Rutgers basketball: 5 offseason priorities for Steve Pikiell heading into 2024-25
It’s no exaggeration to say this is the most important offseason in Rutgers basketball history. Given the blockbuster recruiting class coming in and the churn of the transfer portal, head coach Steve Pikiell has an opportunity to start over – and set the stage for something big – after a 15-17 campaign.
In an interview Tuesday, Pikiell reiterated that he’s better equipped to navigate the onset of full-blown free agency than he was last year at this time. He also signaled an openness to more aggressive out-of-conference scheduling, building on his step in that direction from this past season.
“I’ve got to be a better coach,” he said. “It’s a different time. I’ve learned, and I’m not the only one. All these coaches are trying to figure it out.”
Here are five offseason priorities for the Scarlet Knights.
1. Figure out who’s with you
The work on that front is just about done. Center Cliff Omoruyi, forwards Mawot Mag, Antwone Woolfolk and Antonio Chol, and guard Derek Simpson already entered the transfer portal.
“I want to thank the players that are leaving our program: They’ve been awesome, they’re great kids, and I don’t envy that they have a million decisions to make,” Pikiell said. “I had no decisions to make back in my day. One school wanted me (UConn) and I was never leaving there because my dad, with nine kids in the family, would never let me leave a scholarship. I’m thankful for their time and I mean this sincerely. I know most guys are one-year players now and maybe two years, but a four-year player like Cliff is a dinosaur.”
Omoruyi, who was one of the best defensive postmen in the country, will graduate in May after putting in four good years on the banks. He’s the one truly big loss among the departures, but at least he made his move early in the offseason – avoiding a repeat of the late-spring defections that kneecapped the 2023-24 roster.
“I’m thankful for the timing of these guys, because that is important,” Pikiell said. “Cliff could have carried this thing out until August 30th.”
Five players have not entered the portal: Guards Jamichael Davis, Jeremiah Williams and Gavin Griffiths, forward Oskar Palmquist and center Emmanuel Ogbole. Palmquist, a postgrad who hails from Sweden, could opt to return to Europe and play professionally there.
“I’m thankful that I didn’t see my wife’s name pop up in the portal today,” Pikiell said with a chuckle. “So that’s a good thing.”
2. Find the fit pieces
With at least three scholarships to fill, Pikiell and his assistants are scouring the portal, as well as the junior-college and international ranks (he’s already identified one European player of interest). The goal is not to collect the most talent; it’s to find the best fits. That’s an important distinction.
“We have a huge head start,” Pikiell said, compared to last year. “I know the needs – we need some age and guys who can shoot the basketball. But more important, guys who are excited about the opportunity next year.”
In other words, players who will feed into the team concept – who will prioritize winning games over their own usage numbers. Pikiell doesn’t want to hear, “how many shots am I going to get?” He wants players who will support and complement five-star incoming freshmen Dylan Harper (out of Don Bosco Prep) and Ace Bailey. There’s only one basketball, and you’d be surprised by how many transfers would rather have the offense revolve around them than be a piece to a promising puzzle.
“It’s always quality kids from quality families and we’ll continue to do that,” Pikiell said. “I’m looking for players who want to be part of the most exciting year for Rutgers basketball. I think next year is going to be exciting and unique and I want kids who want to embrace being a part of that. That’s where I’m really starting with this thing.”
Keep an eye on Princeton postgrads-to-be Matt Allocco and Zach Martini, both of whom fit the profile and are in the transfer portal (postgrads are not eligible in the Ivy League) after helping the Tigers go 70-21 these past three seasons.
Allocco is a tough-as-nails, 6-foot-4 guard who shot .427 from 3-point range and .909 from the free-throw line as a senior while posting a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He’s from Ohio, but his father Gregg Allocco is a Governor Livingston High School grad.
The 6-foot-7, 235-pound Martini, who hails from Warren in Somerset County and played high school ball at Gill St. Bernard’s, shot .385 from 3-point range and .833 from the free-throw line as a forward/center who can play inside or out.
Both Princeton guys rate high on the intangibles: leadership, coachability, and basketball IQ. And they’ve both played deep into March Madness.
“I’m looking for obviously toughness and an ability to shoot the ball, and experience,” Pikiell said. “But most importantly I want people who are excited about the excitement of next year. We’ve got a unique situation that’s going to be fun. I want kids who are willing to jump into the competitiveness of that, and we’ve gotten a lot of positive early feedback on that.”
Of course, the demands of the NIL marketplace also will factor into who is brought aboard.
3. Acclimate the freshmen
Rutgers’ 2024 class, which ranks among the top three in the nation, will inject instant sizzle into the program. Joining guard Harper and wing Bailey are forwards Bryce Dortch and Dylan Grant and center Lathan Sommerville.
Pikiell’s traditional strength was developing players and forging cohesion over a period of years. But Harper and Bailey are projected as high NBA Draft picks in 2025 and in general, free agency guarantees coaches no more than one year with any given player. Coming to understand what makes each player tick, a process Pikiell has enjoyed over the years, now must happen on an accelerated timetable. He’ll be reexamining his coaching bag as a result.
4. Embrace a style
Last year Pikiell promised Rutgers would push the ball and press more than in previous seasons, and both happened. It just wasn’t highly effective, mostly because the Scarlet Knights couldn’t hit layups, free throws or open 3-pointers.
The fact that Pikiell loosened the reins on offense shows his willingness to be flexible. It’s hard to imagine Rutgers will revert to grinding out possessions in 2024-25, but we’ll see what the final roster looks like.
5. Schedule to meet the moment
Harper and Bailey deserve a big stage, and Pikiell knows that.
“Right now we are involved with every event, from the Jimmy V Classic (Dec. 11 at Madison Square Garden) to the Wounded Warrior (Empire Classic, benefitting the Wounded Warrior Project, Nov. 24 and 27 at Prudential Center),” he said. “We’re also looking at some one-off games at neutral sites. Right now I refuse to sign up for something where I don’t know the opponent.”
Rutgers has not played in a Feast Week event since Pikell took charge in 2016. The Scarlet Knights have been linked to the Cayman Islands Classic and an NIL prize-money tournament in Las Vegas, though nothing is finalized.
“Absolutely, we’re looking at some of that,” Pikiell said. “And I’m trying to get a Big Ten game at Madison Square Garden like when we played Michigan State there (in February 2023). We’d have to give up a home game, but I think that would be a good thing for our alums in the area. I’m hoping that can happen, but there are a lot of moving parts there.”
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. He is an Associated Press Top 25 voter. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Rutgers basketball: Steve Pikiell's 5 offseason priorities
