2008 Rutgers Basketball Predictions & Season Preview

Written October 18, 2008 by Jack Jones

The Rutgers basketball program is coming off a tough season that saw the Scarlet Knights go 11-20 and 3-15 in Big East play. Those three wins netted the team a last place finish in the conference, but there is hope heading into 2008-09 due to a solid recruiting class that head coach Fred Hill was able to land. Greg Echenique was rated as high as no. 13 in the incoming class of freshman and Mike Rosario’s the first McDonald’s All-American that Rutgers has landed in school history. Just don’t expect this team to make huge strides this year, as the freshman are going to need to get some experience first. This team will miss out on the NCAA tournament for the 18th straight year. The NCAA basketball odds makers agree with us, setting the odds on Rutgers to win the national title at 500-to-1.

The frontcourt is going to be in the hands of Echenique, who graduated from high school a year early and spent the summer playing for the Venezuelan Junior National team. He’ll be one of the top freshman centers in the nation this year. Up front he’s joined by returning center Hamady Ndiaye, the 6′11″ junior from Senegal that does a good job of blocking shots and picking up boards but doesn’t contribute a lot to the offense. Another freshman in Christian Morris will also see time. He’s a 6′9″ and 280 pound beast who is known for smashing backboards. Two seniors will have to fight for playing time. JR Inman is the team’s returning leading scorer with 12.2 points per game and will most likely win the small forward spot, but Jaron Griffin has underachieved for three years and if he continues to do so won’t see as much floor time this season.

Rosario will come in and contribute immediately. He was the New Jersey Player of the Year and can really score the basketball. There are a couple of returning starters in Anthony Farmer and Mike Coburn who will fight for playing time, along with sophomore Corey Chandler. Chandler came along during this freshman season to average 11.9 points per game and four rebounds. Earl Pettis will provide the Scarlet Knights will some depth.

Final Analysis

Rutgers should be better this year and the program is definitely on the right track, but I don’t think this team has what it takes to break through in 2008-09. They will have some growing pains as their talented freshman class grows. I like what Fred Hill is doing with this program though, and they should compete in the Big East down the road. This year though the BetUS odds makers have Rutgers listed at 30-to-1 to win the conference title.

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