The team’s top player is a junior guard who transferred to NJIT. Tariq Francis (6’1″, 180 lbs.) Even early in the season when Rutgers was playing (and losing) in the lower major cupcakes, it took a little while for Francis’ game to adjust to playing at the upper major level. But here In just a few weeks, he’s been one of the better players at the guard position in the Big Ten. He’s leading the team in scoring with 16.7 PPG. He’s not shooting well overall, shooting less than 44% from the floor on the season. His success has been very good defensively, with a 10-19 record and 26 points in the three-point loss against Rutgers, but only 25 attempts from the line. That comes from his lateral speed, which the Ins have to deal with, and he can get deflections and some of his 22 steals on the season, but oddly enough, Francis isn’t usually a starter, but his 25 Play for more than MPG.

Next to Francis, Pikiell’s most important player is probably a sophomore. dylan grant (6’8″, 220 lbs.) Grant is second on the team in scoring with 11.2 PPG and 4.8 in rebounds. Grant is probably a more prominent scorer if he gets more shot attempts, but Francis is clearly the alpha in that category. Francis is second on the team in shot attempts with 181, which is about the same number. The clearest way to describe him as a “plus” athlete with good lift and a willing defender who is 100 yards ahead of Rancis, making 46% of his total shots and 36% of his 3-pointers, would be to say that he is a better version of UCLA’s Brandon Williams.