Steve Pikiell said Wednesday that he is battling cancer, with the Rutgers men’s basketball coach sharing that he went to the doctor a few months ago after not feeling 100 percent.
Pikiell did not say what type of cancer he has. In his statement, he said he intends to stay involved with the team as much as he can, while also leaning on his staff when he is unable to be around. He also said he is confident he will beat the diagnosis.
How much Pikiell will be on the Rutgers sideline this season is unclear, but that’s not the main concern right now.
Pikiell, a 1991 UConn graduate, played point guard for the Huskies and also spent the first season of his coaching career there in 1991-92.
He is entering his 11th season at Rutgers and has taken the Scarlet Knights to the NCAA Tournament twice, in 2021 and 2022. He has also coached two highly selected NBA draft picks in Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey.
Before Rutgers, Pikiell built Stony Brook into an America East force, reaching the postseason six times in seven years and winning the conference’s Coach of the Year award four times. He also worked as an assistant at George Washington, Central Connecticut State, Yale and UConn.
As a player at UConn, Pikiell spent four years under Jim Calhoun and helped the Huskies win their first Big East title and reach the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight. He was a captain for two seasons, and both of those deep NCAA Tournament runs came during his leadership.
As a senior, he was part of a No. 11-seeded UConn team that beat LSU, which was led by Shaquille O’Neal.
This past weekend, UConn’s men’s basketball program hosted NaVorro Bowman Jr. on a recruiting visit. Bowman Jr. is the son of former San Francisco 49ers linebacker NaVorro Bowman Sr.
According to Storrs Central, Henry is the No. 3 player in the nation per On3 and No. 2 per ESPN. The 6-foot-7 prospect plays high school basketball in Arizona.
In Other News...
UConn Just Landed A Five-Star Piece Dan Hurley Really Needed
UConn added a major building block to its future this week when NaVorro Bowman Jr. committed to the Huskies, giving Dan Hurley the first pledge in the programs 2027 recruiting class. The five-star guard from Notre Dame High School in California arrives with plenty of upside and plenty of attention, a combination that has become increasingly familiar for a UConn staff that keeps landing elite talent.
Bowmans commitment is also another sign that Hurleys recruiting reach remains national, not just strong in the Northeast, and it adds to the list of five-star wins the Huskies have stacked since 2023. For a program that has spent the past few years chasing another high standard, getting an early cornerstone in place for 2027 gives UConn a different kind of momentum, even if the rest of that class is still waiting to be built. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Already Has A Big East Test That Could Change Fast
Before UConns 2026-27 Big East slate even takes shape, one matchup already stands out as the kind that can define a winter. Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reported that the Huskies and St. Johns are expected to meet in conference play on Jan. 29 and again on March 2, with the early one likely set for Madison Square Garden. Since Rick Pitino took over in Queens, the two programs have split their regular-season meetings, and St. Johns has carried the more recent league hardware after winning the last two Big East titles.
The interesting part is how quickly the balance around this rivalry could shift again. Both teams are facing the usual roster churn that comes with college basketball now, and St. Johns in particular is waiting on NCAA eligibility decisions for several possible rotation pieces. Even with the Red Storms recent run and UConns standard place near the top of the league picture, the look of these games could change a lot before the teams ever get to tip off. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Just Added Another Elite Piece For Dan Hurleys Next Wave
UConns next wave of talent got a major boost with the commitment of NaVorro Bowman Jr., a five-star guard who already looks like the kind of prospect Dan Hurley loves to stockpile. The son of former NFL All-Pro NaVorro Bowman, the 6-foot-3 point guard arrives with plenty of pedigree and the kind of national profile that tends to turn recruiting battles into early tone-setters for the future of a program.
Bowman Jr. has been one of the most coveted names in the 2027 class, drawing interest from several major programs before choosing UConn. He also brings international credibility after helping Team USA win gold at the 2026 FIBA U17 World Cup, another sign that the Huskies are not just loading up on upside, but targeting players who have already proven they can compete on a big stage. [Read more 🡒]