32 Days to B1G Basketball: Rutgers Adds JUCO Forward Shaq Carter to 2018 Class

Rutgers added a commit to their 2018 recruiting class with the news that JUCO player Shaq Carter has committed to the program. Carter had previously visited Rutgers back in August and had spent the month of September visiting Washington State, Xavier and Middle Tennessee State before committing to the Scarlet Knights.

The power forward currently plays for Eastern Florida State College and averaged 9.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in his first year with the program. Carter joins a recruiting class that also includes 4-star shooting guard Montez Mathis and guard Ronald Harper.

Carter’s addition to Rutgers next season is key as the program will need to replace Deshawn Freeman and Candido Sa after this season, while also needing to address a frontcourt that has been overmatched in the Big Ten. Carter has shown that he can finish at the rim and has proven to be a capable player inside on both the boards and defensive side of the ball. If that can translate to the top division of college basketball, his commitment could pay dividends for Rutgers.

Rutgers also got some good news pertaining to former 2018 commit Mamadou Doucoure. While he was set to join the program next season, Doucoure reclassified for 2017 and was ruled eligible by the NCAA for the upcoming 2017-18 season.

Doucoure was a three-star center ranked by 247Sports as the eighth best center in 2018 before reclassifying for this season. He’ll provide an immediate boost to the Scarlet Knights as they try to improve their frontcourt.