Photo by: Matt Kryger
Rutgers Men’s Basketball Returns Home to Take on Familiar Opponent Clemson on Tuesday
Nov 29 | Men's Basketball
Tuesday, November 30, 2021 | 9:00 p.m.
Jersey Mike's Arena | Piscataway, N.J.
TV: ESPN 2 (PxP: Kevin Brown Color: John Crispin)
Radio: Rutgers Sports Properties Radio Network (WCTC 1450 AM/WOR 710 AM; PXP: Chris Carlin and Color: Austin Johnson)
PISTCAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers men's basketball team hosts the Clemson Tigers (5-2) in the ACC/BIG Ten Challenge at Jersey Mike's Arena on Tuesday night on ESPN 2.
Head coach Steve Pikiell will look to right the ship back at home against the Tigers and what better opponent to face than the opponent Rutgers defeated in the 2020-21 NCAA Tournament marking RU's first tournament win since 1983.
The Scarlet Knights have lost their last three games by a combined seven points after a defeat to UMass on a game-winning shot at the Mullins Center on Saturday afternoon. The Minutemen defeated RU 85-83, following a three-pointer from junior guard Noah Fernandes as the time expired.
It's the third-straight game that an opponent has hit a game-winning shot in the final seconds to give the Scarlet Knights their current record of (3-3).
"Clemson is an outstanding defensive team," Pikiell said. "UMass wants to play those games in the 90s and Clemson is comfortable playing those games in the 50s. You have to get out and take something easy in you can get it. It's going to be a war."
Clemson last time out
Clemson University men's basketball dominated Charleston Friday afternoon in a 91-59 win in Littlejohn Coliseum.
The Tigers (5-2) were led by Nick Honor's game-high 17 points and seven assists. Al-Amir Dawes a Newark, N.J. product added 16 points and seven rebounds.
P.J. Hall and Naz Bohannon each scored 10 points.
Clemson scored 20 points in the first 14:40 (1.4 points per minute) of the game and then it scored 71 points in the final 25:20 (2.8 points per minute). The Tigers used a 25-7 run that spanned the end of the opening stanza and beginning of the second.
Clemson scored 54 points in the second half, a new season-high and nearly the most in a second half under Head Coach Brad Brownell.
Clemson dominated the paint – outscoring Charleston Southern 42-16. The Tigers bench also outscored the Buccaneers (2-4) by a 30-28 margin.
"We go from the UMass game to a completely different style in Clemson," Pikiell said. "You got to get ready for a completely different team in two days. We had 11-of-12 stops on defense in the game against Merrimack. The other night we gave up 11 scores in 12 possessions. What team do we want to be? We have shown signs that we can be great defensively."
Scouting Clemson
The Scarlet Knights will have to look to close out on shooters on the perimeter in Tuesday night's game after UMass shot exactly 50 percent from three-point range on Saturday.
Clemson leads the ACC and is third nationally in 3-point shooting at a clip of 44.1 percent (64-for-145). Nick Honor is one of just two players nationally to have a field goal percentage of 55.0 percent, a 50 percent field goal percentage and 30-plus assists on the season so far.
Honor scored a season-high 19 points against. Temple earlier in the season where he padded those numbers and finished 7-for-7 from the field and 4-for-4 from three.
Gallery: (3-20-2021) Men's Basketball Defeats Clemson in NCAA Tournament
What to watch for
RU made school history with the team ball distribution against UMass.
Saturday marked the first time an RU team had 25 assists on the road since 1992 when the Scarlet Knights played St. Bonaventure at the Reilly Center in Feb. of 1992.
25 team assists is the highest total for a Rutgers men's basketball team in a game since the 2011-12 team played UMBC at home in Nov. of 2011. That was one day less that exactly 10 years ago. A Steve Pikiell-coached Rutgers team has never had 25 assists in a single game before this weekend.
Look for Pikiell's team to continue to share the rock in this game with a balanced scoring attack. The Scarlet Knights also had a season-high of six players in double digits on Saturday.
RU saw underclassmen Jaden Jones and Mawot Mag both have season-highs in points scored on Saturday. Both players will continue to be a part of the rotation heading into Big Ten play.
Key quote from the head coach
"I am looking forward to the test that we have against Clemson," Pikiell said. "I am looking forward to our young guys continuing to take steps and getting them ready for the Big Ten schedule that is right around the corner."
History against Clemson
RU is a career (2-1) against the Tigers with the last win coming on the big stage. The Tigers will look to avenge Rutgers sending them home following a 60-56 defeat in the first round of last year's NCAA Tournament.
The No. 10 seeded Scarlet Knights upset the no. 7 seed Tigers. Jacob Young, Geo Baker and Caleb McConnell each led the team with 13 points. Baker had a late basket to ice the victory. McConnell had his second career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Top Rutgers performers of late
Along with Jones and Mag, many other players on the Rutgers offensive side of the ball have been playing as great as ever.
Center Cliff Omoruyi tied his career-high in points for a game (16) and field goals made (seven) on Saturday. Omoruyi shot 7-for-9 from the field and added eight rebounds and one block.
McConnell had career-highs in both assists (nine) and steals (six) on Saturday.
Graduate student Ralph Gonzales-Agee had a season-high of 14 points, his best for the Scarlet Knights in just 13 minutes on the court.
Up next
The Scarlet Knights will head on the road for the first Big Ten matchup of the year against the Fighting Illini of Illinois on Friday at 7 p.m.
Jersey Mike's Arena | Piscataway, N.J.
TV: ESPN 2 (PxP: Kevin Brown Color: John Crispin)
Radio: Rutgers Sports Properties Radio Network (WCTC 1450 AM/WOR 710 AM; PXP: Chris Carlin and Color: Austin Johnson)
PISTCAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers men's basketball team hosts the Clemson Tigers (5-2) in the ACC/BIG Ten Challenge at Jersey Mike's Arena on Tuesday night on ESPN 2.
Head coach Steve Pikiell will look to right the ship back at home against the Tigers and what better opponent to face than the opponent Rutgers defeated in the 2020-21 NCAA Tournament marking RU's first tournament win since 1983.
The Scarlet Knights have lost their last three games by a combined seven points after a defeat to UMass on a game-winning shot at the Mullins Center on Saturday afternoon. The Minutemen defeated RU 85-83, following a three-pointer from junior guard Noah Fernandes as the time expired.
It's the third-straight game that an opponent has hit a game-winning shot in the final seconds to give the Scarlet Knights their current record of (3-3).
"Clemson is an outstanding defensive team," Pikiell said. "UMass wants to play those games in the 90s and Clemson is comfortable playing those games in the 50s. You have to get out and take something easy in you can get it. It's going to be a war."
Back to work. Getting better everyday ⛓#GardenStatement 🛡⚔️ pic.twitter.com/yrE50piwey
— Rutgers Basketball 🏀 (@RutgersMBB) November 29, 2021
Clemson last time out
Clemson University men's basketball dominated Charleston Friday afternoon in a 91-59 win in Littlejohn Coliseum.
The Tigers (5-2) were led by Nick Honor's game-high 17 points and seven assists. Al-Amir Dawes a Newark, N.J. product added 16 points and seven rebounds.
P.J. Hall and Naz Bohannon each scored 10 points.
Clemson scored 20 points in the first 14:40 (1.4 points per minute) of the game and then it scored 71 points in the final 25:20 (2.8 points per minute). The Tigers used a 25-7 run that spanned the end of the opening stanza and beginning of the second.
Clemson scored 54 points in the second half, a new season-high and nearly the most in a second half under Head Coach Brad Brownell.
Clemson dominated the paint – outscoring Charleston Southern 42-16. The Tigers bench also outscored the Buccaneers (2-4) by a 30-28 margin.
"We go from the UMass game to a completely different style in Clemson," Pikiell said. "You got to get ready for a completely different team in two days. We had 11-of-12 stops on defense in the game against Merrimack. The other night we gave up 11 scores in 12 possessions. What team do we want to be? We have shown signs that we can be great defensively."
Scouting Clemson
The Scarlet Knights will have to look to close out on shooters on the perimeter in Tuesday night's game after UMass shot exactly 50 percent from three-point range on Saturday.
Clemson leads the ACC and is third nationally in 3-point shooting at a clip of 44.1 percent (64-for-145). Nick Honor is one of just two players nationally to have a field goal percentage of 55.0 percent, a 50 percent field goal percentage and 30-plus assists on the season so far.
Honor scored a season-high 19 points against. Temple earlier in the season where he padded those numbers and finished 7-for-7 from the field and 4-for-4 from three.
What to watch for
RU made school history with the team ball distribution against UMass.
Saturday marked the first time an RU team had 25 assists on the road since 1992 when the Scarlet Knights played St. Bonaventure at the Reilly Center in Feb. of 1992.
25 team assists is the highest total for a Rutgers men's basketball team in a game since the 2011-12 team played UMBC at home in Nov. of 2011. That was one day less that exactly 10 years ago. A Steve Pikiell-coached Rutgers team has never had 25 assists in a single game before this weekend.
Look for Pikiell's team to continue to share the rock in this game with a balanced scoring attack. The Scarlet Knights also had a season-high of six players in double digits on Saturday.
RU saw underclassmen Jaden Jones and Mawot Mag both have season-highs in points scored on Saturday. Both players will continue to be a part of the rotation heading into Big Ten play.
Key quote from the head coach
"I am looking forward to the test that we have against Clemson," Pikiell said. "I am looking forward to our young guys continuing to take steps and getting them ready for the Big Ten schedule that is right around the corner."
History against Clemson
RU is a career (2-1) against the Tigers with the last win coming on the big stage. The Tigers will look to avenge Rutgers sending them home following a 60-56 defeat in the first round of last year's NCAA Tournament.
The No. 10 seeded Scarlet Knights upset the no. 7 seed Tigers. Jacob Young, Geo Baker and Caleb McConnell each led the team with 13 points. Baker had a late basket to ice the victory. McConnell had his second career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Top Rutgers performers of late
Along with Jones and Mag, many other players on the Rutgers offensive side of the ball have been playing as great as ever.
Center Cliff Omoruyi tied his career-high in points for a game (16) and field goals made (seven) on Saturday. Omoruyi shot 7-for-9 from the field and added eight rebounds and one block.
McConnell had career-highs in both assists (nine) and steals (six) on Saturday.
Graduate student Ralph Gonzales-Agee had a season-high of 14 points, his best for the Scarlet Knights in just 13 minutes on the court.
Up next
The Scarlet Knights will head on the road for the first Big Ten matchup of the year against the Fighting Illini of Illinois on Friday at 7 p.m.
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard/Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's BasketballGuard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's BasketballWednesday, July 01
Wednesday, May 06
Monday, March 16
Friday, March 13
