Loyola Maryland (6'4" 207) - Spencer was maybe the Patriot League's best player last season, filling the stat sheet as a great scorer but also throwing in some assists and some defense as well. He's a 39% career three point shooter and he's been good inside the arc, too. How that translates to major college basketball is a legit question but he'll have a long list of teams interested.
SG Michael Jones, Davidson (6'5" 210) - A shooter from Big Ten country (Minnesota), Jones is over 40% from three for his career. He's sort of limited in what he can do and the offensive system at Davidson is practically tailor-made to make guys like him look good, but he has enough game and is a good enough shooter to carve out a role on a high major.
F Antonio Reeves, Illinois State (6'6" 185) - A breakout player as a junior (20 ppg) after two "meh" seasons at Illinois State. He shot 38% on threes and 51% on twos on a ton of volume and basically never left the court. The risk here would be that you add him and count on him as a major piece and he regresses back a bit to how he was as a freshman and sophomore. But if the breakout is real then he's going to be a very good player at the high major level.
PG Jao Ituka, Marist (6'1" 196) - He was lightly recruited despite playing with Jordan Hawkins (UConn) in high school but he was incredible at Marist considering his insanely high usage. He was one of the best players in the country at getting to the free throw line, an efficient scorer on two pointers, and even hit 41% of his three pointers although he only attempted 39 of them. He's got a ways to go in terms of distributing but the prospect of playing him along with Paul Mulcahy is very, very enticing.
PG Camren Wynter, Drexel (6'2" 185) - A four year starter originally from New York, Wynter has been an iron man and among the nation's leaders in minutes played in his career. That's made it hard to him to truly maximize his efficiency but over his career he's shown off his skills as a distributor and a shooter, although the shot has come and gone -- only 28% from 3 as a senior. Still, I love that he's been a floor general for four seasons and he led the CAA in assist rate the past two years.
PG Andre Curbelo, Illinois (6'1" 175) - In my opinion Curbelo is exactly the sort of guy Rutgers should be going after: a former highly-rated recruit who has already produced at a high level (Big Ten 6th man of the year as a freshman) but is a buy-low candidate coming off a season where injuries totally prevented him from building anything. To be clear, there are some major drawbacks to his game (outside shooting and turnovers) but is a potential gamechanger as a primary ballhandler. Like, he could be the best PG in the Big Ten. That's not a crazy take. My hunch is that the Rutgers staff would have very little interest in him given his bust potential, which is fine. Curbelo is a guy I'd love to take a chance on, but I'd also love if he went to SHU and then I could root for him to wreck that offense. Just a really fascinating edge case.
PG Rahsool Diggins, UConn (6'2" 175) - A Philadelphia guy who got an offer from Rutgers but doesn't seem to have seriously considered us. He did basically nothing at UConn, only playing in garbage time, but I'd absolutely take a chance on a former top-60 recruit.
G/F Shane Dezonie, Vanderbilt (6'5" 215) - Another former Rutgers offeree who played at Hudson Catholic before finishing his career at a New Hampshire prep school. Originally signed with Arizona, then switched to Vanderbilt with the Wildcats coaching change. He didn't play much for the 'Dores but he did make 14 of 25 three pointers attempted. Ranked #100 in his class at the time.
PG Dashawn Davis, Oregon State (6'2" 185) - Ordinarily I would not have much interest in the PG of a team that went 3-29, but the talent around Davis was just so terrible that his average numbers actually look decent with the context. He led the Pac-12 in assist rate and was a solid scorer inside (54%). The big drawback to his game was his three point shooting, where he went 9-48. But Davis, a New York native who originally committed to Seton Hall before going the JUCO route, was a decent shooter at that JUCO. If he can bump that number to 30% (still bad) while maintaining the rest of his game, he'd be a very solid option.
C Wildens Leveque, South Carolina (6'10" 255) - The big man is a Massachussetts native so there's a good chance he follows former SCar coach Frank Martin to UMass. Probably doubtful that he's looking for a backup role, but for those looking for a Shaq Carter type, he's your man. He's a pretty good scorer, but not a go-to guy. He's only an okay rebounder, a bad foul shooter, but he'll block some shots. He'd be a very good option as a backup center but with Cliff and Reiber it doesn't feel like Rutgers would be very appealing to him.
PG Isaiah Thompson, Purdue (6'1" 160) - He's probably not a good fit for Rutgers because I don't like his defense or his ability to lead a Big Ten offense -- his minutes got seriously cut down the stretch for Purdue. But if the staff is on the prowl for a shooter they could do a lot worse than Thompson who's at 39% for his career.
G Desmond Cambridge, Nevada (6'4" 180) - Cambridge played high school ball at The Hun School in Princeton and started his career at Brown before transferring to Nevada. He's been more volume than efficiency at both stops, including a truly horrid sophomore year at Brown (he may have been playing hurt). He's already sat out a year transferring but presumably this is a grad transfer so he'd be eligible right away, and it'd be his sixth year in college. When he's the floor, he gets shots up which is something Rutgers needs but Pikiell may not necessarily want. He has really great block numbers for a guard and decent steal numbers too, so I think he could be an asset defensively.
PG Joe Toussaint, Iowa (6'0" 190) - He's strong, he's stocky, he's fast, he's a good defender... but I'm not sure he's much of a helpful asset overall. He can't hit a jumpshot and, unlike Curbelo, doesn't really get to the rim. His athleticism and footspeed doesn't translate into layups the way it does for Curbelo. He's originally from the Bronx but for three years he's been an inefficient player in Iowa's offense and frankly if you can't be efficient when you're surrounded by Luka Garza, Jordan Bohannon, the Murray twins, Wieskamp then I have grave concerns about your ability to lead a Big Ten offense without any players of that caliber. He's a pass for me.
PG Khristian Lander, Indiana (6'2" 185) - Lander did the dumbest thing you can do as a point guard and reclassified from the class of 2021 to the class of 2020. A former 5-star, he very clearly was not ready for the Big Ten (especially since the summer of 2020 was COVID) and he never became even a reliable bench option for the Hoosiers. It'll be interesting to see where he lands because the gap between his pedigree and his production is probably wider than anyone else's. I doubt Rutgers will be interested.
F Taylor Funk, St. Joseph's (6'8" 215) - The Pennsylvania native (Lancaster) has been a very good shooter for the Hawks. He's shot above 35% from three in 3/4 years (there was also an injury-shortened season) and he's also been good inside the arc and at the free throw line. He's sort of the best-case outcome for what Dean Reiber could become. I'm not sure if Rutgers will be interested with Reiber on the roster, but Funk would be a solid addition at the 4 for a high-major program. Not a gamechanger but a guy who can really flourish in a smaller role.
F Jaylon Gibson, NC State (6'10" 220) - He was offered by Rutgers and at least was discussing a visit during his recruitment. He wound up committing to Wake Forest but decommitted when Danny Manning was fired. A bunch of high-majors pursued him after that (Rutgers seemed to have cooled on him by then) and he wound up at NC State. After hardly playing as a freshman he saw the court more as a sophomore in 2022 including a handful of starts. He was relatively effective but his on-court role was extremely limited, just a 10% shot rate. That's lower than everyone on Rutgers this season except Jalen Miller. Hasn't been much of a shooter (sub-50% from the line and only one 3 point attempt in two seasons).
F Jaiden Delaire, Stanford (6'9" 215) - A Connecticut native and former top-100 recruit, Delaire never clicked into anything more than an empty-calories guy. He's been a double-digit scorer as a junior and senior but his career-best offensive rating is 97.2 and he's a career 28% three point shooter. Worth a look for his perceived potential but he'd need to make a leap to make it worth it. That can't be ruled out since I don't think Jerod Haase at Stanford is a very good coach. But when a guy leads a team in usage and that team is bad... it makes you wonder. But if we need a guy to come in and put shots up, Delaire is qualified.
C Payton Sparks, Ball State (6'9" 240) - An Indiana native who is transferring after one year at Ball State where he rated in the top 5 in the MAC in both offensive and defensive rebounding, and led the conference in fouls drawn per 40 minutes. He's gotten a lot of high-major interest already though Rutgers does not appear to be in on him (no surprise considering Quinn is the top target).
F Sam Griesel, North Dakota State (6'6" 220) - From Big Ten country, I assume Fred Hoiberg and the Huskers have the inside track on this Lincoln native. He was a solid player at NDSU for three seasons before exploding as a senior, shooting 39% on three pointers and getting to the free throw line almost at will. A bunch of high majors have reached out (Rutgers not among them). He's the sort of guy I would stay away from in the portal. Great stats but he's only been THAT good once and the Summit League is famous to playing next to no defense.
C Jaylan Gainey, Brown (6'9" 220) - He's been top 5 in the Ivy League in both offensive and defensive rebounding the past two seasons (2022 and 2020) and acquitted himself well in games against UNC, Syracuse, and Maryland this season. Very efficient scorer at the Ivy level. Has received interest from Boston College, Penn State, and a handful of others. Originally from North Carolina.
Wing Sean Durugordon, Missouri (6'5" 215) - From Queens and played HS ball in Connecticut. Rutgers had some reported interest but it appears never officially offered him. He wound up as Missouri, choosing them over Georgia, Depaul, VCU, and some other mid-majors. He barely played (and Missouri was baaaaad and needed all the help it could get) and wasn't every effective when he did so the mid-major level (A-10, CAA) might be more appropriate.
G Joe Bamisile, George Washington (6'4" 195) - He's bounced around a lot already, from Northwestern commit to Virginia Tech signee to George Washington transfer. My assumption is he's burned his free transfer and would need to sit a year. A former 4-star prospect who really ramped it up late during A-10 play this season, hitting 39% of 115 three pointers in conference play. His game is a little rough around the edges -- he turned the ball over at least once in every single game this season -- but he's the type of guy who could do more if he's asked to do less. Will a player who's already transferred twice be happy with a smaller role? Seems doubtful but you never know.
F Jayden Martinez, New Hampshire (6'7" 215) - Martinez has played four seasons at UNH so he'd be one-and-done at his destination. He's been a great three point shooter the past two seasons, above 40%, but his free throw number is below 70% and he was bad from behind the arc as a freshman and sophomore. Without looking up any video, he feels like the kind of guy fans are excited to get but then he doesn't wind up making that much of an impact.
PG Jaelin Llewellyn, Princeton (6'2" 185) - Former top-100 recruit who really blossomed at Princeton after he was quite bad as a freshman. Shot 38% on threes but his career mark is only 32.5% and his free throw % of 71.8% makes me think he's probably only a slightly above-average shooter at best. He did help lead the best offense in the Ivy League. He's getting a ton of high-major buzz but Rutgers hasn't been on the list. Does a guy from Canada really just want to schlep up Route 1 to New Brunswick? I doubt it, and frankly there will be better guards in the portal to come.
C Isaiah Cottrell, West Virginia (6'10" 245) - A former 4-star prospect from Las Vegas who visited Rutgers as a recruit. He hardly played as a freshman at WVU but saw a bunch of action as a sophomore and... was really not good at all. He shot under 35% from the field which is a horrific number for anyone, let along a big man who should be getting a fair number of putbacks and dunks. There's nothing in his stats that say he's a worthy high-major player, but he's a former 4-star who had a Rutgers offer so you never know.
Not In The Portal (Yet?)
Because this section could theoretically include every player in America, I'm going to limit it to those who I see as having a reason to eventually be in the portal (mostly coaches leaving)
CG Nijel Pack, Kansas State (6'0" 180) - With Bruce Weber resigning it's about to be open season on Kansas State's roster. I think guys will put their names in the portal even if they wind up returning, like many on Indiana did last season. Anyway, Pack is from Big Ten country (Indianapolis) but Indiana and Purdue did not offer... though Butler did. Pack has been a terrific shooter (43% from 3) and showed point guard skills before moving off the ball more with Markquis Nowell transferring in to Kansas State. I would take this guy in an instant but I assume we'd have to get in a long line of potential suitors if he were to enter his name.
F/C Zach Freemantle, Xavier (6-9 220) - The Teaneck native played three seasons for the Musketeers and hasn't quite blossomed the way I thought he might after a solid freshman campaign, but he's an experienced frontcourt player who can do a little of everything. He played better as a sophomore before Xavier brought Jack Nunge in. As a sophomore, Freemantle ranked second in the Big East in defensive rebounding rate while scoring efficiently inside. He's not a good shooter (30.5% from three, 67% at the stripe) but he's enough of a threat to shoot from beyond the arc that defenses would need to account for him. With Xavier firing head coach Travis Steeler, he'd be a perfect guy to give Rutgers minutes at both the 4 and 5.
G/F Niels Lane, Florida (6'5" 206) - From New Jersey and was teammates with Cliff at Roselle Catholic. Played sparingly but then averaged close to 20 minutes in the Gators last ten games including a 16 point 9 rebound effort against Texas A&M in the SEC tournament. The major red flag here is the shooting: Just 1-13 on three pointers in his career. Florida coach Mike White left for Georgia so we'll see if Lane decides to depart as well.
F Jabri Abdur-Rahim, Georgia (6'8" 210) - A former top 40 prospect, Abdur-Rahim originally went to Virginia (where he didn't play) and then transferred to Georgia (where he was the sixth man on a very bad team). Now Georgia is moving on from Tom Crean and I presume new coach Mike White is going to try hard to retain Jabri. He's already used his free transfer so he might have to sit out, but if there's any interest in returning to New Jersey I'd rather we get him than Seton Hall. His stats are nothing special but similar to Jacob Young I'd bet on the potential and the pedigree (his dad is Shareef Abdur-Rahim... one complicating factor is that Shareef is the G-League president so maybe he pulls something off to get his son in there).
F DeAndre Pinckney, Southern Miss (6'8" 206) - Rutgers had offered him as a JUCO. He was just about the only bright spot for a brutally bad Southern Miss team (340th in KenPom). Even then his role wasn't that big so he'd be purely a depth piece in the Big Ten and not a 20+ minutes guy.
PG Zion Harmon, Western Kentucky (5'10" 160) - A weird case here. Harmon was a 4* PG who chose WKU over Seton Hall, Maryland, and Murray State but never enrolled at WKU due to "personal reasons." His name isn't officially in the portal yet so he may yet enroll and play for the Hilltoppers. WKU has not made a tournament under Rick Stansbury so who knows if they bring him back.
My plan is to keep this first post updated, but whenever I edit it I will make a new post with the rundown of who I've added. Got a name you think should be on here? Let me know!
In The Portal, Confirmed Rutgers Interest
G Marcus Hammond, Niagara (6'3" 173) - A Queens native and three year starter at Niagara, he is a lifetime 39% three point shooter and checks a lot of boxes for what Rutgers needs: ball handling, scoring, facilitating. As the best player on a MAAC team he was counted on to do a lot, so his role would be smaller and more defined at Rutgers. I really want this guy.
PG Sam Sessoms, Penn State (6'0" 189) - Sessoms transferred to PSU from Binghamton. I'm not entirely clear on the new transfer rules. I know everyone gets one freebie, which he's used. He's spent four years in school and is presumably graduating, so I'm not sure if grad transfers get an extra free transfer. In any case, Sessoms upped his shooting, hitting 42% of threes (though only on modest volume) which represented a big improvement over his career numbers. In my opinion he's kind of an empty calories guy, giving you points but taking a lot of shots to get there. And he's nothing special as a facilitator or defender. I'd pass here.
G/F Ithiel Horton, Pittsburgh (6'5" 200) - Originally from New Jersey and started his career at Delaware, so may have so sit out a season. He's a good shooter (39% from three) but doesn't really do a ton else on the court. In his final four games with Pitt for example he didn't attempt a free throw, and he's not really any sort of rebounder. He missed a lot of time at Pitt because of a suspension for an arrest for assaulting a police officer. Charges were dropped.
SG Ethan Wright, Princeton (6'4" 190) - Wright was one of the more efficient guys in the Ivy League this past season... he seems like a solid option but maybe not the best we could get. He's a good shooter but not a great one (39% on threes last season, 37% for his career) and doesn't bring a ton else to the table. He was a good rebounder in the Ivy League but I can't imagine that's going to transfer to the Big Ten at his size. He's not really a ballhandler or facilitator. And he had the luxury of playing with two of the best players in the Ivy League in Tosan Evuomwan and Jaelin Llewellyn (plus two other sharpshooters, both over 40% from 3, in Drew Friberg and Ryan Langborg). So I can't help but feel he's maybe not as well-positioned for success as it may seem.
C Neal Quinn, Lafayette (7'0" 260) - He led Lafayette in usage and, weirdly, assists. Clearly his role would be different (smaller) at a power conference school but he has a decently well-rounded game. He drew a ton of fouls, blocked some shots, grabbed some rebounds, shot free throws at an acceptable clip (66%). He's not a shooter, obviously, but otherwise seems like he can give you what you need from a backup center. I'd worry about how he does defensively especially on the glass: As a team, Lafayette ranked dead last in the Patriot League in giving up offensive rebounds. He's going to be outclassed athletically but if he can give you 85-90% of what Ryan Young gave Northwestern then I think that's acceptable.
He's going to take an official visit to Rutgers. Other report visits: Penn State, Buffalo, Richmond. Assuming Cliff comes back, Quinn would get more playing time at any of those schools. But he's from New Jersey and Rutgers maybe best-positioned to get to the tournament from that group of four schools. He played three season at Lafayette but would be eligible for two more seasons if he wanted.
In The Portal
Consider this section a wishlist of guys who have entered their name, with a slight bump for those who've had interest from Rutgers in the past.
F Jalen Bridges, West Virginia (6'7" 225) - If you want a near one-for-one Ron Harper Jr. replacement this is your guy. He's been a very strong offensive player for the Mountaineers in two seasons, leading the Big 12 in three-point percentage as a freshman. He shot a more pedestrian 33% as a sophomore but still had a great offensive rating thanks to free throws, two point efficiency, and the fact he never turns the ball over. I haven't seen a "Bridges is hearing from these schools" list but he'd be one of my first phone calls if I were Pikiell. West Virginia native so who knows if he'd want to play in the Big Ten, but I hope we throw our hat in the ring.
PG Camryn Winter, Drexel (6'2" 185) - Originally from Long Island, Winter has led the CAA in assist rate the past two seasons. He's been an up-and-down shooter, canning 41% last year but just 28% this year. He does most of his work inside the arc where he's been... decent against CAA defenses. He doesn't draw as many fouls for a guy with a ton of two point attempts so I'm guessing he's taking a lot of two point jumpers. Cut that part of his game out and ask him to run the offense without shouldering the scoring load and I think he can be a really good stopgap/mentor to help ease Derek Simpson in.
SG Tyreke Key, Indiana State (6'3" 205) - I'm putting pretty low odds that Rutgers would be able to get into the mix for the Tennessee native but he was a dynamic scorer at Indiana State before missing the 2021-22 season with shoulder surgery. He was teammates at ISU with Jake LaRavia who just had a fantastic season at Wake Forest.
F/C Grant Basile, Wright State (6'9" 225) - Basile is basically what you'd get if you stuck Dean Reiber on a Horizon League team for four seasons. He had his big breakout between his sophomore and junior years, turning into a super-efficient scorer who could stretch the floor. He would even bring the ball up the floor for the Raiders at times. His three point shooting dipped in 2022 (down to 28.5%) but he's a threat from outside and a load to deal with inside. He's originally from Wisconsin so look for the Badgers here.
G/F Cam Spencer, Loyola Maryland (6'4" 207) - Spencer was maybe the Patriot League's best player last season, filling the stat sheet as a great scorer but also throwing in some assists and some defense as well. He's a 39% career three point shooter and he's been good inside the arc, too. How that translates to major college basketball is a legit question but he'll have a long list of teams interested.
SG Michael Jones, Davidson (6'5" 210) - A shooter from Big Ten country (Minnesota), Jones is over 40% from three for his career. He's sort of limited in what he can do and the offensive system at Davidson is practically tailor-made to make guys like him look good, but he has enough game and is a good enough shooter to carve out a role on a high major.
F Antonio Reeves, Illinois State (6'6" 185) - A breakout player as a junior (20 ppg) after two "meh" seasons at Illinois State. He shot 38% on threes and 51% on twos on a ton of volume and basically never left the court. The risk here would be that you add him and count on him as a major piece and he regresses back a bit to how he was as a freshman and sophomore. But if the breakout is real then he's going to be a very good player at the high major level.
PG Jao Ituka, Marist (6'1" 196) - He was lightly recruited despite playing with Jordan Hawkins (UConn) in high school but he was incredible at Marist considering his insanely high usage. He was one of the best players in the country at getting to the free throw line, an efficient scorer on two pointers, and even hit 41% of his three pointers although he only attempted 39 of them. He's got a ways to go in terms of distributing but the prospect of playing him along with Paul Mulcahy is very, very enticing.
PG Camren Wynter, Drexel (6'2" 185) - A four year starter originally from New York, Wynter has been an iron man and among the nation's leaders in minutes played in his career. That's made it hard to him to truly maximize his efficiency but over his career he's shown off his skills as a distributor and a shooter, although the shot has come and gone -- only 28% from 3 as a senior. Still, I love that he's been a floor general for four seasons and he led the CAA in assist rate the past two years.
PG Andre Curbelo, Illinois (6'1" 175) - In my opinion Curbelo is exactly the sort of guy Rutgers should be going after: a former highly-rated recruit who has already produced at a high level (Big Ten 6th man of the year as a freshman) but is a buy-low candidate coming off a season where injuries totally prevented him from building anything. To be clear, there are some major drawbacks to his game (outside shooting and turnovers) but is a potential gamechanger as a primary ballhandler. Like, he could be the best PG in the Big Ten. That's not a crazy take. My hunch is that the Rutgers staff would have very little interest in him given his bust potential, which is fine. Curbelo is a guy I'd love to take a chance on, but I'd also love if he went to SHU and then I could root for him to wreck that offense. Just a really fascinating edge case.
PG Rahsool Diggins, UConn (6'2" 175) - A Philadelphia guy who got an offer from Rutgers but doesn't seem to have seriously considered us. He did basically nothing at UConn, only playing in garbage time, but I'd absolutely take a chance on a former top-60 recruit.
G/F Shane Dezonie, Vanderbilt (6'5" 215) - Another former Rutgers offeree who played at Hudson Catholic before finishing his career at a New Hampshire prep school. Originally signed with Arizona, then switched to Vanderbilt with the Wildcats coaching change. He didn't play much for the 'Dores but he did make 14 of 25 three pointers attempted. Ranked #100 in his class at the time.
PG Dashawn Davis, Oregon State (6'2" 185) - Ordinarily I would not have much interest in the PG of a team that went 3-29, but the talent around Davis was just so terrible that his average numbers actually look decent with the context. He led the Pac-12 in assist rate and was a solid scorer inside (54%). The big drawback to his game was his three point shooting, where he went 9-48. But Davis, a New York native who originally committed to Seton Hall before going the JUCO route, was a decent shooter at that JUCO. If he can bump that number to 30% (still bad) while maintaining the rest of his game, he'd be a very solid option.
C Wildens Leveque, South Carolina (6'10" 255) - The big man is a Massachussetts native so there's a good chance he follows former SCar coach Frank Martin to UMass. Probably doubtful that he's looking for a backup role, but for those looking for a Shaq Carter type, he's your man. He's a pretty good scorer, but not a go-to guy. He's only an okay rebounder, a bad foul shooter, but he'll block some shots. He'd be a very good option as a backup center but with Cliff and Reiber it doesn't feel like Rutgers would be very appealing to him.
PG Isaiah Thompson, Purdue (6'1" 160) - He's probably not a good fit for Rutgers because I don't like his defense or his ability to lead a Big Ten offense -- his minutes got seriously cut down the stretch for Purdue. But if the staff is on the prowl for a shooter they could do a lot worse than Thompson who's at 39% for his career.
G Desmond Cambridge, Nevada (6'4" 180) - Cambridge played high school ball at The Hun School in Princeton and started his career at Brown before transferring to Nevada. He's been more volume than efficiency at both stops, including a truly horrid sophomore year at Brown (he may have been playing hurt). He's already sat out a year transferring but presumably this is a grad transfer so he'd be eligible right away, and it'd be his sixth year in college. When he's the floor, he gets shots up which is something Rutgers needs but Pikiell may not necessarily want. He has really great block numbers for a guard and decent steal numbers too, so I think he could be an asset defensively.
PG Joe Toussaint, Iowa (6'0" 190) - He's strong, he's stocky, he's fast, he's a good defender... but I'm not sure he's much of a helpful asset overall. He can't hit a jumpshot and, unlike Curbelo, doesn't really get to the rim. His athleticism and footspeed doesn't translate into layups the way it does for Curbelo. He's originally from the Bronx but for three years he's been an inefficient player in Iowa's offense and frankly if you can't be efficient when you're surrounded by Luka Garza, Jordan Bohannon, the Murray twins, Wieskamp then I have grave concerns about your ability to lead a Big Ten offense without any players of that caliber. He's a pass for me.
PG Khristian Lander, Indiana (6'2" 185) - Lander did the dumbest thing you can do as a point guard and reclassified from the class of 2021 to the class of 2020. A former 5-star, he very clearly was not ready for the Big Ten (especially since the summer of 2020 was COVID) and he never became even a reliable bench option for the Hoosiers. It'll be interesting to see where he lands because the gap between his pedigree and his production is probably wider than anyone else's. I doubt Rutgers will be interested.
F Taylor Funk, St. Joseph's (6'8" 215) - The Pennsylvania native (Lancaster) has been a very good shooter for the Hawks. He's shot above 35% from three in 3/4 years (there was also an injury-shortened season) and he's also been good inside the arc and at the free throw line. He's sort of the best-case outcome for what Dean Reiber could become. I'm not sure if Rutgers will be interested with Reiber on the roster, but Funk would be a solid addition at the 4 for a high-major program. Not a gamechanger but a guy who can really flourish in a smaller role.
F Jaylon Gibson, NC State (6'10" 220) - He was offered by Rutgers and at least was discussing a visit during his recruitment. He wound up committing to Wake Forest but decommitted when Danny Manning was fired. A bunch of high-majors pursued him after that (Rutgers seemed to have cooled on him by then) and he wound up at NC State. After hardly playing as a freshman he saw the court more as a sophomore in 2022 including a handful of starts. He was relatively effective but his on-court role was extremely limited, just a 10% shot rate. That's lower than everyone on Rutgers this season except Jalen Miller. Hasn't been much of a shooter (sub-50% from the line and only one 3 point attempt in two seasons).
F Jaiden Delaire, Stanford (6'9" 215) - A Connecticut native and former top-100 recruit, Delaire never clicked into anything more than an empty-calories guy. He's been a double-digit scorer as a junior and senior but his career-best offensive rating is 97.2 and he's a career 28% three point shooter. Worth a look for his perceived potential but he'd need to make a leap to make it worth it. That can't be ruled out since I don't think Jerod Haase at Stanford is a very good coach. But when a guy leads a team in usage and that team is bad... it makes you wonder. But if we need a guy to come in and put shots up, Delaire is qualified.
C Payton Sparks, Ball State (6'9" 240) - An Indiana native who is transferring after one year at Ball State where he rated in the top 5 in the MAC in both offensive and defensive rebounding, and led the conference in fouls drawn per 40 minutes. He's gotten a lot of high-major interest already though Rutgers does not appear to be in on him (no surprise considering Quinn is the top target).
F Sam Griesel, North Dakota State (6'6" 220) - From Big Ten country, I assume Fred Hoiberg and the Huskers have the inside track on this Lincoln native. He was a solid player at NDSU for three seasons before exploding as a senior, shooting 39% on three pointers and getting to the free throw line almost at will. A bunch of high majors have reached out (Rutgers not among them). He's the sort of guy I would stay away from in the portal. Great stats but he's only been THAT good once and the Summit League is famous to playing next to no defense.
C Jaylan Gainey, Brown (6'9" 220) - He's been top 5 in the Ivy League in both offensive and defensive rebounding the past two seasons (2022 and 2020) and acquitted himself well in games against UNC, Syracuse, and Maryland this season. Very efficient scorer at the Ivy level. Has received interest from Boston College, Penn State, and a handful of others. Originally from North Carolina.
Wing Sean Durugordon, Missouri (6'5" 215) - From Queens and played HS ball in Connecticut. Rutgers had some reported interest but it appears never officially offered him. He wound up as Missouri, choosing them over Georgia, Depaul, VCU, and some other mid-majors. He barely played (and Missouri was baaaaad and needed all the help it could get) and wasn't every effective when he did so the mid-major level (A-10, CAA) might be more appropriate.
G Joe Bamisile, George Washington (6'4" 195) - He's bounced around a lot already, from Northwestern commit to Virginia Tech signee to George Washington transfer. My assumption is he's burned his free transfer and would need to sit a year. A former 4-star prospect who really ramped it up late during A-10 play this season, hitting 39% of 115 three pointers in conference play. His game is a little rough around the edges -- he turned the ball over at least once in every single game this season -- but he's the type of guy who could do more if he's asked to do less. Will a player who's already transferred twice be happy with a smaller role? Seems doubtful but you never know.
F Jayden Martinez, New Hampshire (6'7" 215) - Martinez has played four seasons at UNH so he'd be one-and-done at his destination. He's been a great three point shooter the past two seasons, above 40%, but his free throw number is below 70% and he was bad from behind the arc as a freshman and sophomore. Without looking up any video, he feels like the kind of guy fans are excited to get but then he doesn't wind up making that much of an impact.
PG Jaelin Llewellyn, Princeton (6'2" 185) - Former top-100 recruit who really blossomed at Princeton after he was quite bad as a freshman. Shot 38% on threes but his career mark is only 32.5% and his free throw % of 71.8% makes me think he's probably only a slightly above-average shooter at best. He did help lead the best offense in the Ivy League. He's getting a ton of high-major buzz but Rutgers hasn't been on the list. Does a guy from Canada really just want to schlep up Route 1 to New Brunswick? I doubt it, and frankly there will be better guards in the portal to come.
C Isaiah Cottrell, West Virginia (6'10" 245) - A former 4-star prospect from Las Vegas who visited Rutgers as a recruit. He hardly played as a freshman at WVU but saw a bunch of action as a sophomore and... was really not good at all. He shot under 35% from the field which is a horrific number for anyone, let along a big man who should be getting a fair number of putbacks and dunks. There's nothing in his stats that say he's a worthy high-major player, but he's a former 4-star who had a Rutgers offer so you never know.
Not In The Portal (Yet?)
Because this section could theoretically include every player in America, I'm going to limit it to those who I see as having a reason to eventually be in the portal (mostly coaches leaving)
CG Nijel Pack, Kansas State (6'0" 180) - With Bruce Weber resigning it's about to be open season on Kansas State's roster. I think guys will put their names in the portal even if they wind up returning, like many on Indiana did last season. Anyway, Pack is from Big Ten country (Indianapolis) but Indiana and Purdue did not offer... though Butler did. Pack has been a terrific shooter (43% from 3) and showed point guard skills before moving off the ball more with Markquis Nowell transferring in to Kansas State. I would take this guy in an instant but I assume we'd have to get in a long line of potential suitors if he were to enter his name.
F/C Zach Freemantle, Xavier (6-9 220) - The Teaneck native played three seasons for the Musketeers and hasn't quite blossomed the way I thought he might after a solid freshman campaign, but he's an experienced frontcourt player who can do a little of everything. He played better as a sophomore before Xavier brought Jack Nunge in. As a sophomore, Freemantle ranked second in the Big East in defensive rebounding rate while scoring efficiently inside. He's not a good shooter (30.5% from three, 67% at the stripe) but he's enough of a threat to shoot from beyond the arc that defenses would need to account for him. With Xavier firing head coach Travis Steeler, he'd be a perfect guy to give Rutgers minutes at both the 4 and 5.
G/F Niels Lane, Florida (6'5" 206) - From New Jersey and was teammates with Cliff at Roselle Catholic. Played sparingly but then averaged close to 20 minutes in the Gators last ten games including a 16 point 9 rebound effort against Texas A&M in the SEC tournament. The major red flag here is the shooting: Just 1-13 on three pointers in his career. Florida coach Mike White left for Georgia so we'll see if Lane decides to depart as well.
F Jabri Abdur-Rahim, Georgia (6'8" 210) - A former top 40 prospect, Abdur-Rahim originally went to Virginia (where he didn't play) and then transferred to Georgia (where he was the sixth man on a very bad team). Now Georgia is moving on from Tom Crean and I presume new coach Mike White is going to try hard to retain Jabri. He's already used his free transfer so he might have to sit out, but if there's any interest in returning to New Jersey I'd rather we get him than Seton Hall. His stats are nothing special but similar to Jacob Young I'd bet on the potential and the pedigree (his dad is Shareef Abdur-Rahim... one complicating factor is that Shareef is the G-League president so maybe he pulls something off to get his son in there).
F DeAndre Pinckney, Southern Miss (6'8" 206) - Rutgers had offered him as a JUCO. He was just about the only bright spot for a brutally bad Southern Miss team (340th in KenPom). Even then his role wasn't that big so he'd be purely a depth piece in the Big Ten and not a 20+ minutes guy.
PG Zion Harmon, Western Kentucky (5'10" 160) - A weird case here. Harmon was a 4* PG who chose WKU over Seton Hall, Maryland, and Murray State but never enrolled at WKU due to "personal reasons." His name isn't officially in the portal yet so he may yet enroll and play for the Hilltoppers. WKU has not made a tournament under Rick Stansbury so who knows if they bring him back.
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