Rutgers still has room to work, and Steve Pikiell made it clear Tuesday that the roster is not finished.
The Scarlet Knights have already brought in seven new players this offseason - five transfers, one international prospect and one high school signee - but Pikiell said the staff plans to add two more frontcourt pieces before the 2026-27 season begins. He did not offer a timetable for either move.
“We are going to add a couple more pieces to the front court and we’ll be much improved,” Pikiell said. “They are just going to be really good players. I’m excited about them.”
One of those expected additions is a promising international center currently playing in Europe, NJ.com has learned. Rutgers is also operating with one projected member of the 2026 class still not on campus: Lewis Duarte, the former New Mexico State guard who most recently played professionally in the Dominican Republic. Duarte has still not been deemed eligible by the NCAA, and it is becoming increasingly unlikely that he ends up on the 2026-27 roster.
With 13 scholarships currently filled, not including Duarte, Rutgers can only add two more players.
“I can’t really talk about it,” Pikiell said. “You guys understand all the eligibility things.
It has nothing to do other than the NCAA, the G-League and all that other stuff. I can’t really tell you anything because I don’t know anything.”
For now, the focus is on the group already in place, and Pikiell sounded upbeat after watching Tuesday’s open practice for local media. Rutgers was without two “very athletic guys” because of short-term injuries - Will Sydnor had a sprained ankle and Martin Tonejc had blisters - but the coach still liked what he saw from the newcomers.
“They are workers,” Pikiell said. “We’ve got a lot more experience.”
The players Rutgers has signed so far this offseason are transfers Rasheed Jones (Coastal Carolina), Darin Smith (Central Connecticut State), Will Sydnor (Manhattan), Christian Gurdak (Virginia Tech) and Dorin Buca (Kansas State), along with high school signee Imahri Wooten and international prospect Martin Tonejc (Slovenia).
Here is Rutgers’ current projected roster makeup entering the 2026-27 season, listed by years of eligibility remaining:
1 year - Rasheed Jones (G/F), Darren Buchanan (F), Dorin Buca (C).
2 years - Tariq Francis (G), Jamichael Davis (G), Darin Smith (F).
3 years - Will Sydnor (F).
4 years - Lino Mark (G), Kaden Powers (G), Christian Gurdak (C), Gevonte Ware (C).
Guards (6): Tariq Francis, Jamichael Davis, Rasheed Jones; Lino Mark, Kaden Powers; Imahri Wooten.
In Other News...
Rutgers Nonconference Schedule Is Taking On A Very Familiar Look
Rutgers 2026-27 nonconference slate is starting to look especially familiar, with St. Peters and Delaware State now added as home dates to go along with a schedule that already includes Bryant, Army, NJIT, Syracuse, Seton Hall and the Players Era Tournament. The two newest additions keep the Scarlet Knights close to home in December, with St. Peters set for Dec. 13 and Delaware State coming to Piscataway on Dec. 29.
The matchup with St. Peters brings back a regional opponent that has been competitive in the MAAC, while Delaware State has been trying to climb after a difficult season in the MEAC. Rutgers has recent history with both programs, too, which gives these games a little more familiarity than your typical nonleague tune-up and helps round out a schedule that already has a distinctly local feel before the more prominent national tests arrive. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Added Another Local Test For Its Rebuilt Roster
Rutgers is still filling out the edges of a non-conference schedule that should tell a lot about where the rebuilt roster stands, and one of the more relevant local dates is now on the calendar. St. Peters will come to Jersey Mikes Arena on Dec. 16, giving the Scarlet Knights another nearby opponent and another chance to measure a roster that has been reshaped through the transfer portal to address some obvious needs.
The Peacocks are coming off a strong season in the MAAC, and Rutgers handled them in the most recent meeting, a useful data point even if the personnel looks different now. Between the home date with St. Peters, a schedule that also includes several familiar regional names, and a mid-November trip to Las Vegas for the Players Era Festival, Rutgers will get a mix of tests before Big Ten play starts to define the season. [Read more 🡒]