Rutgers transfer Cliff Omoruyi announces destination

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1. Rutgers Basketball

• Updated: May. 06, 2024, 12:04 a.m.|
• Published: May. 05, 2024, 12:35 p.m.

Cliff Omoruyi (11) of Rutgers looks on during the NCAA men's basketball game between Rutgers and Princeton at CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton on Monday, November 6, 2023.Matt Kipp | For NJ Advance Media

Cliff Omoruyi has found a new home.

RUTGERS BASKETBALL OFFSEASON/TRANSFER PORTAL TRACKER

The Rutgers transfer will play his final season of college basketball at Alabama, he announced on Sunday. He becomes the fifth Scarlet Knight transfer to find a new home after guard Derek Simpson (Saint Joseph's) and forwards Gavin Griffiths (Nebraska), forward Antonio Chol (Howard) and Antwone Woolfolk (Miami of Ohio).

Omoruyi visited all of his final four options: North Carolina, Alabama, Georgetown and Kansas State during his recruitment out of the transfer portal.

Omoruyi was one of the most sought-after transfers in the portal, listed across multiple publications as the top center on the board, including On3 and 247Sports.

Omoruyi averaged 10.4 points on 51.2% shooting (51.8% on twos, 20% on threes, 61% on free throws), 8.3 rebounds and 2.9 blocks in 26.9 minutes per game last season. He led the Big Ten and ranked third nationally in block percentage (12.7%) and ranked fourth in the league in defensive rebounding rate during conference play (24.3%).

A former four-star recruit in the class of 2020, Omoruyi was the biggest recruiting win in the first six years of head coach Steve Pikiell's tenure. In four years, he made his mark in the program's record books; across 121 career appearances (104 starts), he scored 1,251 points (22nd-most in program history) on 54.9% shooting (fourth-highest in program history), grabbed 933 rebounds (fourth) and blocked 221 shots (sixth).

Omoruyi helped the Scarlet Knights reach the NCAA Tournament twice in his career, including the 2021 tournament that marked their first appearance in 30 years and included their first NCAA Tournament win in 38 years.

After four years, Omoruyi elected to leave Piscataway, a decision that was not a major surprise. While the star center said multiple times that he had not made his decision as the season came to an end, most signs pointed to this conclusion.

Omoruyi was overcome with emotion during his Senior Day ceremony. Afterward, he spoke like someone who had just played his final game at Jersey Mike's Arena afterward, saying it "wasn't how I wanted to play my last game here" and that he was "really sorry for going out this way." His guardian Muhammad Oliver told the Asbury Park Press that "the natural step after graduation is to go into the (NBA) draft process and put his best foot forward," that the final year of eligibility he still has is "probably not going to be used" and that he is "more than likely he'll try to pursue a pro career."

In the end, he chose to stay in college for one last season. He will spend it at Alabama, which reached the first Final Four in program history this April.

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Brian Fonseca may be reached at bfonseca@njadvancemedia.com.

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