Rutgers still has two scholarship spots to fill, and head coach Steve Pikiell made it clear on July 1 that the work is not done.
At the program’s summer media day, after a practice session that gave reporters their first look at the team this summer, Pikiell addressed the roster situation and confirmed that the Scarlet Knights plan to add two more players before next season. He didn’t offer specifics on timing or targets, but he did sound confident about what’s coming.
“You know we are, yeah, two more pieces. And you know, excited about the guys. Can’t really talk about it, but excited about the guys we are going to add.”
What those final additions will look like remains uncertain. Brian Fonseca of NJ.com reported that Pikiell said Rutgers is aiming at “front court” players, though he did not narrow that down further to forwards, centers, or a mix of both.
The lack of a point guard addition is the part that may catch some people off guard. That was viewed as a position Rutgers could still use help at this offseason, even if the frontcourt was the bigger concern after last season. The Scarlet Knights still seemed to need another ball-handler and more offensive facilitation, but that hasn’t happened yet.
So far, Rutgers has added four frontcourt players this offseason: center Christian Gurdak, center Dorin Buca, forward Martin Tonejc, and forward Will Sydnor. With those pieces already in place, another pair of frontcourt additions would give Pikiell plenty of depth to work with.
There’s also a practical wrinkle here. Centers are expensive in the NIL market, and Rutgers already has three on the roster once Gevonte Ware is included. That makes it just as plausible that the final two additions are both forwards rather than a true split between the frontcourt spots.
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Steve Pikiell Just Revealed Why Rutgers Feels Different This Offseason
Rutgers summer has started to look a little more settled, and Steve Pikiell used his media day session to explain why. The Scarlet Knights still have two scholarship spots open, but the roster already has a different feel thanks to the arrival of centers Christian Gurdak and Dorin Buca, giving Pikiell something he did not always have last season: two legitimate options at the five. He also pointed to the broader mix on the roster, with more experience coming in through the portal and key young players staying in place after a youth-heavy year.
Pikiell was especially upbeat about the frontcourt depth, praising the way the new bigs fit what Rutgers wants to do. He also offered a positive update on Will Sydnor, who is expected back after the Fourth of July after a sprained ankle slowed him down. Even with a few roster questions still hanging out there, the message from summer was clear enough: Rutgers feels more complete now, and the next stretch is about making sure the pieces keep coming together. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers May Finally Have A Real Answer At Center
Christian Gurdaks arrival gives Rutgers something it has spent a long time trying to solve: a more reliable answer in the middle. The sophomore center transferred in from Virginia Tech after playing 31 games last season, and he comes in with the kind of size and experience the Scarlet Knights have been looking to add as they try to stabilize a position that has been a sore spot.
For Rutgers, the appeal is not just that Gurdak can occupy the spot on the floor, but that he arrives with room to grow in a bigger role. He has already talked about the chance to compete in the Big Ten and the challenge that comes with it, and the Scarlet Knights are counting on that adjustment to help turn a need into a strength. The question now is how quickly he can settle in and become the presence Rutgers has been missing. [Read more 🡒]