PISCATAWAY, N.J. - It has been a longer than usual offseason, one that's been anything but ordinary. But finally, Rutgers basketball resumes on Wednesday night at The RAC.
When we last saw this team play, the Scarlet Knights were looking to cap a historic campaign with a much anticipated postseason appearance. On March 12, Rutgers had just completed its first twenty-win regular season in 37 years and was about to take the court for a Big Ten Tournament game against Michigan when the sports world was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A long shutdown followed in the interest of health and safety. Slowly and carefully, basketball returned 'On the Banks'. With many obstacles still being battled every day, the Scarlet Knights are eager to tip off this season and get a bit of normalcy back.
Things will look different this year on and off the court. This season, RU enters the season with raised expectations. After being pegged 12th in the Big Ten preseason media poll last preseason, Rutgers blew those expectations out of the water to tie for fifth in the league. This time, RU was picked fifth by the league's media voters in the preseason, and are nationally ranked for the first preseason in 41 years.
The atmosphere of this season will be unique, and challenges will be many. Last season, Rutgers Nation packed The RAC, with a program record 10 sellouts creating an incredibly difficult environment for visitors, propelling the program to a nation's best 18 home wins last season. When The RAC doors open on Wednesday evening, capacity in the building will be limited to 150 people under current executive orders from the New Jersey Governor's office. And while there will be no fans in the seats, Rutgers Nation will still be represented, with nearly 700 fan cutouts placed in the arena as the fan base continues to stay connected and show its support, albeit virtually. Scarlet Knights fans will no doubt be locked in for the stream on BTN Plus with Lou Brogno and Dominick Savino on the call, or tune in on the radio to Jerry Recco and Joe Boylan to begin their Thanksgiving holiday.
When RU fans tune in from home, they will see many familiar faces, as the Scarlet Knights bring back seven of the top eight scorers from last season, including leading returners
Ron Harper Jr. (12.1 ppg) and
Geo Baker (10.9 ppg). They are also boosted by senior guard
Jacob Young (8.5 ppg), center
Myles Johnson (7.8 ppg / 7.9 rpg) and guard
Montez Mathis (7.4 ppg). Sophomore
Paul Mulcahy looks to ascend in his second year with the program, while
Mamadou Doucoure provides RU with a veteran body in the interior. Rutgers fans' tuning in will also get to see four new freshmen to supplement the lineup. In addition to highly regarded center Cliff Omoruyi, RU welcomes a sharpshooter
Oskar Palmquist, a tough two-way forward in
Mawot Mag and versatile big man in
Dean Reiber.
Under seventh-year head coach Anthony Latina, the Pioneers went 20-13 last season, advancing the NEC semifinals. The team loses its top four scorers from last season, with junior guard Aaron Clarke (8.3 ppg) being the leading returner. The squad was picked 10th in the NEC preseason poll. The Scarlet Knights last faced Sacred Heart in December during their initial Big Ten season. Then-freshman Mike Williams led RU with 22 points while Myles Mack added 19 in a 79-54 win. Rutgers has won all three games in the series, with each coming between 2011 and 2014.
- Watch with a subscription to Big Ten Network+ (Play-by-play: Lou Brogno, Color Analyst: Dom Savino)
- Listen on WCTC 1450 AM / Sirius 135 / SXM 195 / App 957 (Play-by-play: Jerry Recco, Color Analyst: Joe Boylan)
| Date |
Result |
| 11/17/11 |
W, 91-75 |
| 11/12/12 |
W, 88-62 |
| 12/23/14 |
W, 79-54 |
- Last season, the Scarlet Knights were picked 12th in the media's preseason poll. The team continued to out-perform those expectations in a historic season for the program. This season, RU was pegged fifth in the league in the same poll. In addition, the Scarlet Knights will begin the season nationally ranked in the preseason polls, coming in at No. 23 in the Coaches Poll and No. 24 in the AP poll. It marks the first time since 1978 that Rutgers is nationally ranked in the preseason. Numerous national pundits have spotlighted the Scarlet Knights as a team on the rise this season.
- With raised expectations come preseason recognitions. Both Geo Baker and Ron Harper Jr. received recognition this preseason. Baker was named Preseason All-Big Ten and is on the Watch List for the Bob Cousy Award (nation's top point guard). Ron Harper Jr. is on the Julius Erving Award Watch List (nation's top small forward).
- With 11 letterwinners returning, the Scarlet Knights will bring back a large percentage of their production from last season. RU brings back
80% of its scoring, 81 % of its rebounding, 92% of its assists, 84% of its steals and 80% of its blocks. Rutgers is one of just two Power 5 programs to bring back at least 80% of production in each category, and the lone team to reach 80% in all five categories in the Big Ten.
- As social injustices have been prevalent this year, members of the program have been vocal to speak up for change, including in participating in marches for social justice. Another effort that the student-athletes have spearheaded is the creation of a uniform patch for this season. This patch, of which there are five different versions, feature different sayings that the team chose that were meaningful to them.
- This season there will be no fans at the RAC at the outset of the season as Rutgers abides by attendance limits set by the Governor's office. However, there will be fan cutouts populating the seats, with 651 cutouts sold to begin the season.
