Living up to the hype in Piscataway
There is enormous pressure on Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper to deliver a big season for Rutgers, pressure the duo will navigate well.
There are valid questions about the interior after star center Cliff Omoruyi transferred to Alabama, but Steve Pikiell surrounded the duo with enough talent on the perimeter that the opposition will have to at least respect the Scarlet Knights’ other scoring options.
Bailey and Harper prove worthy of their lofty ranking, leading Rutgers back to the NCAA Tournament after a two-year absence as an eight-seed following a sixth-place finish in the Big Ten.
Both prospects then get selected in the top five of the NBA draft, making Rutgers history as the program’s highest-ever draft picks.
Wagner repeats in the NEC
Wagner lost a lot to the transfer portal, but it also returned plenty.
Last year’s NEC Tournament champion, Wagner survived a rash of injuries to win the league title for the first time in 21 years under second-year coach Donald Copeland.
While it lost leading scorer Melvin Council Jr. to St. Bonaventure via the transfer portal and forward Tahron Allen left for Delaware, projected contributors Rahmir Moore, Rob Taylor II and Zaire Williams are healthy, and starters Javier Ezquerra and Keyontae Lewis are back.
Copeland will have depth to play his aggressive brand of defense, and the Seahawks will go Dancing for back-to-back seasons for the first time ever.
Jadwin Gym will be Jumping
For the second time in as many years, Princeton beats Rutgers, setting the stage for a memorable year for the Tigers.
Last winter, they were stunned in the Ivy League Tournament semifinals by Brown.
History will not repeat itself. The Xaivian Lee-Caden Pierce duo will be dynamite, and Princeton doesn’t just get to the NCAA Tournament, but it wins a game as a nine-seed.
With three key starters back, Princeton has a top-40 offense in the country this year — it was just outside the top-50 last season.
Speedy works his magic with transfers
Jaquan Sanders (Seton Hall) and Cruz Davis (St. John’s) stayed local and transferred to Hofstra.
They will blossom on Long Island. Speedy Claxton has proven he gets guys better — just look at Aaron Estrada and Darlinstone Dubar, two players who transferred down and excelled at Hofstra.
A former three-star recruit, Davis is healthy after struggling to stay so at Iona and St. John’s. Sanders gets a real opportunity, and is able to showcase his shot-making.
Hofstra will start slow after losing its top three scorers, but it still finishes fourth in the CAA and has an eighth straight winning season.
Haggerty Award (Area’s best player)
Sr. G Kadary Richmond, St. John’s (15.7 PPG, 5.1 APG)
The best player on the best team typically wins this award, and that’s how I see this season playing out for Richmond and St. John’s.
The soft-spoken Richmond was voted a cocaptain by his new teammates, a sign of respect for the preseason All-Big East first-team selection.
The Brooklyn native sets career highs in assists and rebounds, and improves his 3-point shot enough that the opponent has to honor it, which further opens up the rest of his game.
He becomes the first St. John’s player to win the Haggerty since Shamorie Ponds in 2018.
All-Met Local First Team
Player, Yr., Pos., School, Stats
Ace Bailey, Fr., F, Rutgers, No stats
Dylan Harper, Fr., G, Rutgers, No stats
Xaivian Lee, Jr., G, Princeton, 17.1 PPG, 5.7 RPG
Caden Pierce, Jr., F, Princeton, 16.6 PPG, 9.2 RPG
Kadary Richmond, Sr., G, St. John’s,15.7 PPG, 5.1 APG
All-Met Local Second Team
Garwey Dual, So., G, Seton Hall, 3.3 PPG, 1.9 APG
Zuby Ejiofor, Jr., F, St. John’s, 4.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG
RJ Luis, Jr., F, St. John’s, 10.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG
Deivon Smith, Sr., G, St. John’s, 13.3 PPG, 7.1 APG
Simeon Wilcher, So., G, St. John’s, 2.8 PPG, 1.1 APG
