CLIFTON PARK, NY — There was never any doubt that big things were coming for Jillian Huerter. After deciding to take a year off after graduating from Shenendehowa in June, the younger Huerter made a decision about her college commitment.
On Tuesday, the 6′ guard announced his commitment to Big 10 conference member Rutgers University.
Always been scarlet, now it’s time to be a knight… Delighted to announce my engagement to Rutgers University ❤️🛡️ pic.twitter.com/cLSGAXBSwH
— Jillian Huerter (@JillianHuerter) September 27, 2022
“When I met the coaches, they really confirmed how I felt,” said Huerter, who visited campus last week after receiving an offer to become Scarlet Knight. “They were great, they talked about their visions for the program and everything was very positive. The next day I was able to go to the football game and see what the campus was like outside of the basketball world.
The Rutgers women’s basketball program is led by Coquese Washington, who is entering her first season at the helm after being named head coach on May 23, 2022.
Huerter joins his father, Tom, and each of his three siblings, Tom Jr., Kevin and Meghan to commit to a Division I college basketball program. Tom and Tom Jr. each played at Siena College , while Kevin played at Maryland and Meghan is currently in her second year at Providence.
With her Rutgers commitment, Jillian joins Kevin as the second family member to play for a Big 10 school.
“I think it’s more of a coincidence,” she said of Kevin playing in the Big 10 for Maryland. “Every school that I really looked at was in a different conference. I think the most important thing for me was finding the right person and whatever conference I went to would be the conference I went to. I will finish.
Huerter, who had several Division I offers during his senior year at Shenendehowa, continued.
“I wouldn’t say there was a dream school. I knew I would feel it when I was on campus and I really felt it with Rutgers. I had great options before my post-graduate year, but felt like I didn’t have a full recruitment process. I had only spoken to the same handful of schools and coaches, so I really wanted to go through the whole process and get a feel for the different schools.
She decided to spend her graduate year at the Kent School in Connecticut. This extra year allowed him to broaden his recruiting process and ultimately choose Rutgers.
While she was considering majoring in business, she still hasn’t decided what her major will be.
“I was very happy to hear that Jill was committed to Rutgers,” said Joe Murphy, Shen’s girls’ basketball coach. “The program has always had a great tradition of winning and Jill should be able to bring that same spirit to their program. Watching a lot of her AAU matches this summer online showed, what we know all for years, that she belongs to a school like Rutgers.
Last season, Shen fell in the Class AA Division II championship game against Albany, with Huerter’s high school career coming to an abrupt end.
“I wasn’t really focused on recruiting at that point,” Huerter said of the high school season. “I was just focused on the season and it was really disappointing the way it ended. To end it was definitely a change. I just had to take a step back and then focus on the AAU season and improving myself.
“For our program, she was a permanent fixture for four years in college,” Murphy added. “As a coach, I never had to worry about being rushed or having us commit an offense with Jill on the pitch. Additionally, when a play fell short, Jill was able to create her own shot or set up a teammate with an assist. Having Jill on the team was like having another coach on the pitch. More importantly, I was lucky to have her not only as a player, but also [as] a student in class. She’s just an awesome kid. Always positive and friendly with teammates and classmates. Someone our young players could look up to. Jill is up there with some of the best players who have ever played Shen.
Huerter noted that she raised the possibility of trying to get Rutgers to play a game in Albany, against a team like Siena or UAlbany. She will also have two years to try for the Scarlet Knights to set up a game against Providence, where she could face Meghan at college level.
“I miss playing for Coach Murphy. We always keep in touch. He was a huge factor in my basketball career,” Huerter said of his time at Shen. I miss it, not that my coach here in Kent doesn’t, but I think Coach Murphy was so focused on the details of everything.”
Huerter continued, thanking his parents for their help throughout the recruitment process.
“Both my parents were a big part of this process, making me visit all the different schools. My whole family was a great support system,” she said. “Even on one of the visits , the coach told my mom that she asked a lot of good questions. They went that way. They know more things to ask than me. They helped me get to know the coaches from a different angle. We all compared our notes and I couldn’t have done this without them.