Rutgers has finished piecing together its 2026-27 roster, and the last name into the mix is international big man Mervedi Miteo.
The Scarlet Knights announced the signing on July 21, 2026, closing the book on an offseason overhaul that brought five transfers and three international signees to Piscataway. Miteo, a 6-foot-10, 260-pound forward/center from the Democratic Republic of Congo, spent last season with Gran Canaria in Spain’s basketball league and came through the Real Madrid youth development program. He also became the youngest player for the senior national team as a 17-year-old Congolese teenager and averaged 6.3 points and 3.8 rebounds at the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket tournament.
“Mervedi is exactly the type of player we’ve targeted as we’ve expanded our international recruiting,” Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell said. “He’s long, he’s skilled, and he’s played winning basketball at a high level already. We think the world of his upside, and we’re excited to get him into our program and watch him grow.”
Miteo joins a transfer group that gives Rutgers a very different look. Former Central Connecticut State forward Darin Smith Jr. is the headliner after winning Northeast Conference Player of the Year honors. He averaged 20.7 points and 5.4 rebounds last season while shooting 45.6% from the field, 37.6% from three and 89.8% at the line.
Rutgers also added Coastal Carolina guard Rasheed Jones, a 6-foot-6 scorer who started all 32 games and posted 14.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. Will Sydnor, a 6-8 Manhattan native, arrives after taking MAAC Rookie of the Year honors with 13.9 points and 6.8 rebounds as a freshman.
The frontcourt got more help from former Virginia Tech center Christian Gurdak and Kansas State transfer Dorin Buca. Gurdak put up 5.6 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 63.2% as a freshman, while Buca, a 7-foot-2 center, led Kansas State with 35 blocked shots.
Rutgers’ international class now includes Miteo, Slovenian forward Martin Tonejc and Italian guard-forward Diego Garavaglia. Tonejc averaged 17.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists in the Adriatic Junior ABA League during the 2024-25 season. Garavaglia played last season with Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany and previously represented Italy in several FIBA junior tournaments.
The Scarlet Knights also signed New York guard Imahri Wooten, the first member of the program’s 2026 recruiting class.
On the return side, Rutgers will lean on Tariq Francis after he earned All-Big Ten honorable mention recognition. Francis led the team with 17 points and 2.9 assists per game last season and also set two single-season program marks, finishing with 578 points and 164 free throws.
Captain Jamichael Davis, Darren Buchanan Jr., Kaden Powers, Lino Mark and Gevonte Ware are back as well, and walk-on guard Max Fradkin will remain with the program.
The departures include Dylan Grant, Chris Nwuli, Baye Fall, Bryce Dortch, Dorian Jones and Denis Badalau. Emmanuel Ogbole graduated, and Harun Zrno’s destination has not been announced.
With the roster now complete, Rutgers turns to the work of blending the new pieces with the returning backcourt and adding the size, scoring and experience the staff was chasing. The next step is getting it all to click before another demanding Big Ten regular season begins.
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