Men's Basketball Preview
Sep 29 | Men's Basketball
by Tom Luicci
There's little doubt in Eddie Jordan's mind that Rutgers is a much better basketball team on paper this year.
More significant, says the Scarlet Knights' third-year head coach, is that he's certain it will be a better team on the court.
"We're definitely more athletic. We have a better talent base than previous teams. But we're young," said Jordan. "But I like our depth and we have more size. This team still needs to go through a maturation process because it's essentially a new team. But I like our talent base. I like our athletic base."
Momentum on the recruiting trail has enabled Jordan to not only absorb the losses of last year's top two scorers (Myles Mack and Kadeem Jack) but to have the flexibility to restructure the offense to fit a collection of talent that is nearly an equal mix of returnees and newcomers.
Because he now has three pure post players to call upon in 6-11, 270-pound Shaquille Doorson, 6-10, 240-pound Ibrahima Diallo and 6-9, 240-pound Greg Lewis, Jordan is tweaking the offense, building it to work inside out. He also has the option of using promising newcomer Deshawn Freeman and returning sophomore D.J. Foreman down low in the new-look offense.
"We'll change the offense from last year and I'm excited about our new offense," Jordan said. "It's sort of like the San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks. Golden State runs it loosely. So it's three good teams to copy from.
"I like the fact that it gives us more versatility of playing with a bigger lineup. We can play with two big men in there. Last year we only played with one center. We can play with two centers in this offense. Our perimeter players will have more decision-making ability as to just one guy in the center of the old offense.
"It's all about versatility with three perimeter spots and then having two big men play. We'll have more multiple screening action. I liked what we did the last two years offensively. We just didn't have the personnel to score. This offense allows us to make the most of the talent and depth that we have."
Lewis, an excellent post defender who averaged 5.3 points and 4.5 rebounds while starting all 32 games last season, put his seal of approval on the new offense already.
"I like the offense a lot," Lewis said. "Coach Jordan has been preaching getting the ball inside and working inside out. I'm excited about it. I'm excited about that and I'm excited about playing with a new group of guys."
Lewis heads a solid group of returnees that give Jordan a strong nucleus, with six first-year players filling in around them. Highlighting the latter group is highly-touted freshman guard Corey Sanders, Freeman, a 6-7, 220-pound junior college transfer, and fifth-year senior graduate transfer Omari Grier, a 6-4 guard.
Jordan plans to plug in the ultra-athletic Sanders at point guard along with senior Bishop Daniels.
"Corey, to me, is a special player," Jordan said. "He wants to defend. He wants to help his teammates. He's a defend, pass-first point guard and players love playing with that type of guy. He's very animated. He's an easy athlete who wants to win and wants to play against the best. He's as competitive a guy as there is."
The 6-3 Daniels, known for his flashy play, will be asked to do even more now after averaging 8.4 ppg in 20 starts.
"I want him to be in attack mode more consistently while also running the offense and getting us organized," Jordan said of Daniels. "He has a lot of responsibilities this year. Bishop needs to play with a sense of urgency all the time and stay in attack mode, keep the turnovers down and be solid on defense.
"Either he or Corey will run the offense this year."
While the perimeter game appears to have more options, Jordan's hope is that this team creates offense off its defense. His goal is to extend pressure this year as opposed to being more of a halfcourt defensive team last season.
"I don't know yet how good we'll be from the perimeter," Jordan said. "We'll see. I think we'll still be good defensively and that's what we'll hang our hat on again. Will we extend the court? I would like to. Can we extend it and create more turnovers and make it more of a fast-paced game? I would like that."
Perimeter success will depend on sophomore guard Mike Williams, Grier and redshirt freshman Justin Goode.
Williams struggled from 3-point range last year, but no longer has to worry about running the offense -- a change Jordan feels will lead to better long-range shooting. Grier averaged 7.9 points and 37.8 percent shooting a year ago at Bradley, bringing with him college experience from having appeared in 87 games during his career.
"He's experienced and it shows on the court," Jordan said. "He does so many different things well and does them the correct way. Everything he does in right. He's a solid leader who knows how to relate and can communicate.
"He also shoots the ball well. I want him to shoot the 3. He can get to the basket every so often. He's just a solid guy. He's going to have his opportunity because he knows how to play and he knows where to be."
But relying on so many new faces, as the Scarlet Knights will do this year, means it may take time before this team meshes to Jordan's liking. That's a reality that everyone is accepting, even the seniors.
"We're going to be a young team," said Lewis. "We're still in the process of learning our identity. But so far (in preseason and summer workouts) I like our pace, I like our energy, I like our youth. We still have a way to go to being where I think we will be. That will happen over the course of the season."
Lewis will again be a key factor in the middle, with Jordan saying "he gives us steadiness and he anchors our defense." For the first time in his career, though, Lewis has help he can turn to.
Doorson proved to be a useful back up as a freshman last year, playing in 29 games, with his defense and rebounding much more advanced than his offense at this stage of his career. The presence of Diallo, who redshirted out last season, means Rutgers has legitimate Big Ten size in the post.
"I think Shaq is a good rebounder," Jordan said. "He needs to get better technique-wise defending the post. If he defends his man one on one, guards the rim on help and when he catches it turns and scores and then makes his free throws, that's all his role needs to be.
"Ibrahima has to be a contributor for us. How much of a contributor? We're not looking for him to average a double-double. I want him to defend the rim, run the floor, make good decisions with the basketball and don't turn it over."
Foreman and Freeman give Jordan even more frontcourt flexibility, with both having starting ability.
As a freshman last year, the 6-8, 240-pound Foreman hinted at plenty of good things to come, playing in all 32 games and averaging 3.8 points and 2.7 rebounds.
"D.J. has been our best player in the spring workouts, in the summer workouts and during the pre-practice workouts," Jordan said. "He's been aggressive. He's improved by just being in attack mode. He has always been that way but he has more opportunity now. He is in attack mode all the time and I like that. I want guys to be in attack mode.
"I want him to attack the basket, get to the free throw line and give us more scoring. He can play one of the two big spots or he can play as a perimeter man."
Freeman arrives in Piscataway after averaging 19.2 points and 9.6 rebounds while shooting 55 percent at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, helping his team to a 29-6 record and NJCAA quarterfinal berth. A face-up scorer who is also aggressive going to the basket, Freeman was ranked as the 16th-best overall junior college prospect in the country by 247Sports.com.
"He's used to playing high level players in junior college and he has been very good since getting here," Jordan said. "Deshawn is an old-school worker, a grinder. He has good post moves, he can drive and he has a really nice jump shot. He's got a good pace about him."
Jonathan Laurent, a 6-6, 210-pound freshman forward, is viewed as a wild card by Jordan, who says the newcomer's athleticism and playing style will fit in nicely with what he is trying to accomplish with this team at both ends of the floor.
"He was under the radar and under-rated because he played in an offensive system in high school that was like Princeton, where everybody shares the ball, where they constantly use back cuts, and maybe everyone averages around nine points a game," Jordan said. "I like his defense. He is one of our best athletes right now. He's a high flyer and an easy athlete. He has been a pleasant surprise that way."
Jake Dadika, a sophomore, and Jalen Hyde offer guard depth after combining to play in 13 games last season.
Though Rutgers' debut season in the Big Ten proved to be a difficult one, there were just enough highlights in Jordan's view to form the foundation for improvement going forward.
"Overall, I thought we had some significant, signature wins," he said. "To win at Clemson -- it was the first time a Rutgers team won at an ACC opponent's court -- that was significant. And that was after a stretch of three games in four days, after playing in the Barclays Classic, beating Vanderbilt there after Bishop Daniels went down in the first three minutes, and then playing Virginia tough.
"Penn State, the program's first Big Ten win, beating No. 4-ranked Wisconsin. There were some results we were proud of. But there's a whole lot more work we have to do to build on that."
Lewis is certainly a believer, with the infusion of new talent bringing the hope of a team that is better equipped than a year ago to compete in the rugged Big Ten.
"We have some good, young big guys," Lewis said. "It's going to be interesting to see what those guys bring to the table.
"We're going to compete. I know that."
Against this challenging schedule, competing every night will be a requirement. The non-conference portion of the schedule is highlighted by games against St. John's, Creighton, Wake Forest, Seton Hall and George Washington.
On the Big Ten side, Indiana, Nebraska, Purdue, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State and Minnesota visit the RAC.
"This team has to mature as quickly as possible," said Jordan. "We still have to get better players and become deeper. But I like our guard group. We need to get older and get more experienced. What does that mean as far as being competitive in the Big Ten this year? We'll see. Ibrahima and Shaquille have to come around to be a presence in the paint, both as a defensive presence and scoring inside.
"But we have more pieces than we've had since I've been here."
Though Jordan kept his coaching staff intact, he did adjust it a bit for this season. Mike O'Koren transitions to the role of senior advisor, Dalip Bhatia is now a full-time assistant coach and Corky McMullen has been promoted to director of basketball operations.
"It is integral for a coach to not only put his players in the best position for success, but his staff as well," said Jordan. "Mike is my biggest confidant. His distinguished career as both a player and coach make him perfectly suited for this role. Dalip returns to a position in which he excelled at St. Peter's and Kean. His tireless work ethic serves the program well, especially on the recruiting trail. Corky is dedicated to supporting the best interests of our players and staff. He is well suited to handle the team travel and general operations of the program."
Rutgers officially begins preseason practice on Friday, Oct. 2.
