The biggest cheer from the crowd during Rutgers basketball’s 18-point loss to Purdue on Thursday came when the headliner of the incoming recruiting class was introduced during a timeout.
Chris Nwuli, a 6-foot-8 forward from Las Vegas, was making his first appearance for a game at Jersey Mike’s Arena. And it was his 18th birthday.
“There were a lot of great interactions with the fans,” he said. “I was really happy about that.”
Nwuli is making a promise to those fans, whose disappointment has been palpable as the Scarlet Knights are 8-8 overall and 1-4 in the Big Ten with UCLA coming in Monday (6:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1).
“I know it’s hard for them right now, but next year we’re going to be locked in,” Nwuli said. “I can’t wait to play some defense out there. That’s my main goal – win and play defense. Defense is what wins games.”
College basketball freshmen typically face a steep learning curve when it comes to defense. The current, freshmen-driven Rutgers team is struggling in that department; the Scarlet Knights rank next-to-last in the Big Ten in scoring defense (74.5 ppg) and field-goal percentage defense (.447).
Nwuli, who at four stars is the highest-rated of Rutgers’ four Class of 2025 commitments, attended two of the Scarlet Knights’ games in Las Vegas in November and has watched most of their games on TV.
“The commitment to playing defense, putting that first, that’s what their players need right now,” he said. “They need more passion on defense. That’s what I’m going to bring – I’ve got a lot of passion for playing defense.”
Nwuli just transferred high schools, from Sierra Canyon in California to Dynamic Prep in Dallas. He said he keeps a close eye on his fellow incoming freshmen – point guard Lino Mark of California, forward/center Gevonte Ware of North Carolina, and shooting guard Kaden Powers. He used to play AAU ball with Mark.
“I feel confident about next year,” he said. “It looks like they’re dogs, and that’s what we really need.”
UCLA struggling, too
The Bruins will be making their first trip to Piscataway, and they’re not a bunch of happy campers.
Like Rutgers, UCLA (11-5, 2-3), UCLA is riding a three-game losing streak. The Bruins gave up 94 points to Michigan at home last Tuesday and fell 79-61 at Maryland Friday. Michigan shot 61 percent from the field and Maryland shot 54 percent against them.
After the Michigan loss, head coach Mick Cronin called his players “soft” during a postgame rant that went viral. Cronin then got ejected from the Maryland game. His top assistant, former Rutgers assistant coach and Jersey City native Darren Savino, finished the game in charge.
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
