5 takeaways as the standout guard returned from a knee injury He announced his decision with an Instagram video on June 1st calling Rutgers Nation from his hometown in Florida. Baker scored the final five points for Rutgers after the Scarlet Knights built an 11-point lead and nearly gave it all away. That is the minimum expectation from him across March, when Rutgers will play two more regular-season games . But quickly, it was like old times two longtime buddies talking through telephones on two sides of the glass. A return to Rutgers would be big for the program as head coach Steve Pikiell is looking to retool after losing Geo Baker and Ron Harper Jr., both of whom were instrumental in the programs resurgence. There would be no more fitting award for Caleb McConnell than Defensive Player of the Year in the Big Ten., Pretty damn close to every Big Ten school called about him or came to see him, and no one pulled the trigger. Was on the Watch List and a Semifinalist (top 5) for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. Join us to discuss the action as it happens live! McConnell, teary-eyed and frustrated when he lost, often talked about quitting, but his dad would not let him. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Big Ten Basketball: Rutgers defeats Michigan State, 84-63. JAMISON BATTLE WITH A BUZZER BEATER FOR @GopherMBB (via @CBBonFOX) pic.twitter.com/NPEFUfaxDa. Odds & lines subject to change. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Slot to Rutgers Scarlet Knights Newsletter. The third son of high school sweethearts Bryant McConnell and Stefanie Kerlin, McConnell was 2 years old when his parents split. Box Score MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The Scarlet Knights took a tough loss in Minneapolis on Thursday night. I feel like little stuff like that made me a bit tougher and have some more grit.. I appreciate the fans being patient with me and cheering me on and having my back.. What makes McConnell so valuable is how he impacts a game in multiple ways. Season-saving. Rutgers biggest test of the season is set for Wednesday with a trip to Miami as part of the Big Ten-ACC Challenge. He has 2.3 assists a game. What Rutgers' Paul Mulcahy, Aundre Hyatt, Oskar Palmquist said about Count them out at your own risk. But the other three scholarship Scarlet Knights who are . Then, you factor in his rebounds and his assists, he does a lot of things for us that equate to winning. MjI3MzMxNDAiLAogICAgYzc6ICJodHRwczovL3J1dGdlcnMucml2YWxzLmNv He adjusted the brace a few times, short-ironed a couple of shots, but did a lot of the dirty-work as usual deflecting balls, altering shots, setting screens, making the extra pass. Contact him atjcarino@gannettnj.com. Rutgers basketball: Caleb McConnell debuts in romp of Central Connecticut His father, a former college athlete and a decent playground hoops player in his own right, often joined his son and rarely went easy on him. Battle was 7 of 15 from the floor and 6-of-13 shooting from long range. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Theres not much to be drawn from beating up on an opponent ranked No. Scored in double-figures four times in a five-game span (Clemson, Purdue, Seton Hall, Maine), 16 points versus Clemson was new career-high, Also set career-highs in rebounds (12, Seton Hall), assists (9, UMass) and steals (6, UMass), Had four steals in each of wins over No. Theyve been down and out more times than I can count. Zi5wYXJlbnROb2RlLmluc2VydEJlZm9yZShqLGYpOwogICAgICAgIHdpbmRv He was previously selected to the watchlist last month. Sign up for the Rutgers Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Caleb McConnell - Men's Basketball - Rutgers University Athletics In Indianapolis, they defeated Clemson for their first March Madness win in 38 years. The Scarlet Knights are now 14-9 overall and 8-5 in Big Ten play. 9 recruit in Ohio by 247Sports.com, Averaged 13.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists as a junior at Dayton (Ohio) Dunbar High before transferring to SPIRE, A 2016-2017 Associated Press Southwest All-District II honoree, Competed on the AAU circuit for C2K Elite, Son of Bryant McConnell and Stefanie Meade, Signed with Scarlet Knights over reported offers from West Virginia, Wichita State, UMass, St. Bonaventure, Temple, Missouri State, Wright State, Akron and Kent State. Sophomore guard Jalen Miller has been a defensive specialist to this point, but he broke out on the offensive end Saturday, scoring a career-high six points on 2-3 shooting to go with three rebounds. He was a dogged worker, the rare player Briski had to ask to spend less time in the gym. Latest on Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Caleb McConnell including biography, career, awards and more on ESPN His movement looked fine, although he seemed a gear short of his typical explosion. Garcia added 19 points and Pharrel Payne had 15 for Minnesota (8-20, 2-16 Big Ten), which shot 54 percent (15 of 28) in the second half and made 11 of 24 3-pointers overall. That label of this soft, skinny kid, I think it pissed him off, quite frankly.. With McConnell's return, Rutgers Basketball now has two open scholarships remaining. McConnell announced the decision to declare for the 2022 NBA Draft on March 28th with a post on Instagram that read as follows: These last four years were amazing! Rutgers guard Caleb McConnell is a contender for the Big Ten's Defender of the Year award. Photo credit Rutgers Athletics. 28,939. Caleb McConnell is a semifinalist for Naismith Men's Defensive Player of the Year. He also added 7.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. As a fourth-year player this past season, McConnell . and Caleb McConnell then made one of two for Rutgers. Hes fearless.. The Scarlet Knights senior being recognized for his elite defensive efforts this season. Thanks for contacting us. To see him causing havoc in the Big Ten for the last four years, its just awesome. McConnell isn't the only Scarlet Knight with Dayton roots. Rutgers guard Caleb McConnell is down to decision time when it comes to his basketball future. 13 Michigan State and No. Former Rutgers star Jason McCourty joins Good Morning Football following NFL retirement. Hes always got something lingering, but just doesnt care. Men's Basketball All I wanted to do was play basketball.. McConnell will give it everything he has, carried by the unbreakable mindset that got him here, sharing all the fruits of his labor with those who backed him up along the way. He also drew a charge and dished out a point guard-quality assist. aWdodD0nMCcgc3JjPSdodHRwczovL3d3dy5nb29nbGV0YWdtYW5hZ2VyLmNv Rutgers (18-12 overall, 10-9 Big Ten) led this game through 39 minutes and 59.9 seconds, until Jamison Battle's 3-pointer fell through the net as the buzzer sounded. Was the new setting going to make things weird? (Photos courtesy of the McConnell family). Rutgers guard Caleb McConnell is not expected to play in Thursday night's meeting with Michigan due to the back injury he suffered during pregame warmups ahead of Saturday's win over Wisconsin . From top to bottom I think were good," McConnell said when asked to compare it to last year's NCAA qualifier. Visit ESPN for the play-by-play of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers NCAAM basketball game on 3 March 2023 . Are Democrats excited about another Biden run? He caught the pass cleanly and looked to have a clear path to the basket in what would have been a devastating play for Rutgers to allow in that situation. Then Pikiell inserted McConnell into the starting lineup, the Scarlet Knights won five of their next six games and eventually squeaked into the tournament, ending a 30-year drought. Caleb McConnell making a greater impact than ever for Rutgers to be the Big Tens defensive player of the year. When he reached eighth grade, his parents decided that a permanent move to Dayton to be with his father would be the best path toward a future in basketball. A mistake. MjQxNDY5JmM3PWh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGcnV0Z2Vycy5yaXZhbHMuY29tJTJG Freshmen Derek Simpson and Antwone Woolfolk, who will be needed in Big Ten competition, have gotten valuable time and shown growth this month. My Rutgers family helped me grow from a unrefined freshman to the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and I thank you all for that from the bottom of my heart!. Rutgers Wrestling Prepares for Big Ten Conference Tournament this Weekend. "We've been trying to let these guys know we need more from them with me and Paul out, and theyve been bringing it," McConnell said. d2luZG93Ll9kaWRBc3luY0luamVjdEdvb2dsZVRhZ01hbmFnZXIpIHJldHVy The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. No Rutgers fans, the chase down block by Caleb McConnell was not a dreamGame-saving. According to a former coach, he is also toughest damn dude in the Big Ten.. The Buckeyes still led 64-60 with 2:33 to play when they threw the deep pass from their own baseline coming out of a timeout to find Malaki Branham wide open just past midcourt. Instead, Geo Baker hit a step back jumper to cut the lead to 64-62 at the two minute mark. There is still the option to withdraw up until June 13th, as per the NBA rules, but that would not allow them to retain their college eligibility. His back slowly started to heal, allowing him to participate in practice on the scout team. Sitting at 16-12 (10-8 Big Ten), the Scarlet Knights have the potential to book a tournament berth if they split their remaining regular season games and get at least one win in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament. Caleb McConnell - Rutgers Basketball - RotoWire 0:49. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. caleb mcconnell rutgers tattoogeorgia foraging laws. 1,244 following. Rutgers basketball: Caleb McConnell returning for his postgrad year And he was tougher than Briski could have imagined. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Rutgers targeted by Penn State fans' vulgar, racist language during comeback win Unfortunately, in the article, Nj.com writes about the BYU-Duke volleyball game: "[R]acial slurs and threats were directed at a Black player on Duke's team during a match in Utah on Aug. 26." The BYU investigation revealed these slurs and threats did not occur.