PRESS RELEASE VIA RUTGERS.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers men’s basketball team has added an experienced scoring guard to the 2024-25 roster in the transfer portal.
Graduate student Tyson Acuff of Eastern Michigan has officially transferred to Rutgers after scoring 21.7 points per game last season, good for first in the MAC and eighth in the nation.
“Tyson Acuff can really score, and we’re thrilled to add the eighth leading scorer in the country to our team,” Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell said. “I wanted a player who’s experienced and has been through some wars and he’s certainly that. He’s an elite foul shooter. We are excited about adding another great student-athlete from an awesome family who’s coming here because he wants to work and win.”
“I bring energy and if we need a bucket, I’ll get us a bucket,” Acuff said. “But I'm also a playmaker, I can get in the lane and help defense and get the ball to guys who can knock down shots.”
Acuff will spend his final year of eligibility with the Scarlet Knights after playing his first two years of college basketball at Duquesne and his previous two at EMU. Acuff is proud of his ability to create his own shot on the court and last season he converted two-thirds of his shots at the rim.
Acuff was an elite shot-maker for the Eagles in 2023 and shot 43.3 percent from the field (50 percent on two-point field goals, 29.2 percent on three-pointers, 81.1 percent on free throws). He scored 25 or more points in eight of his 27 appearances, including a season-high 34-point outing on 12-of-21 shooting in a victory over Bowling Green.
Acuff said he chose Rutgers because of the influx of young talent that is coming into the program. He is fond of playing with a freshman class ranked No. 3 in the nation by 247.com featuring Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, Lathan Sommerville, Dylan Grant, and Bryce Dortch.
“I was just doing some homework on head coach (Steve) Pikiell and the program and how the style of play is familiar with the game that I love to play,” Acuff said. “It’s a huge stage and opportunity to play in the Big Ten Conference and we’re going to play a lot of competition. We have some young guys coming in, and I think they’re going to be amazing. I think they’re going to be professional basketball players soon. I just think I’ll be able to play some really fun basketball here.”
Acuff is especially excited about playing a veteran role on the squad that features five talented freshmen.
“I know those guys are going to be great,” Acuff said. “They’re great now and will be successful in and well after college. My job is to make them compete and get better every day while having fun doing it. I think that's what builds friendships and relationships.”
What makes Acuff such a great scorer at the college level?
“I try to be poised and switch up my pace of the game, so it isn’t easy to guard me,” Acuff said. “Sometimes slow-to-fast, fast-to-slow, but just keeping the defense unbalanced and attacking the weak points. I’m pretty good at reading the help side defense, and not just the man that's in front of me.”
Acuff is the second member to join Rutgers via the transfer portal this offseason following the addition of Princeton graduate forward Zach Martini.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers men’s basketball team has added an experienced scoring guard to the 2024-25 roster in the transfer portal.
Graduate student Tyson Acuff of Eastern Michigan has officially transferred to Rutgers after scoring 21.7 points per game last season, good for first in the MAC and eighth in the nation.
“Tyson Acuff can really score, and we’re thrilled to add the eighth leading scorer in the country to our team,” Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell said. “I wanted a player who’s experienced and has been through some wars and he’s certainly that. He’s an elite foul shooter. We are excited about adding another great student-athlete from an awesome family who’s coming here because he wants to work and win.”
“I bring energy and if we need a bucket, I’ll get us a bucket,” Acuff said. “But I'm also a playmaker, I can get in the lane and help defense and get the ball to guys who can knock down shots.”
Acuff will spend his final year of eligibility with the Scarlet Knights after playing his first two years of college basketball at Duquesne and his previous two at EMU. Acuff is proud of his ability to create his own shot on the court and last season he converted two-thirds of his shots at the rim.
Acuff was an elite shot-maker for the Eagles in 2023 and shot 43.3 percent from the field (50 percent on two-point field goals, 29.2 percent on three-pointers, 81.1 percent on free throws). He scored 25 or more points in eight of his 27 appearances, including a season-high 34-point outing on 12-of-21 shooting in a victory over Bowling Green.
Acuff said he chose Rutgers because of the influx of young talent that is coming into the program. He is fond of playing with a freshman class ranked No. 3 in the nation by 247.com featuring Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, Lathan Sommerville, Dylan Grant, and Bryce Dortch.
“I was just doing some homework on head coach (Steve) Pikiell and the program and how the style of play is familiar with the game that I love to play,” Acuff said. “It’s a huge stage and opportunity to play in the Big Ten Conference and we’re going to play a lot of competition. We have some young guys coming in, and I think they’re going to be amazing. I think they’re going to be professional basketball players soon. I just think I’ll be able to play some really fun basketball here.”
Acuff is especially excited about playing a veteran role on the squad that features five talented freshmen.
“I know those guys are going to be great,” Acuff said. “They’re great now and will be successful in and well after college. My job is to make them compete and get better every day while having fun doing it. I think that's what builds friendships and relationships.”
What makes Acuff such a great scorer at the college level?
“I try to be poised and switch up my pace of the game, so it isn’t easy to guard me,” Acuff said. “Sometimes slow-to-fast, fast-to-slow, but just keeping the defense unbalanced and attacking the weak points. I’m pretty good at reading the help side defense, and not just the man that's in front of me.”
Acuff is the second member to join Rutgers via the transfer portal this offseason following the addition of Princeton graduate forward Zach Martini.
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