Rutgers basketball: 'The Battle in New Jersey' has blown up, and it might be here to stay
It’s a holiday treat for Rutgers basketball fans: A chance to see three members of the Scarlet Knights’ blockbuster 2024 recruiting class competing in a high school showcase at Jersey Mike’s Arena Dec. 29.
The seeds for Lathan Sommerville, Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey playing on their future home court in “The Battle in New Jersey,” a five-game event that includes two games airing on NBA TV and two more streaming on the NBA App, were planted last year. And they could be rooted at Rutgers well into the future.
“We want this to be an annual staple, right? That’s the plan,” said Gold Level Sports & Entertainment CEO Darren Duncan, who first launched “The Battle” series in New York in 2018. “We want to be here every year and be able to showcase the best talent. Obviously this year is big with Ace and Dylan being top recruits and Rutgers commits.”
Hosting a slate of high-level high school games featuring top prospects each December is a win for Rutgers and its fans in addition to being a treat for the players, but as incredible as it seems, nothing of the kind happened on the banks for many years. Part of that was due to arcane NCAA rules that have gone by the wayside. Part of it was scheduling challenges – the court was in constant use by Rutgers’ programs prior to the opening of the basketball practice facility in 2019.
Last year Duncan saw an opportunity, and it didn’t hurt that he had an old connection to Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell.
'You could feel the energy'
After a standout basketball career as a Division 2 All-American guard at Merrimack followed by eight years of pro ball in Canada and Austria, Darren Duncan got into the hardwood events business in 2018. Partnering with NBA champion Danny Green – a childhood friend from growing up on Long Island – Duncan launched "The Battle in the Apple" at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The event made a big splash in May 2022 when Bronny James (LeBron James' son) came to New York for an AAU version of The Battle.
Around that time, Duncan said, some Rutgers alums reached out gauging his interest in bringing The Battle to Piscataway. Although he didn’t know Pikiell personally, they had common ground – Duncan’s older brother Mitchell Beauford had started in the backcourt during Pikiell’s first three seasons at Stony Brook from 2005-08.
“I obviously knew who steve was and he knew who I was, and he loved the idea,” Duncan said, especially with the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions getting nixed, which meant fewer opportunities for big-time games at the state university. “I’d never been to the RAC until last year. They’ve got this amazing facility. I went to a game and was like, ‘This place gets rocking. We should create something like this for high schools.’ It’s one of the best venues in our area.”
The Battle in New Jersey made a strong debut in 2022 thanks in no small part to the presence of Gavin Griffiths, then a four-start Rutgers commit (and now a freshman in the program). Playing in his first contest at Jersey Mike’s Arena debut before several hundred Scarlet Knights fans, Griffiths racked up 33 points, 14 rebounds and four assists and as Kingswood-Oxford Prep (Conn.) beat Life Center of Burlington County 71-56.
“A lot of Rutgers fans were excited to see Gavin play," said Jackie Nunes, Gold Level Sports & Entertainment’s vice president and event producer. "You could feel the energy, the way they welcomed him as a fan base.”
The schedule
This year, armed with the buzz from the 2022 event, Duncan tripled down on Rutgers commits. Bigger crowds and more media will be the fruit. Here is Friday's schedule:
2 p.m.: Richwoods (Ill.) and Rutgers-bound Lathan Sommerville vs. College Achieve Asbury Park featuring Seton Hall target Nas Hart and La Salle-bound Deuce Jones.
3:30 p.m.: Hudson Catholic featuring Auburn-bound Tahaad Pettiford and Penn-bound Alex Massung vs. Patrick School and St. John’s-bound Jaiden Glover.
5 p.m.: Overtime Elite-RWE (GA) vs. Our Savior Lutheran (NY) and North Carolina-bound Ian Jackson.
6:30 p.m.: Don Bosco Prep and Rutgers-bound Dylan Harper vs. Cardinal Hayes (NY).
8 p.m.: Camden and Kentucky-bound Billy Richmond vs. McEachern (GA) and Rutgers-bound Ace Bailey.
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: 'The Battle in New Jersey' might be here to stay
