By this time next week, it's expected all seven will have signed on.
Jerome Seagears, Myles Mack, Kadeem Jack, Derrick Randall, Mike Taylor, Malik Kone, and Greg Lewis. The Magnificent Seven. Big man depth. Two point guards. Shooters. Everything you could want in a group.
In just about six months, Coach Mike Rice has brought in a top ten recruiting class. He's (hopefully) changed the future of Rutgers basketball.
But what does this mean for this year's team?
Find out after the jump . . .
In several articles Rice has talked about re-energizing a fanbase:
"We needed positive things to happen to Rutgers basketball," he said. "We needed to do something to change the direction and perception of where this program was going. It had been a long time since there had been a wave of good feeling about Rutgers basketball, and (recruiting) was the earliest thing that we could control."
And energize the fanbase, he has. The message boards are alive with hope and enthusiasm. Multiple people have talked about getting out to games, re-newing their season tickets. After four years of an empty RAC, the energy is back.
The way Rice recruited may have been one of the smartest things he's done. He made sure the press caught wind of every top rated recruit that came into the RAC. Each time a player got closer to making a verbal, word leaked. The fans could see what Rice was doing and how well he was doing it.
And when the verbals came, the fans opened their eyes. Now they're coming back. They're getting in on the ground floor, and they want to see what this team can do.
And now it's up to the current team. The crowds will be there early. The RAC is going to be loud again.
All because of seven names. They're having an impact before they even hit the floor.