Steve Pikiell’s job may be on the line this season, and he has a chance to shine as Rutgers basketball retains most of its top players from a season ago.
The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Rutgers basketball.
Is there a team in college basketball we are sleeping on more than Rutgers basketball? Steve Pikiell retains five of his top seven scorers from a year ago. That’s an excellent starting point, even as a team that only won six games in the Big Ten last season. And the reason why is that two of those players – Lino Mark and Kaden Powers – were freshmen last year. They are both expected to make big jumps as sophomores, and the hope for the program is that they can help turn Rutgers in the right direction.
But Pikiell didn’t just stop with making sure his top talent returned. He brought in three of the best mid-major transfers in the nation. CCSU’s Darin Smith Jr. is a wing with incredible scoring talent. Will Sydnor is a proven rebounder and should help a Scarlet Knights team with unproven true big men. And RaSheed Jones scored the ball at Coastal Carolina, although inefficiently. Still, he should be a key contributor off the bench.
But where Pikiell really adds intrigue is in his international prospects. Big man Mervedi Miteo has shown potential and was the youngest player to ever appear for the DR Congo National Team. Martin Tonejc comes from Slovenia, where he won a Slovenian National Championship and averaged nearly 18 points per game two seasons ago. Italy’s Diego Garavaglia is another proven scorer at the international level.
All of this isn’t even mentioning Virginia Tech transfer Christian Gurdak and Kansas State transfer Dorin Buca, who should both compete for the starting center job. All in all, Pikiell has a deep roster with potential for breakout stars, and at the very least, a solid core that should definitely compete in the Big Ten this season. If they don’t, it will likely be Pikiell’s final season as head coach.
Head coach: Steve Pikiell (11th season at Rutgers, 22nd season overall)
2025-26 record: 14-20 (6-14)
2025 postseason finish: Lost to Creighton (82-69) in first round of College Basketball Crown
Notable departures:
- Dylan Grant (9.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 0.5 APG)
- Harun Zrno (6.5 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 0.6 APG)
- Emmanuel Ogbole (4.7 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 0.4 APG, 1.2 BPG, 59.8 FG%)
Notable non-conference games:
- vs. Houston (Nov. 17) – Players Era
- Players Era (Nov. 18-19)
- vs. Seton Hall (Dec. 12)
- vs. Syracuse (TBD) at Barclays Center
Projected Rotation
PG: Lino Mark (6-2, 185, So.)
2025-26 stats: 5.9 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 1.2 APG, 39.6 FG%
SG: Tariq Francis (6-1, 180, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 17.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 35.1 3P%, 91.1 FT%
SF: Darren Buchanan Jr. (6-7, 240, Gr.-Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 8.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.7 APG, 35.3 3P%
PF: Darin Smith Jr. (6-7, 210, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 20.7 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.2 APG, 37.6 3P%, 89.8 FT% (CCSU)
C: Christian Gurdak (6-10, 265, So.)
2025-26 stats: 5.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 0.3 APG, 63.2 FG% (Virginia Tech)
6: Jamichael Davis (6-2, 180, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 7.5 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, 35.8 3P%
7: Kaden Powers (6-4, 195, So.)
2025-26 stats: 6.1 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 1.5 APG, 34.9 FG%
8: Will Sydnor (6-8, 210, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 13.9 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.5 APG, 34.8 3P% (Manhattan)
9: RaSheed Jones (6-6, 190, Gr.-Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 14.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 36.7 3P%, 39.8 FG% (Coastal Carolina)
10: Dorin Buca (7-2, 286, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 3.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 0.5 APG, 1.3 BPG, 50.7 FG% (Kansas State)
11: Mervedi Miteo (6-10, 260, Fr.)
International prospect from Congo
12: Martin Tonejc (6-7, 210, Fr.)
International prospect from Slovenia
13: Diego Garavaglia (6-7, 200, Fr.)
International prospect from Italy
14: Imahri Wooten (6-5, 195, Fr.)
247Sports Composite No. 218 ranked recruit
Rutgers Basketball team MVP: Tariq Francis
Francis was Rutgers’ leading scorer last season and decided to run it back for his senior year. That alone makes him the Team MVP, as he will be joined by a more talented roster, but will still be looking to be the guy on a very deep roster.
Francis wasn’t just a shot-chucker. He shot about 42% from the field, had an even better 3P% than at his time at NJIT, and couldn’t miss from the free throw line. This year, he won’t have to do it all, but he can when he wants to, giving Rutgers at least one player who won’t be afraid to take the shots in the clutch moments.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Francis’ numbers dip, but it won’t be because he’s having a bad season. He’s just joined by better players, and won’t need to score 20 points per game to give Rutgers a chance. We could see a more dynamic and efficient Francis, which is a scary thought for the rest of the Big Ten.
Rutgers Basketball make-or-break player: Lino Mark
One of the top freshmen on the team a year ago, Mark started to break out down the stretch. While he averaged about six points per game on the year, he posted at least 10 points in 8 of his last 11 games. That included 18 against Washington and 17 against UCLA in the Big Ten Tournament. And during this run, Mark also started to dish out some assists, pointing to the potential of him running the point with Francis at the two.
Obviously, Mark was a freshman last year, but it was clear that Pikiell thought a lot of him down the stretch of the season. There will be more on his shoulders, and it may be easy to get lost on a team with experience and transfers. Mark’s impact won’t need to be an insane rise in his stats, but controlling the tempo and game for a team that will need steady point guard play. Lots of guys will require shots for Rutgers to have good chemistry, and Mark will have to dish it out appropriately.
Stat to know: Assists per game
Last season, Rutgers was below 300th in assists per game, with just 12.1. While Mark is expected to be the primary point guard this season, he only averaged 1.2 per game last year. And even though Pikiell brought in a lot of talent, the only other players capable of running the point well are Francis and Jamichael Davis. On a team with many talented scorers, it’s worrisome they didn’t add at least one true point guard to help balance it out. A lot of pressure will be on Mark to lead the offense, but for other guys to learn to play unselfishly. There’s only one basketball, and that could be the downfall of this Scarlet Knights team.
Rutgers Basketball 2026-27 projections
Projected conference finish: 17th in Big Ten
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament round of 64