CAMDEN, N.J. (Oct. 29, 2021) – When the 2020-21 New Jersey Athletic Conference basketball schedule was reduced to an eight-game regular-season slate due to the pandemic, the Rutgers University-Camden men were one of only two teams to play all eight games without a COVID-19 cancellation.
 
Adding in the NJAC playoffs, the Raptors became the only team in the conference to play every game on their schedule. Unfortunately for Rutgers-Camden, all games resulted in a loss, as the Scarlet Raptors ended their abbreviated season at 0-9.
 
Entering the 2021-22 campaign, the Scarlet Raptors have been selected to finish last in the 10-team conference in a pre-season poll of the NJAC's coaches. Both New Jersey City University and Stockton University, the two teams that squared off in last year's NJAC title game, received five first-place votes to tie for the poll's top spot.
 
Rowan University was selected for third in the pre-season coaches' poll, followed by The College of New Jersey, Montclair State and Ramapo to round out the teams that the coaches favor to qualify for the six-team NJAC playoffs. Rutgers-Newark was tabbed for seventh place and Kean University was picked for eighth, although the coaches tabbed the Cougars as the NJAC's dark horse team. William Paterson and Rutgers-Camden rounded out the poll in the ninth and 10th spots, respectively.
 
This year the Scarlet Raptors return only five lettermen, all of whom made their Rutgers-Camden debut last season for Head Coach Stuart Pradia. Sophomore guard Gavin Henry is back after leading the team in scoring with a 10.4 average as a freshman. Henry, who also averaged 5.8 rebounds, was named the NJAC Rookie of the Week on Feb. 22.
 
Also returning are a pair of guard/forwards in junior Jaymes Savage and sophomore Jaelin Keels, along with sophomore guard Chris Ray and sophomore forward Tristan Cornish. Savage led the Scarlet Raptors in rebounding (6.4 rpg), assists (26) and steals (12), while adding 7.6 points per game. Keels averaged 6.8 points and 3.2 rebounds, while dishing off 17 assists.
 
Henry, Savage and Keels started all nine of the Scarlet Raptors' games last season, while Cornish started seven of his nine games. He averaged 5.6 points and 3.6 rebounds.
 
Ray returns after playing in seven of the team's games, averaging 2.7 points and 0.7 rebounds.
 
A large group of newcomers includes six 2021 high school graduates and several college transfers.
 
Rutgers-Camden opens its season facing a Division I opponent when the Raptors at Princeton University in a 7 p.m. game November 9. Their first NJAC game will be Nov. 23 at Stockton University.