PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Three years ago, Rutgers believed it was launching a new era in men’s basketball when McDonald’s All-American Mike Rosario made his much-hyped debut at the Rutgers Athletic Center.
Coming off a mythical national championship at St. Anthony under Bob Hurley, Rosario and St. Benedict’s Prep big man Greg Echenique were supposed to be the building blocks of the future for then-coach Fred Hill.
But within two years, Hill was fired and all four of the freshmen in that heralded recruiting class had transferred.
Now, three years later, Rutgers is rebuilding yet again behind another guard coming off a mythical national championship at St. Anthony.
With Hurley watching from behind the Rutgers bench, freshman point guard Myles Mack and his three fellow freshmen guards helped the Scarlet Knights launched Year 2 of the Mike Rice Era with an uneven 62-56 win over Dartmouth.
“I’m trying, I’m trying,” said Mack, a Paterson, N.J., native who finished with nine points, four rebounds, one assist and four turns. “This is my first college game. I mean, after my first game I just got to look onto the next one. We got Miami on Tuesday, so I’m just looking forward to that. This one’s over.”
Rosario — who’s now at Florida and returns to the RAC with the Gators Dec. 29 — was given excessive freedom by Hill, which, in turn, engendered some resentment by his teammates, and sometimes felt he had to do it all himself.
By contrast, Mack is surrounded by three other skilled freshmen guards in Eli Carter (who also spent time under Hurley at St. Anthony), Jerome Seagears and Malick Kone.
“It’s very good for them to be out there,” Mack said, “because all three of us [Carter and Seagears] can handle so whoever gets the ball we can just go. One person doesn’t have to have the ball in their hands all the time, so it’s great to have three guards.”
Mack and Carter started in the backcourt and were on the floor together at the end. Seagears hit two foul shots to close out the Rutgers scoring.
All told, the four frosh guards combined for 33 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and eight turnovers.
“Inconsistent, but that’s what you’re going to find,” Rice said. “I think they’re playing really hard and they’re trying. They’re trying to embrace the formula.”
The 6-5 Kone, a native of Guinea, played some four and showed a nice touch from mid-range by scoring six first-half points en route to a 31-30 halftime lead.
“His athletisicm and his motor is helping us out tremendously,” Rice said. “I don’t know if we win either game [including the exhibition] without Malick Kone. If you would’ve told me that a month ago, I would’ve laughed at you.”
After a slow first half, Carter hit a pullup jumper to make it 52-46 in favor of Rutgers. Mack later found Carter (nine points, three rebounds, three turnovers) in transition for a layup that pushed it to 56-48.
“All of my guards, I think when they develop are going to be something that Rutgers hasn’t had in a while,” Rice said at media day.
“I have three guys I think that are going to be very good on the Division I level. Have they done it yet ? No, but they have a lot of potential, they have a lot of tools…to become very good Division I basketball players so it’s exciting.”
FREE THROWS
Junior Dane Miller led Rutgers with 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting to go with six rebounds…Former Alabama commit Jaren Sina and St. Patrick junior wing Jared Nickens, both 2013, attended the game…Quote of the night from Mike Rice: “We gave birth to our first victory today because it certainly wasn’t pretty. ”
(PHoto courtesy Andrew Miller, NJ.com)
