Rutgers basketball: Mawot Mag 'is not easy to break.'

PISCATAWAY – Mawot Mag ran the floor during a fast-break drill Tuesday, took a pass and elevated to the rim for a lay-in. It was a routine practice play, but for Rutgers basketball’s top defensive player – who suffered a torn ACL last February – it represented progress.

After being cleared for contact last week, Mag is adding to his on-court regimen. He is not, however, playing 5-on-5 yet. And he doesn’t know when that will come.

“I feel pretty good,” he said. “Definitely want to be out there now, but I have to be patient.”

Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell is making a point of bringing Mag along cautiously. Each injury is different, but point guard Paul Mulcahy never quite kicked the shoulder problem he incurred at the beginning of last season – and it showed in February and March. Mag’s long-term health is vital because he’s the lynchpin defensively, as everyone saw when the Scarlet Knights went 3-8 without him in 2022-23.

“Watching my guys play without me, it hurt a lot, but that’s fuel to me now,” Mag said. “I’m utilizing that loss from last season and that pain. That’s keeping me pushing.”

It’s a feeling he knows well. Since taking an elbow to the face in high school, Mag’s had more dental surgeries than he can count. He also missed time with an injured ankle as a freshman. And although he is too young to recall details, his family fled war-torn Sudan as refugees when he was a toddler.

“A lot of obstacles in life, they’ve helped me grow into the person I am today,” Mag said. “Someone who is not easy to break.”

As Rutgers ups the tempo this season, the senior forward could cause havoc at the head of the 1-3-1 press Pikiell has installed. He’s also a reliable rebounder on a roster comprised mostly of guards and wings.

“Mawot is the ultimate glue guy,” fellow captain Aundre Hyatt said. “He’s resilient. He’s two months ahead of where he’s supposed to be. Hopefully we have him soon.”

In the meantime, he’s counseling the Scarlet Knights’ new additions about the expectations on his favorite end of the floor.

“Defense is a mindset,” Mag said. “Anybody can play defense. Watch film, ask questions and try to be a sponge.”

How is that process going?

“One person who has impressed me a lot on the defensive end is (freshman guard) Jamichael Davis,” he said. “For a young fella very active, has quick feet, always moving, and he’s a little dude, so he’s pesky. He’s definitely caught my eye.”

On Tuesday there was a telling scene at the end of the full-court one-on-one faceoffs that are a staple under Pikiell. Throughout the practice, Rutgers’ players were divided into two scrimmage teams (red and black). For the final one-on-one showdown, Pikiell called for black’s best offensive player to square off against red’s best defensive player (the players had to sort out who they would be). Sophomore guard Derek Simpson stepped forward for black, but for red, both Davis and junior guard Jeremiah Williams sought to be the guy.

At Hyatt’s urging, they settled the matter through a game of "rock paper scissors."

Davis won, and then proceeded to stymie Simpson.

“I love to see that,” Mag said. “Competitive edge.”

This is Mag’s fourth year at Rutgers, a distinction he shares with senior center Cliff Omoruyi. In an era of player transience, that itself is noteworthy.

“Why leave a place where you’re embraced and liked for another place?” he said. “We have a lot to accomplish. The job’s not finished.”

RUTGERS BASKETBALL: 5 TAKEWAYS

1. Emmanuel Ogbole update

College basketball rosters tend to inflate players’ size, but backup center Emmanuel Ogbole is every bit the 6-foot-10, 260-pounder listed.

It’s going to be a while, however, before the junior college transfer is banging underneath. He blew out a knee while corralling a rebound last March. His bulk doesn’t make the recovery process any easier. Right now he’s doing light non-contact work.

“I’m making progress,” Ogbole said. “Right now on the court I can shoot, but not really run too much. Jumping – not yet. I’ll be back to practice with the team, contact and everything, I think in January.”

2. Pumping the brakes

Yes, Rutgers will play faster this season thanks to an influx of athleticism. It’s obvious in the way they’ve been practicing, making use of a shorter-than-usual shot clock, but Pikiell made it clear Tuesday that the Scarlet Knights won’t be pushing and pressuring wall to wall for 40 minutes.

“The quicker you shoot the ball, the more you’re on defense; everyone wants to run up and down like crazy, but I don’t want other teams to score on us easily,” he said. “When you sit in a room and everyone says, 'Oh we want to play fast,' well what does that entail? That entails more turnovers, maybe more jacked up threes, and it’s harder to rebound.”

Is Pikiell adjusting to his personnel? Yes. Will it be a total makeover in style? Partial seems more like it.

3. In praise of depth

Pikiell sees this as the deepest team of his eight-year Rutgers tenure. Without Ogbole and Jeremiah Williams (a likely sit-out transfer whose waiver application remains pending with the NCAA) the early-season rotation will include either 10 or 11 players, pending Mag’s status.

Postgrad guard Austin Williams, who sat out last season with a knee injury, said he’s at “85, 90 percent” back to form after being cleared for live action just last week.

“I feel like I’m still getting adjusted,” he said. “It’s only up from here.”

4. Happy returns

So what was it like to transfer out of Rutgers in the spring, only to return in July after a very short stint at Elon?

“This summer was all over the place, but I’m happy how everything worked out,” postgrad forward Oskar Palmquist said. “This is home for me.”

Like everyone else, Palmquist was surprised by the offseason’s late departures of graduate transfers Mulcahy and Cam Spencer.

Suddenly, “Rutgers needed players,” Palmquist said.

He was greeted with open arms by his old teammates.

“These are my guys,” he said. “They were happy I came back. That felt good.”

5. ‘An absolute flamethrower’

Pikiell typically closes practice with “pressure” free throws. Misses lead to full-court wind sprints for everybody.

On Tuesday he mixed in two “pressure” 3-pointers. Freshman guard Gavin Griffiths missed the first. Redshirt freshman forward Antonio Chol swished the second.

“I’m confident I’ll make it, I know that,” Chol said.

The 6-foot-9 Chol was red hot all practice, especially with the corner 3 (his pressure make was from straightaway).

“He’s an absolute flamethrower,” Hyatt said. “He’s never seen a shot he doesn’t like.”

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: Mawot Mag 'is not easy to break.'