Three takeaways from Rutgers men's basketball's start to season
The Rutgers men’s basketball team defeated Central Connecticut State 83-49 on Saturday. It was the Scarlet Knights' (5-1, 0-0) fourth win by more than 30 points. Though Rutgers has been playing some lower-ranked opponents to start the season, there are still some key takeaways from the first six games.
Getting the job done
Early season games matter. That was made abundantly clear last season when the Knights started 3-3, and they had to dig themselves out of a huge early season hole to make the NCAA Tournament. Head coach Steve Pikiell has been criticized for his team's slow start to the season, but this year, Rutgers mostly handled its business.
The Knights started off the season with two wins before winning a competitive game against UMass Lowell team. The program’s 6-point loss to Temple in Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, was not pretty. But the loss was not a backbreaker, as the Owls (3-4, 0-0) are a top-100 team and had already upset in-state rival Villanova.
For the Temple and Rider games, Rutgers was without senior guard Paul Mulcahy and fifth-year senior guard Caleb McConnell. Thankfully for the team, McConnell returned to action in the win against the Blue Devils (0-7, 0-0), logging 25 minutes with 4 points.
For some, these wins may seem trivial and expected, but in previous seasons, that was not always the case. Now the Knights are able to go into this crucial stretch with some confidence and momentum.
Defense has been stellar
Currently, Rutgers has the 11th-best adjusted defensive efficiency in all of college basketball. The Knights have done this without McConnell, last year's Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
With McConnell returning, there is real potential for Rutgers to have a top-10 defense in the nation. The Knights are currently third in NCAA basketball averaging 11.8 steals per game. The team is also first in the country in opponent three-point percentage, only allowing its opponents to shoot 18 percent from beyond the arc.
Rutgers is a team that hangs its hat on defense, and so far, it has been stellar. If the Knights can keep up the defensive efforts against tougher competition, they will almost certainly be in the mix in March.
Newcomers have shown promise
Pikiell has been much maligned by parts of the Rutgers fanbase for supposed poor recruiting. Despite this, Pikiell has time and time again found hidden gems in both recruiting and the transfer portal — this year is no different.
Freshman guard Derek Simpson and freshman forward Antwone Woolfolk have both contributed big minutes this year. Simpson was asked to step into a bigger role than previously expected due to Mulcahy's injury.
Other than a 1-11 shooting effort in the loss to the Owls, Simpson has been strong for a freshman point guard. He is second on the team with 15 assists and is averaging 9.5 points per game, while also shooting 34 percent from the floor and 35.7 percent from three. Woolfolk has also flashed coming off the bench. He has the highest field goal percentage on the team, and Woolfolk has been a tenacious rebounder in his limited minutes.
Pikiell's premier for this year was senior guard Cam Spencer, who has been a revelation for the Knights. He is shooting 46.9 percent from three, leads Rutgers in scoring with 17.3 points per game and is second in the nation with 3.67 steals per game. Spencer is the perfect "three-and-d" player for the Knights. The team will need him to continue playing well as the season progresses.
Rutgers will get its first chance to make a road statement when the team travels to Coral Gables, Florida, to take on Miami for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The game tip-off is tomorrow at 7:15 p.m. and will be broadcasted on ESPN U and 88.7 WRSU-FM.
For more updates on the Rutgers men's basketball team, follow @TargumSports on Twitter.
