Two seniors, from two different worlds, unite to lead Rutgers in what could be a special season

Jeremiah Williams enters his final college season as Rutgers’ most experienced leader, and is appreciative of blessings that status brings. (Photo by Rutgers Men’s Basketball)

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Steve Pikiell has had a different offseason than he normally would this summer with Rutgers.

Forget for a second that Pikiell secured the commitments of two of the nation’s best incoming freshmen, Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper. Even without the two wunderkinds, the coach tinkered with his normal June and July approach this year as the Scarlet Knights began what hopes to be a fruitful and fabled journey on the banks of the old Raritan. With precious limited hours for summer workouts, Pikiell raved about allocating all his time to team activity, citing its necessity with nine newcomers to the fold and just three incumbent players from last season’s retooling campaign.

From that process, though, came a pair of fifth-year leaders, one who gets to cap his collegiate career on his terms, the other a fresh face in his new locker room despite being familiar with the terrain in his home state.

Jeremiah Williams was limited to just 12 games last season as he spent most of the year waiting for a ruling on his eligibility as a two-time transfer. Once the Iowa State expatriate did get the green light to suit up, however, a noticeable impact was felt between he and his teammates as Rutgers attempted to salvage its efforts.

The Chicagoan quickly made up for lost time, finishing his truncated stretch as the Scarlet Knights’ leading scorer with an average of over 12 points per game, chipping in three-plus rebounds and nearly three assists per contest to help his cause. Now months removed from his late insertion into the lineup, Williams does not view this coda to his circuitous path as a saga with an unwritten conclusion, but one of appreciation to end it by giving all of himself, all the way.

“I wouldn’t say unfinished business, but I’m just grateful to be able to play the full season,” he conceded. “Start to finish, it’s a blessing, especially from the different situations and positions I’ve been in. It’s a sense of excitement, and I’m just gearing myself up.”

“It was awesome. Just coming from the position I was coming from and the role I stepped into here was close to a dream come true, I’d say. I didn’t know how I’d be on the basketball court after being out that long, so it was a refreshing experience. I’m very appreciative for that moment.”

The humility and opportunity was felt similarly by another veteran, a half-hour up the road in Warren Township, New Jersey.

Zach Martini was already a known commodity in the Garden State, the de facto center on a Princeton team that reached the Sweet 16 two seasons ago behind the dynamic guard play of Xaivian Lee, Caden Pierce and Matt Allocco. A big man who could stretch the floor and knock down a 3-pointer at any time, Martini faced Rutgers last November in the season opener for both the Scarlet Knights and his Tigers, giving his new coaching staff the chance to get more intimately acquainted with someone they had followed since his high school career at Gill St. Bernard’s, where he shared the floor with another familiar name.

Zach Martini remained in New Jersey, transferring from Princeton to Rutgers, where his versatile game will aid Scarlet Knight front line. (Photo by Rutgers Men’s Basketball)

“When I entered the portal, Pikiell was the first person to call me, within an hour of me entering the portal,” Martini recalled. “That just spoke volumes to me. It showed me that I wasn’t just a name in the portal. He knew my game going back to high school, playing with Paul Mulcahy. It was a no-brainer. I love New Jersey, I’ll rep New Jersey until the day I die, so to come back here and play in a gym like this, in front of fans like this, I committed within a week. It was a quick decision, and I’m excited just to be a vocal leader and play hard. I like to do all the dirty work and bring the intangibles.”

Martini stressed the importance of knowing just how much to bring to the table, something made easy for him with Princeton’s star power in front of him. The unselfishness blends in with the working-man, blue-collar mentality Pikiell’s teams have always projected, and the big man shares the mindset of such a trait being an asset in his new locker room.

“There’s a sense of maturity to know that I’m not the star of the team, but I can be a star in other facets of the game,” he opined. “I take pride in being someone who these young guys look up upon to help lead us throughout the Big Ten season. That’s sexy to me.”

Martini and Williams have already been designated co-captains before the season has even begun, a nod to Pikiell’s confidence in his two elder statesmen. The coach lauded Williams’ demonstrative nature of getting the team together in the offseason for various activities, and while Martini recognized the significance of his plaudits, he acknowledged that a leadership-by-committee style has pervaded the program.

“It means a lot to me,” Martini said of the captaincy. “It’s obviously a great honor, and while there’s two captains — Jeremiah and myself — this team feels comfortable having everyone lead. When we break it down before practice, J-Will will say, ‘hey, it’s Bryce Dortch’s turn today,’ and he’ll relay his message to the team. It’s an ongoing process and we’re all working together to lead. There’s not just two leaders, and I think Jeremiah and myself make that clear.”

“It’s been great,” freshman phenom Ace Bailey said of having Williams and Martini as mentors. “This is my first year playing and they’ve been experienced. They’ve been playing longer than me, so them telling me ways I can do things, having them as leaders, is just good.”

Martini has never been the alpha type, but a lunchpail, by-example leader who can be vocal when necessary. The mentality has meshed well thus far, and with his experience, the forward believes he can use that as a teaching tool as Rutgers hopes to take flight in March to a place he has already visited.

“I came from a program where the standard was winning the Ivy League championship,” he said. “That’s hard to do three years in a row, and I’m never gonna compare the Ivy League to the Big Ten, but I know what it takes to win, the sacrifices that have to come along the way. I think a big thing that we’ll realize going into this season is that roles are important. One thing we knew at Princeton was just what role each person had on the team. One thing I want to tell everyone is do what you do well, and bring that strength to the team. From there, the sky’s the limit.”