The Scarlet Knights are way better than their preseason projections of finishing 17th in the 18-team Big Ten.
On Sunday, they dominated a talented St. John’s squad in the first half before falling 104-99 in a quadruple-overtime marathon in front of about 4,000 fans at Madison Square Garden.
St. John’s is a borderline Top 25 team with some player-eligibility questions still undecided, by the Red Storm’s full team was out there for the exhibition.
Rutgers, which opens the regular season Nov. 6 against New Haven, was coming off a 77-75 exhibition loss at home to Villanova – another borderline-Top 25 squad.
FIVE TAKEAWAYS
That first half
Rutgers went into the break leading 46-28 after a stunning display of spacing, ball-sharing and hustle. The starting backcourt of Tariq Francis and Lino Mark torched St. John’s guards – including seasoned foreign pro Quinn Ellis – over the first 20 minutes.
Yes, it's an exhibition and the momentum didn't continue after the break, but this was a tantalizing glimpse into this group's potential.
Gurdak looks the part, again
Sophomore center Christian Gurdak (20 points, 15 rebounds, two assists) continued the eye-opening play he showed against Villanova. Before he wore down in the overtimes, the Virginia Tech transfer had his way with St. John’s frontcourt defenders, set textbook screens and ran a sharp pick-and-roll. He also rebounded aggressively against a much bigger frontcourt.
Gurdak did get gassed as the minutes piled up, especially on the defensive end. He won't have to deal with a four-overtime contest again, but he could use some help inside, for sure.
Mark given the keys
A ton was asked of Mark in this game. He was the primary ball-handler against the Johnnies' pressure and also had to defend Ellis for long stretches. He was omnipresent in the first half, blowing by the Johnnies' defenders and bottling their guards up on defense, and he held up pretty well against St. John's relentless physicality until the second overtime, when he went to the bench with apparent cramps.
It was a bit surprising that, on the final sequence of regulation, Mark got the call to attack the rim instead of handing it off to Francis, but that's a sign of this coaching staff's confidence in him.
Mark finished with 14 points, six rebounds, four assists and three turnovers in 40 minutes. Remember, he's just a sophomore.
Pleasant surprises
Fifth-year transfer guard RaSheed Jones was electric off the bench in the first half, posting eight points, two rebounds and a steal – and registering a four-point play. He led the plus/minus at plus-18 through the first 20 minutes. It was telling that, when Rutgers needed an injury sub at the end of overtime, Jones got the call.
The Scarlet Knights outrebounded a program known for attacking the glass, 58-51 overall and 18-11 on the offensive boards. They should have gotten more than 14 second-chance points off of 18 offensive rebounds, but Rutgers' coaching staff looks at rebounding as the principal gauge of their team's toughness. Their effort on the glass was a good sign.
Senior wing Darren Buchanan was asked to do a lot of dirty-work underneath on both ends and he delivered 13 points and nine boards, although he did come up just short on the potential game-winning layup in traffic at the end of regulation. He's come light years in understanding his role compared to this time last year. That's what retention does for you.
What needs work
Rutgers’ interior defense got exploited as the Johnnies scored 58 points in the paint. Gurdak needs help and it’s not clear where that’s coming from because Rutgers is mostly using wings at the four-spot.
The 3-point shooting, which was 4-of-17 against Villanova, once again was a struggle (4-of-20). Junior wing Darin Smith, who was unconscious against Villanova, was off from the start and shot just 3-of-13 overall. Sophomore guard Kaden Powers misfired on his opportunities.
To St. John’s credit, the Red Storm turned up the defensive screws big-time in the second half, surely after a pointed talking-to by head coach Rick Pitino. Rutgers did not handle the counterpunch well at first, rushing shots and devolving into some hero ball for stretches. Chalk it up to a learning experience – that’s why you schedule a foe like St. John’s in exhibition.
More players available
After sitting out the Villanova exhibition with a minor wrist injury, standout senior guard Tariq Francis returned to the starting lineup alongside Lino Mark, Darren Buchanan, Darin Smith and Christian Gurdak.
Forward Will Sydnor, a Manhattan transfer who has been sidelined by a nagging ankle injury, checked in six minutes into the first half and looked rusty. He didn’t produce a stat and did not play after halftime.
The only player held out was 7-foot-2 backup center Dorin Buca, who has what has been characterized as a minor knee injury.
Brandin Knight’s rotation
Running the team once again while head coach Steve Pikiell continues to undergo cancer treatment, Knight used an 11-man rotation – probably smaller than the depth-loving Pikiell would have gone in an exhibition, but this closely mirrored what you’ll see in the regular season from Rutgers.
Knight made a three-man substitution just before the under-16 timeout, bringing guard Jamichael Davis and RaSheed Jones and center Gevonte Ware off the bench in the first wave of reinforcements.
He also gave a look at 17-year-old freshman Mervedi Miteo, a late-summer addition from Spain, at center in both halves and even in the third overtime. The 6-foot-10, 265-pounder obviously has a lot to learn but his Big Ten-ready body may come in handy this season. Miteo grabbed three offensive boards and made two free throws.
Knight going deep into his bench in both halves and in the later overtimes was a reminder that the main mission of these exhibitions is not to win – it’s to get the players read for when the curtain goes up in November.
Three guys who rode the pine: freshman guards Imahri Wooten and Diego Garavaglia and freshmen forward Martin Tonejc. That’s the end of the bench this season.
It’s also worth noting that Knight let the Scarlet Knights play through their second-half rough patches for the most part, which is part of the learning process. No doubt he would have been much more aggressive without timeouts in a real game.
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Rutgers basketball looks surprisingly good in 4-OT loss to St. John's