INDIANA HOOSIERS (12-8, 3-6) AT RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS (10-9, 3-6)
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 30, 2019 | 7 P.M.
THE RAC (8,000) | PISCATAWAY, NJ
 
TV: BTN (Kevin Kugler, play-by-play & Jon Crispin, analyst)
Radio: Rutgers IMG Sports Network (WCTC 1450 AM/WOR 710 AM/XM 390) (Chris Carlin & Joe Boylan); WRSU 88.7 FM (Jake Ostrove & Sam Marsdale)
 
Series Record: Indiana leads 6-1
Last Meeting: Rutgers 76, Indiana 69 (March 1, 2018 at Madison Square Garden)
 
PROMOTIONS: Greek Life Game; Rutgers against Hunger Food Drive; Halftime baby races.
 
OPENING TIP: Rutgers seeks its first three-game winning streak in Big Ten Conference play when it welcomes five-time national champion Indiana for a 7 p.m. tip-off on Wednesday. The Hoosiers have been nationally-ranked for six weeks this season, but arrive in Piscataway having lost six straight, their longest skid since 2010-11. The Scarlet Knights have won two of their last three at home. Rutgers and Indiana are tied for ninth, along with Nebraska and Northwestern, with 3-6 league records.
 
Rutgers is coming off a 64-60 win at Penn State on Saturday afternoon. RU made nine of 12 free throws in the final minutes to earn its second Big Ten road victory under head coach Steve Pikiell. Sophomore guard Geo Baker scored 20 points in a hard-fought contest that featured seven ties and eight lead changes in the second half. RU out-rebounded the Nittany Lions by a 41-39 margin to out-score the hosts 24-20 in the paint, while benefiting 15-8 in second chance points.
 
Rutgers' starting backcourt of Baker and freshman Montez Mathis has averaged 33.5 points over the last two games. Mathis has scored in double-figures in six of his last seven games, while Baker has reached that mark in six straight games and in 16 of 19 games overall this season.
 
THE SERIES: Wednesday marks the eighth meeting between RU and IU dating back to 1980, with the Hoosiers holding a 6-1 advantage and a 3-0 mark at the RAC. In the last meeting, however, Rutgers overcame a 16-point deficit to defeat the Hoosiers 76-69 at Madison Square Garden in the second round of the 2018 Big Ten Tournament. It stands as the largest comeback victory for the Scarlet Knights under Pikiell. Corey Sanders scored 28 points, while Deshawn Freeman and Geo Baker contributed 15 and 14, respectively.
 
THE OPPONENT: Indiana is 41st in the NCAA NET ratings and joins Kansas and Michigan State as the only teams to play 11 Quadrant 1 games. Senior forward Juwan Morgan and freshman guard Romeo Langford are among 50 candidates for the Naismith Trophy, while Langford is one of 20 NABC Player of the Year contenders and one of 25 Wooden Award candidates. Langford is the Big Ten's top freshman scorer (17.2) and has been named the league's freshman of the week four times. The Hoosiers are 24^th nationally and second in the Big Ten in FG% (48.6).
 
COACHING COMPARISON
Rutgers Head Coach Steve Pikiell
Overall Record (years): 232-202 (14th)
Rutgers Record (years): 40-46 (3rd)
Record vs. Indiana (RU): 1-2
Record vs. Indiana (overall): 1-4
 
Indiana Head Coach Archie Miller
Overall Record (years): 167–84 (8th)
Indiana Record (years): 28–22 (2^nd)
Record vs. RU (Indiana): 1-1
Record vs. RU (Overall): 1-1

SCARLET KNIGHT NOTABLES

• Per KenPom.com analysis, Rutgers' strength of schedule ranks 24th nationally. RU has played five of the top six teams in the league standings. The Scarlet Knights have one ranked victory (No. 16 Ohio State), as well as two wins over opponents receiving votes (Miami, Nebraska)
• Rutgers ranks 21st nationally in offensive rebounds (13.26) and 33rd in total rebounds (39.42). RU leads the Big Ten in offensive boards, and is second in total rebounds.
• Per KenPom.com analysis, Rutgers is among the nation's youngest teams with 1.12 years of experience to rank 321^st nationally out of 353 Division I programs. RU is also one of the nation's tallest teams with an average height of 78.9" to rank sixth in D-I.
• Rutgers has experienced ticket growth each season under the leadership of head coach Steve Pikiell. Season ticket sales have increased 7% over 2017-18 and average attendance through 12 games has improved 27% from last year.
• Rutgers had sellouts vs. No. 8 Michigan State (Nov. 30) and Maryland (Jan. 5), and has announced another vs. No. 5 Michigan (Feb. 5). It marks the first time in 14 seasons that RU has three or more home sell-outs this early in its calendar schedule.
• 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 D-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 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.

QUOTABLE

"Indiana is a storied program. They're athletic. Archie Miller is a great coach. They play hard. They create matchup problems. They have a lot of good players. It's going to be a war. I really hope that the RAC is jumping. It's been great, our fans have come out. We want to make this a tough place to play. We want to make the RAC a place that's jumping, and hopefully it is on Wednesday."

- Rutgers Head Coach Steve Pikiell







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