BIG EAST Holds Men's Basketball Media Day
Oct 24 | Men's Basketball
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Rutgers men's basketball coach Fred Hill, along with senior forward/center Byron Joynes and junior forward JR Inman, were the Scarlet Knights' representatives at the annual BIG EAST Conference Men's Basketball Media Day today at Madison Square Garden. It marked Inman's second straight year as one of the team's player representatives.
The league unveiled its annual preseason poll at the Media Day, which was selected by the conference's head coaches. Georgetown, with four starters back from its Final Four team, and Louisville, which returns its top seven scorers from a 24-10 team, were selected as co-favorites to win the regular season title. Rutgers was picked to finish 15th in the poll. Hoyas senior center Roy Hibbert, a unanimous selection to last season's All-BIG EAST First Team, was named the Preseason Player of the Year.
The event opened with remarks from Commissioner Michael Tranghese before the players and coaches were interviewed by print, radio and television media. The media turnout marked the largest in league history.
The Scarlet Knights enter the 2007-08 campaign with a 13-player roster comprised of six returning letterwinners and seven newcomers. Four scholarship signees highlight a rookie class that features three recruits rated among the best at their positions nationally. With six returning lettermen on the squad, RU is tied for the fewest number of veterans in the BIG EAST. Four of the six returning players, however, have at least one full season of starting experience, with three competing as starters for at least two years.
The fans first opportunity to see Rutgers on the hardwood this season will be next Saturday, Nov. 3, when it hosts Northwood in an exhibition game at 7:30 p.m. The Scarlet Knights regular season tips off versus Tennessee Tech on Friday evening, November 9th in the first of three games in a span of four days at the RAC as part of the Blue Ribbon Challenge. Rutgers will have at least 20 televised games in a 2007-08 regular season schedule that includes twelve opponents that earned post-season berths last year.
