Rutgers
New Haven
Oct 28 | Men's Basketball
New season to kick off Nov. 6 at Jersey Mike's Arena
Rutgers Opens 2026-27 With a Reloaded Roster and Pikiell's Toughness at Its Core
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Steve Pikiell spent the offseason carefully reloading his roster for his 11th season On the Banks. With that roster on campus for summer workouts, the Rutgers men’s basketball head coach faced a challenge bigger than basketball: a fight against cancer.
Now Brandin Knight, Pikiell’s longtime right-hand man, will lead the team Pikiell built to start the season.
Knight, in his 11th season on Pikiell’s staff, will serve as acting head coach while Pikiell undergoes treatment. In exhibitions against Big East contenders Villanova and St. John’s, the Scarlet Knights have already shown what they can accomplish, even as they deal with off-court adversity.
Rutgers enters 2026-27 with 16 players, nine of them newcomers, representing four countries. The Scarlet Knights return 60.4 percent of their minutes from last season, the second-highest share in the Big Ten. They pair that continuity with five Division I transfers, three international signees and an ESPN Top 100 freshman.
A letter from men's basketball head coach Steve Pikiell to Rutgers Nation. https://t.co/lvMCRvht2V#TheKnighthood????? https://t.co/gkWOjHWCuK
— Rutgers Men’s Basketball ?? (@RutgersMBB) September 9, 2026
Head Coach Steve Pikiell's Fight
Pikiell announced Sept. 9 that he has been diagnosed with cancer. After a successful surgery, he said he would stay involved with the team as much as possible during treatment, and he made his approach clear.
“Just as I ask my team to fight and embrace challenges head-on, I'm going to attack cancer the same way,” Pikiell wrote in a letter to Rutgers Nation. “I have great confidence in Coach Knight, the rest of the talented staff, and our exceptional student-athletes.”
“Together, great things lie ahead for our basketball program,” Pikiell wrote. “I look forward to the day I'm back on the sidelines doing what I love.”
Director of Athletics Keli Zinn said there is no set timeline for Pikiell's full return. “Those of us who know Steve know the determination and strength he brings to everything he does,” Zinn said. “We are grateful to Coach Knight for his willingness to step up during this challenging time.”
His players have taken that message to heart.
“The message hasn't changed. Our goals haven't changed. Nothing we do has changed,” senior guard Tariq Francis said, who's back for his second season with the Scarlet Knights. “We're trying to stay focused, and we have another reason to do it for him.”
“It's the Rutgers identity: Rutgers tough,” Mark said. “Coach Pikiell's big emphasis is, if he can do it, we can do it. He's always around. Even when he can't be, he's around.”
“We think about Coach Pikiell all the time, and we wish him a speedy recovery,” sophomore center Christian Gurdak, a transfer from Virginia Tech, said, “but the program is in great hands with Coach Knight.”
Dominate the Day ??Hear from Brandin Knight on set at @B1GMBBall Media Day ??#TheKnighthood ????? https://t.co/QvuUIjQvjl
— Rutgers Men’s Basketball ?? (@RutgersMBB) October 9, 2026
Knight joined Pikiell's original Rutgers staff in April 2016 and is in his sixth season as associate head coach. The East Orange, N.J., native was a two-time All-American point guard at Pitt and still holds the Panthers' career records for assists (785) and steals (298). He has been central to recruiting for the program, helping tab Ron Harper Jr., Clifford Omoruyim Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper to the Banks.
Knight has been clear about whose program it is.
“This is Coach Pikiell's program,” Knight said. “I'm just sitting here in the moment trying to make sure we continue what we've built here and keep moving the needle forward. Like I said last week, the players come first in our program.”
At Big Ten Media Days in Chicago, Knight described how he's approaching the job.
“I just try to focus on what I can control throughout the day and get our players to focus on what we can control each day, and we try and dominate the day,” Knight said.
His players have noticed. “Coach Knight brings that fire, and if we can play with that edge, we're going to be in good shape,” Davis said.
Francis added, “Coach Knight has definitely been passionate. We've been using the tools and wisdom that he gives us to put us in a good position.”
The team has rallied around its coach. Team IMPACT honoree Trent Powers, re-signed Oct. 7 for his second season with the Scarlet Knights, had a message for Pikiell: “Kick cancer in the butt.”
Fans can be on the lookout to support Pikiell's fight with cancer through the #RutgersTough campaign, giving back to cancer research.
Retention a Priority in the Offseason
Rutgers brings back 78.9 percent of its assists and 61.9 percent of its scoring from last season's team, which reached the College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas.
“We've got some guys back from last year, and those guys were tasked with taking their games to the next level over the summer,” Knight said at Media Days. “Now every year, it's a new team.”
It starts with senior guard Tariq Francis. He led Rutgers with 17.0 points per game last season and earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention. His 578 points were the most by a Scarlet Knight since Quincy Douby's program-record 839 in 2005-06. He shot 91.1 percent from the foul line and made 164 free throws, fourth-most in a single season in school history. Francis enters the year four points shy of 1,500 for his career.
Jamichael Davis, the most tenured Scarlet Knight, returns as a second-year captain and a fourth-year player after averaging 7.5 points and shooting a career-best 35.8 percent from three.
“Loyalty means everything to me,” Davis said. “To be a four-year player at Rutgers and a second-year captain in this day and age is unique, and I have unfinished business here in New Jersey.”
Sophomore point guard Lino Mark closed his freshman season in double figures in eight of the final 11 games, averaging 12.2 points over his last eight. Sophomore Kaden Powers made 15 starts as a freshman and scored a career-high 18 at UCLA. Fifth-year wing Darren Buchanan Jr. averaged 8.1 points and 3.9 rebounds, crossed 1,000 career points and was a 2025 Musial Awards recipient. Sophomore Gevonte Ware, a 6-foot-9 center, adds frontcourt size in his second season.
Mark's late surge came as his confidence caught up to his talent.
“Toward the middle of the season I realized I belong here,” Mark said. “As it kept going, I stayed comfortable and healthy, and everything came together.”
“I felt like we already had a strong foundation here,” Francis said, “and with the guys who came in this year, we've got a chance to do something really special.”
Plan in the Transfer Portal
Pikiell and his staff targeted size, rebounding and proven scoring. Rutgers needed to replace more than 80 percent of its shot blocking and more than 60 percent of its rebounding. The five Division I transfers combined for 1,354 points, 534 rebounds and 69 blocks last season.
“We added some experience scoring on the wing and we added three big guys on the interior,” Knight said. “I love our front line as a group. The new guys have to come in and understand their roles and what we need from them.”
Darin Smith Jr. (Central Connecticut) was the Northeast Conference Player of the Year. He ranked 20th nationally at 20.7 points per game and scored 40 at New Haven, Rutgers' season-opening opponent. He also scored 21 at Jersey Mike's Arena last November in CCSU's win over the Scarlet Knights.
RaSheed Jones (Coastal Carolina), a 6-foot-6 fifth-year guard, averaged 14.8 points and started 61 of 64 games over two seasons.
Will Sydnor (Manhattan), a Bronx native, was MAAC Rookie of the Year after averaging 13.9 points and 6.8 rebounds.
Dorin Buca (Kansas State), a 7-foot-2 center, led the Wildcats with 35 blocks.
Christian Gurdak (Virginia Tech), the staff's first portal addition, shot 63.2 percent as a freshman. He posted 17 points and 19 rebounds, the ACC's top rebounding game of the season, in a triple-overtime game against No. 21 Virginia.
The international class adds three more pros-tested pieces. Diego Garavaglia of Milan played 33 games for Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany's Bundesliga and EuroCup. He was named to the FIBA U18 EuroBasket All-Star Five while leading Italy to bronze. Martin Tonejc signed a day after helping KK Cedevita Olimpija win the Slovenian national championship. Mervedi Miteo, a product of Real Madrid's academy, became the youngest player ever to suit up for the DR Congo national team.
Freshman guard Imahri Wooten, an ESPN Top 100 recruit and McDonald's All American nominee, scored more than 3,000 career points at Redemption Christian Academy.
“I am going to be physical, I am going to rebound, I have great touch on the inside, and I love doing the dirty work in the paint,” Gurdak said.
Gurdak heard about Jersey Mike's Arena before he ever played in it.
“They always said Jersey Mike's was the loudest arena they played in,” he said. “I can see how it gets loud. It's like a big high school gym, and I love that environment.”
He also wanted the challenge. “The Big Ten is the best conference in the country,” Gurdak said. “I think my game translates well to the Big Ten.”
Francis' advice to the newcomers was simple. “My biggest thing is buying in and becoming a real team,” he said. “Keep being yourself and trust the team and what we've already got going here.”
That trust is already paying off on the floor.
“Basketball is a game of possessions,” Francis said. “If I know what Lino does well and what Christian does well, I know where these guys are going to be on the floor before they even get there. That gives us an advantage over a lot of teams.”
Preseason Promise
The Scarlet Knights didn't ease into the preseason. In Knight's debut on the sideline Oct. 11, Rutgers trailed Villanova by 11 points with 2:27 left. It erased the entire deficit before falling, 77-75.
“It was encouraging to see our guys fight back in the second half,” Knight said. “The guys showed resilience.”
A week later at Madison Square Garden, Rutgers and St. John's needed four overtimes to settle an exhibition. The Red Storm won, 104-100. Rutgers outrebounded one of the most physical teams in the country, both overall and on the offensive glass. Gurdak delivered 20 points and 15 rebounds. Mark handled St. John's full-court pressure for more than 40 minutes.
“Once it got to an evenly played game, we started punching back, and that's why we had the war in overtime,” Knight said.
“We've got to get a little bit better with execution down the stretch. The biggest thing is sustaining it and having those sustained efforts, whether it's on the offensive end or the defensive end, and closing out games.”
Francis saw something bigger in the first half.
“That we're really good, we play well together and we trust each other,” Francis said. “When we play together, we can be a really good team, defensively and offensively.”
The Road Ahead
Rutgers opens the regular season Friday, Nov. 6, against New Haven at 7 p.m. on B1G+. It will be Knight's first official game as acting head coach. Francis faces his former team when NJIT visits Nov. 10.
The Scarlet Knights head to Las Vegas for the Players Era Festival, opening against Houston on Nov. 17 on ESPN. Big Ten play begins Dec. 1 at Indiana, and Michigan visits Dec. 9. Rutgers hosts Seton Hall on Dec. 12 and meets Syracuse in the Empire Classic at Barclays Center on Feb. 6.
At home, the Scarlet Knights ride 93 straight sold-out regular-season games at Jersey Mike's Arena, the sixth-longest active streak in college basketball.
Asked to describe this team, the players landed in the same place.
“Hard-nosed, skilled, gritty and fearless,” Francis said.
“Fearless for sure,” Mark said. “Gritty, get after it on defense, high intensity, not afraid of anybody.”
“Smart and together,” Gurdak said. “We play together, and we're going to work harder than you.”
Mark put it plainly: “We can be a special team for sure, and we will be.”
Season tickets and single-game tickets are available at ScarletKnights.com.
