For the second time in as many posts, Court Visions focuses on a program whose newfound success on the football field has cast a welcome shadow over a pair of fledgling basketball programs. While USF made a much-needed coaching switch this spring, Rutgers brought in their man a year ago. Fred Hill's Scarlet Knights seemed to take a step backward after an NIT appearance in Gary Waters' last season (2005-06), but Hill has started to rebuild around his strength — recruiting kids from New Jersey. He's hoping stud point guard Corey Chandler is the first of many Garden State products to lead Rutgers back to basketball respectability. Achieving that goal, however, is still at least a couple of years away.
The good news is that, despite an ugly start, Rutgers' 2006-07 edition will not be remembered as the worst team ever to play in the Big East. In fact, thanks to a sweep of Cincinnati, the Scarlet Knights didn't even finish last in the league last season. That, in itself, was an accomplishment for Hill in his first season in Piscataway. Rutgers' improvement from November to March was a testament to the hard work put in by Hill, his assistants, and the players. Still, even if Rutgers didn't finish last, by almost every other measure Rutgers was the worst team in the conference, and whatever improvements the Knights made during the season didn't result in many wins.
While the defense wasn't good last season, the offense was worse. Only 10 teams in the entire nation shot the ball worse than Rutgers did in 2006-07, and, while just two of their top six players are gone from last year's team, those two — Marquis Webb and Adrian Hill — had the best expected field-goal percentage of the six. Two likely starters, sophomores Anthony Farmer and Jaron Griffin, were as scattershot as they come. Farmer was a sound distributor and ball-handler at point guard.
When Rutgers is good again — if that ever happens under Hill — success will probably arrive with players who've yet to play for the Knights. One of those players should be Chandler, the heir apparent to Farmer at point guard, though he may already be better. He's another player who struggles with his jumper but makes up for it with exceptional quickness and court sense. Fred Hill made his name on his ability to recruit New Jersey kids, like Randy Foye, to Villanova, and he nabbed his first for the State U in Chandler. Hill has already secured a verbal for 2008 from St. Anthony's (N.J.) Mike Rosario, another top guard to add to an ever-deepening backcourt.
The Knights also have a couple of intriguing pieces returning in junior JR Inman and sophomore Hamady N'Diaye. Inman (12 point per game, seven rebounds per game) became a consistent force on an inconsistent team. He will need to improve on 40 percent shooting from the field to be more than just a nice player. Hill's first signing after taking over at Rutgers, N'Diaye was a project out of Senegal entering his freshman season and played like someone who may one day be good. As a freshman, the 6-foot-11 N'Diaye showed an equal knack for blocking shots and picking up fouls. He'll have to become more disciplined and consistent to solidify this promising frontcourt.
Hill knows he has a long rebuilding project ahead, but he has begun to assemble pieces. Talented guards Chandler and Mike Coburn, along with the rest of a five-player recruiting class, provide the base for the future, while Inman and N'Diaye hold the fort until the freshmen are ready to contribute. If Hill can get any consistent shooting out of juniors Griffin, Farmer or Courtney Nelson, Rutgers should be better than it was a year ago, but in a stouter Big East, that may not result in more wins. Nonetheless, 2007-08 isn't about making a dent in the Big East but making progress toward future success.
Comment on this blog and give your thoughts on college basketball on SNY.tv's college sports message board.
Post on facebook
Fan Comments 
print
email
