Rutgers basketball: Jeremiah Williams leads win at Maryland
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Jeremiah Williams got the ball with the shot clock slipping away and Rutgers basketball clinging to a one-point lead.
“It was just time to go make a play,” he said.
And he did, beating two Maryland defenders to the hoop, releasing the rock right before the horn and sinking the layup that helped the Scarlet Knights hold off Maryland 56-53 Tuesday.
That play – an exercise in pure will and court awareness – was 709 days in the making. After missing nearly two years due to an Achilles tendon injury and an NCAA gambling suspension, the transfer guard from Iowa State has invigorated the Scarlet Knights, who’ve won two straight since he put on the uniform.
“It’s been 709 days and I’m just so happy when I’m out there to be able to play basketball,” Williams said.
He found out he could play Friday, while on the plane to Michigan, when a judge overturned the final four games of his suspension. Athletics director Pat Hobbs relayed the news from attorney Kevin Marino – Hobbs and Marino go back a long way to their days in Seton Hall’s hierarchy – and Williams took the opportunity and ran.
“It was a relief, with everything I’ve been through, just working for, it was everything,” Williams said. “I’m here to play basketball, the game I’ve been working at since I was 3, 4 years old.”
The 6-foot-5 combo guard, who has been practicing since August, tallied 10 points and 6 rebounds in the win at Michigan and then dropped 14 points and 5 boards on Maryland despite playing just 20 minutes due to foul trouble.
“Their addition of Jeremiah Williams totally changes their team,” Maryland coach Kevin Willard said. “It’s drastically different watching them before and them now. When you add a piece 19 games in that’s a veteran guard that can score and defend, that’s a different basketball team from the first 19 games.”
Perhaps Williams' most impressive feat was playing 11 second-half minutes with four fouls and maintaining a high level of defense and aggression.
"The coaches really got on me about playing smart and making sure I don’t get that fifth foul," he said.
Rutgers (12-10 overall, 4-7 Big Ten) has won three straight in College Park and now trails the all-time series 13-8. Maryland (13-10, 5-7) was hanging on to NCAA Tournament contention by a thread. This might have been the death knell.
Williams delivered it, then took a bow to the Maryland fans who "were giving us a hard time," he said.
Senior forward Mawot Mag, who is probably the toughest guy in Rutgers' program, is impressed with Williams' moxie.
"He’s faced a lot of adversity, he hasn’t played in two years, and for him to come back and play like this on the road back to back, it’s tremendous," Mag said. "It shows his hard work is paying off. A guy who is always in the gym, great teammate, and I’m happy for him."
Mag added, "I think we needed his spark. That was one thing we were missing. I’m glad we have him back. This is just the beginning, really. We have a lot more to show."
Williams' emergence came at a low point for the Scarlet Knights, and his attitude has been infectious.
"He talks a lot, which is a great thing for us," Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell said. "He can guard multiple positions and he’s very confident. Just love his energy."
It's one thing to have that energy in practice. It's another to have it when the lights are on.
"Just thankful we were able to jump through all those things and get him back," Pikiell said. "He deserves to be on the court. He deserves this opportunity and thankful he was able to take advantage of it."
FIVE TAKEAWAYS
1. High praise for Mawot Mag
Give the senior forward credit. After returning from an ACL tear he's had to manage carefully on the knee, which caused him to sit out some practices. Yet he delivered 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting and was superb on defense against the Terps. This after scoring 15 at Michigan.
"Proud of him," Pikiell said. "That’s not the easiest injury to come back from. He was fantastic today.
Mag also sank two free throws with 17 seconds left and held Maryland forward Donta Scott to 8 points on 3-of-10 shooting.
"They would have went to the NCAA Tournament last year if Mag didn’t get hurt," Willard said. "He’s probably the best college defender I’ve seen in a long, long time."
Willard has coached against Mag three times, once at Seton Hall and twice with Maryland.
"He covers blitzes, pick-and-rolls, he switches out on pick-and-rolls; someone gets beat and he is there," Willard said. "Steve has always been a great defensive coach, but that defense is Mag and Mag alone. He’s special."
2. Jamichael Davis brought the defense
Rutgers wisely mixed in a heavy diet of zone against the poor-shooting Terps, but whether they played man, zone or pressed, the freshman guard was the tip of the spear. He drew the plurality of the responsibility against Maryland star Jahmir Young and handled it well. Young finished with 16 points on 3-of-17 shooting and committed five turnovers.
"J-Mike wanted him first, then Derek (Simpson) got him, Noah (Fernandes) came in and guarded him and Jeremiah got him, too," Pikiell said. "But he had to work, and that was the main thing today."
Davis finished with three points and two steals, but don’t let the stat line fool you. His 24 minutes were critical.
3. Deep rotation continues
For the second straight game, Pikiell’s 10-man rotation came in handy. After wearing Michigan out Saturday, it helped the Scarlet Knights weather serious foul trouble to Williams and center Cliff Omoruyi.
Omoruyi fouled out with eight points and five boards, and he now has 862 career rebounds, passing the great Roy Hinson (860 from 1979-83) for fifth all-time at Rutgers.
Sophomore forward Antwone Woolfolk was back in the mix after sitting at Michigan. He replaced postgrad guard Austin Williams, who is dealing with chronic knee trouble and did not dress.
All told, Rutgers' subs outscored Maryland's 10-6.
4. Empty arena
The Xfinity Center (capacity: 18,000) is a great venue when the crowd is big, but fewer than 8,000 fans showed up for this game and mostly sat there mostly muted. A notable exception was during halftime when dogs performed tricks at center court.
It was a surprisingly anemic turnout for a proud program on the fringes of NCAA Tournament contention in year two of a rebuild – but it may also indicate the high standards Willard is up against. There were catcalls in his direction from a couple of disgruntled fans after the final buzzer.
5. Any RAC magic left?
The Scarlet Knights are just 2-3 in Big Ten home games this season and have dropped two straight in a place that was once impenetrable. They’ll have a chance to rekindle the old vibe when 11th-ranked Wisconsin visits Saturday (noon, Big Ten Network).
Expect a raucous, last-chance type of environment.
"Back at the RAC against a ranked team," Williams said. "I mean, that’s the games we came here to play."
Win that, and the Scarlet Knights will be firmly in the mix for an NIT berth.
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: Jeremiah Williams leads win at Maryland
