Senior Spotlight: Luke Nathan, Ralph Gonzales-Agee
In preparation for the Big Ten Tournament, The Daily Targum will be highlighting the seniors of the Rutgers men’s basketball team who have helped change the culture of the program over the last few years. Today, we highlight a legendary fan favorite and a transfer who quickly became a key part of the locker room.
Sunday’s Senior Day ceremony prior to the Scarlet Knights’ (18-12, 12-8) 59-58 win over Penn State saw a five-man senior class honored at Jersey Mike’s Arena on Livingston campus.
Three Rutgers players have been longtime starters — senior guards Geo Baker, Ron Harper Jr. and Caleb McConnell. Less recognized are the two other seniors that were honored on Sunday: senior forward Luke Nathan and graduate student forward Ralph Gonzales-Agee.
Nathan, originally a walk-on from Randolph, New Jersey, earned his scholarship after last season. He has been a fixture on the Knights’ bench for the past five seasons, joining the team in 2017 alongside Baker.
“It’s just been really, really special,” Nathan told reporters before Senior Day. ”When I came in as a freshman, I think we were the worst team in the (Big Ten). I honestly never really pictured getting up to this point in my career.”
Those five years saw the program grow into one of the top teams in the Big Ten. In Nathan’s freshman year, Rutgers finished 15-19 with a 3-15 record in the Big Ten, which was 14th and last in the conference standings.
Fast forward to 2022, the Knights have finished the season 18-12, 12-8 in the Big Ten and fourth place in the conference standings, by far the best finish since joining the conference in 2014.
That success has reinvigorated the fanbase, with Rutgers having sold out almost every home game this season. Nathan noted the fan support as one of his favorite parts of his time on the Banks.
“I don’t think we sold out one game my freshman year,” Nathan said. “It was like my high school games, really. It’s crazy to see how much it has grown.”
While Nathan may be done with basketball after this season, he is not leaving campus anytime soon. Already graduated with his bachelor’s degree, he is now in a doctorate program for psychology. He expects to be done in about three years, with the goal of working as a sports psychologist after he finishes school.
Gonzales-Agee comes with a very different perspective. A transfer from San Jose State, this was his only season on the Banks. Despite being one of the new players in the locker room, Gonzales-Agee says he felt welcomed by his new teammates.
“It just felt good, being accepted by the group as one of the new guys,” Gonzales-Agee said. “(I liked being) around guys who have a similar mindset to me, because obviously, I don’t come from a power five school.”
Gonzales-Agee found a niche off the court as well. During the season, he debuted the new “Ralph’s Corner” segment on social media, in which he interviews his teammates in the locker room after a game.
He said interviewing his teammates in front of a camera was a new experience for him.
“This is definitely something that I’ve just discovered,” Gonzales-Agee said. “You don’t have a hard time talking to your family or friends (and) asking them a couple of questions … I’m talking to my brothers.”
Gonzales-Agee got his first degree from San Jose State in social work and sociology, a degree he plans to use to work as a social worker for children after he leaves the Banks.
And while he was not a part of as many games at Jersey Mike’s Arena as Nathan, Gonzales-Agee still expressed gratitude for the Knights fanbase.
“It’s just mind-blowing to see the dedication and the love that they have for us,” Gonzales-Agee said. “Because we have that same love for them.”
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