Welcome to “Big Ten offseason at a glance,” a team-by-team look at the conference at the start of the summer. We’ll examine roster movement for each Big Ten roster and give an early outlook for each Big Ten program for the 2025-26 season.
Up first: Rutgers (15-17 overall in 2024-25, 8-12 in Big Ten play)
Despite securing two of the top three class of 2024 recruits in Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, preseason No. 25 Rutgers floundered to a 15-17 overall record and lost in the first round of the Big Ten tournament.
With head coach Steve Pikiell entering year No. 10 in Piscataway, the Scarlet Knights are the lowest-ranked Big Ten team currently in Bart Torvik’s 2025-26 rankings.
Rutgers roster movement
Players returning with eligibility: Jamichael Davis, Dylan Grant, Emmanuel Ogbole, Bryce Dortch
Players departing due to exhausted eligibility: PJ Hayes, Tyson Acuff, Zach Martini
Players who left early for the NBA draft: Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper
Players who departed via transfer portal: Jeremiah Williams (to Georgetown), Jordan Derkack (to Dayton), Lathan Sommerville (to Washington)
Players arriving via transfer portal: Darren Buchanan Jr. (from George Washington), Tariq Francis (from NJIT), Baye Fall (from Kansas State)
Players arriving from high school/overseas: Harun Zrno (former Indiana commit), Denis Badalu, Chris Nwuli, Lino Mark, Gevonte Ware, Kaden Powers
Rutgers experienced significant movement this spring. The Scarlet Knights are losing six of their top seven scorers from last season and are opting to retool primarily through the high school ranks, with six incoming freshmen and just three incoming transfers.
What to like about Rutgers
While it’s hindsight to groan about having two eventual top-five NBA draftees on the roster, Pikiell has always operated better with a more balanced system. Last year, Bailey and Harper accounted for 44.3 percent of Rutgers’ points and 43.4 percent of the team’s shots.
Fall was a 2023 McDonald’s All-American, Francis averaged 19.2 points per game at NJIT and returnees Davis and Grant are younger pieces who can show growth in elevated roles in 2025-26.
To succeed, the Scarlet Knights likely need to return to their roots and it starts on the defensive end. Last year was the first season under Pikiell the program finished outside KenPom’s top 100 in adjusted defensive efficiency and that needs to return to form for wins to come in 2025-26.
What to question with Rutgers
In short, a lot. This roster is extremely young, comprising a blend of nine newcomers and boasting virtually no past high-major production.
As referenced, Pikiell’s identity rides on the defensive end, but this year’s personnel could result in production matching last season. The guard position is relatively small and the post players are widely unproven or disappointing – like Fall.
The keyword with the Scarlet Knights is “if”. Any success this team has is dependent on Francis’ scoring ability translating to a higher level, tapping into Fall’s unrealized potential and the growth and production of young returning pieces and the incoming six freshmen. Heading into the year, all of that coming together seems unlikely.
Rutgers’ outlook for the 2025-26 season
Here’s the Rutgers Big Ten schedule for next season:
Home: Indiana, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oregon, Purdue, Washington
Away: Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, UCLA, USC
Home/Away: Maryland, Michigan State, Penn State
Last year marked the third consecutive missed NCAA tournament for Rutgers. Although Pikiell has become a staple in Piscataway, a fourth straight no-bid could lead to some difficult discussions and musing by Scarlet Knight fans.
Ranked just inside the top 100 Bart Torvik’s current projections, Rutgers is predicted to be at the bottom of the league standings. While they could avoid the league cellar due to Pikiell’s track record of consistently challenging opponents, missing out on the Big Ten Tournament is certainly an expectation.
Category: Commentary
Filed to: 2025-26 Big Ten preview, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
