The idea to play in the Garden didn’t come from Rutgers, but from the Big Leather Conference, which wanted to expand its presence in the nation’s largest media market. After all, that was the premise of inviting Rutgers to Big Volume more than a decade ago—as if Piscataway were just another leafy suburb across the river.
As basketball coaches are used to, Pikiell did not fully embrace the idea. As far as he could see, he wasn’t gaining an experience that he later called “amazing”. He was losing a home game at the noisy Jersey Mike’s Arena, which had as much of a home advantage as he did in the Big Skin.
Holloway, a former football player at Stanford, has benefited more from his seat.
“A sports program, if you’re doing it right, can be a great thing for society,” said Holloway, who was frank enough to admit that the ever-red Rutgers athletic program probably never will. self-sustaining “This reveals our name.”
Rutgers’ board of directors followed suit this month by approving a contract extension for Pikiell, a former UConn guard who coached at Stony Brook for a decade before being hired in 2016.
“We want Steve to know that this is where we want Rutgers to be,” said Pat Hobbs, Rutgers athletic director.
The board’s approval came shortly after Rutgers surrendered their only loss to senior Purdue until Saturday night and received a commitment from Airious Bailey, a Georgia striker who was among the Knights’ class of 2024 contenders. Rutgers is also hopeful. Dylan Harper, Ron Harper Jr.’s younger brother, who finished last season at Rutgers, is about to recruit another elite member from that class.
Elder Harper was among a group that led the Scarlet Knights to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 30 years in 2021. Among the few survivors of that team are Jacksonville, Fla.
