New-look Rutgers will continue to take shape vs. Lehigh

The first two games were hardly flawless for Rutgers, but they’ve provided a chance for coach Steve Pikiell to get a better look at the roster following the departures of Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper to the NBA.Rutgers gets another chance to evaluate its personnel and attempts to win a third straight home game Friday night against Lehigh in Piscataway, N.J.Rutgers (2-0) opened the season with double-digit home victories over Rider and Maine with different players standing out each time. In the Scarlet Knights’ 81-53 rout of Rider, Tariq Francis shined with 20 points, and during Monday’s 72-60 victory over Maine it was Dennis Badalau’s turn.Badalau scored all 19 of his points in the first half after shooting 1 of 12 in his collegiate debut five days earlier.”He does so many good things for us,” Pikiell said. “You saw him get it going. He can shoot it, he can put it on the deck, he’s a good passer.”Francis added 12 after his impressive opening game. The Scarlet Knights also got 10 points with 10 rebounds from Dylan Grant along with 10 points from Darren Buchanan Jr. after the duo combined for 28 points in the season opener.But it was Badalau’s emergence that was a welcome sight.”That’s regular for Denis,” Buchanan said. “Denis can do that any given night.”

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