Get Ready For Still No Basketball At Rutgers

April 7, 2010 – For those who had high hopes that some day Rutgers would compete in the Big East in men’s basketball, push that day out until about 2014, because they’re bracing for still another rebuild. Fred Gruninger had Kevin Bannon and his nude wind sprints. Bob Mulcahy had his Gary Waters and his need to skip games to go accept hall of fame recognition from the school he jumped to RU from, and now Tim Pernetti has Fred Hill, hothead, son of the baseball coach, tireless recruiter, but poor coach and manager of children.

Today, word out of Piscataway is that ace recruit Mike Rosario, “Hill’s first McDonald’s All American,” wants to transfer as he heads into his junior year, and his top incoming recruit Gil Biruta, from Newark’s St. Benedict’s, wants out of his letter of intent. One report has St. Anthony’s of Jersey City legendary coach Bob Hurley providing some level headed advice to his former charge Rosario, while new Wagner coach Danny Hurley, formerly the head man at St. Benedict’s, has Biruta’s ear.

If Rosario bolts, it would be an even dozen players that Hill has lost in his four years on the job, the most significant to date being big man Greg Echenique, who left for Creighton this past season. According to a Newark Star-Ledger report, Hill met with Rosario and his mother in a testy exchange where the shooting guard said Hill was impairing his chances for the NBA. Well, if giving the kid the green light to shoot whenever he wants is impairing, there might be just a little bit of responsibility on Rosario’s part to make a few of those shots. Rosario averaged 33 minutes a game and shot 487 times and made 184 (.378) many of which came in garbage time. He’s got one thing right, the NBA scouts have him pegged as an NBDL shooter.

So Rutgers men’s basketball is back to square one….no money with new Governor Chris Christie firmly placing his abundant frame on top of any treasure chest that might someday mean a basketball complex and upgrades at the RAC. Seton Hall, St. John’s, Wagner, Fordham, Hoftsra and Iona have nabbed the coaching prospects. And, players can’t wait to leave. What could that mean to future recruiting? That Piscataway is destined to remain an outpost of terrible basketball.