Dylan Grant Kicks Off Season With A Breakout Win For Rutgers Men's Basketball
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The post-Harper and Bailey era began for Rutgers with a massive win over Rider as Sophomore forward Dylan Grant continues to prove himself to be Rutgers' go-to guy, pouring in 17 points with seven rebounds, one block, and one steal to lead the Scarlet Knights to an 81-53 win over Rider on Wednesday night at Jersey Mike’s Arena.
Dylan Grants Takes On A New Role For Rutgers
Grant started 15 games as a freshman last season. However, this year, Grant knew he had to take on more responsibility this year to support a team in transition. “I knew a lot of responsibility would be put on me,” Grant said in the postgame interview with the media, “I just have to come every day and put my best foot forward and just take that responsibility.”
Grant worked on his shooting this season, and his improvement was apparent in his offense from the jump. He shot 6-of-9 from the floor, 5-of-7 from the line. Even though he left two on the board, his trips to the charity stripe set the tone for the game.
“I always have to be aggressive, and I feel like my aggression paid off,” Grant said. “I got to the line early on in the game… We are going to work on that.” He missed his three-point attempt, but he already has a plan to make sure it doesn’t happen again. “In the future, I just gotta stretch the floor more and take open shots,” he said, “Other than that, I feel like I had a good night.”
Without Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper commanding defenses, the floor was not the same for the Knights. “I feel like it’s really different,” Grant admitted, “It’s not just them gone, a lot of the others are gone. We got a lot of new guys. We’ve been practicing with these guys since June, so I am pretty used to it, and it’s great to play with them.”
The new Knights showed aspects Steve Pikiell wants back in his team: athletic wings, switchable defense, and relentless energy. “I see a lot of potential,” Grant said, “We have a lot of athletic guys, bigger wings. So I feel like we could guard and switch a lot.”
Rebounding Remains the Concern
Rutgers dominated Rider in most areas, except for glass. The Scarlet Knights outrebounded the Broncs 47-46, yet surrendered 21 offensive boards, one fewer than their own total. “Offensive rebounding, a key going into this game, was that we should put a number on them on the glass. We didn’t do that,” Grant said. “So, that right there contributed to them scoring 53 points. They really should not have scored that much in my opinion.”
Up next, Rutgers hosts Maine on Monday at Jersey Mike’s Arena. If they play their cards right, this can also be a winnable match for the Knights.
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Rituraj Halder is a football junkie. He covers everything from clutch game-day moments to the stories that offer a glimpse into the locker room. Over the years, he’s written for outlets like Pro Sports and Football Network, Esports on Sports Illustrated, Sportskeeda, and EssentiallySports, carving out a voice that blends sharp analysis with genuine passion. Whether it’s breaking down a Big Ten rivalry, highlighting rising stars, or capturing the emotion that fuels the game, Rituraj writes football the way fans feel it: loud, proud, and all in.