Rutgers player grades vs. Wagner: Freshmen have dream debuts, veteran transfers fulfill key roles

Rutgers basketball started its much-anticipated 2024-25 season with a resounding 75-52 win over Wagner on Wednesday that was fueled by a pair of star freshmen — including a breakout performance at a key position — and featured efficient performances from a couple of veteran transfer additions.

Here are our player grades from the Scarlet Knights’ dominant win:

STARTERS

Dylan Harper

Stats: 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting (1-of-4 on threes, 1-of-6 on free throws), four assists, three rebounds, three steals, four turnovers, no fouls in 32 minutes.

Throughout his dream debut for the Scarlet Knights, the five-star freshman displayed many of the attributes that make him such an intriguing professional prospect. He attacked the rim at will (6-of-7 on layups), finishing at full-speed in transition off of steals and from tough angles off of contested drives. He set his teammates up consistently, including a gorgeous assist to PJ Hayes off a cut to the basket. He was active defensively, deflecting passes multiple passes to go with his three steals. Other than his shooting outside the paint and a few too many turnovers, Harper was excellent.

Grade: A

Jeremiah Williams

Stats: 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting (0-of-1 on 3s, 2-of-3 on free throws), two assists, one rebound, one steal, one block, one turnover, one foul in 24 minutes.

The fifth-year captain was gutting through an injury based on the bulky brace he wore on his left shoulder, so he understandably got off to a slow start. But once he got going in the final five minutes of the first half, it was smooth sailing for the Chicago native. He set up an open three-pointer for fellow captain Zach Martini, hit a couple of contested shots in the paint while getting fouled, threw down a roof-raising dunk in transition and had a standout individual stretch where he blocked a shot then dribbled the length of the court before finishing with a nifty lefty lay-up.

Grade: B+

Jordan Derkack

Stats: 8 points on 3-of-5 shooting (0-of-1 on threes, 2-of-2 on free throws), five rebounds, one assist, two steals, one turnover, three fouls in 21 minutes.

The Merrimack transfer was — by far — the most physical and active player on both ends of the floor. In the first four minutes, he got two steals, drew two fouls and saved a ball from going out of bounds with a second effort. Derkack drew seven total fouls — one every three minutes — by using his strength while driving to the basket and being aggressive while pushing the ball in transition. He had a couple of impressive finishes in the paint through contact, most notably as the recipient of freshman center Lathan Sommerville’s circus no-look behind-the-back pass.

Derkack hustled all over the court, something his head coach and the home crowd always appreciate. He received some recognition for it in the form of a strong ovation after getting subbed off in the first half. Perhaps the least-heralded of the Scarlet Knights’ four incoming transfers this offseason, the Colonia native is making quite the impression thus far.

Grade: B+

Zach Martini

Stats: 8 points on 3-of-5 shooting (0-of-1 on threes, 2-of-2 on free throws), five rebounds, one assist, one turnover, one foul in 20 minutes.

The versatile Princeton transfer started at forward, spent some time as a small-ball center, and in both spots, he fulfilled his role on the glass (21.7% defensive rebounding rate) and around the perimeter. He knocked down his first open three-point attempt during the Scarlet Knights’ game-changing 20-0 run, then in the final five minutes, he added to the blowout by hitting another three and a layup on back-to-back possessions.

Grade: B+

Emmanuel Ogbole

Stats: 0 points on 0-of-1 shooting (0-of-2 on free throws), one rebound, one turnover, three fouls (one technical) in five minutes.

Ogbole will not have fond memories of his first Division I start.

It got off to an ominous start: the center lost the opening tip, gave up a bucket off a post-up on the first possession of the game, and never recovered from there.

In the first four minutes, Ogbole missed his lone field goal attempt, was assessed a technical foul after getting into a skirmish with Wagner center Keyontae Lewis and was subbed off prior to the first media timeout of the game. Ogbole did not return until the start of the second half, when he was immediately targeted by the Seahawks offense, committed two fouls in the span of 85 seconds and was immediately subbed out. He returned for his final stint with two minutes to play, with the result long decided.

Grade: D

BENCH

Lathan Sommerville

Stats: 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting (1-of-1 on 3s, 2-of-2 on free throws), eight rebounds, one assist, one block, one turnover, three fouls in 26 minutes.

It is almost impossible to envision a better start to a career than the one Sommerville just had. The freshman center demonstrated so many encouraging signs, from his diverse scoring ability and impressive passing to his aggressiveness on the glass and high-octane emotion on the floor.

Sommerville earned a standing ovation within his first seven minutes in college basketball. In his first stint off the bench, he scored 9 points, grabbed four rebounds, blocked a shot and made multiple memorable plays, from a three-pointer that bounced all over the rim before falling in to a lay-up in transition in which he caught the ball, spun past a defender and went up-and-under for the finish.

But the best was still to come: In the second half, he dished a no-look, behind-the-back pass to Derkack that displays his impressive passing ability. For one night, the four-star freshman eased growing concerns at a key position, showing that he might not just be a star in the future: he could be the center of the present.

Grade: A

PJ Hayes

Stats: 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting (2-of-4 on threes, 2-of-2 on free throws), three rebounds, one assist, one foul in 27 minutes.

Hayes did exactly what Rutgers needed from him after getting him out of the portal this offseason. Efficient once again, the San Diego transfer knocked down a pair of open threes and made a couple of nice plays around the basket. His first bucket as a Scarlet Knight came on a tough finish after a drive to the rim, and he later made a smart cut to the basket, with Harper setting him up with the easy assist.

Grade: A

Jamichael Davis

Stats: 3 points on 0-of-4 shooting (0-of-3 on threes, 3-of-4 on free throws), five assists, zero turnovers, three rebounds, two blocks, one steal in 26 minutes.

The sophomore spread the ball around to his teammates and avoided putting it in danger. He made some impressive defensive plays, namely back-to-back blocks in a single sequence late in the second half. But his shot selection and decisions in transition left a lot to be desired. After shooting 22.2% on threes last season (8-of-22), Davis did not get off to a good start from beyond the arc.

Grade: C+

Tyson Acuff

Stats: 3 points on 1-of-5 shooting (1-of-3 on 3s), three rebounds, two assists in 14 minutes.

The Detroit native missed most of the summer with a broken foot, and he is clearly still working his way back to form. He missed multiple open shots, including an open three-pointer shortly after checking in for the first time, and was quiet for most of his time on the court. Acuff had his first basket as a Scarlet Knight late in the game, which he’ll hope is a good omen going forward.

Grade: C

Dylan Grant

Stats: 0 points on 0-of-2 shooting, two rebounds in three minutes.

With his team holding a 70-44 lead with 2 minutes and 46 seconds to play, the true freshman came on for his collegiate debut. He tried to make the most of his time, taking two three-pointers and grabbing a defensive rebound in his first three possessions on the floor.

Grade: N/A

Steve Pikiell

The coach trusted Sommerville early on, then allowed his freshman center to ride the momentum to an unforgettable debut. He tinkered with lineups without making any drastic changes that allowed Wagner to creep back into the game. He and his staff worked tirelessly to get Dylan Harper in a Rutgers uniform, and after one night, it became clear that the effort was worth it.

Grade: A

DNP

— Ace Bailey (injury)

— Bryce Dortch (coach’s decision)

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Brian Fonseca may be reached at [email protected].