Ace Bailey saw his point guard dribble toward the right side of the court, and the Rutgers freshman star didn’t hesitate to make his move. As he drove to the basket, driving up the baseline from the right corner, Bailey received a well-placed bounce pass from Jeremiah Williams.
Without slowing down and with a defender on either side of him, the 6-foot-9 forward took two steps, stood up and threw down a reverse dunk that led several teammates to later call him a “killer freak.” nature”.
“He does things that you can’t teach, that you’ve never seen anyone do,” Williams said. “When he does stuff like that, it just brings a little juice, a little excitement. He has a talent, a gift that many people have. So it’s a blessing and it’s fun to play with him there.
The move was the highlight of the Scarlet Knights’ hour-long practice Thursday, the fourth of Bailey’s young college career. The highest-ranked recruit in Rutgers basketball history hit a number of threes in individual drills, put together good reps in a one-on-one against veteran teammate PJ Hayes and showed his immense potential in a brief five-on-one match. five sessions at the end of training, highlighted by his reverse dunk.
These milestone moments are seemingly becoming regular occurrences in Piscataway.
“He does something every day that you just say ‘wow’ to,” head coach Steve Pikiell said. “He makes things look easy, when I know they’re not.”
Some other impressions from Thursday’s practice, which was the first seen by NJ Advance Media this summer:
What did the central square look like?
Pikiell emphasized the versatility he has at center when entering the summer training program, and that was on clear display during Thursday’s practice.
During the one-on-one drill, he matched 6-foot-7 Princeton transfer Zach Martini against Emmanuel Ogbole, the towering 6-foot-11 junior college transfer who Pikiell said has a higher vertical leap than former starter Cliff. Omoruyi.
When the latter had the ball, he posted Martini and finished on him near the edge; on the other side, Martini attempted a three-point basket.
Lathan Sommerville, a 6-foot-10, 285-pound freshman who will play a role at center, went to the hole in his two individual reps against fellow freshman forward Dylan Grant.
“Big, strong, physical players,” Martini said of his fellow centers. “Me personally, I love playing against guys like that. This is a big challenge for me. The Big Ten is a physical league, so I’m sure there are a lot more players like that. It’s great to face these guys every day. It’s been great so far.
Still, with the Scarlet Knights not adding a center via the transfer portal to replace Omoruyi, the position is arguably the biggest question mark regarding the roster and will be a major topic outside of the program leading up to the winter.
For Martini’s part, there’s a lot of confidence that Rutgers will “get it” at center. He admitted that Pikiell, who expressed a desire to play positionless basketball this winter, told him to bring some of his experience gained playing in a five-out system at Princeton.
“I trust all the guys in the building,” Martini said. “Coach Pikes trusts every guy in the building. We know how to play the right way. In today’s basketball you can almost be positionless, so we’ll see where that takes us. That doesn’t worry me.
Returnees are making progress
Williams, Ogbole and sophomore Jamichael Davis stayed on campus throughout the offseason, Williams said, forgoing trips home to “ground themselves” and work on themselves.
“We were in the weight room with each other every day, on the field together every day,” Williams said. “We did what we could, trying to improve and make progress.”
The positive feedback came in the weight room – all three gained muscle – and on the field. Perhaps the best matchup in the one-on-one drills occurred between Williams and Davis, two strong on-ball defenders who harassed each other on the court. In one repeat, Davis forced a shot clock violation – a rarity.
“We know what it’s like here,” Williams said. “We’re doing the same drills as last year, so we have a step forward in terms of that. Everyone’s leadership skills have improved further. Big E has improved on the field, in terms of leadership. Same for JaMichael Davis, being a freshman last year, he now plays a bigger role in leadership. For me,…being in the system and the program for a year has helped me a lot.
The vibrations are strong
Bailey is one of nine newcomers for the Scarlet Knights, who revamped their roster with five freshmen and four incoming transfers this offseason. After meeting for the first time less than a week ago, the group is “still getting to know each other,” according to Martini.
But one thing has already become clear early on about the Princeton transfer.
“Everyone has a great work ethic,” Martini said. “I’m (at the training center) at 10 a.m. or 9 p.m., there are 10 people here. It’s (the fourth practice), so we’re still figuring it out, but the work ethic has been second to none so far.
For Williams, who is one of three returning players from last season’s team, there is a “refreshing and contagious new vibe.”
“Everyone went to the gym, everyone communicated a lot, everyone tried to figure things out as a team from the beginning, talking about the goals we want to have during the season,” he said. he declares. “The energy has been different and I think that’s a testament to all the new guys. Everyone comes here with pretty much the same mindset. I think everyone wants to win here. Everyone came here for a common goal, so what was exciting and surprised me the most was how infectious and chatty everyone was. We’re trying to figure things out, so it’s been good.
As a veteran, Williams took it upon himself to help his new teammates make “as smooth a transition as possible” into the program. The elder statesman of the team, he will often be relied upon, tasked with guiding a young group through the high expectations they have coming into this winter.
But this pressure can also be a good thing.
“Everyone knows we have a good chance to be good this year, and it’s fun to know we have a chance to be good and we can win something,” he said. “That’s the point.”
Loose notes
- Jordan Derkack, the reigning Northeast Conference Defensive Player of the Year, looked the part. His hands were very active, forcing steals and smacking the ball out of the opponent’s hands on several occasions. “He’s got great hands,” Pikiell said.
- Hayes, who shot 39.7 percent from three-point range last season, knocked down the majority of the three-point attempts he made throughout the day.
- Five-star freshman Dylan Harper did not participate as he continues to recover from the voluntary procedure he underwent last week, but he was present.
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Brian Fonseca can be contacted at bfonseca@njadvancemedia.com.