Rutgers Basketball: Scarlet Knights hoping to land either Williams transfer guard
There are reportedly two guards that Rutgers Basketball is after right now. What are the odds the Knights can land them both?
It’s been a fairly interesting offseason for Rutgers Basketball, especially when it comes to who is coming and going on the roster. Late in the process, the team suffered two key backcourt departures. Starting shooting guard Cam Spencer left for UConn, while point guard Paul Mulcahy is now off to the Washington Huskies.
The Scarlet Knights do have an incoming transfer in Noah Fernandes, who averaged 13.4 ppg in 11 games at UMass last season. There’s also top-40 shooting guard freshman Gavin Griffiths, as well as Derek Simpson, who may be in for a breakout campaign next season. Yet there’s still a lack of depth on the perimeter and there are three openers on the roster for the 2022-23 campaign.
Reportedly, there are two players that have either already visited or are set to visit the program. One is Jeremiah Williams, a 6’5 guard that transferred from Iowa State after not playing last season due to an injury. In two years at Temple prior, he averaged 9.4 ppg and 4.2 apg.
The concern with Williams is that he might not be 100% next season health-wise and unless he gets a waiver as a two-time transfer, may have to sit out next year anyways. However, that wouldn’t be the worst thing since Rutgers has Fernandes and could replace him with Williams as the veteran ball-handler of the roster once the team gets their potential five-star duo (Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper) in the 2024 class.
The other target to watch is Austin Williams, who also missed last season at Florida International due to an injury. He’s been in college for six years already, playing at both Marist and Hartford. His time at Hartford is what makes him appealing, averaging 15.1 and 5.7 rpg in two years before leaving for FIU. There is a question about how good he’d be at the Big Ten level but at this point, he’d be a good 10th man on the roster that can rebound.
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Regardless of which Williams Rutgers Basketball lands, either one would be a good late addition with little to no risk for next season. Losing the guys they did a month ago still stings but if they can land these commitments, they’ll have enough depth to be competitive going forward.