Men’s Basketball Announces 2023-24 Roster Heading on Foreign Tour
Aug 07 | Men's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers men's basketball team has announced the roster that is set for the team's international tour to Senegal and Portugal heading into the 2023-24 season on Monday.
The Scarlet Knights have officially added two new scholarship players through the transfer portal in graduate student from Florida International, guard Austin Williams, and redshirt junior guard Jeremiah Williams from Iowa State. Graduate forward Oskar Palmquist returns to the RU roster through the transfer portal after a brief stint with Elon.
The Scarlet Knights' current 2023-24 roster consists of 17 players, 13 scholarship players, and four walk-ons. As of the foreign tour, RU returns nine players from last season and several key starters in senior center Clifford Omoruyi, graduate forward Aundre Hyatt, senior forward Mawot Mag, and sophomore point guard Derek Simpson. Sophomore forward Antwone Woolfolk and redshirt sophomore forward Antonio Chol are also returning to the 2023-24 roster.
RU has already welcomed a stellar high school class that features wing Gavin Griffiths (Simsbury, Conn.) and guard Jamichael Davis (Powder Springs, Georgia). RU has added three walk-on players in grad student Zach Hayn (Hartwick College), sophomore Jacob Morales (Springfield College), and freshman guard Dan Vessey (Princeton, N.J.).
"I am really excited for the 2023-24 Scarlet Knights roster," head coach Steve Pikiell said. "I think this is one of the most athletic and best shooting teams that we have had here on the banks. This roster is filled with experience and some great young talent. We will use this once-in-a-lifetime experience to build team chemistry and get our players some real live game action."
Below are the new players that have been officially announced to the RU roster heading into the 2023-24 international tour. The Scarlet Knights depart from the airport on Tuesday night.
Austin Williams
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard from Roseland, N.J. transferred to FIU for the 2022-23 but was sidelined for the entire season due to a knee injury. Prior to transferring to FIU, Williams was a two-time all-league selection at Hartford alongside, being a 1,000 scorer in his collegiate career.
In his senior season for the Hawks (2020-21), Williams paced Hartford with 14.1 points per game, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. He started every game during the 2020-21 season and scored in double figures 19 times. The Roseland, N.J. native was awarded the America East Championship Most Outstanding Player during the Hawks' first-ever conference championship run behind 21.3 points on 61 percent shooting and 8.3 rebounds during the four-game span. Williams posted a 19-point effort against eventual National Champion Baylor Bears in the NCAA Tournament.
In his graduate season (2021-22), he notched a team-high 16.1 points per game and shot a career-best 50 percent from the field. He also chipped in with 5.2 rebounds per game and 3.4 assists per game. Williams started every game for the Hawks and scored in double figures a team-best 23 times.
"I'm extremely excited to be here," Williams said. "It's a big step up for me and I'm excited to challenge myself, get better and help this team win. I am happy I chose to come here mostly because I am back close to home, and my family will get a chance to watch my last year of college basketball. It means the world to be back in New Jersey. This is where the whole basketball journey started and it's great to end my college career here."
Williams will be on the foreign trip with his new teammates.
Jeremiah Williams
Jeremiah Williams, a 6-foot-4, 177-pound guard from Chicago, Illinois has just officially joined the RU roster on Monday. Williams' collegiate career started at Temple, where in his freshmen season he averaged 9.3 points per game. Williams led the Owls with 4.1 assists per game, 1.2 steals per game, and in minutes per game (32.6) in the 2020-21 season. The guard was the first true freshman to start in a season opener for Temple in over seven years.
Williams started 21 of the 22 games he saw action in during his sophomore season. Williams averaged 9.5 points per game and 4.3 assists per game. The Owls were (9-3) when Williams reached double figures, which was 12 out of 22 contests.
After the 2021-22 season, Williams transferred to Iowa State. He never appeared in a game for the Cyclones due to an Achilles injury in early October, which forced him to miss the entire season. Williams visited the campus and met with the coaching staff on July 24th and verbally committed to Rutgers on July 29th.
The Chicago native will need to receive a waiver from the NCAA to suit up this winter after transferring twice but is looking forward to the opportunity ahead.
"The overall reason why I picked Rutgers was the coaching staff," Williams said. I loved seeing the culture that they have here at Rutgers. I've heard so many great things about Coach Pikiell, so getting acclimated here and meeting the staff in person made me realize that this opportunity is everything I wanted."
Williams will be on the upcoming foreign trip with his new teammates and is excited about the experience.
"I am very grateful to be a late addition to the trip," Williams said. "I'm excited to go and looking forward to using it as a chance to gel with the guys. I'm not looking too far ahead. I am just excited to be here overall. I am going to use this time just to work and get better."
Oskar Palmquist
Oskar Palmquist is back with the Scarlet Knights for a fifth season in 2023-24.
As a junior, the Sweden native saw action in 21 games and started in two contests against Wisconsin and Michigan. Palmquist's big shot-making ability from three-point land was showcased against Minnesota when the lefty knocked down three three-pointers in a career-high 13 point-performance in 16 minutes of play.
The 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward showed flashes of big game experience in 2022-23, notching 9 points against No. 18 Indiana. Palmquist shot 36.4 percent from behind the arc last season. Palmquist graduated from Rutgers this spring. He was one of six players named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court.
Dan Vessey
Dan Vessey joins 2023-24 roster as a freshman walk-on after passing up an opportunity with the Army basketball team. Vessey graduated in 2023 from The Hun School of Princeton in Princeton, N.J. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound guard scored 1,253 points in his career at The Hun School. During his junior season at the Hun School, Vessey scored 17 points per game and was named Trentonian Prep Player of the Year, Times of Trenton Prep Player of the Year, and was an N.J. Hoops Prep All-State first-team recipient.
Jacob Morales
Jacob Morales joined the Knighthood as a walk-on after a season at Springfield College on Monday. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound forward started 17 out of 20 games and averaged the most minutes per game at 28.9 for the Pride in the 2021-22 season.
Zach Hayn
Zach Hayn officially joins the 2023-24 roster as a walk-on on Monday. Hayn is a familiar face in Piscataway. He is the son of current Chief of Staff Steve Hayn who has been on Pikiell's coaching staff for the last seven seasons. Hayn, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound guard from Brooklyn, N.Y. played at Division III Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York.
The full 2023-24 Scarlet Knights roster is listed below:
Sophomore | Guard | Derek Simpson | # 0
Freshman | Guard | Jamichael Davis | # 1
Graduate student | Guard | Noah Fernandes | # 2
Senior | Forward | Mawot Mag | # 3
Graduate student | Forward | Aundre Hyatt | # 5
Senior | Guard | Aiden Terry | # 7
Senior | Forward | Oskar Palmquist | # 9
Freshman | Guard / Forward | Gavin Griffiths | # 10
Senior | Center | Clifford Omoruyi | # 11
Sophomore | Forward | Antwone Woolfolk | # 13
Sophomore | Forward | Jacob Morales | # 15
Redshirt sophomore | Forward | Antonio Chol # 21
Sophomore | Center | Emmanuel Ogbole | # 22
Freshman | Guard | Daniel Vessey | # 23
Graduate student | Guard | Austin Williams | # 24
Redshirt junior | Guard | Jeremiah Williams | # 25
Graduate student | Guard | Zach Hayn | # 53
The Scarlet Knights have officially added two new scholarship players through the transfer portal in graduate student from Florida International, guard Austin Williams, and redshirt junior guard Jeremiah Williams from Iowa State. Graduate forward Oskar Palmquist returns to the RU roster through the transfer portal after a brief stint with Elon.
The Scarlet Knights' current 2023-24 roster consists of 17 players, 13 scholarship players, and four walk-ons. As of the foreign tour, RU returns nine players from last season and several key starters in senior center Clifford Omoruyi, graduate forward Aundre Hyatt, senior forward Mawot Mag, and sophomore point guard Derek Simpson. Sophomore forward Antwone Woolfolk and redshirt sophomore forward Antonio Chol are also returning to the 2023-24 roster.
RU has already welcomed a stellar high school class that features wing Gavin Griffiths (Simsbury, Conn.) and guard Jamichael Davis (Powder Springs, Georgia). RU has added three walk-on players in grad student Zach Hayn (Hartwick College), sophomore Jacob Morales (Springfield College), and freshman guard Dan Vessey (Princeton, N.J.).
"I am really excited for the 2023-24 Scarlet Knights roster," head coach Steve Pikiell said. "I think this is one of the most athletic and best shooting teams that we have had here on the banks. This roster is filled with experience and some great young talent. We will use this once-in-a-lifetime experience to build team chemistry and get our players some real live game action."
Below are the new players that have been officially announced to the RU roster heading into the 2023-24 international tour. The Scarlet Knights depart from the airport on Tuesday night.
Austin Williams
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard from Roseland, N.J. transferred to FIU for the 2022-23 but was sidelined for the entire season due to a knee injury. Prior to transferring to FIU, Williams was a two-time all-league selection at Hartford alongside, being a 1,000 scorer in his collegiate career.
In his senior season for the Hawks (2020-21), Williams paced Hartford with 14.1 points per game, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. He started every game during the 2020-21 season and scored in double figures 19 times. The Roseland, N.J. native was awarded the America East Championship Most Outstanding Player during the Hawks' first-ever conference championship run behind 21.3 points on 61 percent shooting and 8.3 rebounds during the four-game span. Williams posted a 19-point effort against eventual National Champion Baylor Bears in the NCAA Tournament.
In his graduate season (2021-22), he notched a team-high 16.1 points per game and shot a career-best 50 percent from the field. He also chipped in with 5.2 rebounds per game and 3.4 assists per game. Williams started every game for the Hawks and scored in double figures a team-best 23 times.
"I'm extremely excited to be here," Williams said. "It's a big step up for me and I'm excited to challenge myself, get better and help this team win. I am happy I chose to come here mostly because I am back close to home, and my family will get a chance to watch my last year of college basketball. It means the world to be back in New Jersey. This is where the whole basketball journey started and it's great to end my college career here."
Williams will be on the foreign trip with his new teammates.
Jeremiah Williams
Jeremiah Williams, a 6-foot-4, 177-pound guard from Chicago, Illinois has just officially joined the RU roster on Monday. Williams' collegiate career started at Temple, where in his freshmen season he averaged 9.3 points per game. Williams led the Owls with 4.1 assists per game, 1.2 steals per game, and in minutes per game (32.6) in the 2020-21 season. The guard was the first true freshman to start in a season opener for Temple in over seven years.
Williams started 21 of the 22 games he saw action in during his sophomore season. Williams averaged 9.5 points per game and 4.3 assists per game. The Owls were (9-3) when Williams reached double figures, which was 12 out of 22 contests.
After the 2021-22 season, Williams transferred to Iowa State. He never appeared in a game for the Cyclones due to an Achilles injury in early October, which forced him to miss the entire season. Williams visited the campus and met with the coaching staff on July 24th and verbally committed to Rutgers on July 29th.
The Chicago native will need to receive a waiver from the NCAA to suit up this winter after transferring twice but is looking forward to the opportunity ahead.
"The overall reason why I picked Rutgers was the coaching staff," Williams said. I loved seeing the culture that they have here at Rutgers. I've heard so many great things about Coach Pikiell, so getting acclimated here and meeting the staff in person made me realize that this opportunity is everything I wanted."
Williams will be on the upcoming foreign trip with his new teammates and is excited about the experience.
"I am very grateful to be a late addition to the trip," Williams said. "I'm excited to go and looking forward to using it as a chance to gel with the guys. I'm not looking too far ahead. I am just excited to be here overall. I am going to use this time just to work and get better."
Oskar Palmquist
Oskar Palmquist is back with the Scarlet Knights for a fifth season in 2023-24.
As a junior, the Sweden native saw action in 21 games and started in two contests against Wisconsin and Michigan. Palmquist's big shot-making ability from three-point land was showcased against Minnesota when the lefty knocked down three three-pointers in a career-high 13 point-performance in 16 minutes of play.
The 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward showed flashes of big game experience in 2022-23, notching 9 points against No. 18 Indiana. Palmquist shot 36.4 percent from behind the arc last season. Palmquist graduated from Rutgers this spring. He was one of six players named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court.
Dan Vessey
Dan Vessey joins 2023-24 roster as a freshman walk-on after passing up an opportunity with the Army basketball team. Vessey graduated in 2023 from The Hun School of Princeton in Princeton, N.J. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound guard scored 1,253 points in his career at The Hun School. During his junior season at the Hun School, Vessey scored 17 points per game and was named Trentonian Prep Player of the Year, Times of Trenton Prep Player of the Year, and was an N.J. Hoops Prep All-State first-team recipient.
Jacob Morales
Jacob Morales joined the Knighthood as a walk-on after a season at Springfield College on Monday. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound forward started 17 out of 20 games and averaged the most minutes per game at 28.9 for the Pride in the 2021-22 season.
Zach Hayn
Zach Hayn officially joins the 2023-24 roster as a walk-on on Monday. Hayn is a familiar face in Piscataway. He is the son of current Chief of Staff Steve Hayn who has been on Pikiell's coaching staff for the last seven seasons. Hayn, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound guard from Brooklyn, N.Y. played at Division III Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York.
The full 2023-24 Scarlet Knights roster is listed below:
Sophomore | Guard | Derek Simpson | # 0
Freshman | Guard | Jamichael Davis | # 1
Graduate student | Guard | Noah Fernandes | # 2
Senior | Forward | Mawot Mag | # 3
Graduate student | Forward | Aundre Hyatt | # 5
Senior | Guard | Aiden Terry | # 7
Senior | Forward | Oskar Palmquist | # 9
Freshman | Guard / Forward | Gavin Griffiths | # 10
Senior | Center | Clifford Omoruyi | # 11
Sophomore | Forward | Antwone Woolfolk | # 13
Sophomore | Forward | Jacob Morales | # 15
Redshirt sophomore | Forward | Antonio Chol # 21
Sophomore | Center | Emmanuel Ogbole | # 22
Freshman | Guard | Daniel Vessey | # 23
Graduate student | Guard | Austin Williams | # 24
Redshirt junior | Guard | Jeremiah Williams | # 25
Graduate student | Guard | Zach Hayn | # 53
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