24/25 RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS (14-4, 5-2) AT 19/19 IOWA HAWKEYES (13-5, 4-3)
Wednesday, January 22, 2020 | 9 p.m. (ET)
Carver Hawkeye Arena (15,000) | Iowa City, Iowa
TV: BTN (Jeff Levering, play-by-play; Stephen Bardo, analyst)
Radio: Rutgers Sports Properties Radio Network (WCTC 1450 AM/WOR 710 AM/XM 384; Jerry Recco & Joe Boylan); WRSU 88.7 FM (Raj Shah and Justin Sontupe)
Series Record: Iowa leads 6-2
Last Meeting: Rutgers 86, No. 22/21 Iowa 72 (March 2, 2019)
OPENING TIP: Nationally ranked for the first time in 41 years, No. 24/25 Rutgers travels to No. 19 Iowa Wednesday for a 9 p.m. tip-off. It marks the first time Rutgers plays in a game between two ranked teams since No. 18 RU dropped a 67-65 decision to No. 17 St. John's in the 1979 NCAA Sweet 16. A victory over the Hawkeyes tops last season's win total and provides Rutgers its most regular season victories since 2009-10. The match-up pits Iowa's Big Ten-leading scoring offense (79.9) against RU's league-best scoring defense (58.7).
Rutgers is 2-1 against ranked teams and has won three of its last four games against Top 25 foes dating back to last year. All three victories have been by double-digits.
The Scarlet Knights have held opponents to 65 points or fewer in nine straight games (eight victories) for the first time since 1949-50. Foes are shooting 33.5% and 25.8% from 3-point distance during the stretch to average 54.3 points, while also being out-rebounded by a 10.3 margin.
Ranked third nationally in momentum per Haslametrics, RU plays 11 of its final 13 regular season games (85%) against opponents ranked or receiving votes. The Scarlet Knights' remaining schedule ranks sixth in difficulty per ESPN's BPI.
The Scarlet Knights defeated Minnesota 64-56 at the RAC on Sunday to provide
Steve Pikiell the 250th victory of his head coaching career.
THE OPPONENT: Iowa is 8-1 at home with its lone loss on Nov. 11 in Gavitt Games. The Hawkeyes' Luke Garza (22.9) and Joe Wieskamp (14.8) are the nation's sixth-best scoring duo, combining to average 37.7 points. The reigning Big Ten Player of the Week, Garza leads the Big Ten and is sixth nationally in scoring (22.9). Iowa paces the Conference in assist/turnover ratio, as Connor McCaffrey's 4.13 mark is second nationally.
THE SERIES: Wednesday marks the series' eighth meeting, with Iowa holding a 6-2 advantage. The Scarlet Knights have won two of the last three contests. Last season, RU claimed a 14-point win in Iowa City behind a career-high 27 points from
Ron Harper Jr., the Scarlet Knights' greatest margin of victory on the road against a ranked foe in program history.
RATED RUTGERS
Haslametrics: 11
RPI: 15
NCAA NET: 18
Jeff Goodman Top 25: 20
Andy Katz Power 36: 22
Seth Davis Top 25: 23
Associated Press Top 25: 24
Ken Pomeroy: 24
USA Today Coaches Top 25: 25
CBS Sports Top 25 and 1: 25
Rothstein 45: 27
Jeff Sagarin: 27
ESPN BPI: 36
Through 1/20/20 games
HEAD COACH STEVE PIKIELL
Overall Record (years): 250-214 (15th)
Rutgers Record (years): 58-58 (4th)
Record vs. Iowa (RU): 2-3
Record vs. Iowa (overall): 2-4
SCARLET KNIGHT NOTABLES
- Off to its best home start (13-0) in program history Rutgers has a +18.2 scoring margin, a +11.5 rebounding advantage and has limited visitors to .351 shooting at the RAC.
- Rutgers is three games over .500 in league play for the first time since 1998-99.
- Rutgers is undefeated when scoring 37 or more points in the paint (10-0) and when scoring 15 or more fast break points (8-0).
- Rutgers is fifth nationally in FG% defense (36.4), 7th in scoring defense (58.7), 9th in rebounding (41.50), 13th in rebound margin (+8.6), 25th in scoring margin (+12.3) and 30th in blocks (4.9).
- Myles Johnson is 6th nationally in FG% (.679) and 14th nationally in offensive rebound percentage (16.2).
- Akwasi Yeboah ranks 47th among active NCAA players in career points (1,478) and 53rd in rebounds (646).
- Rutgers is a young squad, ranking 246th in experience per Pomeroy. The starting lineup for the last three games featured four sophomores.
- Rutgers' 12-3 start was its best through 15 games since the 1975-76 undefeated regular season.
- The Scarlet Knights last began league play with a 3-1 record as a member of the Atlantic 10 in 1994-95 (4-1).
- RU's 20-point win over No. 22 Seton Hall on Dec. 14 was its largest margin of victory over a ranked foe in program history.
- RU has claimed multiple ranked victories in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 2001-02 and 2002-03 campaigns.
- After five sell-outs in 2018-19, its most since 2004-05 (7), Rutgers welcomed 8,329 fans vs. Seton Hall, its largest crowd in 18 seasons. RU has five sell-outs overall, including four-straight for the first time since 2000.
- 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.
QUOTABLE
"We have to do a great job preparing for them. They have a lot of great players. They have a great offense. they score points against everybody. That will be a challenge. We need to do a great job of team defense. We'll have to be locked in. Iowa has a lot of weapons. We'll need to play good basketball on the road against them. It will be a huge battle going there.
- Rutgers Head Coach
Steve Pikiell
"Steve Pikiell is a really good coach. He's been doing this for a long time and knows what he's doing. I think he came in with a plan and wanted to build it the right way. Wasn't trying to do it very quickly. He got the guys he wanted to play the way he wants to play, and he's got a group that's buying into what he's teaching. I think they found a home now in terms of being able to recruit to a Big Ten program. A little bit unique being back east for that, but they've got a great home court advantage. Nice facility. They upgraded. Their athletic director has done a great job raising money and getting some facility upgrades for them, so it's all happening together."
- Iowa Head Coach Fran McCaffery
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