Wednesday gave Rutgers hope for the near future. Saturday was a reason to believe it’s not time to look to next year just yet.
Three days after the colossal commitment of five-star guard Dylan Harper gave Rutgers the third-ranked recruiting class in the country for next season, the Scarlet Knights enjoyed a strong night on the court, shaking off their early season woes for the time being.
Between the return of ace wing defender Mawot Mag and a lights-out night from 3-point range, Rutgers cruised past struggling rival Seton Hall, 70-63, in the annual Garden State Hardwood Classic in front of a sold-out crowd at the Prudential Center. The win in Newark was Rutgers’ first in a decade.
“Great couple of days,” Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell said. “Rutgers is a great university and we’re getting some of the best players in the country now coming to play in our program. It’s a credit to these guys. They made it that way.”
After Rutgers was outrebounded by a combined 40 in recent losses to No. 20 Illinois and Wake Forest, the physical Mag helped them stay competitive on the glass and hold Seton Hall to 36.1 percent shooting.
The Scarlet Knights (6-3) were on target from deep, making 12 of 24 from distance, their most since Jan. 22, 2022.
Pikiell’s lineup changes, moving Mag and Jamichael Davis into the starting lineup, worked.
A freshman, Davis had 11 points and six assists, and Mag contributed four points and eight rebounds in 24 quality minutes in his first action since tearing his ACL last February.
“To have him back was just a lift in every area,” Pikiell said. “College basketball is getting really old and when you don’t have a player who’s been through some wars, and you’re playing young guys, it’s not easy.”
Cliff Omoruyi, Rutgers’ star big man who had gotten off to a slow start his senior year, was a force in the paint with 11 points, 13 rebounds and seven blocked shots. He took home the Joe Calabrese MVP award.
“When he plays like that, he’s a problem,” Pikiell said.
Kadary Richmond had 21 points and nine rebounds for Seton Hall (5-4), which fell to 0-4 on the season against teams ranked in the top-100 of KenPom.com.
The Pirates shot a dreadful 3 of 20 from 3-point range and were 16-for-27 at the line.
Most worrisome, Richmond, Dre Davis and Seton Hall coach Shaheen Holloway felt they weren’t quite ready for a big rivalry game from a mental standpoint, agreeing that Rutgers came out with more energy and focus.
“I’ll tell you the truth, I don’t think my guys understood the magnitude of this game,” Holloway said. “I thought they came out and out-toughed us, outcoached us. We all gotta do better, including me.”
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