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The balls are about to be bouncing again. Myles Mack, Jerome Seagers and the rest are about to take the court in Eddie Jordan's first foray into college coaching. It's an exhibition game, yes, but it's COLLEGE BASKETBALL. Late fall is here, and a new era for the Scarlet Knights is about to begin.
So, what to watch for?
Running the Offense: A lot has been made of Eddie Jordan's offense. He ran a Princeton offense in college, but has stewed whenever a member of the press has mentioned that since he took the RU job. What kind of plays will Rutgers run tomorrow? Keeping an eye open to see if there are backdoor cuts is a good idea. Plus, Jordan has promised the Knights will run and run and run. Will they tomorrow? One hopes.
Fouls: This season is expected to be tightly called. If the refs are calling fouls to make a point, then tomorrow night could be a long game. How many times will each time go to the free throw line? Can Myles Mack keep up his torrid pace at the line this year? Something to keep an eye on.
Rebounding: Both Wally Judge and Kadeem Jack can pull in the ball off a miss. But have they adjusted to Eddie Jordan's new defense? They need to be ready find a body and box out. Jack and Judge are likely the keys to this season being a successful one. They need to secure the ball and get it to a guard as quickly as possible. Even tomorrow night.
New Faces: J.J. Moore, D'Von Campbell, Kerwin Orkoro, Craig Brown, Junior Etou (if he plays). Tomorrow they start to mesh with some familiar faces. Watch for their chemistry, check out how they interact on the sidelines with their teammates. Are they a good fit? All accounts say this team loves each other. But that was before the ball was tipped. They need to keep it up throughout the season.
Eddie Jordan: It's the brand new coach and Loyal Son's first game. Come out and support him. It'll be interesting to watch his sideline demeanor. Even in pre-season games, Mike Rice stomped his feet and swore under his breath. What will Jordan bring to the Knights? Will his calmness rub off on a team that continually got tight and blew late leads last yer? One can only hope.
College hoops is here. Time to get excited.