Rutgers’ basketball program has endured plenty of losing on the court in recent years and it received another setback off of it on Thursday.
Christ the King senior point guard Jose Alvarado, who new Scarlet Knights coach Steve Pikiell made a major priority, spurned both Rutgers and fellow finalist Seton Hall by announcing he is headed to Georgia Tech to play for first-year coach Josh Pastner, formerly of Memphis. The 6-foot, top-150 recruit said he made the final decision Wednesday night. Alvarado said he felt at home there during his visit this summer.
“They run an offense that I like, it is ACC and coach Pastner was a great guy to me, a great guy to my family and he just fits me,” said Alvarado, the reigning CHSAA Player of the Year.
Calling Pikiell to tell him he was not going to Piscataway, was not easy.
“That was the hardest thing to do,” Alvarado said. “Pikiell, I love him. He is going to be one hell of a coach. He is a great dude, but I just felt comfortable there [Georgia Tech]. He did a great job recruiting me, but it’s all about feeling comfortable. I hope I’ll be in touch with him after everything is done, even though I didn’t go to Rutgers.”
Royals coach Joe Arbitello said he was not surprised by Alvarado’s choice, saying he could see him smiling and how much more relaxed he was after picking Georgia Tech, which went 21-15 last season before losing in the NIT quarterfinals.
“They were after him, as hard as anybody I’ve ever coached,” Arbitello said of the three finalists.
Alvarado, who averaged 18.1 points and six assists per game, would have been the Scarlet Knights’ point guard of the future as the program looks to rebuild from a 7-25 campaign last year. He said last week Pikiell, who came over from Stony Brook, was “going to give me the keys once I get there.”
Instead the Scarlet Knights are still waiting for a new driver.