PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers Basketball showed off its new product tonight, but it was not enough to usher in a win. The Scarlet Knights dropped an exhibition contest to St. John’s by a final score of 91-85. It was a change from what Rutgers fans were used to seeing as there is now a lot more firepower on offense, although the defense showed that it needs some work. 

Tonight was also the long-awaited debut of Rutgers’ five-star freshman duo and here is a closer look into the victory inside Jersey Mike’s Arena. 

Starting Five
Rutgers rolled with a three-guard set to begin the game. Freshmen Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey were joined by all three returning players from last year’s team in Emmanuel Ogbole, Jeremiah Williams and Jamichael Davis. 

Game Ball
Ace Bailey. The freshman took over for a stint on the way to a game-high 25 points. It was not enough to get the win but he showed why NBA scouts are watching his every move. 

Game Stats
Dylan Harper 20 pts 4 rebs 1 asst 1 stl
Ace Bailey 25 pts 5 rebs 1 asst 1 stl 1 blk
Jeremiah Williams 2 pts 2 rebs 2 assts 1 stl
Jamichael Davis 9 pts 2 rebs 1 asst 2 stls
Emmanuel Ogbole 4 pts 4 rebs 1 asst 2 blks
Tyson Acuff 0 pts
Zach Martini 6 pts 4 rebs
PJ Hayes 13 pts 2 rebs 2 assts
Jordan Derkack 4 pts 7 rebs 3 assts 3 blks 1 stl
Lathan Sommerville 2 pts

Did you notice…
—Rutgers came out looking like a team that was playing together for the first time. Points were not easy to come by in the first few minutes. Rutgers scored just four points in the first five minutes but that was not unexpected with so many new players taking the court together for the first time. That did not last as the team started to find itself, develop some chemistry and provide plenty of reasons for fans to stand up and cheer. It was still disjointed with defense lacking and ultimately leading to a loss. 

—Rutgers struggled to rebound at times as a lack of size showed up. Ogbole’s sheer size appeared to provide some difference but he showed that he is not a standout rebounder. This could be an area of concern looking ahead to the season. Rutgers’ lack of presence in the frontcourt also led to a lot of St. John’s points in the paint. There were quite a few easy buckets as the Redstorm finished with 46 points in the paint. 

—In the early going, Bailey did not seem to meet a shot he did not like. He continued to put up shot after shot and pretty soon the makes caught up to the misses. Bailey showed he is not shy nor adept when it comes to shooting. 

—In spurts, the Rutgers played defense with a tough grittiness that has been synonymous with Steve Pikiell-coached teams. Jordan Dekack provided a spark defensively and showed he could be someone who helps provide a defensive spark this season. However, there is a lot of room to improve on the defensive end of the court. 

—Rutgers held a comfortable lead but let St. John’s hang around and the inability to defend consistently made this a tight game. The loss of Cliff Omoruyi was particularly felt as Ogbole struggled mightily on defense. 

Next up
Rutgers will have a few weeks until its season opener against Wagner which will tip-off Nov 6 inside Jersey Mike’s Arena. Wagner finished 17-16 last season and won a First Four game in the NCAA Tournament before being ousted by North Carolina.