PISCATAWAY, N.J. (February 15, 2010) - Rutgers (13-12, 3-9) will be preparing to win its fifth game in six contests when it travels to the Windy City to meet DePaul (8-16, 1-11) on Tuesday (Feb. 16) evening in a 9:00 p.m. (Eastern) tip-off at 18,500-seat Allstate Arena. The Scarlet Knights have an opportunity to win back-to back BIG EAST games for the second time this season. The last time Rutgers won consecutive BIG EAST regular season games on multiple occasions during a season was during the 2001-02 campaign. The Blue Demons have lost six straight conference games, including three by eight points or less.
The game will be televised live nationally on ESPNU. Eric Collins will serve as play-by-play announcer and Dickey Simpkins will provide the commentary. On the radio, the contest will be broadcast live on the Rutgers Radio Network, WOR 710 AM in New York City and WCTC 1450 AM in New Brunswick. Chris Carlin will serve as play-by-play announcer and Dick Lloyd will provide commentary. WRSU 88.7 FM will also broadcast the game.
Tuesday evening’s contest marks the fifth meeting between Rutgers and DePaul on the hardwood in as many seasons, with the series tied 2-2. The Scarlet Knights are 1-1 at Allstate Arena. Last season, Mike Rosario (Jersey City, N.J.) scored 16 points to help Rutgers to 75-56 win over the Blue Demons at the RAC. The Scarlet Knights shot 50.8 percent and limited DePaul to a 34.5 performance from the field.
Rutgers is coming off a 71-68 home victory over No. 7/8 Georgetown on Sunday afternoon. Redshirt junior forward Jonathan Mitchell (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) scored a career-high 24 points and freshman wing Dane Miller (Henrietta, N.Y.) had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. The Hoyas were the second-highest-ranked opponent ever defeated by the Scarlet Knights after a 74-64 win over then No. 6-ranked West Virginia on February 27, 1982. Mitchell shot nine-of-12 from the field, including four-of-six from behind the arc, while grabbing seven rebounds. Miller made five-of-nine shots and dished-out four assists. A Miller tip-in with 22 seconds remaining provided RU a 67-66 lead and set the stage for clutch free throw shooting. Miller and Mitchell were a perfect four-for-four from the charity stripe in the final seconds to ensure the victory.
Millerwas named the Rookie of the Week for a second straight week and Mitchell was recognized on the Honor Roll by the BIG EAST Conference on Monday. Among freshmen in league games, Miller ranks first in scoring (12.5), first in steals (1.50), tied for second in rebounding (6.3), third in assists (2.83), and fourth in blocks (0.75). Mitchell leads RU in scoring in conference games with a 15.0 average. He is shooting 47.8 percent (32-67) from behind the arc and 85.7 percent (12-14) from the free throw line in BIG EAST games.
Senior center Hamady Ndiaye (Dakar, Senegal) leads the BIG EAST and is third nationally in blocks with an average of 4.72 rejections-per-game. As of Feb. 15, he had accumulated more blocks this season than 11 teams in the conference.
DePaul, under the leadership of interim head coach Tracy Webster, is coming off a 79-71 loss at Seton Hall on Sunday. Junior big man Mac Koshwal had his sixth double-double of the season in the loss, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Senior guard Will Walker is averaging 16.6 points-per-contest to lead the Blue Demons in the scoring column. GAME NOTES
