COLUMN: Head coach Steve Pikiell has finally found Rutgers men’s basketball’s best starting lineup
Head coach Steve Pikiell went with his fourth different starting lineup of the season for the Rutgers men's basketball team's rivalry game against Seton Hall. The Scarlet Knights (6-3, 0-1) responded with their best game thus far.
Fifth-year guard Noah Fernandes, freshman guard Jamichael Davis, senior forward Aundre Hyatt, senior forward Mawot Mag and senior center Clifford Omoruyi started for Rutgers against the Pirates (5-4, 0-0). It was Mag's first game since tearing his ACL on February 4, and it was Davis' first start of his collegiate career.
Before the Knights' game against Seton Hall, Pikiell had been testing out numerous different lineups and rotations to no avail. Sophomore guard Derek Simpson, freshman guard Gavin Griffiths, graduate student guard Austin Williams and sophomore forward Antwone Woolfolk all got multiple starts, but the team seemed disjointed on defense and lacked an offensive identity.
But with Davis, Fernandes, Hyatt, Mag and Omoruyi starting against the Pirates, Rutgers increased its defensive intensity and established a flow on offense. The numbers back this up as Davis led the Knights with a plus 17 plus/minus, and every starter other than Mag had either a positive or neutral plus/minus. Rutgers never trailed Seton Hall as this new starting lineup gave the Knights their edge back.
With so much roster turnover heading into the season and Mag's injury, Pikiell was expected to tinker around with who got to start this season. But now that the coaching staff has found a starting lineup that has played well together, they should stick with it for the foreseeable future.
On the "Steve Pikiell Podcast" hosted by Jerry Recco, Pikiell seemed to agree.
“Yeah, I mean you would love to keep it the same,” Pikiell said.
This starting lineup also gave Pikiell more consistent rotations, with Griffiths and Simpson being the first two players to come off the bench.
Griffiths played the sixth most minutes against the Pirates and excelled, scoring 11 points on efficient shooting numbers and having the third-best plus/minus on the team. Though Griffith has struggled on defense, his ability to be a scoring sparkplug makes him the perfect sixth-man who can sub in for Hyatt when the latter's shots are not falling.
The lineup also gives everyone on the team more defined roles. Simpson can replace Fernandes when the team needs more speed and explosiveness. Woolfolk played well subbing in for Omoruyi instead of starting alongside him and clogging the paint. Redshirt senior forward Oskar Palmquist can continue to help stretch the floor when filling in for Hyatt and Mag. When Williams returns from his injury, he can sub in and replace Davis' grit and defensive tenacity.
In the offseason, Rutgers' depth was considered a strength. But depth can be a double-edged sword. It was hurting the Knights through their first eight games as the bloated lineup lacked cohesion and chemistry.
But this new starting lineup, launched during an iconic game against Seton Hall, allowed for more defined roles for everyone on the team and made depth once again a strength for Rutgers.
Thomas Bertram Lance famously said, "If it ain't broke don't fix it," and Pikiell has found a starting lineup and rotations that work, so it would be a mistake for him to change things around.
Fans will see if Pikiell heeds Lance's advice when the Knights face Long Island University on Saturday.
"I don’t get so caught up in the starting lineup. I want a team out there that's cohesive and working well together," Pikiell said. "We really did that in the Seton Hall game. Hopefully, we can continue on that track, and I'll continue keeping the lineup like that if we can."
For more updates on the Rutgers men's basketball team, follow @TargumSports on X.
To view more of Ellis Gordon's work, follow @EllisVGordon on X.
