Rutgers’ first season as a member of the Big Ten wasn’t a smooth one by any stretch of the imagination, as they won just ten games (2-16 in conference play) and ranked at or near the bottom of many of the major statistical categories both offensively and defensively.
And with contributors such as Myles Mack and Kadeem Jack out of eligibility, there’s room for others to step forward in 2015-16. Friday afternoon Rutgers picked up an experienced guard who will look to earn a spot in their rotation as a graduate student.
Former Bradley guard Omari Grier, who averaged 7.9 points per game as a redshirt junior, announced that he’s decided to play his final season of college basketball at Rutgers. As a graduate student, Grier will be eligible to play immediately for the Scarlet Knights.
Excited to be a part of the Rutgers family for my graduate year! Anxious to see what God has in store for this next chapter in my life! #RU
— Omari Ray Grier (@Kid_Frankieee) May 22, 2015
Grier, who played his freshman season at FAU before transferring to Bradley, started 11 of the 30 games he played in and averaged nearly 23 minutes of action per contest. Grier shot 37.8 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from beyond the arc for the Braves, and in his first season as a member of the program (2013-14) he scored 10.4 points per game.
Grier joins a Rutgers backcourt that, even with the loss of Mack, is a bit crowded from a numbers standpoint. Bishop Daniels and Mike Williams return from last season’s rotation, with freshmen Corey Sanders and Justin Goode joining the program this summer. Rutgers also adds Kansas State transfer Nigel Johnson, but he won’t be eligible to play in 2015-16.
In total Rutgers is adding seven players to the program, with wings Deshawn Freeman (junior college transfer), Jonathan Laurent and Kejuan Johnson having made their pledges as well. As of right now the program is one scholarship over the limit of 13 according to Jerry Carino of the Asbury Park Press, so the roster shuffling likely isn’t done at Rutgers.