Alabama basketball big man Clifford Omoruyi finally got what he’d been waiting for in the second half against Rutgers on Wednesday night in Las Vegas.
The former Scarlet Knight, a 6-foot-11 rim protector with a 7-6 wingspan, dunked on the school that he had spent four seasons at, giving the No. 9 Crimson Tide (6-1) an eight-point lead with about 12 minutes to the buzzer of the 95-90 win in the Players Era festival.
Heading into the reunion with ex-coach Steve Pikiell, Omoruyi was averaging 8.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. His season stats took a ding after a quiet night in Alabama’s tournament opener against Houston and dropped again after the Rutgers matchup.
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While the sights and sounds of MGM Grand Garden Arena gave Final Four vibes to the starters that returned from Alabama’s trip in April, they didn’t seem to do much for Omoruyi, who had just four points, three rebounds and a block, plus a couple costly personal fouls against Houston a night earlier.
“We’ve got to figure our defense out. We’re not where we need to be defensively.” Alabama coach Nate Oats said on Wednesday after the win over Rutgers (5-2).
Alabama basketball still figuring out defense, ‘silly’ fouls for big man Clifford Omoruyi
Omoruyi continuing to pick up what Oats has called “silly fouls” didn’t help, and it’s nearly cost UA in Las Vegas.
Against Rutgers, Scarlet Knights guard Dylan Harper made for another tough day to try and pad stats.
Omoruyi finished with six points, going 3-for-3 with two assists, but he didn’t make a block or steal, stacking up four fouls in his 15 minutes on the floor. In fact, he was outplayed by his old backup Manny Ogbole, who posted 9 points and 8 rebounds compared to just four boards for Omoruyi.
Instead, it looked like last season as forward Grant Nelson stepped up at the glass with a block and tying Mouhamed Dioubate for a a game-high with nine boards, helping Alabama total 43 rebounds.
What did Rutgers HC Steve Pikiell say about facing Clifford Omoruyi
Last season as Rutgers failed to reach the NCAA Tournament for the second year straight, Omoruyi made 93 blocks, the most by a player in the Big Ten since 2018.
“Great kid. I saw him in the lobby,” Pikiell told media after the loss. “Big smile, big hug. Always love Cliff.”
Omoruyi announced his intent to hit the transfer portal in March. Two months later, he joined Alabama, picking the Crimson Tide for its playing style and hunger to compete. Like other UA prospects, Omoruyi was also a fan of the three-filled, fast-paced NBA-style offense.
Omoruyi scored 1,251 points at Rutgers, ranking fourth all-time in program history with 933 rebounds and sixth with 221 blocks. He also shot 54.9% to rank sixth in the history books for the Scarlet Knights.
The defense and Omoruyi will have another chance to prove themselves now that the ticket to the Players Era Festival championship game has been punched. Alabama will face Oregon (6-0) on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. CT (TNT).
Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Rutgers HC Steve Pikiell reacts to Alabama basketball’s Cliff Omoruyi
