2017 Combo Guard Geo Baker Commits to Rutgers Basketball

When I wrote about Steve Pikiell taking over at Rutgers these were the types of moves that were expected. On Wednesday Geo Baker, a 6'2" combo guard from New England, committed to play for Pikiell at Rutgers as part of the 2017 recruiting class. He made the announcement via his twitter page.

He played high school ball at Proctor Academy in New Hampshire. Geo had a tremendous summer on the AAU circuit and was gaining a lot of interest from mid-major and high-major schools. According to 247 Sports, he held close to twenty offers, including Kansas State, George Washington, and George Mason. He recently said that Rutgers and George Mason were working the hardest for his services. The hard work of head coach Steve Pikiell and his staff have paid off in a big way.

Here is how our fellow SB Nation site On the Banks evaluated Baker's game:

While not rated by recruiting services, Baker has flashed a ton of potential and has made major strides in his development this past year. He has a ton of range as a shooter, but has improved his ball handling and decision making to make himself a more complete player. By all accounts, he has a great attitude and is a hard worker. He is the exact kind of underrated player that the Rutgers staff can develop into a valuable contributor for the program.

As mentioned by On The Banks, despite not being a major prospect, this is an important addition for the Scarlet Knights. With Steve Pikiell in as head coach, the program needs to make a splash on the recruiting trail that will ultimately get things headed in the right direction. And first and foremost, the team needs to add depth and talent that can be developed in the years to come. This looks like the start of that process.

Where Baker fits into the lineup is up for debate at this point, but most likely, he projects as a two guard and will have to battle for time behind players like Matt Bullock and Mike Williams in his first year with the team. Nonetheless, if Baker can come in and develop long-term, he could end up being a huge pickup for Rutgers.

You can watch Geo's dominate live period at the link below.

(Editor's Note: An earlier version of this article failed to attribute On The Banks properly. This issue has been addressed among the staff and corrected in this article.)