Quotables
Mike Rice on his team’s postseason aspirations:
“We talked about it. It's one of our goals. And it's very simple for us. Our third goal is the postseason.”
Dane Miller on what it takes to make it to the post-season:
“You watch every game, you hope that the teams that are ahead of us lose. We have to go out and then we have to win that game. And then we calculate it and do stats as players. And then we go out and get the win.”
Scott Goodale on the next step for RU wrestling:
“What’s next for us is I’d like to finish the rest of the year off strong. We still have a couple of big challenges ahead of us and I’d like to finish it off strong. At the same time I want to make sure we are healthy and rested. I know that probably scares a lot of our alumni and a lot of our donors. What does that mean? Are we going to sit guys? I don’t know. But I think that’s important.”
East Orange head coach Marion Bell on the recruiting process at his school:
“Coming from a school like East Orange, recruiters aren’t jumping out at you. We can’t catch a break up here.”
Woodbridge head coach on the business of Max Issaka’s recruitment:
“I just give the most recent information I get from Max every day. I’m fielding phone calls all the time, it’s crazy. He’s telling me North Carolina and Rutgers.”
Fat Cat Top 5
Top 5 unexpected recruiting twists this season
5. Marquis Lucas de-commits from Rutgers
4. RU has five early enrollees for the spring semester
3. RU becomes a top two finalist for Max Issaka and Marquise Wright
2. The Pitt defections (Nova, Pitts, Hafley, Cignetti and counting)
1. RU could finish with a top 20 national class coming off a 4-8 season
Matt vs. Bobby
Pro Bowl winner
Matt: Devin McCourty’s team
Bobby: I thought the bowl season was over
Next Pitt commit to land at Rutgers
Matt: Max Issaka
Bobby: Marquise Wright
Top junior in the state of New Jersey
Matt: Devin Fuller
Bobby: Darius Hamilton
The Numbers Game
10 Rutgers wins at the RAC to only two losses this season for men’s hoops
9 of NJ’s top 20 prospects in the class of 2011 could wind up at Rutgers
8 RU wrestlers ranked in the top 20 of at least one of the nor five polls
7 months until the 2011 college football season kicks off
6 days left until Signing Day
5 games with 20 points or more this season for Jonathan Mitchell
4 games remaining for RU vs. teams with a combined 8-25 conference record
3 Bosco juniors with a shot at being NJ’s top prospect in 2011 (Carroo, Shumate, Hamilton)
2 Scarlet Knights to play in bowls this weekend (Joe Lefeged, Devin McCourty)
1 high school commit from the state of Florida in RU’s 2011 class (Aiken)
Bobby’s Crystal ball
Savon Huggins will commit to Rutgers
RU wrestling will easily handle Navy on Saturday
Two weekend visitors will walk on next year at Rutgers
Recruiting tidbits
Quinton Alston (Timber Creek)
Rutgers reached out to Alston this week, but it may be too little too late. Sources very close to the Timber Creek program have verified Alston has no interest in Rutgers. However, another source indicated that had Rutgers made a strong push after he de-committed from Pitt, then RU would have definitely been a consideration.
Letters of intent
The 2011 RU commits began receiving their letters of intent in the mail this week as early as Wednesday. The players will sign the letters fax them in to Rutgers next Wdenesday morning and will actually just do a mock signing during their individual cermonies later in the day.
Huggins watch
The Savon Huggins announcement will take place at St. Peter’s Prep at 5 p.m. on Friday. RU commit Mike Bimonte will be on hand and SPP teammate Keith Lumpkin is expected to be in attendance as well. Long Branch athlete Miles Shuler will not be on hand as he has a track meet that afternoon.
Kevin Snyder (Cumberland Valley)
The talented linebacker will have a realistic chance of seeing the field as a true freshman at Rutgers but will also bring another talent to Piscataway. Snyder is also a polished long snapper and has been doing it for quite some time.
“My dad taught me when I was like six,” Snyder explained. “I didn’t this past year because my coach wanted me off the field. My dad always said it could really benefit having a snapper who can run.”
Mystery Guests
One of the two mystery visitors scheduled to visit Rutgers cancelled his trip at the last minute. The second mystery guest did not leave Piscataway with an offer and will most likely remain committed to his current school. Out of respect to each prospect, we are still withholding their names. Both are now pretty much out of play as possible late commits.
Jaurice Jones (Linden)
One of the longtime mystery guests Scarlet Nation learned about in early December. At the time, Jones was being considered for a scholarship but in light of recent events, he may now be classified as more of a preferred walk-on. However, a source at Linden High school still believes that Rutgers may extend an offer to Jones.
Dane Dudick
The big Scranton, Pa. lineman out of G.A.R. Memorial high school has started to garner interest from Rutgers and will make an official visit to Piscataway this weekend.
“It looks now it looks as if they are going to offer,” Dudick said of Rutgers. “It came about from honestly meeting the coach a few weeks ago and he really liked what I did.”
Anthony Milito (Ridge High)
The inside linebacker is another Jersey product scheduled to make an official visit this coming weekend as a possible candidate for a walk-on position. His senior season was marred by a knee injury and curtailed some of the interest he was receiving from 1AA programs.
Dallas Whitaker (Immaculata)
The outside linebacker has eight 1aa offers but will visit Rutgers this weekend where he has been offered a preferred walk-on spot. Boise State has also offered Whitaker a preferred walk-on spot, but he remains excited about this coming weekend. Whitaker already knows who is host will be in 2010 walk-on Bryan Leoni. The two are friends and also were co-workers last year.
A.J. Zuttah (The Hun School)
The possibility of a Rutgers offer seems to have gone by the wayside as Zuttah claimed that he is likely going to do a year of Post Grad. He visited Lafayette last weekend and won’t take an official visit this weekend unless something particular came up.
“I would only take one if Villanova offers me,” said Zuttah. “But I think I am going to go up to Cheshire Academy in Connecticut.”
Anthony DiPaula (Rutgers early enrollee)
Dipaula was brought in with the intention of taking over for Teddy Dellaganna as Rutgers’ new punter. According to a coach at DiPaula’s high school, St. John Vianney, DiPaula might actually have a higher ceiling as a place kicker than punter.
This post was edited on 1/27 4:19 PM by John Otterstedt
Mike Rice on his team’s postseason aspirations:
“We talked about it. It's one of our goals. And it's very simple for us. Our third goal is the postseason.”
Dane Miller on what it takes to make it to the post-season:
“You watch every game, you hope that the teams that are ahead of us lose. We have to go out and then we have to win that game. And then we calculate it and do stats as players. And then we go out and get the win.”
Scott Goodale on the next step for RU wrestling:
“What’s next for us is I’d like to finish the rest of the year off strong. We still have a couple of big challenges ahead of us and I’d like to finish it off strong. At the same time I want to make sure we are healthy and rested. I know that probably scares a lot of our alumni and a lot of our donors. What does that mean? Are we going to sit guys? I don’t know. But I think that’s important.”
East Orange head coach Marion Bell on the recruiting process at his school:
“Coming from a school like East Orange, recruiters aren’t jumping out at you. We can’t catch a break up here.”
Woodbridge head coach on the business of Max Issaka’s recruitment:
“I just give the most recent information I get from Max every day. I’m fielding phone calls all the time, it’s crazy. He’s telling me North Carolina and Rutgers.”
Fat Cat Top 5
Top 5 unexpected recruiting twists this season
5. Marquis Lucas de-commits from Rutgers
4. RU has five early enrollees for the spring semester
3. RU becomes a top two finalist for Max Issaka and Marquise Wright
2. The Pitt defections (Nova, Pitts, Hafley, Cignetti and counting)
1. RU could finish with a top 20 national class coming off a 4-8 season
Matt vs. Bobby
Pro Bowl winner
Matt: Devin McCourty’s team
Bobby: I thought the bowl season was over
Next Pitt commit to land at Rutgers
Matt: Max Issaka
Bobby: Marquise Wright
Top junior in the state of New Jersey
Matt: Devin Fuller
Bobby: Darius Hamilton
The Numbers Game
10 Rutgers wins at the RAC to only two losses this season for men’s hoops
9 of NJ’s top 20 prospects in the class of 2011 could wind up at Rutgers
8 RU wrestlers ranked in the top 20 of at least one of the nor five polls
7 months until the 2011 college football season kicks off
6 days left until Signing Day
5 games with 20 points or more this season for Jonathan Mitchell
4 games remaining for RU vs. teams with a combined 8-25 conference record
3 Bosco juniors with a shot at being NJ’s top prospect in 2011 (Carroo, Shumate, Hamilton)
2 Scarlet Knights to play in bowls this weekend (Joe Lefeged, Devin McCourty)
1 high school commit from the state of Florida in RU’s 2011 class (Aiken)
Bobby’s Crystal ball
Savon Huggins will commit to Rutgers
RU wrestling will easily handle Navy on Saturday
Two weekend visitors will walk on next year at Rutgers
Recruiting tidbits
Quinton Alston (Timber Creek)
Rutgers reached out to Alston this week, but it may be too little too late. Sources very close to the Timber Creek program have verified Alston has no interest in Rutgers. However, another source indicated that had Rutgers made a strong push after he de-committed from Pitt, then RU would have definitely been a consideration.
Letters of intent
The 2011 RU commits began receiving their letters of intent in the mail this week as early as Wednesday. The players will sign the letters fax them in to Rutgers next Wdenesday morning and will actually just do a mock signing during their individual cermonies later in the day.
Huggins watch
The Savon Huggins announcement will take place at St. Peter’s Prep at 5 p.m. on Friday. RU commit Mike Bimonte will be on hand and SPP teammate Keith Lumpkin is expected to be in attendance as well. Long Branch athlete Miles Shuler will not be on hand as he has a track meet that afternoon.
Kevin Snyder (Cumberland Valley)
The talented linebacker will have a realistic chance of seeing the field as a true freshman at Rutgers but will also bring another talent to Piscataway. Snyder is also a polished long snapper and has been doing it for quite some time.
“My dad taught me when I was like six,” Snyder explained. “I didn’t this past year because my coach wanted me off the field. My dad always said it could really benefit having a snapper who can run.”
Mystery Guests
One of the two mystery visitors scheduled to visit Rutgers cancelled his trip at the last minute. The second mystery guest did not leave Piscataway with an offer and will most likely remain committed to his current school. Out of respect to each prospect, we are still withholding their names. Both are now pretty much out of play as possible late commits.
Jaurice Jones (Linden)
One of the longtime mystery guests Scarlet Nation learned about in early December. At the time, Jones was being considered for a scholarship but in light of recent events, he may now be classified as more of a preferred walk-on. However, a source at Linden High school still believes that Rutgers may extend an offer to Jones.
Dane Dudick
The big Scranton, Pa. lineman out of G.A.R. Memorial high school has started to garner interest from Rutgers and will make an official visit to Piscataway this weekend.
“It looks now it looks as if they are going to offer,” Dudick said of Rutgers. “It came about from honestly meeting the coach a few weeks ago and he really liked what I did.”
Anthony Milito (Ridge High)
The inside linebacker is another Jersey product scheduled to make an official visit this coming weekend as a possible candidate for a walk-on position. His senior season was marred by a knee injury and curtailed some of the interest he was receiving from 1AA programs.
Dallas Whitaker (Immaculata)
The outside linebacker has eight 1aa offers but will visit Rutgers this weekend where he has been offered a preferred walk-on spot. Boise State has also offered Whitaker a preferred walk-on spot, but he remains excited about this coming weekend. Whitaker already knows who is host will be in 2010 walk-on Bryan Leoni. The two are friends and also were co-workers last year.
A.J. Zuttah (The Hun School)
The possibility of a Rutgers offer seems to have gone by the wayside as Zuttah claimed that he is likely going to do a year of Post Grad. He visited Lafayette last weekend and won’t take an official visit this weekend unless something particular came up.
“I would only take one if Villanova offers me,” said Zuttah. “But I think I am going to go up to Cheshire Academy in Connecticut.”
Anthony DiPaula (Rutgers early enrollee)
Dipaula was brought in with the intention of taking over for Teddy Dellaganna as Rutgers’ new punter. According to a coach at DiPaula’s high school, St. John Vianney, DiPaula might actually have a higher ceiling as a place kicker than punter.
This post was edited on 1/27 4:19 PM by John Otterstedt
