Rutgers, Fairfield both show strong foundations in exhibition opener

Rutgers and Fairfield tip off exhibition game Sunday benefitting Eric LeGrand and Reeve Foundation. (Photo by Rutgers University Athletics)

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Usually, preseason exhibitions are one-sided affairs where not much can truly be gleaned from the final numbers, and any observations are better taken with the proverbial grain of salt given that the visiting team is normally a lesser outfit merely looking for seasoning against the more established Division I program.

Such a disparity in class was not the case Sunday between Rutgers and Fairfield, who locked horns at Jersey Mike's Arena in a hardwood fundraiser for former Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand — paralyzed in an on-field collision that prematurely halted his collegiate career — and the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, established when the one-time Superman suffered paralysis of his own after falling off a horse.

For the entire first half, and early stages of the second stanza, the clash between a Rutgers team hoping to reach its third straight NCAA Tournament and an up-and-coming Fairfield squad projected to be a rising contender in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference was almost evenly matched before the Scarlet Knights found another gear as the game wound down, ultimately handling business in a 78-65 decision that served as the final tuneup for both sides prior to next Monday's season openers, with Rutgers hosting Columbia while Fairfield heads to Wake Forest.

“It was good to play,” Steve Pikiell said of the contest as Rutgers played without Caleb McConnell, still sidelined by a knee injury the head coach said McConnell reaggravated earlier this month. “I wanted to play in front of the lights, and this gave us an opportunity to do that. I think the young guys got some valuable minutes, and I trust all my guys on the roster. Their days will all come. There are a lot more things we have to work on, I think we have a lot more to show, but we weren’t going to do that today.”

In McConnell’s absence, Aundre Hyatt and Mawot Mag saw extended looks alongside Cliff Omoruyi, and all three fed off one another, combining for 47 points with Omoruyi’s 19 leading the way as guards Cam Spencer and freshman Derek Simpson each tallied double-digit point totals, with Paul Mulcahy serving as the lead facilitator with 10 of Rutgers’ 20 assists on his watch.

“I don’t want to give Paul a big head, but he just comes in and does what he wants,” Fairfield head coach Jay Young said of Mulcahy, who he had a hand in recruiting for Pikiell at Rutgers prior to replacing Sydney Johnson in 2019. “He gets 10 assists and he’s the tail that wags the dog, he makes everything work. It’s been fun to watch him so far.”

As for McConnell, there is no timetable on a return for the reigning Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Year, although Pikiell insisted Rutgers’ medical staff and head trainer Rich Campbell were working on rehabbing him as quickly as possible.

“If you saw him yesterday, I’d say he looked as good as anybody,” Pikiell said of McConnell. “It’s actually given us a chance to play some other guys and do some other good things. We’ll get through it, we hit (obstacles) often, but we fight through them.”

“The doctors are going to let us know. He’s doing great, he’s practicing a little bit on the side, and he’s getting better and better. When the doctors say he’s ready to go, we’ll be ready to roll with him. When they clear him, he’ll be back on the court. We need him.”

On the other sideline, Fairfield has just as much to be encouraged about, with the Stags’ depth revealing itself early and often Sunday. Ten of the 11 players to see the floor checked in within the first five minutes of action, with preseason first team all-MAAC forward Supreme Cook seeing 20 minutes in his first competition since undergoing minor knee surgery in the offseason. Cook recorded nine points and seven rebounds, with redshirt freshman Makai Willis complementing him to the tune of 12 points and six rebounds, as well as a pair of 3-pointers.

“They could easily be our first unit,” Young said of his reserves, which also included TJ Long and Jalen Leach in the backcourt alongside Jake Wojcik and Caleb Fields, who poured in 13 points of his own. “It’s great to see (Leach) back and playing, but we go about ten guys who have played significant minutes for us. I think our depth is really our strength this year and different guys can contribute. They did a good job, we’ve got a ton of work to do, but we’ve got more answers than we’ve ever had, for sure.”

“We’ve got to get Supreme going. This was his first time out, so he hasn’t done much in the preseason. That second unit was good for us today, but a lot of those guys have played starters’ minutes since they’ve been here.”

The Stags, picked fifth in the MAAC preseason poll, are now being viewed as a potential top-three unit in the conference after the balance of power shifted seismically in the wake of Manhattan suddenly parting ways with head coach Steve Masiello last week. Young was pragmatic in his assessment of Sunday’s proceedings, but his mentor was far more effusive in his praise for the Stags and their progress.

“It was great for us, it really was,” Young opined. “We’ll be on a plane trip to Wake Forest next Sunday at this time, and for us, it was a great dress rehearsal. That’s what that game will be like next week, really physical.”

“He’s building a program,” Pikiell countered. “They just built a brand new facility there at Fairfield, he’s doing an awesome job, and you could tell his team is just getting better and better. He’s going to do unbelievable things, and they’ll be cutting the nets down soon at Fairfield.”