Rutgers basketball standout Tariq Francis to return for senior year
Rutgers retention of Tariq Francis, an All-Big Ten guard, is the clearest sign that Steve Pikiell finally has a competitive roster budget.
In the clearest possible sign that Rutgers basketball finally has some retention power, junior guard Tariq Francis has announced his intention to remain in Piscataway for his senior year. After transferring in from NJIT last offseason, Francis was a revelation this past winter, averaging 17. 0 points, 2.
9 assists and 2. 3 rebounds while shooting 35 percent from 3-point range and 91 percent from the free-throw line. He did this while subjected to constant double-teams, impressing observers enough to earn honorable mention All-Big Ten honors.
His 578 points scored were the most in a season by a Scarlet Knight since the great Quincy Douby in 2005-06. In the past, with a roster budget dwarfed by that of many high-major peers, Rutgers would have been in serious jeopardy of having Francis poached (see: Cam Spencer, Cliff Omoruyi). But head coach Steve Pikiell now has a reasonably competitive war chest well north of $8 million thanks to first-year athletics director Keli Zinn and her staff, who have cultivated some fruitful corporate partnerships over the past few months.
Francis, who hails from Pittsburgh, originally connected with Rutgers through his longstanding ties with associate head coach Brandin Knight, and his arrival last spring was met with skepticism by much of the fan base. That changed as he proved he could level up. As Rutgers’ season wound to a close, it became obvious that Francis planned to remain on the banks for his senior year.