2007-2008 Big East Conference Preview- #16

#16- Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Rutgers Athletic Center, Piscataway, NJ.

Last season: 10-19 (3-13). No postseason.
Head coach: Fred Hill Jr., 2nd season. 10-19 at Rutgers.
Assistant coaches: Jim Carr, Darren Savino, Craig Carter.

New additions: Thomas Askew (transfer), Corey Chandler (4 star PG), Mike Coburn (3 star PG), Kofi Genfi, Earl Pettis (3 star SF), Charlie Rigoglioso, Justin Sofman (2 star SG).

Losses: Marquis Webb (10.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.2 apg), Adrian Hill (9.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg), Ollie Bailey (4.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg), Frank Russell (2.0 ppg, 1.6 rpg), Shayle Keating (0.6 ppg, 0.4 rpg), Jon Mimmo (0.8 ppg), Jason Cherry (0.8 ppg), Jamar Colon.

Roster: (#, Name, Ht/Wt, Pos., Class, Hometown, last year's stats)

22 Thomas Askew 6-4/210 F Jr. Paterson, NJ
1 Corey Chandler 6-2/190 G Fr. Newark, NJ
31 Mike Coburn 6-0/195 G Fr. Mt. Vernon, NY
2 Anthony Farmer 6-1/190 G Jr. Millville, NJ (7.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.1 apg)
30 Kofi Genfi 6-4/195 F Fr. Sayreville, NJ
32 Jaron Griffin 6-7/210 G/F Jr. Manchester, NJ (8.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.2 apg)
15 J.R. Inman 6-9/220 F Jr. Pomona, NY (12.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 0.6 apg)
21 Byron Joynes 6-9/265 C Sr. Baltimore, MD (did not play last season)
5 Hamady N'Diaye 6-11/235 C So. Dakar, Senegal (2.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.2 apg)
3 Courtney Nelson 6-1/180 G Jr. Newark, NJ (3.7 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 1.6 apg)
11 Earl Pettis 6-5/225 G Fr. Philadelphia, PA
10 Charlie Rigoglioso 6-2/180 G Fr. Wayne, NJ
24 Justin Sofman 6-4/210 G Fr. West Milford, NJ

Backcourt:

Rutgers comes off a disappointing 10-19 season in Fred Hill's first year on the job. Known as a tremendous recruiter in the talent-rich state of New Jersey, Hill has succeeded in attracting talent to Piscataway in such a short period of time. Corey Chandler headlines this recruiting class. This 6-2 freshman guard will make an immediate impact on a depleted Rutgers roster. Chandler can light it up from downtown and figures to score a lot for a team that only averaged 59.1 ppg last season. Mike Coburn is a solid recruit who may not make an immediate impact but will be a solid four year player for the Knights. Junior Anthony Farmer returns and will likely get the starting spot at point guard. A good ball handler, Farmer job will be to get others involved and to protect the basketball. Courtney Nelson is a decent backup guard and will see a lot of time because of Rutgers' limited roster. Freshman Justin Sofman will ease his way into the lineup but likely will not start.

Frontcourt:

African big man Hamady N'Diaye is back for his sophomore season. He has talent, but he doesn't have the athleticism at this point to really succeed in this conference. He'll be a nice defensive presence in the post for Rutgers. Byron Joynes will likely get the start at center for the Knights. Joynes redshirted last season because of a foot injury that required surgery. He is a powerful big man (6-9/265 lbs) who will jockey for position and pull down a lot of rebounds. It remains to be seen if he can score at a decent clip. Rutgers' two best players are Jaron Griffin and J.R. Inman. These juniors must lead this team in order for them to have any chance at success. Inman put up nice numbers last season (12 ppg, 7.3 rpg), but he needs to improve his defense and should concentrate on playing inside the three point line. He has the ability to step outside, but he only hit for a 32% clip last season from beyond the arc. Jaron Griffin is a hustler who will have some big games but can't be counted on to light up the box score. He's a junkyard dog who will do all the dirty work up front for this team. Earl Pettis is a highly-touted freshman out of Philadelphia who should earn some playing time but will be similar to Mike Coburn (a solid four year player).

Schedule:

11/9- vs. Tennessee Tech
11/11- vs. North Dakota State
11/12- vs. North Carolina Central
11/17- at Florida
11/20- vs. Dartmouth
11/25- at St. Peter's
12/1- vs. Princeton
12/5- vs. Lafayette
12/9- at Nebraska
12/13- at New Jersey Tech
12/16- vs. North Carolina
12/21- vs. Rider
12/29- vs. Manhattan
1/2- at South Florida
1/5- vs. Georgetown
1/9- at Providence
1/13- vs. Louisville
1/16- at Syracuse
1/19- at DePaul
1/23- vs. Villanova
1/26- at Pittsburgh
1/30- vs. Seton Hall
2/2- at Louisville
2/6- vs. St. John's
2/9- vs. Cincinnati
2/14- at West Virginia
2/17- vs. Notre Dame
2/23- at Marquette
2/26- vs. Connecticut
3/1- vs. South Florida
3/9- at Seton Hall

Projected record: 12-19 (3-15).
Postseason: None.