Rutgers basketball: Steve Pikiell and Jay Young reunite for a cause
The idea was hatched on the recruiting trail this past summer. Steve Pikiell and Jay Young were sitting next to each other, of course, and talking about their preseason schedules.
Last fall, Pikiell felt two closed-door scrimmages failed to adequately prepare his Rutgers basketball team for the start of the regular season. This time around, he wants a public exhibition to remind his guys what it’s like to play “with the lights on.”
So Pikiell and Young, now in his fourth season at Fairfield’s helm after 14 years as Pikiell’s right-hand assistant, decided to square off for charity. The cause was obvious: Team LeGrand, the spinal-cord research initiative headed by former Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand.
“Coach Pikiell and I have a good relationship,” LeGrand said. “When the idea was brought to me I was like, ‘I am all about this.’ It’s another way to raise awareness and funds for spinal-cord research. I would love for this to be an annual thing.”
The exhibition tips at 1 p.m Sunday at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway.
“It’s going to be fun,” Young said. “It won’t be fun playing Steve and Rutgers because they’re very good, but it’s great for our guys, and it will be fun to see so many people. I had an unbelievable three years there.”
‘I love what it’s become’
Young helped lay the foundation for Rutgers’ dramatic turnaround. He coordinated the Scarlet Knights’ defense and recruited Myles Johnson, Caleb McConnell and Paul Mulcahy, among others. McConnell, who is the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and is making his way back from a knee injury suffered earlier this month, is the lone holdover from Young’s time on the banks (Mulcahy arrived after he’d left for Fairfield). Young jokes that he’d be a better Fairfield coach if he watched less of Rutgers.
“I love what it’s become, but I’m not surprised,” he said. “I had a feeling when I left, that it was turning.”
In a lot of ways – the types of players they recruit, their emphasis on defense and toughness, their strong interpersonal skills – Pikiell and Young are clones.
“Jay and Pikes are like brothers,” said Central Connecticut State head coach Pat Sellers, who has coached alongside both men. “Pikes really leaned on Jay on the defensive end, gave Jay carte blanche to do whatever he wanted to do on defense.”
They still talk at least once per week, Young said, picking each other’s brain on tactics and the challenges of running a program. Three of their best players at Stony Brook got married over the summer – Bryan Dougher, Jameel Warney and Puriefoy – and there was hoops chatter aplenty.
“Some of our talks are technical, how do you cover something or plays you like, but most of them are dealing with situations about being a head coach -- dealing with players, dealing with distractions, dealing with situations that come up outside of basketball,” Young said. “That’s been invaluable to me, going through it as a first-time Division I head coach. All the things that come up that don’t have to do with Xs and Os, it’s a lot.”
Rekindling a partnership
The Stags project to be one of the better teams in the MAAC, led by standout forward Supreme Cook of East Orange (who is making his way back from injury and could be limited Sunday), veteran point guard Jake Wojcik (grandson of late Rutgers assistant coach and radio voice Joe Boylan) and postgrad guard Caleb Fields, a Wildwood Catholic grad.
“It’s the most talent we’ve had since I’ve been here,” said Young, who guided Fairfield to the MAAC Tournament final in 2021. “I think it’s our best team.”
Heading into that 2020-21 season, Young invited LeGrand to address his players via Zoom as part of a weekly guest speaker series.
“Eric came on with our team and it was awesome,” he said. “His message was so inspiring – he was the best guest we had.”
On Sunday Young and Pikiell will be amplifying LeGrand’s message, rekindling an old partnership and, in all likelihood, putting on a defensive clinic.
“I just want to remind Steve it’s a charity game,” Young said with a chuckle, “so take it easy.”
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. He is an Associated Press Top 25 voter. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Rutgers basketball: Steve Pikiell and Jay Young reunite for a cause
