Senior Day Spotlight: Andrew Fulin
In this Senior Day Spotlight, The Daily Targum highlights the University's athletes who are being honored at senior day and have made an impact for their respective teams.
Senior forward Andrew Fulin was honored on Sunday during the Rutgers men's basketball team's Senior Day game against Northwestern.
Fulin has played two years for the Scarlet Knights (18-13, 10-10) as a walk-on. He is also pursuing a double major in environmental and business economics and managerial economics.
In high school, Fulin helped his team to a championship in the 2017 Bergen Invitational Tournament.
As a walk-on, he did not get much playing time, only appearing in one game this season against Sacred Heart. In that game, Fulin checked on the court for the final minute of game time.
Though walk-on players do not get much playing time, they play a crucial role during practice. For instance, Fulin's job during practice is to act as a specific player on the opposing team that Rutgers is playing next. When the team was preparing for their game against Northwestern, Fulin simulated the play of Robbie Beran.
"Walk-ons have the toughest jobs," said head coach Steve Pikiell. "They have to simulate the other teams every day in practice. You are always somebody different. You are almost like an actor in some ways, you got to act out the part of the other team. You got to pick that stuff up in a day or two and do a great job with it, and there is not a lot of fanfare that goes with it or glory."
Before walking on to the Knights basketball team, Fulin played basketball at Rutgers for the club team and in the intramural leagues for his fraternity.
"I was on the club team," Fulin said. "I was in my fraternity, I played in the intramurals there. I never thought I would be here."
When asked what he would miss most about the Knights, Fulin emphasized the camaraderie of the team and also mentioned the court-storming against Purdue last year.
"Obviously, the Purdue game last year, stormed the court, was an incredible experience," Fulin said. "Just the classic locker room antics, stuff like that I am going to miss a lot."
Walk-ons are the backbone of a college basketball program. Unseen, unloved, yet very crucial to a program's success, Fulin has been a crucial part of preparing Rutgers for success on the court. To be a walk-on, he has had to watch tape on countless players and always show up ready for practice.
"He's been just another great student, a great teammate, the guys love him," Pikiell said. "He is really kind of funny … He's got a great sense of humor. He is a New Jersey guy, so I am really proud that he has been a big part of what we are trying to do. He is another great guy and great teammate that works hard to make us better."
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