Rutgers basketball adds Denis Badalau, European wing, to complete 2025-26 roster

Rutgers basketball has gone back to Europe to fill the final open scholarship on its 2025-26 roster.

Denis Badalau, a Romanian wing, is the second European to join the program in the past month, joining well-regarded Bosnian shooting guard Harun Zrno.

Here are three things to know about Badalau, a 6-foot-7, 200-pound 18-year-old who has four years of eligibility remaining.

1. He plays in the top Italian pro league

Badalau moved to Italy four years ago and is just finishing up the Euro season with Dolomiti Energia Trentino in Italian Serie A. He appeared in four regular-season games, averaging 2.8 points and 1.8 rebounds. He also played in six games in the 2025 EuroCup for Trentino (which is located in Trento, northern Italy), averaging 3.8 points and 1.0 boards while shooting 38.5 percent from 3-point range.

Trentino’s starters include former Seton Hall starter Myles Cale, former Vermont star Anthony Lamb, and former Saint Mary’s guard Jordan Ford. They posted a record of 22-8 in Serie A and made the playoffs.

Of his experience in Serie A, Badalau recently told 247 Sports: “I learned that you have to be disciplined, focused and prepared for the opportunity that’s given. You always have to be ready, you have to eat well, sleep well and treat yourself the proper way because you’re not 15 anymore. You’re playing with men.”

In the same interview, he described himself as comfortable running the floor and making plays in transition and as “a very good three-point shooter.” The latter trait is paramount for Rutgers because next season’s team has been built mostly around defensive-minded guys who are more comfortable attacking the rim.

2. He made an appearance on the Romanian national team

In February Badalau suited up for the Romanian national team in a World Cup victory over Norway, logging 17 minutes and scoring 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range, while adding five rebounds and two steals.

He has extensive FIBA experience, having starred on Romania’s under-20 national team last summer (averaging 15.9 points and 5.6 rebounds) and, after gaining dual citizenship in Italy, playing in that country’s under-19 national circuit.

3. Jay Young is Rutgers’ point man in Europe

Young scouted Badalau extensively in Italy this spring and liked his versatility and high basketball IQ. Young has a good eye for overlooked talent, having previously found Myles Johnson and Caleb McConnell for the program. The staff sees some of Akwasi Yeboah, a scoring wing who helped the 2019-2020 Scarlet Knights win 20 games, in Badalau.

It makes sense for cash-strapped Rutgers to mine Europe for players – they come at a more reasonable market value and tend to be more mature on and off the court, having grown up in a club system surrounded by pros.

The Scarlet Knights will have six freshmen on the 2025-26 roster, coupled with two sophomores, four juniors and just one senior (center Manny Ogbole). That’s a very young team, even though the two European freshmen have what would be considered high-level club-pro experience.

They seem poised to stay at 13 scholarship players regardless of whether the NCAA expands scholarship limits to 15. Paying 13 players, and playing all of them, is challenging enough as it is.

RUTGERS’ 2025-26 DEPTH CHART UPDATE

Guards (5): Jamichael Davis, Harun Zrno, Tariq Francis, Lino Mark, Kaden Powers

Wings (3): Dylan Grant, Darren Buchanan. Denis Badalau

Bigs (5): Manny Ogbole, Baye Fall, Bryce Dortch, Chris Nwuli, Gevonte Ware

Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.

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