Rutgers celebrates with Boardwalk Trophy as Scarlet Knights defeat Seton Hall in Newark for first time since 2013. (Photo by Ben Solomon/Rutgers Athletics)
Avoid distraction, the veteran coach instructed his players, and trust in us and yourselves, and good things will come.
Rutgers did that Saturday, blitzing Seton Hall with a dozen 3-point field goals and never trailing in a gritty 70-63 victory to win the Garden State Hardwood Classic and bring the Boardwalk Trophy back to Piscataway for the third time in Pikiell’s eight-year tenure.
“I challenged our guys and I’m just really proud,” Pikiell remarked. “We got a good lift from all of our guys. I thought they had a great focus. (Seton Hall) is always tough to play here, so it’s a big step for us right now. This group was really connected, and I’m proud of them.”
“I told these guys to put the phones away. You can’t be on that thing and you can’t be focused on what you have to do, it just takes your mind in all kinds of different places. I tell these guys all the time, believe in yourself, believe in what we’re doing.”
Still, to take down the Pirates on their home floor for the first time since 2013, Rutgers needed contributions from numerous sources. One just happened to be playing his first game in 308 days.
Mawot Mag made his triumphant return Saturday night, his first appearance in a Rutgers uniform in over ten months after tearing his ACL on February 4 in the Scarlet Knights’ win over Michigan State at Madison Square Garden. The linchpin of the Rutgers defense made his presence known and felt immediately, drawing the start at the power forward spot and securing eight rebounds in a triumphant return.
“It just felt great,” Mag said after his conquest. “It’s been a long journey, a lot of ups and downs throughout the rehab process, but my teammates and coaches were there for me. I really appreciate them, everybody that helped me through the whole process. It was great to be out there. It was a long time coming, long overdue.”
“You guys don’t know the journey that it’s been,” Pikiell echoed. “They put out those graphics and it really doesn’t tell the story. He’s been religious about his rehab, and to have him back was just a lift in every area. College basketball’s getting really old, and when you don’t have a player who’s been through some wars and you’re playing with young guys, it’s not easy. To have a veteran guy with versatility, (who) guards everybody, he grabbed eight rebounds his first game back. He’s really done an unbelievable job.”
Seton Hall head coach Shaheen Holloway praised Mag just as effusively, but not before joking that the timing of his comeback was no coincidence.
“Of course he picked this game to come back, right?” Holloway quipped. “I thought he gave them a boost. He actually gives those guys toughness.”
So too did Cliff Omoruyi, whose 11-point, 13-rebound outing was supplemented by seven blocked shots that earned him most valuable player honors and plaudits from his coach.
“When he plays like that, he’s a problem,” Pikiell cautioned. “Cliff does a lot of great things. He had two straight days of great practices, really good leadership. I was proud of him, and he’s a problem when he plays like that. He causes many problems in the lane, and he blocks and alters a ton of shots. (Omoruyi and Mag are) two of the best defenders in the country. We’re lucky to have them.”
Pikiell shook up the lineup drastically — by his standards — Saturday, benching Derek Simpson and giving Jamichael Davis his first career start alongside Noah Fernandes in the backcourt. The freshman did not disappoint, dishing out six assists after tallying 11 helpers the past two games. Aiding his cause was a strong outside that he, along with Fernandes and Gavin Griffiths, rode to a victory whose final score was much closer than the game — for most of the night a one-sided affair Rutgers led comfortably — led on.
“Having J-Mike in the lineup changes things,” said Pikiell. “He’s super quick and (Saturday), he got people involved. He’s got a chance to be a really good defender. We just changed things up having Mawot, and I just loved how the guys that came off the bench responded. Gavin was ready to play, Oskar (Palmquist) comes in and hits a three, Derek does a great job down the stretch, (Antwone Woolfolk) grabs five rebounds. Everybody did a really good job.”
What began as a life-changing week for the Rutgers program when it landed a commitment from Dylan Harper on Wednesday ended 72 hours later with concrete proof of who New Jersey’s superior team is, and could remain in the future.
“(It’s been a) great couple days,” Pikiell acknowledged. “Rutgers is a great university and we’ll get some of the best players in the country now coming to play in our program. It’s a credit to these guys, they made it that way. Kids want to be a part of that, but we had some challenges early on. I like how this team responded. I think we’re going to continue to get better, and that’s what I like about the journey of the season. We always get better and we’ll continue that.”
“They understood the importance of the game. We wanted to paint the state red. We felt like if we came in here and we were locked in and focused, we were going to be a good basketball team, and I think they showed that (Saturday).”
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