Rutgers Basketball adds frontcourt depth for 2021-22 with Ronald Agee
It’s been a very good past week for Rutgers Basketball when it comes to building its roster for the upcoming season. The team officially got back leading scorer Ron Harper, along with four-year double-digit scoring starter Geo Baker.
Both players will play big roles for the Scarlet Knights but after losing a trio of key players (Jacob Young, Montez Mathis, and Myles Johnson), they’ll need others to step up to keep the team in contention of the Big Ten. The loss of Johnson, the team’s starting center who led them with 8.5 rpg and 2.4 blocks per game, leaves a fairly big hole in the frontcourt.
Rutgers didn’t have much frontcourt depth last season, with Johnson and former top-50 prospect Clifford Omoruyi playing at the center position, with Harper and 6’6 guard Paul Mulcahy playing somewhat the undersized power forward spot. The absence of Johnson puts a lot of pressure on Omoruyi to have an impact as the likely starter.
His backup at the center position now looks to be Ralph Agee, a 6’8 and 240-pound frontcourt player from San Jose State. After a year at East Los Angeles Junior College and at then Cal State Dominguez Hills (D-II), Agee went to the Mountain West, where he became an instant impact player.
After splitting time between the starting lineup and the bench as a junior, the big man became a leading piece for the Spartans. Agee averaged 11.1 ppg and 5.2 rpg in 20 games played, including 13 games of at least double-digits. The big game came in a career-high 22 points and 14 rebounds against Air Force.
By no means is Agee, who has been in the transfer portal since May, is a star pickup of the likes of a Kofi Cockburn or Tre Mitchell. But he is a good depth piece for around 15-20 minutes for Rutgers, capable of playing either the power forward or center position off the bench, or even start if he surprises in preseason settings. LSU transfer and combo forward Aundre Hyatt also provides depth and more of a scoring option, while Agee can rebound, defend and provide a post-scoring option.
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The addition of Agee gives the Scarlet Knights legit frontcourt depth behind Omoruyi and Harper and at worst, a body and five fouls. As long as the former top-50 recruit breaks out as many are expecting, Rutgers will be in very good shape to make the NCAA Tournament back-to-back years. But just in case he doesn’t, they’ll be a solid security blanket in Agee.