Rutgers Basketball lands Virginia Tech transfer center Christian Gurdak
Rutgers Basketball is on the board in reloading its center room.
The Scarlet Knights have landed a transfer commitment from former Virginia Tech center Christian Gurdak, he announced on social media.
Gurdak spent his freshman year as a Hokie before announcing his intent to enter the transfer portal on March 31st. He will have three years of eligibility remaining.
The 6-foot-10, 260-pounder becomes the first transfer portal addition to the frontcourt, after losing six members to graduation or the transfer portal.
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Gurdak’s background
In 31 games as a freshman, Gurdak put up 5.6 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game, 0.3 assists per game, and shot 63.2% from the floor. He started ten of Virginia Tech’s 31 games and averaged 17.2 minutes per game.
As a member of the Class of 2025, Gurdak was a three-star recruit out of Fairfax (Va.) and Gonzaga HS (Washington D.C.), and originally hailed from Charlestown, West Virginia, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking. He was the No. 5 overall prospect in the D.C. area, the No. 21 center prospect, and the No. 185 overall prospect in the class.
He becomes the second former Hokie and Washington, D.C. high school product on the roster, joining forward Darren Buchanan Jr.
Gurdak saw his minutes fluctuate throughout the year but had his share of breakout performances, including a 17-point, 19-rebound performance in a triple overtime win over rival Virginia on New Year’s Eve.
He does bring some strong underlying metrics despite the relatively low share of minutes. His 130.2 offensive rating — despite a 15.5 percent usage rate — ranked among the top 50 in the country, according to Bart Torvik. He shot 65-for-91 (71.4 percent) on shots at the rim, and his 63 percent mark from two-point range ranked 12th in the ACC, among players who saw the floor for at least 40 percent of his team’s minutes.
He also flashed as a rebounder, sporting the fourth-best offensive rebounding rate (14.8 percent) among ACC players in the same minutes threshold. Overall, he ranked near the top of the country’s leaders in offensive rebounding, seeing his production increase throughout the year after a slow start.
The eyebrow-raising numbers do come with the caveat of a lower minute total. He will have to scale up into the Big Ten, a conference known for its strong center play. Gurdak will join fellow rising sophomore Gevonte Ware in the center room, but both will need to take a jump in playing time and effectiveness to avoid another season with some of the weaker center production among high-majors.
Rutgers Basketball roster breakdown
Here is how the Scarlet Knights’ roster currently projects with how many years of eligibility each have left, as the transfer portal closes on April 22nd.
Guards: Jamichael Davis (one year), Tariq Francis (one year), Lino Mark (three years), Kaden Powers (three years), Imahri Wooten (four years)
Forwards: Darren Buchanan Jr. (one year), Darin Smith Jr. (two years)
Centers: Christian Gurdak (three years), Gevonte Ware (three years)
Davis, Francis, Mark, and Ware have all announced their re-signing with the program.
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