Rutgers basketball coach Steve Pikiell has said he’s prioritizing three positions in the transfer portal this spring: a rim-protecting center, a wing scorer and a combo guard.
First up is the wing: George Washington transfer Darren Buchanan Jr. announced his commitment to the Scarlet Knights Monday.
Here are three things to know about the 6-foot-7, 235-pound sophomore with two seasons of eligibility remaining:
1. He’s been productive at the Atlantic-10 level
Over two seasons, Buchanan has averaged 13.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game for the Revolutionaries (formerly the Colonials). He made a smashing debut as a freshman, averaging 15.6 points and 6.6 boards, but his production dipped this past season (10.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg) as GW improved from 15-17 overall and 4-14 in the A-10 in 2023-24 to 21-13 and 9-9 this past winter.
There's not a lot of sample size against high-major competition the past two seasons; Buchanan logged 9 points on 3-of-11 field goals, 7 rebound and 5 assists against Kansas State as a sophomore and 18 points on 6-of-11 field goals, 6 boards and two assists against South Carolina as a freshman.
2. He’s an inside scorer
Buchanan is a big wing who does most of his damage inside. Over two seasons he’s shooting 54.5 percent from 2-point range but just 23.9 percent from beyond the arc. His two-year free-throw percentage is .647. On the defensive end, he helped anchor a squad that was ranked 106th nationally in defensive efficiency in 2024-25. The Revolutionaries allowed 68.4 points per game, which ranked fifth in the A-10.
3. He started his collegiate career at Virginia Tech
Coming out of Jackson-Reed High School in Washington, D.C, where he was D.C. Player of the Year as a senior in 2022, Buchanan was a three-star prospect who enrolled at Virginia Tech and redshirted there before transferring to GW.
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Rutgers basketball adds Darren Buchanan, wing from George Washington
