For Steve Pikiell, preaching patience may be the biggest challenge is these days as he tries to rebuild the Rutgers men’s basketball program.
For a program that hasn’t reached the NCAA Tournament in 27 years and hasn’t posted a winning record in 12 seasons, Pikiell knows the terms “Rutgers fans’’ and “long-suffering’’ go hand in hand.
Talk to Pikiell at any length and the second-year Scarlet Knights coach will surely tell you the Rutgers rebuild is a long-term process. While Rutgers posted a 15-19 record in his second season, Pikiell said boastfully this week: "I'm very confident in what I'm doing.