Rutgers Basketball: Steve Pikiell hiring gives hope to Scarlet Knights

The Rutgers basketball program has begun to put the pieces in place to improve next season.

Rutgers has been a major disappointment since joining the Big Ten in 2014. After a 5-13 season in the brand new American conference, the Scarlet Knights bolted for the well balanced, major conference of the Big Ten.

In their first two seasons in the league Rutgers has only amassed three combined conference wins.

A choice largely based on their storied football program, the Big Ten might be regretting their decision to add Rutgers to their league. However, even after a dismal 2015-2016 season, things are looking much better in New Brunswick after a big coaching shake up this offseason.

The Scarlet Knights went 6-7 in non-conference play in the 2015-2016 season, beating some of college basketball’s bottom feeders. To start Big Ten conference play, they went 0-17. The highlight of the season for Rutgers came when they beat Minnesota at home to snap a 32-game conference losing streak.

Third-year coach Eddie Jordan brought an NBA pedigree with him to his alma mater, but it didn’t translate to the college game and he was fired at the conclusion of this season.

Shortly thereafter, the program hired Stony Brook coach Steve Pikiell to replace Jordan.

Fresh off an outstanding season with the Seawolves and an NCAA tournament appearance, Pikiell undoubtedly had a number of other suitors before joining Rutgers. Pikiell has built a great team of coaches already in his short time at the helm and has experience developing players.

One such hire was of fellow UConn alum Karl Hobbs for the job of associate head coach. The two already have a close relationship with each other, as Pikiell was an assistant when Hobbs was the head coach of George Washington. Hobbs has had great success in his experience as a coach in the college ranks, bringing GW to the tournament three times and was a member of the UConn staff for the program’s last two championships.

Pikiell also hired Brandin Knight as an assistant coach. Knight was the Big East Player of the Year in his days at Pittsburgh and had a brief stint professionally. Knight is a young coach, who rose quickly in the ranks to become Jamie Dixon’s assistant at Pitt.

When Dixon left for TCU, Knight decided to explore other options, landing him in his hometown state of New Jersey. Those close to the Pittsburgh program say that Knight is an elite recruiter and uses his age and experience to connect with high school stars.

Pikiell will be bringing along three members from his staff at Stony Brook in Jay Young, Dan Rickard, and Bryan Dougher. Greg Vetrone is also being retained by Pikiell as the lone coach from the Eddie Jordan era to remain at Rutgers.

Young, a defensive specialist, was with Pikiell at Stony Brook for his full tenure. The defense Young ran was the best in the American East last season in terms of points per game allowed. His emphasis on defensive tenacity and rebounding will be key in setting the tone and keeping games close for the young Rutgers squads set to come through New Brunswick.

Only four days after being hired, Pikiell successfully recruited NJ prep star Matt Bullock, a 6’4″ forward out of Roselle Catholic. Bullock marks the first NJ native to commit to Rutgers since 2011. Pikiell’s quick move demonstrates that a better future is on the horizon for the Scarlet Knights.

Next: Top 10 National Championship finishes

Pikiell has an uphill battle ahead of him, as Rutgers has clearly been one of the worst teams in the Power Seven conferences over the past two seasons. However, after a few years on the recruiting trail, Pikiell should have the Scarlet Knights close to Big Ten standards in the near future.

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