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Last season, after not making it to Madison Square Garden in the Pre-season NIT, Rutgers faced off against Fairleigh Dickinson. Rutgers was undermanned and missing Kadeem Jack, and ended up losing 73-72, when JJ Moore missed a jumper from the free throw line.
Now, an undermanned, 0-1 Scarlet Knights team are set to battle FDU again.
5 Questions:
1. Will Kadeem Jack Play? He missed Sunday night's opener against George Washington due to a sprained thumb. Since then reports on Jack have been quiet. No one knows if he will play. Needless to say, after Sunday, Rutgers needs their best player in uniform.
2. Can Bishop Daniels and Junior Etou get off the schneid? The two players went a combined 1 for 16 against the Colonials, when they needed to do much better than that. If Daniels and Etou are off again, FDU can focus on Myles Mack and take him out of his game.
3. What Will Attendance Be Like? Probably not good. A minor opponent and a Scarlet Knight's squad coming off a blowout loss? Rutgers can't count on the crowd for energy.
4. Will DJ Foreman Start? Foreman looked really good Sunday night, flashing a lot of potential. If Jack can't play, inserting Foreman into the line-up may be the spark of energy RU needs.
5. Can Mike Williams be a spark off the bench? Williams scored 10 on Sunday and looked like he had a nice shooting stroke. His scoring is going to be needed and he needs to get more comfortable in the offense. The more he plays, the easier it will be to get into a flow and get hot.
*****
Rutgers announced a 3 man signed recruiting class today. Top point guard prospect Corey Sanders, shooting guard Justin Goode and small forward KeJuan Johnson signed their National Letters of Intent and are expected to be on campus next fall. Sanders is the jewel of the class and the true point guard Rutgers needs. He will get plenty of playing time next year, and he can definitely spark the fast break.
In a press release from Rutgers, Eddie Jordan said:
"We are very excited to welcome these three young men into our basketball family. They each possess a special skill set that will help us build a winning program. Competing in the Big Ten is very challenging. It’s essential to have players that not only have the ability to compete at a high level, but the drive and enthusiasm to attack the process. We believe Corey, Kejuan and Justin have these important qualities."