Saturday, November 27, 2021 | 2:00 p.m.
Mullins Center | Amherst, Mass
TV: NBCSports.com, NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBC Sports Chicago and SNY (PxP: Ahmed Fareed Color: Corey Robinson)
Radio: Rutgers Sports Properties Radio Network (WCTC 1450 AM/WOR 710 AM; PXP: Jerry Recco and Color: Austin Johnson)
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Rutgers men's basketball is back in action and ready to take on the UMass Minutemen at 2:00 p.m. at the Mullins Center on Saturday.
The Scarlet Knights have lost their last two games by a combined five points after a defeat to Lafayette on a game-winning shot at Jersey Mike's Arena on Monday night. The Leopards shocked RU 53-51 following a three-pointer from the wing by forward Kyle Jenkins with two seconds remaining on the clock.
Rutgers and head coach
Steve Pikiell will look to right the ship in their second road game of the season in Amherst, Mass. this weekend.
UMass last time out
UMass (4-3) defeated UMass Lowell 92-81 on Thanksgiving eve with an effort where six players scored in double digits. Sophomore guard Javohn Garcia led the way with season-highs of 18 points and 30 minutes played.
UMass was without it's best player in junior guard Noah Fernandes. Fernandes was absent due to a leg injury and Garcia took advantage his newly found minutes with five boards and four assists.
The Minutemen shocked Penn State 81-56 earlier this season in it's last home against a Big Ten team on Monday, Nov. 15. The victory against the Nittany Lions marked the Minutemen's first win against a Big Ten opponent since a Nov. 21, 2013 win over Nebraska.
When healthy, Fernandes has been the go-to player for the Minutemen all season and set new career-highs in consecutive games against Weber State on Nov. 18 (21 points) and University of North Carolina Greensboro on Nov. 19 (25 points). The Scarlet Knights will have to be ready for both a heavy dose of Fernandes, or Garcia on Saturday.
"We needed [Garcia]," UMass head coach Matt McCall said in his postgame press conference on Wednesday night. "We lost 15 points per game with not having Noah [Fernandes] out there and Javohn stepped up. He was so steady, he didn't turn the ball over."
McCall said following the game that he is "optimistic" that Fernandes will play against RU.
Scouting UMass
The Scarlet Knights can look to try and force Fernandes to take tough shots on Saturday for success on the defense end. Fernandes is shooting over 46% from the field, but only 26% from three-point range on the season. The upperclassmen is one of the Atlantic 10's best distributors and ranked fourth in the conference in assist to turnover-ratio (2.19) in 2020-21.
The Minutemen ranked third the A-10 in assist per game with 14.9 in 2020-21, led by Fernandes' 4.4.
UMass welcomed in six transfers to the roster for 2021-22. The group of newcomers features five upperclassmen. Graduate student forward Trent Buttrick has been the leading-scorer for the Minutemen so far this season averaging 15.1 points-per-game. He transferred over from Penn State in the offseason and scored 19 points with nine rebounds in the victory over his former team.
The Minutemen have three more upperclassmen all averaging double-digit points-per-game in junior guard C.J. Kelly (12.5 points), graduate student guard Rich Kelly (11.4) and senior forward Michael Steadman (10.0).
UMass is undefeated at home this season and is outscoring its opponents by a combined 30 points at the Mullins Center so far.
The Minutemen had the top offense in the Atlantic 10 in 2020-21 with an average of 76.7 points-per-game.
What to watch for
Rutgers will need to get things going of the offensive side of the ball in Saturday's matchup against UMass. Pikiell has been happy with the looks from the RU offense, but knows that the Scarlet Knights need to start knocking down open shots.
RU shot an uncharacteristic 4-for-26 from three-point range in the game against Lafayette.
Key quote from the head coach
"We have to figure out a way to keep improving," Pikiell said on Monday night. "I thought we had really good looks, I'll watch the tape. But we certainly can't shoot that percentage from three when you get open looks. But we'll continue to plug away. I think a lot of pride, and getting better always as a team, we certainly have to. But we'll continue to fight."
History against UMass
Rutgers defeated the Minutemen 82-57 in the last matchup between the two teams on Nov. 29, 2019 at home.
Three players on the current roster had big games that night.
Geo Baker had 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, while
Ron Harper Jr. contributed 15 points, making 5-of-10 field goal attempts.
Caleb McConnell added 10 points to spark a 53.4 percent (31-of-58) shooting performance highlighted by nine slam dunks, including seven in the second half.
Rutgers is (29-20) against UMass in the school's history and has won the last two games against the Minutemen.
Top Rutgers performers of late
Ron Harper Jr. snapped his double-double streak of four games to start the season after scoring 13 points and adding 5 rebounds on Monday night against Lafayette.
Center Cliff Omoruyi was a bright spot for against the Leopards as he scored 14 points and fell one rebound shy of a double-double.
Fellow starter Paul Mulcahy had 10 points, six rebounds and three assists. Forward Aundre Hyatt scored six points for the Scarlet Knights in his first start of the season.
Up next
The Scarlet Knights will return to Jersey Mike's Arena on Tuesday night to take on a familiar opponent in the Clemson Tigers at 9:00 p.m. on ESPN2. RU of course beat Clemson 60-56 last March in the 2020-21 NCAA Tournament to give the program it's first victory in the big dance since 1983.
