This will be a big weekend for the Rutgers men’s basketball team and not just because the Scarlet Knights (2-0) are hosting two games in the Garden State Challenge.
St. Anthony senior wing Dominic Cheek will take his official visit to campus from Friday through Sunday and will watch both games, according to St. Anthony associate head coach Ben Gamble.
“Yes, Friday to Sunday,” Gamble said in a text message.
Rutgers meets Robert Morris of the Northeast Conference at approximately 8 p.m. Friday, after the St. Bonaventure-Delaware game. On Sunday, Rutgers meets St. Bonaventure at 2 p.m. before Marist faces Delaware.
The 6-foot-5 Cheek recently axed Memphis from his list after Xavier Henry, the top shooting guard in the Class of 2009, picked that school.
That leaves Cheek’s list at Kansas, Villanova, Pittsburgh and Rutgers. He will visit Pitt next Tuesday-Thursday.
Cheek has former St. Anthony teammates at three of his remaining four schools: Travon Woodall (PItt), Tyshawn Taylor (Kansas) and Mike Rosario (Rutgers).
Many feel that Kansas and Villanova are the leaders for Cheek’s services, but Rutgers can’t be discounted. Rosario is starring for the team as a freshman, and St. Anthony head coach Bob Hurley has been to see Rosario play.
With the additions of Dane Miller and Austin Johnson next year, Rutgers may only be a player or two away from some upward movement in the conference. The Knights were picked 12th in the 16-team conference.
“Anything is possible,” Gamble said. “Dominic could decide at any time.”
**Here’s an SNY story about Seton Hall, which tonight plays USC in the first round of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. The Pirates will have just seven scholarship players for the first two games of the event because Robert “Stix” Mitchell is serving a two-game suspension.
