NCAA Basketball: Preseason Top-25 power rankings for 2020-21 season

There has rightfully been a ton of talk about the core group of four in the Big Ten this offseason (keep looking to find out who they are). However, there’s another team in the conference with top-25 talent, even if none of the players are still nationally known.

Rutgers had a historically good year for its program, winning 20 games in the regular season for the first time in decades and was one track to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991. As painful as the unfinished business was for the Scarlet Knight fans, they have a great shot at making the Big Dance in 2021 as well.

Among their rotation from last season, Rutgers only loses Akwasi Yeboah, who averaged 9.8 ppg and 4.8 rpg. It’s the perfect time for the program to bring its highest-rated recruit in over a decade in Cliff Omoruyi, a 6’10 center ranked in the top-50 overall.

If he and junior big man Myles Johnson can play alongside each other in the frontcourt, the Knights will have the bodies to go up against the likes of Luka Garza and Kofi Cockburn.

Even with all the talk of the frontcourt, it’ll be the production of the perimeter players that are going to determine how good this team is. They bring back their entire starting backcourt, led by leading scorer Ron Harper Jr. and point guard Geo Baker. Texas transfer Jacob Young was a good 6th man (8.5 ppg) and both Caleb McConnell and Montez Mathis provide more experience and depth.

The Knights won’t score much (no one scored more than 12.1 ppg) but do bring back a top-20 defense and an experienced roster. And thanks to the top-10 overall teams at the top of the Big Ten, Rutgers will get to fly under the radar once again. But expect them to knock off some of the teams at the top of the league, as they look to create another NCAA Tournament worth resume.