AAC Basketball Recruiting Outlook: Rutgers Scarlet Knights

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moving on to the Big 10 next year, the 8-10 Rutgers Scarlet Knights haven’t gotten off to a great start in the Eddie Jordan era. Struggling mightily through a weak non-conference schedule, the Scarlet Knights are not on anyone’s radar to make a significant splash in the AAC in their first and only season in the conference.

Luckily for Coach Jordan, redshirt senior Wally Judge and senior J.J. Moore are the only two players scheduled to leave the program after this season. Judge is currently playing 23.6 minutes per game and has started all 18 contests for the team, putting up 8.3 points per contest. Moore has started 15-of-18 games, averages 26 minutes per contest and averages 11.3 points. The two unquestioned standout players of the team, Myles Mack and Kadeem Jack, will be returning for their senior seasons, assuming that neither declares for the NBA or transfer.

Jordan made his most important signing for next year when he welcomed former Georgetown Hoyas forward Greg Whittington to the team for next season. Whittington was ruled academically ineligible 13 games into last season. He averaged 12.1 points and seven rebounds before the punishment was handed down. He was set to return to the Hoyas this season, but he tore his ACL in the summer. Hoyas coach John Thompson III dismissed the junior from his program right around Thanksgiving.

A 6-foot-3 guard, Bishop Daniels left the Miami (FL) Hurricanes program and is also committed to Rutgers for the 2014-15 season. He played a minor role in last season’s successful season for the Hurricanes before leaving to “focus on academics.” Daniels joined the team in May and is currently sitting out this season.

Two junior college transfers, small forward Craig Brown from Broward Community College in Miami and point guard D’Von Campbell from Hutchinson Community College in Arlington, Texas, will also join the program next season.

The only committed true freshman is Junior Etou, a three-star power forward from Arlington, Virginia. The 6-foot-7 forward is ranked as the No. 31 power forward by ESPN.com.

Hopefully for Coach Jordan’s sake, the Scarlet Knights can make a splash in the Big 10 next season, as a large part of the team will be returning and a difference-maker like Whittington will be arriving. Let’s hope that he can also get his student-athletes to focus a little more on the “student” role.