Matt Sugam

On occasion, head coaches from BCS conference schools have offered kids scholarships before they even enter high school.

While Rutgers head coach Kyle Flood hasn’t done that, he did acknowledge that the recruiting process with players starts earlier and earlier. However, Rutgers won’t be offering freshmen at the same rate they offer juniors.

“It should be a unique situation. Sometimes they’re an elite player, other times you might have a significant relationship,” Flood told ESPN.com. “But I don’t know if you want to have too many of those.”

The reason for players recruitment processes beginning sooner is how easy it now is to evaluate players by watching highlights and game film online.

“It’s amazing,” Flood said. “And the quicker we have the tape the quicker the evaluation happens and then we can make our decision. We’re making our decision earlier and kids are making their decisions earlier.”

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Photo credit: ScarletKnights.com

At the spring game last month, the Rutgers football team wore jerseys with the names of the shore towns affected by Hurricane Sandy on the back as part of their initiative to raise money for the hurricane relief efforts.

The plan was to give those jerseys to their respective town. Today, Kyle Flood did some of that himself.

“All along we’ve said with our football program, it’s important for us to give back to the victims of Hurricane Sandy,” Flood told MyCentralJersey.com. “This has been a movement that we’ve been trying to keep out front and I think the important thing that we can do as a football program is keep this in the forefront of everyone’s mind.

“We’ve raised almost $200,000, but I think the most important thing is that people realize there’s still alot more to do and being out here this morning – whether it was Atlantic City, whether it was Lacey or whether it was Mantaloking – it’s a very very quick and strong reminder that there’s a lot more that needs to be done. “

Which is why Flood knows there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.

“This is a process that is going to be going on for years,” Flood said, adding, “And I think it’s important for everybody, not just the Rutgers football program, so that the support keeps on coming in. This isn’t about just one event or one year. The is something that is going to be going on for years.”

So to kickoff Memorial Day Weekend, the Rutgers head coach spent his morning traveling throughout the Jersey Shore, presenting town officials in Atlantic City, Lacey, Mantoloking, Bay Head and Avon by the Sea with their respective jerseys, signed by him. The hope is the jerseys help serve as a reminder of his programs support for their state.

“I know that these jerseys from our spring game are going to be displayed in city halls and municipal buildings throughout our state and I think that’s good because it keeps the issue out in front and hopefully remind everybody throughout this state that throughout this process Rutgers football is going to be there for them.”

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Kyle Triggs and Dalip Bhatia have officially been hired as assistant coaches at Rutgers, the school announced.

“We are very excited to add Kyle and Dalip to our staff,” head coach Eddie Jordan said in a statement. “They are high-character individuals who will represent the program well. Kyle is hard working and industrious. He has a great insight for the game. Dalip is a Rutgers man. He is detail-oriented and highly regarded in the metro basketball community.”

Triggs worked with Rutgers head coach Eddie Jordan when on the Los Angeles Lakers staff. Triggs was the assistant to the head coach when Mike Brown was the head coach of the Lakers, and was retained as an assistant by Mike D’Antoni.

Before working in the NBA, Triggs was an assistant coach with Division II Walsh University in Canton, Ohio.

Triggs spent four years at West Virgina as a team manager while he was an undergraduate before spending a year as a graduate assistant with the Mountaineers.

Bhatia has been hired as Rutgers’ director of basketball operations.

Bhatia had been a St. Peter’s assistant coach for the past five years. Prior to his time at St. Peter’s he was an assistant coach at Kean University.

Bhatia graduated from Rutgers’ Business School in 2005.

The two fill the void left by Josh Loeffler and Jimmy Martellit. Loefller  was Rutgers’ director of basketball operations, and had left earlier this month to become an assistant at Loyola, while assistant coach Jimmy Martelli resigned in the wake of the Mike Rice fallout.

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As Patrick Kivlehan has made the smooth transition from one year of college baseball to the minors, the former Rutgers defensive back still credits his four years with the football program to his success.

“Everything at that level of football is so quick, and every single movement is so scrutinized that you learn to compete with the readiness and discipline it takes and I see that helping me every day here,” Kivlehan told the Quad-City Times.

“I find myself having the quickness and burst that I need and I think that is a direct result of what I learned on the football field at Rutgers.”

After becoming the first player in Big East history to win the triple crown by leading the league with a .402 batting average, 10 home runs and 36 RBIs, Kivlehan was drafted in the fourth round by the Mariners last year. His collegiate success carried over into the minors as he was named the MVP in the short-season Northwest League after hitting .301 with 12 home runs and 52 RBIs in 72 games for Everett. This season, he has hit three homers and 25 RBIs while batting .302 through 40 games for the Clinton LumberKings.

“He’s a tremendous athlete who is still young baseball-wise, but you can see the potential,” Clinton manager Eddie Menchaca said. “He’s starting to understand how to play the game at this level. He’s becoming more disciplined at the plate, learning, and that is what this season is about for him. He’ll get the experience here he needs.”

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Rutgers picked up their 11th verbal commit for the class of 2014 when Kamren Lott committed to the Scarlet Knights this today, according to Scout.com.

The First Coast (Jacksonville, Fla.) cornerback is the second player from Florida to commit in the class of 2014 and the third defensive back.

“Lott is a solid pick-up for Rutgers,” ScarletNation.com’s recruiting analyst Matt Hladik told SNY.tv.  “He plays press and off-coverage, is comfortable in a zone and also works at safety for First Coast.

“He’s not as tall [5-foot-10] as many of Rutgers’ corners, but he’s tough, physical and willing to mix it up.”

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Rutgers has found a new director of basketball operations.

St. Peter’s assistant coach Dalip Bhatia has been hired as Rutgers’ director of basketball operations, sources told SNY.tv.

Bhatia has been a St. Peter’s assistant for the past five years. Prior to his time at St. Peter’s, he was an assistant coach at Kean University.

Bhatia graduated from Rutgers’ Business School in 2005.

He fills the void left by Josh Loefller, who left earlier this month to become an assistant at Loyola.

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If Rutgers fans want to see the men’s basketball team in the postseason tournament next year, they may have to travel a bit.

While there was no official announcement after the league’s annual spring meetings this week, Memphis is the overwhelming favorite to host the American Athletic Conference’s first postseason basketball tournament, according to ajerseyguy.com.

The Palestra in Philadelphia was considered, but the historic arena does not have the modern features that have become the standard for postseason tournaments, such as luxury boxes and other social amenities.

Rutgers will be a member of the American Athletic Conference next season before moving to the Big Ten in 2014.

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Kevin Haslam wasn’t out of a for job long.

After being released by the Chargers yesterday, Haslam was picked up off the waiver wire by the Patriots today.

The former Rutgers offensive lineman was promoted from the Chargers practice squad on November 24, and started three games at left tackle at the end of the season.

The 6-foot-5, 310-pounder was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2010. The Chargers signed him to their practice squad in September after he was released by the Oakland Raiders.

Haslam is the eighth player now on the Patriots roster, joining defensive back Devin McCourty, defensive lineman Justin Francis, cornerback Logan Ryan, safety Duron Harmon, cornerback Brandon Jones, linebacker Steve Beauharnais and wide receiver Mark Harrison.

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Today, the Big East announced that the conference Presidents and Athletic Directors approved the new logo for the conference’s new name, the American Athletic Conference, at the conference meetings. While the press release said the logo would be revealed “in the near future,” conference commissioner Mike Aresco said it would be by the end of next week.

“A lot of our membership, our presidents, ADs have seen the marks, logo and ancillary marks. It will be revealed sometime late next week,” Aresco told ESPN.com. “We have a date in mind but we’re not certain yet so obviously late next week it will be revealed.”

Aresco also thinks the new logo will be well received.

“I think, [people are] going to like them. I think that they’re really strong marks. Our TV partners are going to like them and we think the public will embrace them,” Aresco said. “And certainly our membership has been unanimous in the marks in terms of having seen them. They really like them and feel they’re strong and they reflect who we are.”

Rutgers will be a member of the conference for one year before joining the Big Ten in 2014.

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With the college football season less than 100 days until kickoff, the bowl schedule for the 2013-14 season has been released. Here’s where and when Rutgers could be playing given the ties of the American Athletic Conference:

Monday, December 23

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl St. Petersburg, Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Fla, C-USA vs. American,  2 p.m. on ESPN

Saturday, December 28

New Era Pinstripe Bowl, Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y, American vs. Big 12,  12 p.m. on ESPN

Belk Bowl, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C., American vs. ACC, 3:20 p.m. on ESPN

Russell Athletic Bowl: Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Fla., ACC vs. American, 6:45 p.m. on ESPN

Tuesday, December 31

AutoZone Liberty Bowl Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, Tenn, C-USA/American vs. SEC, 4 p.m. ESPN

Saturday, January 4

BBVA Compass Bowl, Legion Field, Birmingham, Ala. SEC vs. American, 1 p.m. on ESPN

January 1-8

BCS Bowls

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