MBB Hosts Michigan State
Jan 25 | Men's Basketball
| Michigan State at Rutgers | |
| Date | Thursday, January 29, 2015 |
| Time | 6:00 p.m. ET |
| Location | Piscataway, N.J. | The RAC |
| Television | Big Ten Network Jason Horowitz and Jim Jackson |
| Radio | Rutgers IMG Radio Network - WOR (710) and WCTC (1450AM) Chris Carlin & Dick Lloyd Rutgers Student Radio - WRSU (88.7 FM) |
| Tickets | Rutgers vs. Michigan State Tickets |
| Game Notes | Rutgers | Michigan State |
| Statistics | Rutgers | Michigan State | Big Ten Conference |
| Social Media | @RutgersMBB  | #RHoops | Facebook/RutgersMBB  |
Rutgers Game Notes
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers (10-11, 2-6) will be working to improve to 3-2 at home in Big Ten play when it welcomes Michigan State (13-7, 4-3) to the RAC on Thursday for a 6 p.m. tip-off. The Scarlet Knights will be seeking a return to the win column after four consecutive defeats, while the Spartans will be looking to capture their fifth win in seven games. Thursday evening has been designated as a "black out," as fans are encouraged to wear black to the game.
MSU is receiving votes in both polls and has been ranked as high as No. 18 this season. RU is presently No. 92 in the ESPN Daily RPI with its strength of schedule rated 16th nationally, while Michigan State is No. 42 with its schedule tabbed 17th.
Tuesday evening's game will be televised live nationally on BTN with Jason Horowitz calling the action and Jim Jackson providing the analysis. On the radio, the contest will be broadcast live on the Rutgers IMG Sports Network, WOR 710 AM in New York 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.
The game will mark the second meeting on the collegiate hardwood between RU and MSU, with the Spartans winning the prior match-up, 81-71, on Dec. 19, 1970 at the Lobo Classic in Albuquerque, N.M.
Despite 19 points from senior forward Kadeem Jack on 8-of-12 shooting, Rutgers fell, 79-51, to Penn State on Saturday afternoon at the Bryce Jordan Center. The Nittany Lions shot 50 percent (10-of-20) from behind the arc to capture the victory. PSU made 50.0 percent (29-of-57) of its field goal attempts, while the Scarlet Knights shot 43.8 percent (21-of-48). The home squad also established a 32-28 advantage on the glass.
Michigan State, under the direction of 20th-year head coach Tom Izzo, dropped a 79-77 decision at Nebraska on Saturday. MSU's Travis Trice scored 23 of his 27 points in the second half and Denzel Valentine added 21 points, while Branden Dawson tied a career-high with 18 rebounds. The Spartans established a 48-26 rebounding advantage, including 24-5 on the offensive end, but committed 16 turnovers. Michigan State ranks fourth nationally in assists (17.6), 14th in rebound margin (8.4) and 17th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.42).
Rutgers head coach Eddie Jordan and Izzo both played guard in college from 1973-77. Jordan earned honorable mention All-America honors for the Scarlet Knights as a senior, while Izzo was a Division II All-American at Northern Michigan. Jordan is one day older than Izzo, born on Jan. 29, 1955.
