Rutgers men’s basketball took part in the 2025 Big Ten preseason Media Day at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. Head coach Steve Pikiell, along with student-athletes Dylan Grant and Jamichael Davis, represented the team at the event, meeting with various media outlets and discussing their outlook for the upcoming season.
During the event, Coach Pikiell and the players engaged with members of the press and recorded content for television and social media. Outlets present included Sirius XM, NBC, Bleacher Report, Fox, and CBS. The group also appeared on the Big Ten Network’s BTN Studio Set.
On national television, Coach Pikiell spoke about his approach for the season. “We’re doing our work in the offseason,” head coach Steve Pikiell said to Dave Revsine on Big Ten Network. “We’ve gotten back to our blue-collar roots. We’re physical and we have tremendous size. We’ve got to get back to rebounding and defense. It’s a competitive group and they’ve been fun to coach. I couldn’t be more excited to coach them. I think Rutgers fans are going to really like this version of Rutgers basketball.”
Jamichael Davis, entering his junior year after playing 63 games for Rutgers and known for his defensive skills, shared his thoughts on team progress. “The guys have been great this summer,” Davis explained on BTN. “Everyone has been coming in and working hard and wanting to get better. That’s a good trait to have. Everyone is competing at high level, trying to stack good days together, and getting connected at a high level. We’re trusting the work and getting better as a group, staying levelheaded and not shying away from the work we have to do.”
Dylan Grant, preparing for his sophomore season after starting 16 games as a freshman, spoke about new additions to the team. “I’m really excited about the new players we’ve brought in this season,” Grant explained. “There is always a lot of energy at practice, it’s always a dogfight. We have a lot of fighters in that locker room that bring a lot of energy. We have a bunch of dogs out there and we work every day to be every day guys.”
Rutgers will begin its season on November 5 at Jersey Mike’s Arena against Rider. The full schedule with game times and television details has been announced.
Davis also commented on fan support: “The fans are always showing up and showing out for us,” Davis said. “We’re excited to have them back and seeing them again.”
Next week, Rutgers will host ‘Meet the Team Knight’ on Thursday, October 16.
