RHI provides a complete recap and breakdown of the 2021-22 Rutgers men's basketball season
When the final buzzer sounded last Tuesday evening in Dayton OH, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights' 2021-22 season had come to a screeching halt. Rutgers battled for over three hours with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a double-overtime thriller, which has been regarded as one of the best games of the 2022 NCAA Tournament and dubbed an instant "classic". In the end, Rutgers lost 89-87 in heartbreaking fashion. So many times this season, Rutgers has had games decided by the last possession, and unfortunately, Notre Dame scored the go-ahead bucket to win the game with 1.9 seconds left in the second overtime. Both teams played with passion, heart, and grit. It was as fun of a college basketball game as you will ever see. It was also the last time Rutgers fans would see Geo Baker play in a Scarlet Knights uniform, and likely to be the last time fans would see Ron Harper Jr. and Caleb McConnell in a Scarlet Knights uniform as well.
The Regular Season
Before the 2021-22 college basketball season tipped off for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Coach Steve Pikiell was interviewed by various media outlets, and he said that this was his "best team" that he has ever had. Almost immediately, he put his team on notice and expectations were high across the fan base. Rutgers was returning most of its experienced players and had several new faces on the bench. Rutgers' core, consisting of Geo Baker, Ron Harper Jr., and Caleb McConnell, were each expected to have big seasons and to lead the Scarlet Knights to somewhat of a steady journey through the regular season to the postseason.
With one of the weaker non-conference schedules in the country (overall rated 297 by the NET Rankings), Rutgers fans expected the Scarlet Knights to plow through most of their opponents and to enter the Big Ten regular season with a good overall record. However, the Scarlet Knights immediately got off to shaky ground and needed overtime to surpass the Patriot League's Lehigh Mountain Hawks (13-19; 10-8) in their first game of the season. The slow start to the season continued for the Scarlet Knights as they struggled but eventually were able to put away the Northeast Conference's Merrimack Warriors (14-16; 10-8) and New Jersey foe NJIT Highlanders (11-18; 6-12) [of the Atlantic East]. Despite a 3-0 start, fans and analysts across college basketball were scratching their heads and were wondering what was going on with the Scarlet Knights? After all, this team was returning its core players with lots of experience. The Scarlet Knights should not be struggling to defeat Lehigh, Merrimack, and NJIT. Slow starts and sloppy play for the Scarlet Knights against their first three opponents had fans worried that maybe this was not Coach Pikiell's best team, and could be an indication that the Scarlet Knights could lose to an opponent they should beat.
The worst case scenario actually unfolded in Rutgers' next three games. Rutgers lost on the road to the DePaul Blue Demons (15-16; 6-14) in the Gavitt Tipoff Games. In what may be considered one of the worst losses of the Steve Pikiell era, the Scarlet Knights lost to the Lafayette Leopards (10-20; 7-11) at The RAC in front of a sold-out crowd. To add insult to injury, the Scarlet Knights blew a 17 point lead on the road and lost to the Massachusetts Minutemen (15-17; 7-11). After losing three games in a row to lesser opponents (without Geo Baker), the media, analysts, and fans started writing off Rutgers and believed this to be a truly lost season for the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers' NET ranking plummeted to #217, and many felt there was almost no way for Rutgers to get out of such a deep hole. Despite the three losses, Steve Pikiell told the media and the fans, "We'll be fine". No one believed him.
As Rutgers stood 3-3 overall, fans were desperate to see the Scarlet Knights win, and find their way out of a major slump. Rutgers was able to follow-up the three horrific losses with a decisive home victory over the Clemson Tigers (17-16; 8-12) in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge. There was still little hope amongst the fan base, but some felt that the win over Clemson helped restore the feeling that the Scarlet Knights could turn their season around. However, Rutgers ran into eventual Big Ten regular season champ the Illinois Fighting Illini (23-10; 15-5) and were blown out by 35 points in Champaign. The media, analysts, and fans officially wrote off the Scarlet Knights in one of their worst showings in conference play in years.
What happened next, a roller coaster ride no one could have predicted. After the no-show loss to Illinois in early December. Somehow, this Rutgers team was able to string together some wins and build confidence. After losing by 35 points to Illinois, Rutgers responded and silenced critics with an historic upset of the then-ranked #1 Purdue Boilermakers (29-7; 14-6), ruining the Boilermakers' only #1 AP Poll ranking in school history. It was the first time that Rutgers had ever beaten a team ranked #1 in the country. Ron Harper Jr. will forever be remembered by Rutgers fans for his last second near mid-court heave that sent The RAC into a frenzy. (See the video below as called on the radio by Jerry Recco and Austin Johnson.)
COVID issues followed after the game with Seton Hall, and Rutgers was forced to take a temporary pause. COVID forced Rutgers to cancel their non-conference match with the Rider Broncs (14-19; 8-12), but the Scarlet Knights were able to re-schedule their contests with the Maine Black Bears (6-23; 3-15) and the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils (8-24; 5-13) so they would not be canceled. After the pause, Rutgers resumed play and demolished Maine and Central Connecticut State. Rutgers had looked like a totally different team. The COVID pause may have provided time for the team to reflect and work on things that were troubling the team at the start of the season. The blowout wins over the Black Bears and the Blue Devils were what fans wanted at the start of the season. It appeared as if the Scarlet Knights had turned the corner. The wins against Maine and Central Connecticut State carried over in their next two games as the Scarlet Knights dominated Big Ten foes Michigan Wolverines (19-14; 11-9) and the Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-22; 4-16). Rutgers' win over Michigan was their first ever win in program history against the Wolverines. Surprisingly, Rutgers is 1-14 all-time against Michigan. After the four-game winning streak, Rutgers improved its NET Ranking to #126. But, there was only a glimmer of hope the Scarlet Knights would be dancing in March. In order for the Scarlet Knights to dream about dancing in March, college hoops analysts believed several opportunities lay ahead and Rutgers had to seize them.
With a four-game winning streak on the line, Rutgers traveled to Happy Valley to take on their rival the Penn State Nittany Lions (14-17; 7-13). Rutgers delivered a head scratching no-show performance and were blown out by Penn State. This was viewed by many as a major opportunity blown by the Scarlet Knights. However, despite to the loss to Penn State, Rutgers responded with emphatic blowout win on the road over the Maryland Terrapins (15-17; 7-13).
In what may have been one of Rutgers' best defensive performances ever, the Scarlet Knights defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes (26-10; 12-8) and held them to 46 points. The Hawkeyes entered the game with one of the nation's most prolific high up-tempo offenses in college basketball, averaging well over 85 points per game. Rutgers was able to force Iowa to play ugly basketball and held the Hawkeyes to a dismal 27% shooting from the field; 54% shooting from the free-throw line; and 22% shooting from beyond the arc. Rutgers nabbed 7 steals in the game and outrebounded Iowa by 11 boards. Caleb McConnell held Keegan Murray, one of the nation's best players, to 13 points, which was 7 points below his average. The win over Iowa rejuvenated the Rutgers fan base and emotions began to run high again in Piscataway. College basketball analysts took notice of the win and fans began to believe in this team, again.
With the big win over the Iowa Hawkeyes, Rutgers was in solid position within the Big Ten standings with an 11-6 overall record and 5-2 conference record. The next set of four games were games many analysts felt were very critical for Rutgers and games they could win. This was a true test for Rutgers to see if they can get into the NCAA conversation and stay atop the Big Ten standings. However, things would not go Rutgers' way and they dropped three out of the four contests, including close losses to the Minnesota Golden Gophers (13-17; 4-16) and the Northwestern Wildcats (15-16; 7-13) and a disappointing non-competitive loss at home to the Maryland Terrapins. The Scarlet Knights were able sniff out a close win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers during this four-game stretch. Rutgers was 12-9 overall and 6-5 in the conference. And once again, analysts and disappointed fans began writing off the Scarlet Knights.
Although the Scarlet Knights lost three out of four since their big win over the Hawkeyes, it was attributed to the second half of the game against Northwestern that sparked an improbable run that would soon follow. Even though the Scarlet Knights lost to Northwestern, this team proved they were not done fighting. Coach Pikiell made adjustments defensively and offensively in the second half, which led to success for Rutgers in the game. The Scarlet Knights were able to erase a 24 point deficit to the Wildcats, and force overtime. Ultimately in the end, the Wildcats prevailed with the win but Rutgers learned a lot about themselves after the game. The Scarlet Knights knew what they had to do to win games when the daunting gauntlet approached in February. No one gave Rutgers a fighting chance in February, and many believed Rutgers was left for dead.
The Michigan State Spartans (23-13; 11-9) were the first opponent on the February gauntlet. The Spartans entered the game ranked 13th in the country. With their backs against the wall, Rutgers knew it was do-or-die and this game was a must-win. The Scarlet Knights delivered an unbelievable performance at The RAC, and the Scarlet Knights throttled Michigan State by 21 points. It was the second year in a row the Scarlet Knights had blasted Michigan State by 20+ points. Rutgers simply applied from they learned in the second half of the Northwestern game in the game against Michigan State, and the Spartans had no answer. Rutgers played great defense and had one of their best shooting nights of the season at 62% for the game. Rutgers hammered Michigan State on the boards, forced 15 turnovers, and grabbed 7 steals. (See the highlights of the game below.)
Riding high off the win against Michigan State, Rutgers next faced the #16 Ohio State Buckeyes (20-12; 12-8). Rutgers has not had much success against Ohio State in recent years, and Chris Holtmann entered the game with a 4-1 record at The RAC. The game was a back-and-forth affair until the Buckeyes stretched their lead to eight with just under four minutes to go. With 3:48 remaining in the game, Geo Baker and Caleb McConnell sparked one of the greatest comebacks in recent memory to help Rutgers pull out a gutsy win. Geo Baker took over the game scoring 8 of the last 10 points for the Scarlet Knights and delivering an assist down-low to big man Cliff Omoruyi. Caleb McConnell also came up with the block of the year by racing down the court and stuffing Ohio State's Malaki Branham. McConnell's block was the key play of the comeback victory. Had Branham made the easy layup, Ohio State could have extended their lead to 6 with 2:30 remaining in the game. McConnell was able to make the block, pass the ball to Paul Mulcahy, who distributed the ball to Geo Baker, who sunk a jumper to bring Rutgers within 2 points. Rutgers played incredible team defense down the stretch and kept the Buckeyes off the scoreboard. The Scarlet Knights were able to pull off the big upset. (Watch the sequence of events below.)
Following the big win over Ohio State, Rutgers made the trek to Madison to take on a hot team in the Wisconsin Badgers (25-8; 15-5). Rutgers had never won at the Kohl Center before, and the Scarlet Knights needed a road victory to get their name in the tournament conversation. In another back-and-forth affair, the Scarlet Knights were able to pull off a stunning upset and keep their tournament hopes alive. Caleb McConnell limited Wisconsin's star player Johnny Davis to 11 points, well under his scoring average of 19 points per game. Four Rutgers players were able to score in double-digits as Ron Harper Jr. led the way with 21 points.
Rutgers traveled back to Piscataway to host the Illinois Fighting Illini, and this time around fortunes changed. The Scarlet Knights imposed their will on the eventual Big Ten regular season champs, and punched them right in the mouth. The Scarlet Knights avenged the brutal 35 point loss in December by beating the Fighting Illini by 11 points. The Scarlet Knights crushed the Fighting Illini on the boards by 18 and force the Illini to shoot 26 percent from beyond the arc. At one point, the Scarlet Knights led by as many as 23 points.
Rutgers was back in the tournament discussion after pulling off an historic run by becoming the first unranked team in college basketball history to defeat four ranked teams in a row. Rutgers improved their NET ranking to 74 and were declared the National Team of the Week by ESPN and NCAA's Andy Katz. By mid-February, Rutgers had the best record in the country at 5-1 against teams ranked in the AP Top 25. Rutgers also had the third best record against Quadrant 1 teams in the NET Rankings.
Rutgers was one of the hottest teams in the country, and became a team no one wanted to play. It took a trip to Mackey Arena, one of the toughest atmospheres in all of college basketball, for Rutgers' four-game winning streak to come to an end. Rutgers put up a valiant effort against the Purdue Boilermakers in their second meeting of the season but in the end fell by 12 points. Although Rutgers lost the game, the Scarlet Knights did have one of their more efficient offensive performances of the season.
Rutgers followed the loss at Purdue with a limp performance in Ann Arbor against the Michigan Wolverines who were able to capitalize and pull away from the Scarlet Knights to seal a decisive win. The win for Michigan helped boost their tournament chances while Rutgers was placed squarely on the tournament bubble. A sense of panic started settling in amongst the fan base as Rutgers needed to pick up a couple more marquee wins to secure an NCAA Tournament bid.
The Wisconsin Badgers traveled to The RAC with revenge on their minds after the Scarlet Knights upset them on their home floor. The Badgers executed their game plan and were able to pull away from Rutgers in the closing seconds of the game. The loss to Wisconsin was just Rutgers third loss at The RAC the entire season. Rutgers was now in the midst of a three-game skid.
Rutgers would now enter the final critical phase of the season where analysts believed the Scarlet Knights had to win their final two games of the regular season if they wanted any shot at dancing in March. Just like the last two previous seasons, Rutgers found themselves in familiar territory with their backs against the wall. The Scarlet Knights had the Indiana Hoosiers (21-14; 9-11) and the Penn State Nittany Lions remaining on the docket. The Scarlet Knights delivered and won with in epic performance at Assembly Hall to knock off the Indiana Hoosiers with another last second heroic shot by Ron Harper Jr. With the win over Indiana, Rutgers has now won five straight games against the Hoosiers and are 6-1 against Indiana since the 2018-19 season. (See the video below of Ron Harper Jr.'s last second shot to seal the win against Indiana).
Following the stunning win over the Indiana Hoosiers, the Scarlet Knights prepared for their second meeting with their rival the Penn State Nittany Lions. The Nittany Lions hammered the Scarlet Knights in their first meeting but Rutgers would not allow this to happen again, especially at The RAC. Rutgers jumped out to a large lead and led by as many as 15 points in the second half. However, the Nittany Lions would not go away and kept chipping away at Rutgers lead. Penn State's Seth Lundy hit some critical shots down the stretch in the final minutes of the game to bring the Nittany Lions within 1 point. The final two plays of the game nearly gave Rutgers fans a heart attack as Paul Mulcahy turned the ball over from an inbounds pass play, and Penn State was given one last chance to win the game. Sam Sessoms put up a last second heave and his shot was off the mark. Rutgers prevailed with the victory. Most importantly, the Scarlet Knights were able to secure an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. Rutgers completed a nearly impossible mission after a dreadful start to the season.
Rutgers finished the regular season with an overall record of 18-12 and 12-8 in Big Ten play. The Scarlet Knights finished in fourth place in the Big Ten standings, their best finish in program history since joining the Big Ten in 2014. The fourth place finish also gave Rutgers its first-ever double-bye for the Big Ten Conference Tournament. Rutgers' 12 wins in Big Ten play was the most conference wins in program history since joining the conference. What appeared to be a season flying off the rails for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights turned into a roller coaster ride of a season.
Big Ten Tournament
Although their time in the Big Ten Tournament was short-lived, Rutgers made their first-ever appearance as a 4-seed. Rutgers failed to upend the red hot Iowa Hawkeyes. The Hawkeyes were 12-2 in their last 14 games of the regular season, and won 6 of their last 7 games heading into the game against Rutgers. In their second meeting of the year, Rutgers got off to a fast start and led by as many as 10 points in the contest, but the Hawkeyes would go quietly. The Hawkeyes deployed a zone defense that stifled Rutgers' offense and Keegan Murray hit some huge shots to allow the Hawkeyes to come back and eventually take the lead for good. The Hawkeyes led by as many as 18 points, shot almost 50% from the field, and converted 25 of 27 free-throw attempts. Rutgers' defense could not slow down Iowa and committed 24 fouls in the game.
March Madness
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights were on edge with the fan base biting its finger nails eagerly waiting to hear their name to be called on Selection Sunday. Many bracketologists and analysts across the country had either placed Rutgers in the Field of 68, On the Bubble, or One of the Last Four Teams Out. Within 10 minutes of CBS' coverage of Selection Sunday, the Scarlet Knights were announced as an 11-seed in the Field of 68. They were set to play the 11-seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish (24-11; 15-5) in Dayton OH in the one of the First Four games. The winner would play the 6-seed Alabama Crimson Tide (19-14; 9-9). This is the first time since the 1970s Rutgers would earn back-to-back bids for the NCAA Tournament. (Note: The 2019-20 season was canceled due to the COVID pandemic. Rutgers would have earned a bid to the 2020 NCAA Tournament, thus ultimately marking this season as what would have been its third year in a row dancing in March.)
Analysts and fans across the college basketball spectrum felt that the matchup with Notre Dame was the perfect opportunity for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights to grab a tournament win, and that their seeding provided them an avenue to possibly reach the Sweet 16. Jay Bilas, of ESPN, said Rutgers was one of the more undervalued teams in the tournament and Rutgers could win potential matchups against vulnerable opponents like the 6-seed Alabama Crimson Tide and the 3-seed Texas Tech Red Raiders (27-9; 12-6).
However, the Fighting Irish came well prepared for the Scarlet Knights when they met in Dayton. Mike Brey, head coach of the Fighting Irish, and his staff scouted Rutgers well and spread the floor offensively for Paul Atkinson to do his damage on Cliff Omoruyi in the paint. Aaron Breitman, writer and managing editor for On The Banks, described the Notre Dame-Rutgers game as strange because fans witnessed these two teams playing strikingly different styles that they normally do not play. A few things of note as to why the game was strikingly bizarre and different from any other game Rutgers has played this year:
- Caleb McConnell, the 2021-22 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, had an electrifying night scoring a team high 23 points on 8 of 9 shooting. McConnell is not known for his scoring prowess.
- The Notre Dame Fighting Irish, one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country, were limited to 6 made three-point shots.
- The Fighting Irish scored 58 points in the paint. Not their greatest strength.
- Rutgers prides itself on defense, and the defense was just not there for the game.
- Typically, Rutgers wins when Ron Harper Jr. scores more than 20+ points in a game. Harper Jr. scored 22 points, and Rutgers lost.
- Both teams shot an alarming 50% from the field.
- Both teams were dismal from the free-throw line. Notre Dame shot 56% and Rutgers shot 66%.
Even though Rutgers lost to Notre Dame in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament, the Scarlet Knights never went down without a fight. Rutgers and Notre Dame exchanged leads constantly throughout the game. Rutgers led by as many as 8 points in the game. The double-overtime thriller was deemed as "the best basketball game of the 2022 NCAA Tournament". If this is indeed the last game for Caleb McConnell in a Rutgers uniform, he truly saved his best performance for last. This would be the last time Rutgers fans would see Geo Baker and Ron Harper Jr. suit up in a Rutgers uniform.
The End of an Era
Geo Baker, Ron Harper Jr., and Caleb McConnell will leave Rutgers with a legacy unmatched. This trio of players gambled on playing for Steve Pikiell at a time when Rutgers was the worst rated Power 5 college basketball program in the country.
Plagued by the Mike Rice Scandal and the failure to win games under Eddie Jordan, Rutgers looked for new leadership to take over the dwindling Big Ten basketball program. In 2016, newly hired athletic director Pat Hobbs turned to Steve Pikiell to become Rutgers men's basketball's head coach.
Coach Pikiell had the reputation of being a competitor and a rebuilder. History speaks for itself in regard to Coach Pikiell. Coach Pikiell previously played college basketball under Jim Calhoun. He previously served as an assistant coach at Yale, Central Connecticut State, and George Washington (most notably, he was an asst. under Karl Hobbs, who is now his current assistant at Rutgers) before receiving his first head coach job at Stony Brook.
Before arriving on The Banks, Coach Pikiell led the Stony Brook Seawolves, of the America East Conference, from 2005-2016. Coach Pikiell inherited a team that was still in its early years of Division I basketball, had poor training facilities, and typically remained at the bottom of its conference. Under Steve Pikiell's vision and the patience of the Stony Brook athletic administration, Coach Pikiell was able to turn the program from bottom feeders to winners. In his first seven seasons at Stony Brook, the Sea Wolves went 55-140 overall and 32-84 in the America East. But success was observed by the fourth season when the Sea Wolves had their first winning season in Division I as they finished 16-14 overall and 8-8 in their conference. By his fifth season at the helm, the Stony Brook Sea Wolves would go onto to win at least 22 or more games per season with a three trips to the NIT and one trip to the NCAA Tournament.
The same type of rebuilding success many witnessed at Stony Brook, is the same type of rebuilding success we are witnessing at Rutgers. Once a hapless program since the early 90's, Rutgers has risen to respectability across the Big Ten Conference and college basketball. Rutgers is no longer a destination players avoid, rather it has become a destination for players who want to compete in the best conference in the country and to have a shot at the NCAA Tournament. Steve Pikiell has proven he has been able to win by resurrecting one of the worst Power 5 college basketball programs in the country. Legendary college basketball coach Jim Calhoun once said to AD Pat Hobbs, "He's not going to work miracles, but he's going to get Rutgers back to where they think they belong and where I think they belong."
Steve Pikiell has reinvigorated a dying fan base, and now Rutgers has one of the best homecourt advantages in the country. (Check out this video of some of the loudest moments at Rutgers under Coach Pikiell by clicking here). Since 2019, under Steve Pikiell, Rutgers is an astonishing 42-8 at The RAC. This has become a place no college basketball opponent wants to play at. How has Steve Pikiell been able to accomplish this?
Coach Pikiell has been successful at Rutgers because he has mastered the art of recruiting under the radar talent and finding players that fit the system he has implemented. But most importantly, Coach Pikiell has underappreciated skill of player development. Coach Pikiell typically recruits players that are willing to learn and develop, play unselfish team-oriented basketball, and work hard in the gym. Coach Pikiell is not the typical coach that goes after highly touted five-star players or prolific scorers. As we have seen over the years, Coach Pikiell has typically recruited tough, hard-nosed physical defensive style players.
In 2016, Steve Pikiell took a gamble on recruiting two/three-star recruit Geo Baker, who held other offers from Kansas State, Drexel, Penn, and Rice, to become the next driving force behind Rutgers basketball. When Geo baker committed to Rutgers in the summer of 2016, almost immediately Steve Pikiell and his staff went to work on Geo Baker helping him transcend into one of the best point guards in Rutgers basketball history. Geo Baker came to Rutgers when no one else would and bought into Steve Pikiell's vision. Year after year, Geo Baker's game improved and he eventually became the face of Rutgers basketball. Under Geo Baker's leadership, he was able to help his teammates win games and achieve the impossible...Rutgers' first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1991 and back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 1970s. Geo Baker was a clutch player that delivered incredible performances over his five year career at Rutgers. At the end of Geo Baker's career he was selected twice to the All Big Ten Conference Third-Team (2020, 2022). He became a true ambassador of Rutgers basketball, and proof that under-recruited and overlooked players can thrive at the highest level of college basketball. (Check out our article as we paid tribute to Geo Baker by clicking here and please view Jack Bisasha's tribute to Geo Baker in the links provided below).
In 2017, Steve Pikiell, Brandin Knight, and Karl Hobbs hit the recruiting trail hard in the search to fill several voids left by PG Corey Sanders departing and declaring for the NBA Draft, and the graduations of G Mike Williams, F Deshawn Freeman, and F Candido Sa. Pikiell turned his recruiting efforts to finding hidden gems in Caleb McConnell and Ron Harper Jr. Caleb McConnell, rated a three-star per 247 Sports, held other offers from Wichita State, Kent State, and Massachusetts, but ultimately in the end he chose Rutgers in the Spring of 2018. Surprisingly at the time Ron Harper Jr. was recruited, he was rated 'no stars' by all of the recruiting media sites that tracked high school recruits. Harper Jr. held offers from Radford, Liberty, Nebraska, and Georgia State, but the Don Bosco Prep graduate decided to stay in New Jersey and committed to the Scarlet Knights in August 2017. (please read the article by Jerry Carino covering Ron Harper Jr.'s recruitment to Rutgers by clicking here).
Over the course of the past four years of McConnell's and Harper Jr.'s careers, these two helped provide a major boost to a Rutgers program trying to make its staple in the Big Ten by committing themselves to playing unselfish basketball and dedication towards working hard in the gym. Fans will always have many moments and memories to share in regards to McConnell and Harper Jr. but they will always be remembered for helping Rutgers ascend to respectability in the Big Ten. McConnell and Harper Jr. were both major contributors towards helping Rutgers earn its first NCAA Tournament berth since 1991 as well as helping Rutgers earn back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths.
Caleb McConnell may very well be the best defensive player in Rutgers basketball history and he was the first to earn the 2021-22 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award as well as becoming a semifinalist for the 2021-22 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. Caleb McConnell came up big many times in huge games with countless defensive stops, including steals and blocks. No other defensive stop was as big as the one he made in the game against Ohio State this season, in which McConnell sprinted the length of the floor to deny Malaki Branham an easy layup which could have extended Ohio State's lead in the closing stretch of the game. The block by McConnell was the play that ignited a furious comeback by Rutgers to win the game. Caleb McConnell was a warrior who put his body on the line and he never quit. Every game McConnell always put in his best effort. In what will likely be his last game in a Rutgers uniform, McConnell delivered the performance of his career as he scored 23 points, registered one block and one steal, grabbed 11 rebounds, made 2 assists, and shot nearly perfect from the field. (Please read our tribute to Caleb McConnell by clicking here.)
Ron Harper Jr. will more than likely go down as one of the greatest Rutgers basketball players in history. His development over the course of the past four years has been remarkable, and like Geo Baker, Harper Jr. was a clutch player that delivered big play after big play and had the uncanny ability to hit big shots with a game on the line. Harper Jr. will always be remembered for his last second heave that beat previously ranked #1 Purdue but when his jersey hangs from the rafters in Piscataway, Ron Harper Jr. was one of the pioneers that helped Rutgers rise from the pits of hell to the top four in the Big Ten standings. Ron Harper Jr. finished the 2021-22 season with the highest scoring average of his career at 15.8 points per game, 5.9 rebounds per game, 40% three-point shooting, nearly 80% shooting at the free-throw line, and 1.9 assists per game. Harper Jr. was selected to the All Big Ten Second-Team (2022) and Third-Team (2021) as well as Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press (2022). (Please click here to read our tribute to Ron Harper Jr. by clicking here.)
This trio will always be remembered as the transformational group that turned around a terrible dwindling Rutgers basketball program. They will truly leave Rutgers in a better place than when they first arrived on The Banks. They are the ones that saved Rutgers basketball.
Additional Links & Coverage
Please take some time to check out some of the links below for additional coverage, including articles and podcasts of Rutgers men's basketball. Aaron Breitman, managing editor of On The Banks (OTB), is one of my favorite analysts and writers that covers Rutgers Athletics. Take a listen to his most recent podcast with fellow OTB contributor Dave White. This is a fun podcast episode where Aaron and Dave recap the Rutgers men's basketball 2021-22 season. Also, check out Asbury Park Press beat writer Jerry Carino's articles and coverage of Rutgers men's hoops. Take a second to check out the 'senior spotlight' articles by Jack Bisasha, writer for The Daily Targum. Jack does a great job reflecting on this year's Rutgers men's basketball's seniors. Take a step back to the 2020 to enjoy a piece written by Keith Sargent of NJ Advance Media and the inside story of how Steve Pikiell was hired to fix Rutgers men's basketball. Finally, check out the podcast by NJ Advance Media. Steve Politi raises some good questions while James Kratch and Brian Fonseca try to provide answers.
