McConnell isn't the only Scarlet Knight with Dayton roots. It was his way of getting me better. Along with all that, McConnell also racked up a couple of different postseason honors. After tearful conversations with his father and Pikiell, McConnell elected to have surgery, take a medical redshirt and miss an entire basketball season for the first time in his life. It was a Lebron James level type of defensive play. Not too bad. 13 Michigan State (four) and No. Rutgers guard Caleb McConnell grimaces after colliding with a Minnesota player during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, March 2, 2023, in Minneapolis. https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/2022/03/02/caleb-mcconnell-is-a-semifinalist-for-naismith-mens-defensive-player-of-the-year/, Naismith Mens Defensive Player of the Year. I have so much love for them, and I wouldnt be where I am without them. He kept going at dudes. He doesnt want anybody to know something is hurting. All I wanted to do was play basketball.. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. INCREDIBLE BLOCK BY @caleb_mccoWhat a spark for @RutgersMBB! Tomorrow marks the deadline for which McConnell can withdraw from the 2022 NBA Draft and return to Rutgers for one more season. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Rutgers Basketball got some good news today as wing player Caleb McConnell intends to withdraw his name from the 2022 NBA Draft and will return to college for one last season with the Scarlet Knights. Gambling problem? In fact, it was a voice from the crowd that helped him shake off some rust. Y29tc2NvcmUgPSBfY29tc2NvcmUgfHwgW107CiAgX2NvbXNjb3JlLnB1c2go Whenever were in the huddle, hes always saying, Ill guard him. Theres a great feeling as a coach knowing that someone wants to accept the challenge of stopping the best player.. It was their own fault and the play started with a blown coverage. His movement looked fine, although he seemed a gear short of his typical explosion. Caleb McConnell making a greater impact than ever for Rutgers 16 Buckeyes, Played in 20 games (eight starts), averaging 5.7 points and career-best 4.3 rebounds with career-high 29 steals, Did not make season debut until Jan. 2 against No. PISCATAWAY A huge cheer arose from the 5,000 denizens of Jersey Mikes Arena five minutes into Saturdays game, when Caleb McConnell rose from the bench and checked in at the scorers table. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Caleb McConnell returning to Rutgers for final season of - MSN He is the only Big Ten player to make the semifinalist cut. 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 Read more on nj.com. cmlwdCc+PC9zY3JpcHQ+CjxkaXYgY2xhc3M9J3ZpZGVvLWNvbnRhaW5lcicg It will be the final home game of fifth-year senior Caleb McConnells career as he runs out of collegiate eligibility after this season. Jacob Young and Caleb McConnell both scored 13 points and Ron Harper Jr. added 10. It was his second consecutive game with 4 steals and McConnell is doing everything possible to boost his candidacy for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year or worst case the All-Big Ten Defensive Team. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. He announced his decision with an Instagram video on June 1st "calling Rutgers Nation" from his hometown in Florida. After being spurned by just about every Big Ten school, McConnell is now a key member of Rutgers basketball renaissance who, with eight games remaining in his senior season, is a top candidate for the conferences Defender of the Year award. I wouldnt say 100 percent, but definitely healthy," McConnell said. Neither do we. "Certainly for the first time these guys being on this stage, they were locked in from the beginning," Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell said. Meanwhile, McConnell developed and grew as a player. Caleb McConnell - Men's Basketball - Rutgers University Athletics McConnell, who led the conference with 70 steals last season, decided for one last ride with his beloved Scarlet Knights after working out with several NBA teams this offseason. Rutgers senior guard Caleb McConnell's availability for the start of the 2022-23 season is unclear as he works his way back from the knee injury he sustained in practice earlier this month, head . INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL SECTIONAL SEMI-FINAL'S FRIDAY. I think hes the best and the most versatile defender in the league, Pikiell said. That aspect of the game has been a mainstay and strength during the Pikiell era as McConnell has personified the type of player that has developed and excelled under the head coach's direction. The senior guard came through on the defensive end to save the game for Rutgers in the upset of No. They have a 4-3 record against Quad 1 opponents and have won back to back games against ranked foes for the first time since 2008. All the things Ive been through and all the things Ive overcome, then you throw basketball in there and all the things I dealt with in my college career, I never folded, I never gave up on myself, McConnell said.
Hes not soft. What makes McConnell so valuable is how he impacts a game in multiple ways. Was on the Watch List and a Semifinalist (top 5) for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. It was a match made in heaven, Briski said. bmV3cyUyRmNhbGViLW1jY29ubmVsbC1yZXR1cm5pbmctdG8tcnV0Z2Vycy1m If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. McConnell was the kind of prospect they wanted a tough kid with lots of upside who loved basketball. IHZlcnNpb24gb2YgY3MuanMgc28gd2UgYWx3YXlzIGhhdmUgdGhlIGxhc3Qg 12 Illinois (four). The kid just was relentless, he recalled. Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell and guard Caleb McConnell (22) are a "match made in heaven," McConnell's high school coach said.Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. McConnells has a decorated resume through 60 career starts and 114 games played. It feels like Ive been through one long fight for years., He announced his decision on Twitter in October. It was not a seamless transition. VE0tTUY2UFhYQycpOwo8L3NjcmlwdD4KPG5vc2NyaXB0Pgo8aWZyYW1lIGhl On Wednesday night, Rutgers mens basketball completed an improbable comeback to knock off No. Coaches and scouts said he was too skinny, which meant he would get pushed around by bigger players. That is the furthest thing from his mind. Even by Rutgers basketball's historically painful standards, Thursday's loss at Minnesota ranks among the most infamous. He is one of two seniors named as a semifinalist. Men's Basketball vs Penn State on 2/26/2023 - Box Score - Rutgers McConnell's rebounding average of 5.5 per game is just 0.2 higher than last season. #1. I couldnt imagine not having graduated high school and youve already had to adjust a couple of times, missing your family because of something you wanted so bad, something that you believed in so bad for yourself. Caleb McConnell wins Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Leaving his mother, brothers, grandparents and friends was tough, but McConnell was committed to getting better. When he missed eight games to start the 2020-21 season the first missed games of his college career it gnawed at McConnell. They were wonderful co-parents who remain good friends to this day, but the physical distance between them was tough on their sons. With latest Big Ten loss, Rutgers basketball continues KenPom slide, Elijah King, a three-star edge, opens up on Rutgers football offer and his spring visit to Ohio State, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Hes going to go out and play.. But the other three scholarship Scarlet Knights who are . Baker was sensational. Holden beats buzzer with 3, No. 25 Ohio State edges Rutgers Season-saving. This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Rutgers basketball: Caleb McConnell debuts in romp of CCSU, Rutgers basketball: Caleb McConnell debuts in romp of CCSU, Thailand's 'most beautiful transgender woman' and husband wear $580K in attire at extravagant wedding, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; 'We are coming,' sheriff says, U.S. court won't require FAA to make airplane seat size, spacing rules, Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh's new mugshot revealed after double life sentence, Rebel Wilson says she was banned from Disneyland for 30 days for taking a bathroom selfie. Big Ten and Big East programs that once had shown interest hesitated to take him. Your account has an invalid email address. Last season, McConnell led the Big Ten in steals with 2.2 per game. Its great to have him it gives me a lift.. Here is another angle that shows the authority in which McConnell blocked the ball but also that the play was clearly a clean stop. North Brunswick, New Jersey. LmpzcmRuLmNvbS9zL2NzLmpzP3A9MjI1NDYnIHR5cGU9J3RleHQvamF2YXNj If you look at our games, hes taking the best player and cutting their points in half. 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. In Indianapolis, they defeated Clemson for their first March Madness win in 38 years. Mens Basketball Game Thread: Rutgers at Minnesota. Rutgers basketball: Caleb McConnell debuts in romp of Central Connecticut bjsKICAgICAgICB3W2xdPXdbbF18fFtdO3dbbF0ucHVzaCh7J2d0bS5zdGFy N'Diaye did so in the Big East following the 2009-2010 season and McConnell . Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Caleb Mcconnell gets the layup to fall vs. Penn State Nittany Lions. Caleb McConnell to Return to Rutgers in 2022-23 for Final Year of Rutgers basketball: Caleb McConnell returning for his postgrad year MINNEAPOLIS Jamison Battle hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointerand finished with 20 points as Minnesota beat Rutgers 75-74 on Thursday night to snap a 12-game losing streak. 25 Ohio State a 67-66 victory over Rutgers on Thursday night. "And as a competitor, Ive got to rise to the occasion.. Latest on Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Caleb McConnell including biography, career, awards and more on ESPN The caption read: Proverbs 3:5-6. Here is the legendary play by McConnell that might just go down as the highlight of his Rutgers career at least so far. That is the minimum expectation from him across March, when Rutgers will play two more regular-season games . March 2, 2022 6:24 am ET. Rutgers plays at Indiana on Wednesday night, another bubble team in terms of NCAA Tournament projections. When Spire Academy, an elite sports performance training and education program in Geneva, Ohio, offered McConnell a chance to transfer there for his senior season, it meant living on his own for the first time 200 miles from his dad and 900 miles from his mom. 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. Imh0dHBzOi8vc2Iuc2NvcmVjYXJkcmVzZWFyY2guY29tL3A/YzE9MiZjMj03 It was a four point swing that swung the game in Rutgers favor. He was a key member of the 2019-20 team that would have snapped Rutgers then 29-year NCAA Tournament drought had it not been for the coronavirus pandemic. It was just a no-brainer, McConnell said. The kids fearless, man. Wearing a heavy brace on his leg, the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year came off the bench and logged 25 minutes during the Scarlet Knights 83-49 victory over Central Connecticut State. L3d3dy5nb29nbGV0YWdtYW5hZ2VyLmNvbS9ndG0uanM/aWQ9JytpK2RsKycm