NBA Finals is going to be a tough look for Rutgers

This may be the ultimate RU Screw.

It sounds incredible on paper — one of Rutgers’ top former stars playing in the NBA Finals as a rookie and against the Knicks. Talk about good exposure!

But then you remember the circumstances of what happened when the Spurs’ Dylan Harper was on campus and … yeah.

ICYMI: Harper and Ace Bailey (now with the Jazz) decided to play for the Scarlet Knights. It was the biggest coup in Rutgers basketball history. And then it became one of the biggest flops in college basketball history. Both dealt with injuries, they had an abysmal supporting cast, head coach Steve Pikiell was clearly in over his head and the team finished 15-17, missing the NCAA Tournament before Harper and Bailey became top-5 picks.

And now the entire country — check that, the entire world — is going to learn or be reminded that Rutgers somehow screwed up having two lottery picks on the same team. And the Knicks’ involvement — which should be a colossal benefit — makes it far worse. Because the local scrutiny will likely be even more intense and Rutgers has also had a bizarre aversion to playing at Madison Square Garden under Pikiell.

It will be interesting to see how Rutgers plays this. They have to celebrate Harper and acknowledge his achievement, but they are playing with fire if they go too over the top. Which, to be frank, we kind of expect given the program’s perception of reality tends to be askew from the actual conditions.