New faces and new uniforms highlighted the Rutgers men's basketball team's 64-41 exhibition win over Caldwell College last night.
Other than that, it's a good thing this one didn't count.
The game stayed close with RU behind in the opening minutes, but the Scarlet Knights headed into halftime with 24-19 lead. The Knights pulled ahead for good when they reached a 14-point lead with eight minutes remaining in the second half.
This was no 95-56 performance, as in last year's RU blowout over Caldwell.
But then again this isn't last year's team - it's Fred Hill Jr.'s team.
Quincy Douby may be gone but there's another No. 5 to adore as a fan favorite. Hamady N'diaye, a 6-11 235 pound freshman from Senegal, introduced himself to a RAC crowd equally pro-Caldwell as it was Rutgers when he slam dunked his first touch with ease to give RU a 11-10 lead in the middle of the first half.
He finished the night with three dunks and introduced a Dikembe Mutumbo-like block presence underneath the basket with three blocks.
Sophomore transfer Courtney Nelson hasn't played for one season due to the NCAA player transfer regulations, but the guard showed promise in his debut.
Nelson, from the University of Richmond, played 17 minutes and finished with seven points on 2-5 shooting.
"It looked like Courtney hadn't played in a year," Hill said. "He needs to develop a flow for the game and just get more minutes out on the floor."
More than any other aspect of the game, the Rutgers offense proved to be in exhibition form. The Knights finished with 45.1 percent from the field and 3-15 from three-point range.
"We got shots but we didn't knock them down but that's a good sign because we'll be able to hit those shots later on down the line," senior captain Marquis Webb said.
RU did show some life at the foul line. They shot 84.6 percent (11-13) in the second half and created free throw opportunities off of Caldwell fouls.
"I think we showed some strength from the line," Hill said. "We need it to be a weapon for us."
Rutgers showed off a trap defense that stopped Caldwell during some key possessions.
"We were trying to mix up our defensive scheme in the second half but I think we used [the trap defense] in the first half effectively," coach Hill said. "It's something we're starting to develop and have confidence in."
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