Who Stays? A Big Offseason Lies Ahead For Rutgers Basketball
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Rutgers bowed out of the Big Ten tournament this past Thursday, hanging tough but ultimately falling to a vastly more talented UCLA squad, 72-59. The Scarlet Knights finished 14-19 overall and 7-14 in conference, including a first-round tournament win over Minnesota. After a woeful start to Big Ten play, Rutgers showed signs of life in mid-February, playing competitive ball, beating the teams they were supposed to beat, and battling against a top-ten Michigan State squad.
As of this morning, Rutgers sits at No. 124 in the KenPom rankings, avoiding the distinction of finishing as the worst-ranked Power Four team in men’s college basketball (Georgia Tech sits at No. 162). Needless to say, the current, young roster is not built to compete in a conference of seniors and grad transfers, with the top teams boasting multiple big men who dominate down low.
That all said, with so many freshmen on the roster who began to show signs of significant growth as the season concluded, who is worth trying to keep next season? Rutgers General Manager Rob Sullivan will work with Pikiell and his staff to determine who they will try and retain from this season's roster, as they attempt to successfully navigate the transfer portal, in search of impact transfers.
The Guards
Let’s break down the current guards on the roster and predict who is likely to stay and who is likely to depart.
Tariq Francis
The 6’1 transfer point guard from NJIT was much-maligned before he even stepped on the court as a Scarlet Knight, with media and fans questioning his height and ability to succeed in the Big Ten. All Francis did was to become the first Big Ten player since 1996-97 to score 30 or more points off the bench in two or more games, finishing as an Honorable Mention all-conference.
Francis excelled off the bench, averaging over 21 points in seven consecutive games after being moved out of the starting lineup, and proving he’s a capable Big Ten-level guard. When asked by Brian Fonseca of NJ Advanced Media if he’s returning next season, he responded that he’s committed to the Scarlet Knights. There have been rumors that he would follow Associate Head Coach Brandin Knight to Pittsburgh should the job open up, but with current head coach Jeff Capel confirming he’s returning next season, Knight and, in turn, Francis are likely to remain in Piscataway.
Prediction: Staying
Winning is fun. Let’s do it again.👏#TheKnighthood🛡️⚔️ pic.twitter.com/z58Ok2MZyj
— Rutgers Men’s Basketball 🏀 (@RutgersMBB) March 12, 2026
Lino Mark
The 6’2 freshman guard’s struggles to begin the season are well-documented, including missing his first eighteen three-point attempts. But, as is the case in a developmental program like Rutgers, Mark’s play significantly improved during the season to the point that the announcers were heaping praise on him during his two appearances in the Big Ten tournament.
The question for Mark is whether he heads back to California, joining a UCLA or USC squad as a bench contributor, or stays with Rutgers, knowing he’ll see significant playing time as his game continues to improve as a sophomore. Anytime a young kid is playing away from family on the other side of the country, it’s reasonable to expect, with the success he’s seen in the final month of the season, that a Power Four school closer to home will be reaching out.
Prediction: Going
Darren Buchanan, Jr.
The 6’7, 235 redshirt-junior guard has the size and attack mentality to compete in the Big Ten. Buchanan played his best basketball in March, including a 13-rebound performance in a victory over Penn State on Senior Day, and a seven-assist game against Minnesota in the first round of the Big Ten tournament.
Buchanan was emphatic about returning next season after speaking to Fonseca at NJ Advanced Media.
”I definitely want to be here. Coach Pikiell recruited me back in the tenth grade, so I have a strong connection with him and his staff. I know they want the best for me, and I want the best for Rutgers. I see a bright future for Rutgers moving forward, so I definitely would love to return and put on this jersey again.”
Buchanan, very much in the mold of a Pikiell-style player who gets after loose balls and isn’t afraid to crash the boards for rebounds, is happy in Piscataway.
Prediction: Staying
Darren Buchanan and-1 🙌 @RutgersMBB
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) March 13, 2026
📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/ZGttng1YDY
Kaden Powers
The 6’4 freshman was recruited for his on-the-ball defense, size, athleticism, and high basketball IQ. Like fellow freshman Mark, he struggled early in the season but had his breakout game in February at UCLA, scoring 18 points. He helped lead a frantic, furious comeback in East Lansing at Michigan State that came up just short, where Powers made a season-high three baskets from beyond the arc and demonstrated his tenacious defense with two steals.
Powers is poised to flourish in year two under Pikiell and staff, as his offense improves and his defense becomes elite.
Prediction: Staying
Harun Zrno
The 6’7 freshman guard from Bosnia, who was brought in as a sharpshooter, looked lost most of the season, particularly on the defensive end of the floor. How much of that was coaching, and how much was Zrno being in over his head playing basketball in the States, is debatable.
If you are head coach Steve Pikiell, you don’t lose any sleep if Zrno enters the portal, but there’s a world in which Zrno returns to the Banks next season, hopefully providing scoring off the bench.
Zrno is likely to look for a mid-major where he’s tasked with one role - catching the ball and draining shots from beyond the arc.
Prediction: Going
Jamichael Davis
The junior guard and team captain out of Chattanooga, Tennessee, has provided leadership in the locker room and remained loyal to the program through three tumultuous seasons. Davis brought his A-game in game one of the Big Ten Tourney, logging a season high with six assists, and adding 13 points and one block.
He’s an experienced player who isn’t fazed by conference play and a sentimental favorite with fans.
Davis will seek a mid-major closer to home, where he’s guaranteed more playing time.
Prediction: Going.
Next Up This Week: A Look at the Forwards and Centers
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John Catapano graduated from Rutgers in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism, covering the women’s field hockey and soccer teams for the campus paper, The Daily Targum. After college, he moved to Los Angeles, got a job at Walt Disney Television, and has worked in media ever since. John currently works with the Wasserman Media Group in their Brooklyn, NY office, collaborating with brands, influencers, and athletes across the globe. When the pandemic struck in 2020 and Catapano began working remotely, he resumed writing by contributing to a Rutgers fan blog. He covered various sports, highlighted human interest stories, and focused on topics that Scarlet Nation wanted to discuss. It’s never easy being a Rutgers fan, but with over 500,000 alumni living worldwide and a passionate fanbase, covering the Scarlet Knights is always engaging.