Boston University Terriers (3-3) at Rutgers Scarlet Knights (3-1)
Friday, Nov. 23, 2018 | 2 p.m. ET
The RAC (8,000) | Piscataway, N.J.

TV: BTN Plus (Ralph Bednarczyk, play-by-play; Danny Breslauer, analyst)
Radio: Rutgers IMG Sports Network (WCTC 1450 AM/WOR 710 AM), XM 386 (Jerry Recco & Joe Boylan) and WRSU 88.7 FM (Justin Sontupe & Chris Tsakonas)

Series Record: Rutgers leads 13-5
Last Meeting: Rutgers 81-79 (Nov. 20, 2012 at the RAC)

PROMOTION(S): Black Friday Deal - Buy One Ticket, Get One Free; Thanksgiving at the RAC: Students Can Bring up to 2 Free Guests; Halftime SAAC Teddy Bear Toss.

OPENING TIP: Rutgers hosts Boston University on Friday afternoon in the final of four games at the RAC in the Hub City Classic. The Scarlet Knights will work to improve upon their 21-4 record in non-conference home games and 14-3 mark in November under Steve Pikiell.

Rutgers tied the NCAA Division I defensive record by limiting MAC West Division favorite Eastern Michigan to just four first half points in a 63-36 victory Monday night at the RAC. The Scarlet Knights restricted the Eagles to 27.8% (15-of-54) shooting to tie the school record for fewest points by a D-I opponent in the shot clock era. Geo Baker was 7-of-9 shooting, including 6-of-8 from behind the arc, to score a game-high 20 points. The Scarlet Knights dished-out 20 assists on 24 field goals.

THE SERIES: Rutgers and Boston University have meet 18 times, with the Scarlet Knights owning a 13-5 advantage in the series. RU won the last meeting, 81-79 at the RAC on Nov. 20, 2012. Eli Carter led RU with 20 points on the day it was announced that Rutgers would join the Big Ten Conference. It marked the first time the two teams had met since 1972. 14 of the 18 match-ups occurred between 1959 and 1972. The Scarlet Knights are 9-1 all-time at home against the Terriers.

THE OPPONENT: BU was projected fourth in the Patriot League preseason poll. The Terriers return four starters despite being a young team with just one senior. BU is in the midst of six consecutive road games and coming off an 86-67 loss at Drexel on Wednesday afternoon. Three players average double figures the Terriers, including junior forward and Basking Ridge native Max Mahoney with a team-best 15.8 mark.

Pikiell faced BU 18 times as head coach at Stony Brook when both teams competed in the America East.

CONNECTIONS: Rutgers play-by-play man Jerry Recco served as Columbia's radio voice for four seasons (2006-10) during BU head coach Joe Jones' tenure directing the Lions.

COACHING COMPARISON
Rutgers Head Coach Steve Pikiell
Overall Record (years)............... 224-194 (14th)
Rutgers Record (years).................... 33-38 (3rd)
Record vs. BU (RU)..................................... 0-0
Record vs. BU (overall).............................. 7-11

Boston University Head Coach Joe Jones
Overall Record (years)............... 211-211 (15th)
BU Record (years)....................... 125-105 (8th)
Record vs. RU (BU)..................................... 0-1
Record vs. RU (overall)................................ 0-1

SCARLET KNIGHT NOTABLES

• Per KenPom.com roster analysis, Rutgers is among the nation's youngest teams with 1.12 years of experience to rank 321st nationally and 13th in the Big Ten. Utilizing the metric, RU will have less collegiate game experience in 28 of 30 (Boston U., 0.85/340; Maryland, 0.70/349) of its regular season games.
• Rutgers leads the Big Ten in 3-point FG% (44.8) and is second in blocks (6.8), while ranking 11th nationally in both. RU is among the top five in the Conference in 11 stat categories, including second in assists (18.3; 27th nationally). The last time Rutgers concluded a season ranked among the top 50 in 3-point FG% was 1999-00 (.373; 42nd).
• Fifteen of Rutgers' 30 regular season games (50%) are against opponents currently ranked or receiving votes in the polls. The latest AP poll has nine Big Ten teams among the nation's top 28. Five Big Ten programs that have won NCAA men's basketball titles will compete in Piscataway, including five-time champion Indiana.
• Against Eastern Michigan, Rutgers allowed just four points in the opening half to tie the NCAA Division I record for fewest points allowed in a half during the shot clock era (since 1985-86). The 36 points allowed also tied the school record, matching the defensive effort against Columbia (60-36) on Nov. 18, 2002 in the preseason NIT at the RAC.
• In the shot clock era, Rutgers has held an opponent under 40 points eight times. Steve Pikiell has been the head coach in four of those contests.
• Per KenPom.com roster analysis, Rutgers is among the nation's tallest teams with an average height of 79.0" to rank fifth nationally behind UCLA (79.5"), Syracuse (79.3"), Stanford (79.2") and New Mexico (79.2").