Big Ten Basketball: Analyzing each team’s overall offense for 2020-21 season
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
2019-20: 67.6 ppg in Big Ten play
Rutgers Basketball averaged the ninth most points in Big Ten play last season. This with nobody in the top ten in Big Ten scoring and the only individual who was honored with anything was Geo Baker (10.9 ppg) as an All-Big Ten Third Team selection. With zero big-time players and nobody declaring early for the NBA Draft, the 67.6 points they averaged was a genuine team effort. More of the same can be expected this season.
Coach Steve Pikiell had the Scarlet Knights in a 1-4 foul line extended set, which was dependant upon the movement of Ron Harper Jr (12.1 ppg) and Myles Johnson (7.8 ppg) to not only set screens but to tally up the fourth-highest total of offensive rebounds as the defense adjusts to the movement. The 1-4 offense was simple but effective and will continue to be this season as everybody, except Akwasi Yeboah (9.8 ppg), returns from the starting five.
Despite Caleb McConnell ( 6.7 ppg) not being as good as a three-point shooter as Yeobah, McConnell will not only take over as starting small forward but his spot in the offense as well. Starting point guard Jacob Young ( 8.5 ppg) will swing to McConnell in the right slot, Harper Jr will screen away from the elbow for Johnson as he curls to the block.
Rutgers’ fans will enjoy an offense based on swinging the ball and curl cuts in order to get open on the perimeter, while Harper or Johnson posts on the block. Once the entry pass gets into the post, they clear out, so if the defense sinks, they have a long way to recover. Regardless of who was on the court, Coach Pikiell ran the offense, which is going to make freshmen Cliff Omoruyi, who is a defensive force and finisher on offense as well as Dean Reiber very important.
Without a clearcut backup center, Rebier’s mid-range jumper might put him over Omoruyi and make it possible for Coach Pikiell to leave Mamadou Doucoure (0.6 ppg) coming off the bench at power forward.
Some have 31 game starter 6’4 Montez Mathis (7.4 ppg) starting at small forward, his individual skill and ability to drive, sometimes when he should not, will enable him to get off just as many shots. Some would also like to see 6’6 sophomore Paul Mulcahy start at small forward, but the ball-handling duties he is capable of will be valuable, as they do not have a backup point guard.
Regardless of what options and combinations Coach Pikiell does use, look for Rutgers to score 62 percent of their points in the paint as their movement will continue to have the defense looking around.