Rutgers basketball’s backcourt depth just took a hit.
Rising junior guard Derek Simpson entered the transfer portal on Monday, March 18th, a person with knowledge of the situation told NJ Advance Media. He has two more years of eligibility remaining.
Simpson is the second scholarship player to enter the transfer portal, joining reserve forward Antonio Chol.
A three-star recruit out of Lenape in South Jersey, Simpson was thrust into a starting position as a sophomore this winter following the unexpected offseason departures of key veteran guards Paul Mulcahy and Cam Spencer.
After showing flashes of potential off the bench in his freshman season — a big second half against Indiana, orchestrating a huge comeback on the road against Penn State, leading a Big Ten Tournament win over Michigan — Simpson struggled to build on it this past winter.
He averaged 8.3 points on 30.5% shooting (31.3% on twos, 28.2% on threes, 86.4% on free throws), 3.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.5 turnovers, and 1.4 steals in 26.1 minutes across 32 appearances (25 starts).
Rutgers now has 13 scholarships allotted for the 2023-24 season — one over the 13-scholarship limit. There is more attrition expected from the Scarlet Knights this offseason, a natural occurrence in the transfer portal age of college basketball.
The Scarlet Knights now have three scholarship guards projected on next season’s roster, so adding backcourt depth through the portal will be a necessity.
Here is Rutgers’ current projected roster makeup entering the 2024-25 season (labeled by years of eligibility remaining):
1 years - Cliff Omoruyi (C), Oskar Palmquist (F), Mawot Mag (F).
2 years - Jeremiah Williams (G), Antwone Woolfolk (C), Emmanuel Ogbole (C).
3 years - Gavin Griffiths (F), Jamichael Davis (G).
4 years - Dylan Harper (G), Ace Bailey (F), Dylan Grant (F), Bryce Dortch (F), Lathan Sommerville (C)
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Guards (3): Jeremiah Williams; Jamichael Davis; Dylan Harper.
Wings/Forwards (6): Mawot Mag, Oskar Palmquist; Gavin Griffiths; Ace Bailey, Dylan Grant, Bryce Dortch.
Centers (4): Cliff Omoruyi; Emmanuel Ogbole, Antwone Woolfolk; Lathan Sommerville.
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Brian Fonseca may be reached at bfonseca@njadvancemedia.com.