Rutgers HC Steve Pikiell Feels Good About Team's Future After Loss In Big Ten Tournament

Steve Pikiell spoke on the future of the team after the loss to USC.

Mar 9, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Steve Pikiell looks on during the second half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Well, the season is officially over.

The end followed the tone set from the opening weeks. It was a disappointing finish as Rutgers dropped a double-overtime contest with USC in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.

After a 15-17 season with two projected top five picks in the NBA Draft, it is fair to question the future of the program. After the game, head coach Steve Pikiell remained confident in the process moving forward.

"I'm excited," Pikiell said. "78 straight sell-outs, and I get the
disappointment. I have to live with it. But a lot of good
things are happening at Rutgers. I think a lot of people
would want 78 straight sell-outs and they'd want to have
the top 30 ranked recruiting class in the country coming in."

Pikiell is referring to the incoming class that is headlined by four-stars Lino Mark and Chris Nwuli. On the other hand, it is fair to question why it will be different this time around.

The Scarlet Knights brought in their best recruiting class in program history led by Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. This previous class ranked in the top five nationally and the team did not come close to an NCAA Tournament appearance.

"I think our recruiting class is 28th in the
country next year, so Ace and Dylan helped us a lot in that
area," Pikiell said. "I think with the settlement, I'm really excited. That's
going to help us a great deal, and we're going to keep
working like we always do."

While it is important to recruit at a high level in college basketball, the dynamic has also changed and the transfer portal has become just as important.

"Hopefully we'll do a great job with our players and we've got to jump in the portal too," Pikiell said.

The state of the Rutgers program is one that was not expected with Harper and Bailey. At this point, it was expected that Rutgers would be competing deep into the Big Ten Tournament, preparing to make a run in the big dance next week.

Instead, all eyes are on the future and there is a great deal of concern in those eyes. Pikiell attempted to ease any conerns but there is no doubt that this offseason will be a difficult one.

"I think other coaches in the league will tell you Rutgers is
pretty good and they don't want to play us every day," Pikiell said. "You
pretty much can talk to coaches. We're going to be good,
like we always are. I've got to try to keep my staff because
every year they want to steal them from me."

"If we can retain our guys from this year, we'll keep
plugging. You know I'm a worker, and we'll get them to
play defense, and we'll rebound better. Yeah, we'll do --
Rutgers is going to be fine in the best league in the
country."