Steve Pikiell’s 10 th season at the helm of Rutgers basketball begins at a time of wholesale change.

With a new athletics director, new rules on roster composition and player compensation, and 10 new faces in his locker room – plus the impending hire of Rutgers’ first general manager for basketball – Pikiell is navigating uncharted waters.

Here is what he had to say about those changes and his 2025-26 Scarlet Knights as preseason practice gets rolling.

Q. What’s been the message to you from new athletics director Keli Zinn?

A. “I have someone in the room that understands the world I’m living in (in terms of player compensation and fundraising). I’m so thankful for that. She’s in the fight with me – and it has to be a fight.”

“We got the GM job posted in one day after I met with her

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