Photo by: (Ben Solomon/Rutgers Athletics)
Men’s Hoops Named Most Improved Team by Sports Illustrated
Apr 13 | Men's Basketball
PISCATAWAY - 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 KenPom.com rankings since the season's initial rating, best among all Power 6 conference programs.
Projected to finish 14th in the preseason, Rutgers tied for 10th in the Big Ten standings. Sixty-one percent (19/31) of RU's games were against opponents that earned 2019 NCAA Championship (15) or National Invitation Tournament (4) berths. The Scarlet Knights met the challenge with 1.05 years of experience to rank 330th nationally out of 353 D-I programs in roster experience.
Rutgers' seven league victories was its most in conference play in 13 years, since also winning seven in Big East competition in 2005-06. Via the wins over No. 16 Ohio State and at No. 22 Iowa, the Scarlet Knights earned victories over two ranked league opponents for the first time since 2007-08, when RU downed No. 18 Villanova and No. 13 Pittsburgh consecutively in Big East play.
Stemming from the progress, Rutgers experienced five sell-outs at the RAC, its most since 2004-05 (7). Average attendance improved 31.1% from 2017-18. RU ranked 65th nationally in percent of capacity (78%) out of 353 D-I programs after placing 232nd in 2017-18 (59.49%).
The Scarlet Knights will return 90% of their scoring and 84% of their rebounding in 2019-20. Of the players with the top eight scoring averages on the team, four were freshmen and two sophomores, with all eight returning in 2019-20.
RU also welcomes junior guard Jacob Young and freshman ball-handler Paul Mulcahy to the hardwood. A transfer from Texas with NCAA Tournament experience who was a consensus four-star recruit, Young will be eligible to compete after redshirting in 2018-19. Mulcahy averaged 18.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 10.1 assists-per-game for Gill St. Bernard's High School to become the first New Jersey boy's player to average a triple-double since 1992-93.
Follow Rutgers men's basketball on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersMBB), Twitter (www.twitter.com/RutgersMBB) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/RutgersMBB) for additional news and updates.
Projected to finish 14th in the preseason, Rutgers tied for 10th in the Big Ten standings. Sixty-one percent (19/31) of RU's games were against opponents that earned 2019 NCAA Championship (15) or National Invitation Tournament (4) berths. The Scarlet Knights met the challenge with 1.05 years of experience to rank 330th nationally out of 353 D-I programs in roster experience.
Rutgers' seven league victories was its most in conference play in 13 years, since also winning seven in Big East competition in 2005-06. Via the wins over No. 16 Ohio State and at No. 22 Iowa, the Scarlet Knights earned victories over two ranked league opponents for the first time since 2007-08, when RU downed No. 18 Villanova and No. 13 Pittsburgh consecutively in Big East play.
Stemming from the progress, Rutgers experienced five sell-outs at the RAC, its most since 2004-05 (7). Average attendance improved 31.1% from 2017-18. RU ranked 65th nationally in percent of capacity (78%) out of 353 D-I programs after placing 232nd in 2017-18 (59.49%).
The Scarlet Knights will return 90% of their scoring and 84% of their rebounding in 2019-20. Of the players with the top eight scoring averages on the team, four were freshmen and two sophomores, with all eight returning in 2019-20.
RU also welcomes junior guard Jacob Young and freshman ball-handler Paul Mulcahy to the hardwood. A transfer from Texas with NCAA Tournament experience who was a consensus four-star recruit, Young will be eligible to compete after redshirting in 2018-19. Mulcahy averaged 18.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 10.1 assists-per-game for Gill St. Bernard's High School to become the first New Jersey boy's player to average a triple-double since 1992-93.
Follow Rutgers men's basketball on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersMBB), Twitter (www.twitter.com/RutgersMBB) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/RutgersMBB) for additional news and updates.
Players Mentioned
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