Starting Lineup
Rutgers won’t be hurting for consistency from their starting lineup – four of their five primary starters from last season will be slotting into the starting lineup again in 2020-21.
Geo Baker – Point Guard
Geo Baker is set to embark on one of the most important senior seasons in Rutgers’ history. His counting numbers from a year ago don’t leap off the page – 10.9 points and 3.5 assists per game – but the latter ranked ninth in the Big Ten and there’s no way his scoring his staying that low after making just 28.0 percent of his threes a year ago. He also missed time with a thumb injury last year. Rutgers goes where Baker goes in 2020-21, and that should be far for the returning star.
Jacob Young – Shooting Guard
After serving as a super sub last season – averaging 21.3 minutes per game without ever starting – Jacob Young should slide into the starting lineup this year. The Texas transfer averaged 8.5 points per game and brought big energy off the bench, but he also struggled from distance, hitting just 27.7 percent of his threes. His biggest impact may be on defense, however, where his 2.9 steal percentage ranked second in the Big Ten.
Montez Mathis – Small Forward
Montez Mathis has started all but nine games in his Rutgers career and it’s time for the junior to take the next step. His scoring dropped from 8.5 points to 7.4 points per game from his freshman to sophomore campaign, though his rebounding and three-point shooting improved. He’s one of the team’s best defenders, but his spot in the starting lineup will become more precarious if he can’t score more consistently.
Ron Harper Jr. – Power Forward
Playing Ron Harper Jr. at power forward is not ideal (he’s just 6-foot-6) and may not even come to fruition on opening night, though it would be the best way to get Rutgers’ five best players on the court to start a game. Harper led the Scarlet Knights with 12.1 points per game in 2019-20 and shot 34.9 percent from three. He was also prolific on the boards and even proved adept at blocking shots with 25 last season. By the end of the year, Baker will be passing the torch to the rising junior as Rutgers’ best player.
Myles Johnson – Center
Rutgers has a good deal of positional flexibility across the lineup except at center, which will be manned once again by Myles Johnson. The rising junior averaged more rebounds (7.9 per game) than points (7.8 per game) from the spot last year and could threaten to average a double-double this season. He’s one of the sport’s best offensive rebounders and he has no problem swatting away shots, blocking 1.5 per game last year. Johnson has only attempted two three-pointers in his career, so expect him to hang around the paint on both ends of the court.