Wisconsin Badgers (5-4, 1-0 Big Ten) at Rutgers Scarlet Knights (6-3, 0-1 Big Ten)
Wednesday, December 11, 2019 | 7 p.m. (ET)
The RAC (8,000) | Piscataway, N.J.
TV: BTN (Brandon Gaudin, play-by-play, Stephen Bardo, analyst)
Radio: Rutgers Sports Properties Radio Network (WCTC 1450 AM/WOR 710 AM/SiriusXM 372; Jerry Recco & Joe Boylan); WRSU 88.7 FM (Jake Ostrove & Raj Shah)
Series Record: Wisconsin leads 7-2
Last Meeting: Wisconsin 69, Rutgers 64 (Dec. 3, 2018 in Madison, Wisc.)
OPENING TIP: Working to improve to 7-0 at home, Rutgers welcomes Wisconsin to the RAC on Wednesday for its Big Ten home opener. The Scarlet Knights will wear retro uniforms and warm-ups that throwback to the 1970's, including RU's 1976 undefeated regular season and Final Four run. It marks the first of two matchups against the Badgers this season, with the second taking place Feb. 23 at the Kohl Center.
Rutgers is coming off a 77-65 loss at No. 11/12 Michigan State on Sunday evening. RU held a first half lead and battled to within one point on multiple occasions after the break, but was unable to hold off the Spartans.
Akwasi Yeboah scored a season-high 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Michigan State made 22 free throws (22-of-27) and were the first opponent to out-rebound the Scarlet Knights (40-32) this season.
PROMOTIONS: Faculty/Staff Knight. Student Section T-Shirts.
THE OPPONENT: Under 5th-year head coach Greg Gard, Wisconsin earned an 84-64 home win over previously undefeated Indiana on Saturday. The Badgers are looking for their first road win of the season. Nate Reuvers ranks sixth in the Big Ten in scoring (15.4) and third in blocks (2.56). Kobe King had a career-best 24 points against the Hoosiers and provides 12.1 points-per-game. Since 2001-02, Wisconsin owns the best win percentage and most wins among Big Ten teams, posting a mark of 218-97 (.692). UW is the only team to clinch a top-four finish in the Big Ten in 17 of the last 18 seasons.
THE SERIES: Rutgers and Wisconsin meet for the 10th time, with Wisconsin winning seven of the first nine matchups. Since joining the Big Ten, the Scarlet Knights have won twice in six meetings, and are 2-0 against the Badgers at the RAC. In UW's last visit on Jan. 5, 2018, RU earned a 64-60 victory. With the game tied and two minutes remaining, Rutgers went on a 9-2 run to ensure the win. RU had just six turnovers, a program record for fewest in a Big Ten game since joining the conference. In 2015, Rutgers downed No. 4 Wisconsin 67-62 for the highest-ranked victory in program history. Myles Mack scored 21 points and Kadeem Jack added 20 points to deal the Badgers one of their four losses during their national finalist campaign.
HEAD COACH STEVE PIKIELL
| Overall Record (years) |
242-213 (15th) |
| Rutgers Record (years) |
50-57 (4th) |
| Record vs. Wisconsin (RU) |
1-3 |
| Record vs. Wisconsin (overall) |
1-3 |
SCARLET KNIGHT NOTABLES
- Rutgers is undefeated at home (6-0), when shooting a better percentage than its opponent (5-0), and when limiting foes to less than 60 points (5-0).
- Rutgers remains a young squad, ranking 235th nationally in experience per Pomeroy. The starting lineup has featured one junior and four sophomores.
- Rutgers announced the signings of 6-7 F Mawot Mag, 6-8 F Oskar Palmquist and 6-10 F Dean Reiber.
- Rutgers entered the Fall 2019 semester with a 3.06 cumulative team GPA.
- Rutgers is second in the Big Ten in steals (6.9), and turnovers forced (15.0), fourth in FG% defense (39.2), and fifth in blocks (5.1) and scoring defense (63.0).
- Rutgers ranks 32nd nationally in blocks (5.1) and 43rd in rebounding margin (+6.8).
- Geo Baker is 4th in the Big Ten in steals (1.56) and 6th in assists (4.3).
- Paul Mulcahy is 3rd in the Big Ten in assist/turnover ratio (2.75).
- Myles Johnson is second in the Big Ten in FG% (69.6), 7th in offensive rebounds (2.67), 9th in blocks (1.56) and 10th in rebounds (7.7).
- Montez Mathis is third in the Big Ten in steals (1.6).
- Rutgers was named the Most Improved Team of the 2018-19 season by Sports Illustrated in its year-end awards. The Scarlet Knights improved 70 positions in the Pomeroy ratings since the season's initial rating, best among all power conference programs.
- Rutgers was among the approximately 30,000 individuals who joined in the 18th annual Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk on Sept. 29. It marked the third consecutive year the team has participated in the event, with proceeds benefitting first responders and catastrophically injured service members. Under Steve Pikiell, RU has maintained 100 percent team participation in Leadership Development and Strategic Partnerships community service initiatives.
- Rutgers posted a 4-0 record against professional club teams during a tour of Spain in August. RU outscored its opponents 387-284 and had five players with double figure scoring averages.
- Of Rutgers' 11 scholarship players, 10 are 6'4 or above and seven are 6'6 or taller.
Follow Rutgers men's basketball on
Facebook,
Twitter and
Instagram for additional news and updates.
