Rutgers Hoops Insider

The Rutgers men’s basketball team may have turned a corner this season and for all the right reasons after the Scarlet Knights walked into The Rock and thoroughly dominated the Pirates from start to finish in a 70-63 win.

With glue-guy Mawot Mag returning to the lineup and providing the team with a big boost on both sides of the basketball, Rutgers is poised for a solid December finish and are ready to take on a very challenging January slate when Big Ten play resumes.

To help gauge this team’s current status, the upcoming schedule and to discuss some hoops in general, I turned to college hoops expert and sports journalist Bryan DeNovellis.

Bryan is a long-time sports journalist and podcaster with more than 30 years of experience in television and the sports broadcasting industry. Since 2021, Bryan has hosted and produced the Tri-State College Basketball Podcast, which covers collegiate programs across the New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut Tri-State area. For the last 12 years, Bryan’s been a Television Production and Editing Teacher at Holmdel High School in Holmdel, NJ.

Bryan’s journey in the sports broadcasting career began at ESPN in 1993 as a production assistant, where he worked behind the scenes on SportsCenter and College Basketball Studio Shows, as well as two Final Fours in 1994 and 1995. As a television sports anchor, Bryan has worked at places like News 12 New Jersey, WFSB-TV in Hartford, CT, and Time Warner Cable in Bergen County, New Jersey.

Bryan is a graduate from Seton Hall with a BA in Communication, where he met his wife Cathy.

Please follow Bryan on his Twitter page at @bryandeno and please tune into his podcast at https://rss.com/podcasts/tri-statecollegebasketballreport/.

Rutgers Hoops Insider (RHI): Bryan, thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this Q&A with me today. I’m really excited to do this with you because you’re a big-time hoops connoisseur for the entire tri-state area. You currently run a fantastic podcast called the “Tri-State College Basketball Podcast”, covering teams from New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut and you’ve also featured a slew of guests, including journalists, analysts, commentators, and coaches. So, let me ask, as far back as you can remember, when did you develop a passion for college basketball? And what made you decide to start a podcast covering college hoops in the tri-state area?

Bryan DeNovellis (BD): Mark, first of all I want to thank you for this interview. It's a pleasure to be talking with you. You do a terrific job with your blog. I grew up in Connecticut, the heart of UConn basketball. But I also grew up in a time when UConn wasn't the UConn we know today. Not even close. I was 9 years old when the Big East began in '79-80. The Huskies were coached by Dom Perno and led by guys like Corny Thompson and Mike McKay and Chuck Aleksinis. They were good, but not in the Big East. They typically finished at the bottom of the conference for most of the first decade. But I rooted for them. They were Connecticut's team. My father went to UConn and he took us to games at the Hartford Civic Center. I watched every UConn game on TV, and any Big East game that I could find. I knew all the Big East stars: Eric Santifer, Leo Rautins, David Russell, of course Patrick Ewing and Chris Mullin. Michael Adams was from Hartford. And I rooted for John Pinone who was from Wethersfield, CT and played at South Catholic High School, where I later played. I grew up with the Big East. I was hooked! What made me start a college basketball podcast? My love for college hoops. I love to tweet about college basketball, and would tweet a lot about Seton Hall, Rutgers and the Big East. Then one night after I was tweeting, my good friend and former colleague at News 12 New Jersey, Taso Stefanidas texted me and said, "Hey, if you tweet so much why don't you just start a college basketball podcast?" I said, "No way." There were already enough podcasts. There were Seton Hall podcasts and Rutgers podcasts. There was one New Jersey college basketball podcast and a number of Big East podcasts. I tried to think of a podcast no one had. I needed to different and have my own brand. So I came up with a "Tri-State" podcast which would cover New Jersey, New York and Connecticut teams. No one had that brand. So in March of 2021 I started the Tri-State College Basketball Podcast, and it just so happened that was the year Rutgers made it back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 30 years. It ended up being a very good March and the podcast got off the ground.

RHI: You clearly have a lot of experience and have been in the sports journalism business a long time, so how hard is it to juggle your full-time duties as a high school teacher and running the podcast? I mean you’re covering so many college basketball teams across the tri-state area! Do you get a chance to get out to a lot of games during the season?

BD: It's a challenge Mark. No question. Running the podcast is like having a second job. From November to March I'm watching as many games as I can. I will admit, I mostly watch the four major teams in the Tri-State: Rutgers, Seton Hall, St. John's and UConn. Rarely do I miss one of those games. If I do, I'm following the scores on the ESPN app and of course on Twitter. As for the other D-1 teams in the Tri-State, I watch when I can on TV or ESPN+. But that's where Twitter comes into play more. I do follow a lot of beat writers, podcasters, bloggers and what I'll call "superfans" of the mid-majors in the Tri-State, so I can get updates or little nuggets of information. I'll also comb through the box scores after games and the following morning and take notes on the players and stats. I've always been a stats guy, so it's fun. I also read a lot of the game recaps from beat writers or the teams themselves online. And I also keeps tabs on women's programs and the D3 programs in the Tri-State because they're part of my footprint too. I also make it a point to attend games in person. That's huge. I love going to basketball games. I have credentials to Seton Hall, Rutgers and St. John's. Because I live in New Jersey, it's easier for me to get to Rutgers and Seton Hall. So this year for instance, I am attending 7-8 Rutgers games, 7-8 Seton Hall games and 3 St. John's games. So that's almost 20 games and that doesn't count the postseason. I'm also trying to pick a few more games in New Jersey like a Princeton or an FDU or St. Peter's. But those will be more spontaneous. It's so important to get to these games in person because I'm able to build relationships. I'm big on that. I learned that from covering sports in New Jersey all those years. You can't build relationships from the studio or sitting on your couch. You need to get out to the games and talk with the media relations people, the writers, reporters, broadcasters, coaches and players. You need to build their trust. The more they see you, the more they'll get to know you and vice versa. I love talking with people, so it's not difficult. And the conversations can often lead to interviews on my podcast. I'm not getting rich off the podcast, but it doesn't matter. I'm having a blast!

RHI: I’ve noticed you’ve had a lot of guest features on most episodes of your podcast, except only a few times when you’re recapping a game. Oh, and by the way, your most recent episode recapping the Rutgers-Seton Hall game from last Saturday.. excellent! But, have you ever had a favorite guest feature on your podcast and why?

BD: Thank you. I think it's important for my podcast to have guests. I'm not a well-known commodity or national broadcaster with hundreds of thousands of followers like Jon Rothstein or Andy Katz. While there are fans around New Jersey who do remember me from my days of covering sports at News 12, many don't. So in my opinion college basketball fans are more likely to listen to my podcast if I have a well-known guest like Dan Hurley, Steve Pikiell, Shaheen Holloway, Bill Raftery or Seth Greenberg. I know for a fact people want to hear what those guys have to say. But at the same time, I do know college basketball. I've followed the game for 45 years. Eventually my hope is that if fans like the podcasts with interviews, they'll start to subscribe to my pod and then they'll start to listen to my recaps and "Around the Tri-State" portions of the episode. So to answer your question about my favorite guest, I can't say I have a favorite. I've had some really cool and interesting interviews with people like PJ Carlesmio and Bill Raftery. Tobin Anderson is a lot of fun to talk with becasue he's full of great stories. My recent conversation with the Fairfield Coach, Chris Casey was fun too. But I would have to say the first time I had Dan Hurley on the show was pretty epic. I was texting and hounding him for weeks to come on the pod, and he never responds. He and I go back to our days at Seton Hall, and I covered him a ton when he was at St. Benedict's and Wagner. But now he's the head coach of UConn, so he rarely responds to my texts. I get it. So two years ago, UConn is in the middle of rebuilding the program and they're getting hot. It was before they hosted Villanova at the Hartford Civic Center in February of 2022. I text Dan and said "If you beat Villanova, would you come on my podcast the next day." He actually texted me back. I was shocked. But he said "If we beat Villanova, I'll come on." This was the game, if you remember, when Hurley gets ejected in the first half. He got one technical and then immediately got a second when he was inciting the crowd. That only fired up the crowd even more. Hurley's gone, and UConn goes on to be beat 'Nova. At the time it was Hurley's biggest win and a signature win for the program. Of course after the game, about an hour or so, I text Hurley to congratulate him and ask him, "What time are you coming on?" He texted me back in the morning and said, "Can you do 10:30?" No way was I going to say no! We had a 25-minute conversation. It was great. I was the first podcaster/reporter to interview him outside of the UConn reporters. I even got him before Jim Rome. I was pretty pumped about that.

RHI: We all know Rutgers started off the season with a loss to what is now turning out to be an incredible Princeton basketball team, but since then the Scarlet Knights have been able to beat up on some cream puffs, lost two big games to Illinois and Wake Forest, and defeated Seton Hall. They are now 6-3 overall and are 0-1 in the Big Ten. Now, the Scarlet Knights are preparing to head full steam into the Big Ten season, but before they do, they have two home games in December against LIU and Stonehill and a neutral site game against Mississippi State.

Of course, Rutgers needs to beat LIU and Stonehill to avoid landmine losses to those teams, but how important do you think the neutral site game with Mississippi State on December 23rd is going to be for the Scarlet Knights? Do you think this will be the measuring stick for Rutgers since they’ve gotten Mawot Mag back for the season?

BD: I do. A win over Mississippi State would really put Rutgers right back on track for an NCAA bid. I know it's not yet January, but a non-conference record of 9-2 with only a neutral site loss to a very good Princeton team and Wake Forrest on the road isn't bad. Mississippi St would count as a Quad 1 win and a neutral site win. That's huge. It would give them their first Quad 1 victory and first neutral site victory. I expect there to be thousands of Rutgers fans at the Prudential Center, making it feel like a home court advantage.

RHI: Rutgers was very fortunate to get Mawot Mag back at the right time. Mag went through a heck of a journey while recovering from his ACL injury, and for him to announce he was returning to the hardwood for the game against Seton Hall was huge for this team. What did you see out of Mag in the game against Seton Hall that helped give Rutgers a big boost?

BD: I was really hoping Mag had returned sooner, like the St. Peter's game. But as things turned out, Mag returned at the right time for him and the team. He gave the team an emotional lift that you'll never see in a box score. He played terrific lockdown defense on Kadary Richmond like no one else on the roster could have played. Mag's size and strength neutralized Richmond's size and strength. He was able to body up Richmond and make it difficult for him to drive the lane, back him down and get to the rim. He contested everything. And Richmond didn't score his first points until Mag went to the bench at the 12 minute mark of the first half. In the end, Mag did what he does; he played excellent defense, inspired his teammates and chipped in with a 4 points and 8 rebounds. I don't think Rutgers wins this game against Seton Hall without Mawot Mag. He brought everyone's game up another level.

RHI: Everyone that’s covered or watched Rutgers basketball this season and last season has said Mawot Mag is the most important player to this team. Why do you think he is the linchpin to Rutgers’ success this year?

BD: Mag does things defensively that others can't. He can guard the other team's best player 1 through 5. Caleb MacConnell did the same thing. So when Mag is in there, it takes the pressure off of the other defenders and makes Rutgers a better all-around defensive team. He's also a great athlete. He'll give you 7-9 points and 5-7 rebounds and some steals. His leadership is also critical. He's been through it all, like you mentioned, on and off the court. When the going gets tough, Mag gets going like few others can. Nothing fazes him.

RHI: Rutgers looked like a totally different team on Saturday in their win over Seton Hall. The team looked like the Rutgers teams we’ve seen before under coach Steve Pikiell.

They were tough and physical. They were making shots. They pushed the tempo. They played stingy defense.

It was truly remarkable that we saw a completely different team than the one we saw get blown out at Wake Forest. In your opinion, what sparked this team to change and play better on Saturday against Seton Hall? Do you truly believe it was a Mag that helped invigorate this team? Was it Steve Pikiell’s tinkering of the lineup?

BD: First of all I think Rutgers turnaround began with Steve Pikiell. Few coaches around the country can keep their teams focused better than Pike. There's always some kind of adversity facing Rutgers. Just when you're ready to count this team out, they find the switch and turn things around. His teams are not affected by the outside noise. I don't know what he said following the loss to Wake Forrest, but whatever it was, the team responded. Now, it also helped that Seton Hall was their next opponent and the players were still stinging from the loss last year at Jersey Mike's. They didn't need to be motivated to play Seton Hall. They knew and understood the importance of the game. Having Mag back only increased their focus and energy. Just like the loss of Mag last February seemed to suck the life out of Rutgers, the return of Mag inspired them. If you ask me how in the world did Rutgers hit 12 3's against Seton Hall? Was it Pikiell? Was it Mag? Honestly, it was a combination of everything. They were so locked into this game, that once Hyatt and Griffiths hit 3s in first half, it just seemed to increase everyone's confidence. It was just one of those games where everyone seemed to be hitting shots. That hasn't happened too often in recent years with Rutgers.

RHI: I wrote an article before the season stating the freshmen, Gavin Griffiths and Jamichael Davis, will be key in helping Rutgers succeed this year.

It looks like Griffiths is coming into his shell and is starting to become more confident in his shot and he’s moving better defensively as the season progresses.

Jamichael Davis has been an absolute stud on the court, especially in the game against Seton Hall. Davis has committed few turnovers in the last 3 games and actually scored some big buckets against Seton Hall last Saturday.

What do you think Griffiths and Davis need to continue to do to help Rutgers to have success in the Big Ten?

BD: I loved Griffiths before the season. I predicted on my podcast he would be first team All-Big Ten freshman. Jamichael Davis, I didn't know much about him other than he was fast and had the reputation of being a strong defender. They just need to keep working hard in practice and embrace whatever role Pikiell has for them, whether it's in the starting lineup or coming off the bench. Griffiths will more than likely continue to come off the bench. That's where he's best served with everyone healthy. He needs to continue to come in and knock down shots, extend the defense with his shooting range. That will open things up for Cliff and Woolf inside. He's not a great defender, but Griffiths is getting better and getting stronger. His skill set and IQ is really, really high. Davis has potential to be very, very good as well. He followed up the Seton Hall performance with another excellent floor game in the win over LIU with a career-high 12 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. But what Steve Pikiell really loves about Davis is his assist to turnover ratio. In his 2 starts vs Seton Hall and LIU, Davis has 9 assists to just 2 turnovers. For the season he has 30 assists to 8 turnovers. That's almost a 4 to 1 ratio, which is outstanding for a point guard.

RHI: Are there any players in particular that have impressed you this year? Are there any players you think Rutgers needs to get more out of on a consistent basis so they can continue to win?

BD: I think Davis has been the most impressive. Aundre Hyatt has probably been Rutgers most consistent player all season. You know you're going to get a guy who can score 11-15 every night. That's important. Oskar Palmquist has come in and done everything Steve Pikiell has asked. He hits the occasional 3 and plays good D. He's a nice piece off the bench. Noah Fernandes has had a couple of big games against St. Peter's and Seton Hall - 19 points in both. But I'd like him to be more a more consistent shooter and scorer. I don't think we've seen the best out of him night in and night out offensively.

RHI: As I stated earlier, Rutgers currently sits at 6-3 overall and 0-1 in the Big Ten standings. Rutgers was blown out at home against Illinois and they have two road games at the beginning of January (1/6, at Ohio State; 1/9, at Iowa) when they resume Big Ten play. How confident do you feel Rutgers can win those games to avoid an 0-3 start in Big Ten play? Do you think Rutgers needs to at least split those two road games? Win both?

BD: Winning both is a lot to ask. Ohio State and Iowa are two very difficult places to win. Iowa was not a good matchup for Rutgers last season, either. The Hawkeyes shot them out of the gym both times. I would say this. I'm pretty confident Rutgers can earn a split. Somehow this team will find a way. Now look, it won't be easy. They could easily lose both games and start 0 and 3. Rutgers will be underdogs in both, so it wouldn't be a surprise. But like we said, Mag makes this team better when he's in the lineup. The record with him and without him is night and day. Davis is playing his best ball of his young career. Cliff has put together back to back monster games. It won't be easy to earn a split, but if any team can, Rutgers can. I think that's most likely result on that trip.

RHI: Listen, the Big Ten is down this year. We’ve seen some disappointing results across the Big Ten, including the lack of signature wins, struggles with lesser opponents, and losing out-of-conference games to lesser teams. Penn State found a way to lose to Patriot League bottom feeder Bucknell. Northwestern lost to the only D1 Independent team Chicago State, who never registered a win over a P6 team in the school’s history!

But it’s quite clear, Purdue and Illinois are the conference’s two best teams. But after those two teams, the Big Ten really seems unpredictable and is up for grabs.

So, where do you think Rutgers finishes in the grand scheme of things? Do you think this team has found its identity? Can they finish in the top half of the conference?

BD: I didn't think Rutgers could finish in the top 8 when the season began, but now, why not? It wouldn't surprise me if they finished in the Top 6. It's a combination of Rutgers getting better and the league itself getting worse. Like you said, after Purdue and Illinois, what team out there is great that you would say "Rutgers can't beat?" Right now I would put Wisconsin and Ohio State in the Top 4. I think Michigan State will turn things around, and I'd put them 5th. What a huge win over Baylor on Saturday! They blew them out. So maybe that sparks Sparty. Northwestern would be next in my opinion. Boo Buie is one of the best players in the Big Ten. Maybe they should be higher because they have one of the best wins in college basketball over Purdue, but it's hard for me to believe that Tom Izzo won't get the Spartans cooking soon. Then, what about Indiana? They don't scare Rutgers, and we know the Scarlet Knights' history of success versus the Hoosiers. So I do think after the Top 5 that Rutgers is right there with those teams 6-10. It's going to be razor thin like last year and could come down to tiebreakers. So to answer your question, could they finish in the Top half of the Big Ten? Absolutely, especially if they go 10 and 10 in conference because there will be a handful of teams right around 5 hundred. Everyone is going to beat up on each other this year in conference play.

RHI: Give me three big keys for what Rutgers needs to do to get themselves into the conversation for the NCAA Tournament.

BD: Number 1 - Finish 9 and 2 in the non-conference and 10 and 10 in the Big Ten. 21 and 12 would be a strong resume and likely "IN" the Tournament. Number 2 - Improve their Quad 1 record. Right now it's 0-2 heading into the Mississippi State game. Win that and theyr'e 1-2. If they go 10 and 10 in the Big Ten, there are enough Quad 1 and Quad 2 opportunities to add to their resume. And Number 3 - They need to just continue to have their young guys like Davis and Griffiths improve. Derek Simpson too, but he's shown last March that he's capable. We don't know about Davis and Griffiths. They're going to need those two to help them in the Big Ten wars. There are 19 grueling games ahead. Those two will have to grow up and become like sophomores because it won't be easy. I would then add a 4th key and that's improve on 3-point shooting. We saw what happens when you hit 3's like they did against Seton Hall. Now listen, I'm not expecting 12 3s every game. That's not realistic. But 7-8 would certainly help.

RHI: Bryan, it was an absolute pleasure to do this Q&A with you. Let’s do this again. As a matter of fact, let’s get you On The Call with me later in the season. Thanks again!

BD: This was terrific Mark. It was a pleasure talking college hoops with you and espcecially Rutgers. You do a terrific job covering the program with your knowledge and interviews. I would love to come back on again. And I would also like to return the favor and have you on the Tri-State College Basketball Podcast. Thanks so much and Happy Holidays to you and your family and followers.

Pages

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Weekly Big Ten Power Rankings Challenge (thru 1/7)

Sunday, January 7, 2024

NET Rankings of Rutgers' Opponents (thru 1/7)

Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Aundre Hyatt showing significant improvement as Rutgers' best player

Thursday, December 21, 2023

True freshman Jamichael Davis providing a big boost for Rutgers Basketball

Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Weekly Big Ten Power Rankings Challenge (thru games played 12/17)

Sunday, December 17, 2023

Q&A with Tri-State College Basketball's Bryan DeNovellis