Rutgers basketball: Noah Fernandes shows why you don't give up on players
PISCATAWAY – Rutgers basketball typically has an engaged bench, rooting on hustle plays, back-slapping teammates as they come off the court, barking out encouragement when the full-court press is cooking.
But the vibe was extra ebullient during a timeout midway through the first half of Saturday's throttling of Wisconsin, after Noah Fernandes drained his second 3-pointer.
Every player, every manager – everyone with a pulse in white came over to Fernandes and tapped him congratulations. They know what a struggle it’s been for the grad transfer from UMass, who began the season as Rutgers' starting point guard but fell into an offensive slump that lasted nearly two months. He kept shooting, though, because the folks on that bench encouraged him to.
"I wouldn’t make any of those shots without those guys," he said.
Head coach Steve Pikiell moved Fernandes to a substitute’s role but kept him in the rotation, despite howls from scoring-obsessed fans who couldn’t see the forest from the trees – that Fernandes is solid defensively, that he has the ball-handling and free-throw skills needed in close finishes (which already helped Rutgers edge Nebraska and Maryland). That he’s a good teammate who sets a strong example behind the scenes.
He rewarded Pikiell’s faith Saturday, scoring 17 points off the bench on a heater for the ages. Fernandes made all five of his 3-point attempts – a couple of them from the stratosphere – as Rutgers drop-kicked the 11th-ranked Badgers 78-56.
“Just proud of him – I love him, I believe in him, I’m thankful he’s here,” Pikiell said. “His defense has been really good all year long, and then today he got going. He’s very capable of doing that. Every game it takes somebody different and he was a huge, huge lift for us today. And he’s going to continue being that for us moving forward.”
'There are such great people here'
The Scarlet Knights (13-10 overall, 5-7 Big Ten) have won three straight and finally are hitting stride after much personnel shuffling. Pikiell’s insistence on playing a deep rotation paid off. It kept Fernandes engaged, and he delivered the knockout blow in the season’s biggest win.
"When you don’t see it go in but you’re getting that confidence from the people around you, it makes hooping so much easier," Fernandes said. "One thing I love about Rutgers is the people, man. There are such great people here, and in my particular situation with everything going on, it was great to have them in my corner."
Don't forget that Fernandes is a new father. Imagine having a newborn coupled with the demands and microscope of high-major college ball.
"We can get caught up in what we’re going through, but I’ve got a son and I try to be the best role model that I can," Fernandes said. "It makes it a lot easier when you come into the gym and it’s a great vibe; that’s so much better than when there’s negative energy.
Of course the late-season additions of versatile guard Jeremiah Williams (18 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds) and backup center Emmanuel Ogbole have provided the spark behind this turnaround. Ogbole dove his monstrous body to the floor to beat four Badgers to a loose ball in the symbolic play of the day, and he also set a high-ball screen that knocked a defender into next week, freeing up Fernandes for one of his triples.
The final 3-pointer came from Quincy Douby range. It had to be a 35-footer, practically from the Dunellen border.
“When he hit that deep three the (Wisconsin defender) was just standing there looking at him,” senior center Cliff Omoruyi said. “I was like, ‘Wow.’ He’s been balling in practice, so to see it go in for him has been really great.”
All hands on deck
It requires all hands on deck to survive the twists and turns of a college basketball season. Another example: Postgrad wing Aundre Hyatt, Rutgers’ leading scorer and most experienced player, accepted his demotion from the starting lineup with maturity. He scored 11 off the bench Saturday and has made key hustle plays during the winning streak.
The underlying point: You don’t give up on someone as accomplished as Fernandes was at UMass. He didn’t forget how to play. He was slumping bad, his coaches and teammates stuck with him, he embraced his new role, and Wisconsin paid the price.
"In basketball and in life, you can’t just quit," he said. "You’ve got to keep pushing. A real shooter, a real player, a real person isn’t just going to quit."
When Fernandes checked out to a sustained standing ovation late in the second half, he dropped the tunnel-vision focus and allowed himself to soak it in.
"This is my fifth year, my final season, there aren't that many games left, and I want to enjoy it," he said. "That was one of those moments."
And an important reminder, too, as fans finally acknowledged what Pikiell knew all along.
In this sport, it takes a village.
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: Noah Fernandes shows why you don't give up on guys
