Rutgers men's basketball hosts Knighthood Showcase, displays talent ahead of 2024-2025 season
On Saturday, the Rutgers basketball team hosted the inaugural Knighthood Showcase at Jersey Mike's Arena on Livingston campus. The showcase gave fans a chance to get their first look at this year's Scarlet Knights on the court.
In what's anticipated to be Rutgers' best season in years, most of that hype comes from five-star freshman guard Dylan Harper and freshman guard and forward Ace Bailey, who scored 15 and 17 points, respectively. Harper led the game with six assists, and Bailey brought down a game-high nine rebounds.
The duo got the crowd jumping early, trading threes in the first two possessions. They followed that up in the second scrimmage, connecting on an alley-oop that got the Knights' fans up and out of their seats.
Harper and Bailey may be bringing the flash, but this team's glue guys are redshirt senior guard Jeremiah Williams and sophomore guard Jamichael Davis. Both showed off their leadership and hustle on the court.
Williams constantly talked before, after and during plays, especially to his younger teammates. At just six-foot-two, Davis was corralling rebounds and finished with 13 points. Both shined in moments last year and should be key contributors to this year's squad.
Rutgers struggled with shooting last year, but head coach Steve Pikiell seems to have fixed that issue with his additions in the offseason. Graduate student guard and forward PJ Hayes IV showed off his quick release and knocked down both of his opportunities from three-point land. Hayes finished with 75 percent shooting and 8 points.
Another standout was the battle between junior center Emmanuel Ogbole and freshman center Lathan Sommerville. After Clifford Omoruyi transferred to Alabama, the Knights needed to find stability at the center position. As the two big men battled each other all day, it was clear that Pikiell found the right guys to fill Omuruyi's shoes.
Rutgers will continue its preseason preparation with an exhibition game against St. John's on October 17. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Jersey Mike's Arena.
"We only showed a little bit today, but we will continue to improve," Pikiell said. "These guys work hard and are great kids from great families."
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