Rutgers-Seton Hall pregame banquet to feature current and past players in NIL fundraiser
The pregame banquet celebrating the Rutgers-Seton Hall basketball rivalry is back for a third year – but with a new twist.
Current players from both teams will be participating, joining former program standouts in a panel discussion and audience Q&A. The rebranded “Hardwood Classic Banquet,” which takes place Thursday, Dec. 7 at McLoone’s Boathouse restaurant in West Orange, will serve as a name-image-likeness (NIL) fundraiser for the current players ahead of the Garden State Hardwood Classic Dec. 9.
For Rutgers, postgrad guard Noah Fernandes and freshman guard Gavin Griffiths will appear on the Scarlet Knights’ panel alongside Mike Dabney, the standout shooting guard on the 1976 Final Four squad, and Geo Baker.
For Seton Hall, senior guard Kadary Richmond and postgrad guard Al-Amir Dawes will appear on the Pirates’ panel alongside John Morton, who scored 35 points in the 1989 NCAA Tournament title game, and Eugene Harvey, a four-year point guard starter from 2006-2010. Bryan Caver, who played guard on four Hall NCAA Tournament teams from 1991-1994, also will be on hand.
Fox Sports broadcaster John Fanta, who has the television play-by-play call on the Dec. 9 showdown in Newark, will serve as the lead moderator.
The Boardwalk Trophy, which goes to the game’s winner, will be on hand for photo opportunities.
The banquet starts with a social hour from 6:30-7:30 p.m., followed by opening remarks, then Rutgers’ panel discussion from 7:45-8:30, Seton Hall’s panel discussion from 8:45-9:30, and then closing remarks.
Initially conceived as a way to herald the return of the Rutgers-Seton Hall rivalry after a pandemic-driven hiatus in 2020, the banquet has been well-received enough to expand. Founder and organizer The Front Office, a basketball events group, is partnering on this for the first time with The Knight Society (run by Geo Baker) and Onward Setonia (with Eric Liebler as liaison) – alumni-driven organizations promoting NIL opportunities for athletes at Rutgers and Seton Hall, respectively.
Previous panelists have included Rutgers legends Phil Sellers, Hollis Copeland and Quincy Douby and Seton Hall greats Dan Callandrillo, Terry Dehere and Jerry Walker.
Tickets cost $105 and include dinner and drinks (beer, wine and soft drinks) and can be purchased at https://recruitifyhoops.com.
For more information, email event co-director Pat Lawless at patlawless@tfrontoffice.com.
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-Seton Hall banquet to feature current players as NIL event
