With the announcement that Rutgers will decline any postseason tournaments, the 2024-25 season is officially, officially over.
What might next year look like?
Known departures, by career minutes played at Rutgers:
1000 - Ace Bailey
945 - Dylan Harper
522 - Zach Martini
497 - Tyson Acuff
256 - PJ Hayes
That accounts for 49.3% of minutes played this season, so at maximum we'd be returning just 50.7% of minutes from this year.
Remaining players eligible for 2025-26, by career minutes played at Rutgers:
1291 - Jamichael Davis (2 seasons)
1074 - Jeremiah Williams (2 seasons)
670 - Lathan Sommerville
527 - Jordan Derkack
394 - Dylan Grant
386 - Emmanuel Ogbole (2 seasons)
78 - Bryce Dortch
0 - Chris Nwuli
0 - Lino Mark
0 - Gevonte Ware
0 - Kaden Powers
With the roster limit increasing to 15, that means we technically have 4 open scholarships right now provided no one leaves... but we have to assume that there will be at least one departure to the portal.
The question is how much attention (and NIL money) should be paid to retain talent vs. bringing in transfers. I know a lot of people want nearly a clean sweep of the roster, and to again roll into next year with only 2-3 guys who have ever suited up in scarlet. I've been pretty consistent in my feeling that Pike needs continuity for his defenses to work - he needs time to instill concepts, and he needs fully-versed guys on the floor making live corrections to their teammates.
This is my priority for retention for next year:
1. Lathan Sommerville - High upside on offense, plenty of room to improve on defense. Had a strong freshman year, and would benefit the most from a full offseason of S&C, film study, and defensive game reps. He has things that are hard to teach (FT%, post offense instincts) and needs to work on the areas of his game that can grow with more reps (defensive positioning, passing out of the post, overall decision making).
2. Jamichael Davis - Might be a controversial #2 pick, but he brings culture/defense carryover and can help the younger guards (Powers/Mark) and transfer guard(s) grow into their roles and understand Pike's concepts. His assist/turnover ratio improved a lot this year, as did his shooting - especially as the year went on. I think things are starting to fall into place for him, and think he'd be a captain as a junior and help to lend stability to what will almost certainly be a team dominated by newcomers.
3. Dylan Grant - Raw, but a lot of upside. Another guy like Sommerville who'd benefit from a full offseason of S&C, film study, and reps. There was a lot to like about his game, but he was inconsistent. More time with Pike and staff could see him getting significant minutes next year.
4. Emmanuel Ogbole - We're desperate for centers, and it's unlikely we'll be able to pull multiple serviceable centers from the portal. Ogbole is needed for post depth, but there are concerns about staying on the floor. He was really starting to round into form this year before his knee injury.
5. Jordan Derkack - The step up in competition was rough for Derkack, and he struggled to find his role - especially with Harper/Bailey on the floor. He had flashes, but was inconsistent - but I think he'd improve with a higher comfort level and more time at this level. I also love the chip on his shoulder, his ability to draw fouls, and how he gets under opposing players' skins.
6. Bryce Dortch - This was a tough call for me, between Dortch and Williams. Williams is the stronger product right now, but next year will be his last season and there isn't much more room for growth going into his 6th season out of high school. Dortch is very raw, moreso than Grant - but you can't teach size, and a growth year under Pike might pay dividends in 2026-27.
7. Jeremiah Williams - Good defender, but sloppy with the ball, can be foul prone, and is not great at the line. There's not much room for growth here - but he would help bring some consistency to a newcomer-led team next year. If he wants to return below his NIL value, great - but I wouldn't break the bank to keep him.
As for transfer portal, I think we need to prioritize getting a scoring guard (2/3) and a viable B1G center. 15 scholarships is a hedge against the rampant transfer portal activity - we can carry more guys, which will allow us to absorb more losses in the future. I really think Pike should try to maximize scholarships going forward - I know he says its hard to keep that many guys happy, but I think it's a foregone conclusion at this point that every year will see guys leave that you want to keep, so it would be helpful to have some other guys in the wings that don't see much-if-any court time (provided you don't have to pay too much for them - these might be the kids you take waivers on to see how they do).
What might next year look like?
Known departures, by career minutes played at Rutgers:
1000 - Ace Bailey
945 - Dylan Harper
522 - Zach Martini
497 - Tyson Acuff
256 - PJ Hayes
That accounts for 49.3% of minutes played this season, so at maximum we'd be returning just 50.7% of minutes from this year.
Remaining players eligible for 2025-26, by career minutes played at Rutgers:
1291 - Jamichael Davis (2 seasons)
1074 - Jeremiah Williams (2 seasons)
670 - Lathan Sommerville
527 - Jordan Derkack
394 - Dylan Grant
386 - Emmanuel Ogbole (2 seasons)
78 - Bryce Dortch
0 - Chris Nwuli
0 - Lino Mark
0 - Gevonte Ware
0 - Kaden Powers
With the roster limit increasing to 15, that means we technically have 4 open scholarships right now provided no one leaves... but we have to assume that there will be at least one departure to the portal.
The question is how much attention (and NIL money) should be paid to retain talent vs. bringing in transfers. I know a lot of people want nearly a clean sweep of the roster, and to again roll into next year with only 2-3 guys who have ever suited up in scarlet. I've been pretty consistent in my feeling that Pike needs continuity for his defenses to work - he needs time to instill concepts, and he needs fully-versed guys on the floor making live corrections to their teammates.
This is my priority for retention for next year:
1. Lathan Sommerville - High upside on offense, plenty of room to improve on defense. Had a strong freshman year, and would benefit the most from a full offseason of S&C, film study, and defensive game reps. He has things that are hard to teach (FT%, post offense instincts) and needs to work on the areas of his game that can grow with more reps (defensive positioning, passing out of the post, overall decision making).
2. Jamichael Davis - Might be a controversial #2 pick, but he brings culture/defense carryover and can help the younger guards (Powers/Mark) and transfer guard(s) grow into their roles and understand Pike's concepts. His assist/turnover ratio improved a lot this year, as did his shooting - especially as the year went on. I think things are starting to fall into place for him, and think he'd be a captain as a junior and help to lend stability to what will almost certainly be a team dominated by newcomers.
3. Dylan Grant - Raw, but a lot of upside. Another guy like Sommerville who'd benefit from a full offseason of S&C, film study, and reps. There was a lot to like about his game, but he was inconsistent. More time with Pike and staff could see him getting significant minutes next year.
4. Emmanuel Ogbole - We're desperate for centers, and it's unlikely we'll be able to pull multiple serviceable centers from the portal. Ogbole is needed for post depth, but there are concerns about staying on the floor. He was really starting to round into form this year before his knee injury.
5. Jordan Derkack - The step up in competition was rough for Derkack, and he struggled to find his role - especially with Harper/Bailey on the floor. He had flashes, but was inconsistent - but I think he'd improve with a higher comfort level and more time at this level. I also love the chip on his shoulder, his ability to draw fouls, and how he gets under opposing players' skins.
6. Bryce Dortch - This was a tough call for me, between Dortch and Williams. Williams is the stronger product right now, but next year will be his last season and there isn't much more room for growth going into his 6th season out of high school. Dortch is very raw, moreso than Grant - but you can't teach size, and a growth year under Pike might pay dividends in 2026-27.
7. Jeremiah Williams - Good defender, but sloppy with the ball, can be foul prone, and is not great at the line. There's not much room for growth here - but he would help bring some consistency to a newcomer-led team next year. If he wants to return below his NIL value, great - but I wouldn't break the bank to keep him.
As for transfer portal, I think we need to prioritize getting a scoring guard (2/3) and a viable B1G center. 15 scholarships is a hedge against the rampant transfer portal activity - we can carry more guys, which will allow us to absorb more losses in the future. I really think Pike should try to maximize scholarships going forward - I know he says its hard to keep that many guys happy, but I think it's a foregone conclusion at this point that every year will see guys leave that you want to keep, so it would be helpful to have some other guys in the wings that don't see much-if-any court time (provided you don't have to pay too much for them - these might be the kids you take waivers on to see how they do).
