RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS (5-2) AT #12 WISCONSIN BADGERS (7-1)
Monday, Dec. 3, 2018 | 8 p.m. ET
Kohl Center (17,230) | Madison, Wisc.
 
TV: BTN (Brian Anderson, play-by-play & Stephen Bardo, analyst)
Radio: Rutgers IMG Sports Network (WCTC 1450 AM/WOR 710 AM/Sirius 108/XM 196) (Jerry Recco & Joe Boylan) and WRSU 88.7 FM (Sam Marsdale & Matt Howe)
 
Series Record: Wisconsin leads 6-2
Last Meeting: Rutgers 64, Wisconsin 60 (Jan. 5, 2018 at The RAC)
 
OPENING TIP: Rutgers travels to No. 12 Wisconsin on Monday for its first Big Ten road game of the season and third game in six days (two on the road) against teams ranked or receiving votes. RU has the opportunity to earn its first ranked victory since defeating No. 15 Seton Hall at the RAC last season and first ranked win on the road since downing No. 13 Pittsburgh on Jan. 26, 2008.
 
Rutgers will be working to return to the win column following a 78-67 loss to No. 9/8 Michigan State in front of a sold-out RAC on Friday evening. Eugene Omoruyi had a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds and ranks ninth nationally with four double-doubles this season. RU held MSU 10 points below its average and committed a season-low seven turnovers in the first November sell out at the RAC since Princeton on Nov. 22, 1997.
 
THE SERIES: The contest signals the ninth meeting between the Scarlet Knights and Badgers dating back to 1949 with Wisconsin holding a 6-2 advantage. Rutgers' two victories both came at home since joining the Big Ten. In the last meeting, Rutgers earned a 64-60 win at The RAC last season, forcing All-American Ethan Happ into seven turnovers. Rutgers' win over No. 4 Wisconsin at home on Jan. 11, 2015 was its last win over a top-ten foe and highest ranked victory in program history. This is RU's third trip to the Kohl Center, with UW winning the prior contests.
 
THE OPPONENT: Wisconsin is 7-1, with the lone loss coming to No. 4 Virginia. The Badgers defeated No. 14 Iowa Friday night in its Big Ten opener and also own wins over Xavier, Stanford, Oklahoma and N.C. State. UW's five wins over Power Five Conference teams are the most in the nation.
 
2017 All-American Ethan Happ and D'Mitrik Trice share the team lead with 17.4 points-per-game. Trice is the Big Ten's leading 3-point shooter (58.3%), while Happ is second in the Big Ten and fourth nationally in rebounding (11.6). Happ leads the nation with seven double-doubles. Wisconsin is first in the Big Ten in 3-point FG% (42.1).
 
Wisconsin is ranked sixth in the NCAA's NET rankings, and is the nation's number 11 team per KenPom.com analysis. Since the 2001-02 season when Greg Gard first joined the staff, the Badgers have compiled a 252-37 (.872) record at the Kohl Center. Over the last 15 seasons, UW is 124-24 (.838) in Big Ten home games, the best mark in the conference.
 
COACHING COMPARISON
Rutgers Head Coach Steve Pikiell
Overall Record (years)                   225-196 (14th)
Rutgers Record (years)                  35-39 (3rd)
Record vs. Wisconsin (RU)            1-2
Record vs. Wisconsin (overall)     1-2
 
Wisconsin Head Coach Greg Gard
Overall Record (years)                   64-37 (4th)
Wisconsin Record (years)              64-37 (4th)
Record vs. RU (Wisconsin)            3-1
Record vs. RU (overall)                  3-1
 
SCARLET KNIGHT NOTABLES

• Per KenPom.com analysis, Rutgers is among the nation's youngest teams with 1.18 years of experience to rank 311th nationally out of 353 D-I programs.
• Rutgers ranks 19th nationally in scoring defense (59.6), 19th in blocked shots (5.6) and 38th in FG% defense (38.3). RU is among the top five in the Big Ten in seven stat categories, including second in blocked shots (5.6) and third in rebounding (41.1) and scoring defense (59.6).
• Seventeen of Rutgers' 30 regular season games (57%) are against opponents currently ranked or receiving votes in the polls. Five Big Ten programs that have won NCAA titles will compete in Piscataway, including five-time champion Indiana.
• Eugene Omoruyi has four double-doubles through seven contests, ranking ninth in the nation.
• Eugene Omoruyi's 17 rebounds vs. BU marked the most for a Rutgers player since Adrian Hill grabbed 18 versus Notre Dame on March 3, 2007, a span of 12 seasons.
• Against Eastern Michigan, Rutgers allowed 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 analysis, Rutgers is among the nation's tallest teams with an average height of 79.0" to rank fifth behind UCLA (79.3"), Syracuse (79.3"), Stanford (79.2") and Siena (79.2").