No. 7 seed Rutgers Scarlet Knights (15-10, 10-10) vs. No. 2 seed Illinois Fighting Illini (20-6, 16-4)
Friday, March 11, 2021 | 6:30 p.m.
Lucas Oil Stadium | Indianapolis, Ind.

TV: BTN (Kevin Kugler, play-by-play; Stephen Bardo, analyst)
Radio: Rutgers Sports Properties Radio Network (WCTC 1450 AM/WOR 710 AM; Jerry Recco and Joe Boylan), WRSU 88.7 FM 

INDIANAPOLIS - Rutgers men's basketball is back in action Friday at the Big Ten Tournament following a victory Thursday over 10-seed Indiana. RU will face No. 2 seed Illinois at 6:30 p.m. on Friday on Big Ten Network. 

The Scarlet Knights claimed a 61-50 victory over Indiana to open postseason play Thursday, the team's third victory on the year over the Hoosiers. RU had a balanced effort offensively, with Myles Johnson (10 points, 13 rebounds) and Ron Harper Jr. (13 points, 11 rebounds) contributing double-doubles. Jacob Young (13 points) and Paul Mulcahy (10 points) each contributed double-digits. 

Rutgers locked down the Hoosiers, holding them to 50 points, their lowest output against a Big Ten foe this season. It was the third time RU held a league foe to 50 or fewer points (previously: Michigan State - 37 and Northwestern - 50). Three of the four lowest point totals against by a Big Ten team under Steve Pikiell have come this season. 

The Scarlet Knights held IU to 37.5 percent shooting from the field and 12.5 percent from three-point, while out-rebounding them 41-33. Rutgers improved to 12-1 on the season when out-rebounding the opponent. The Scarlet Knights closed out the game with a phenomenal effort, holding Indiana without a field goal in the final 9:50 of the game, finishing on a 14-2 run. It marked the fourth time that RU overcame a double-digit point deficit to win this season. 

The Scarlet Knights' success over the past two seasons has come with the competition in the Big Ten at an all-time peak. The Scarlet Knights are in the top half of the Big Ten standings in a league that rates as easily the top conference in the nation. 

Rutgers stands at 37 in the NET rankings. The Scarlet Knights have four Quad 1 wins on the year, highlighted by a victories over presumptive No. 1 seed Illinois (4), and also including wins over Purdue (22) and at Maryland (32). 
 

THE OPPONENT

Illinois enters the game as the third-ranked team in the nation and second seed in the tournament after a 20-6 regular season, earning their highest Big Ten Tournament seed since 2009. The Illini have won 11 of their past 12 games. Leading the team is Ayo Dosunmu, a First Team All-Big Ten selection after averaging 20.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists. Also on the First Team is Kofi Cockburn, who ranks second in the NCAA with 15 double-doubles, currently averaging 17.5 points and 9.6 rebounds. 
 

QUOTABLE

"I'm real proud of our guys for their performance against Indiana. That gave us the chance to play 
 

THE SERIES

Series Record: Illinois leads 8-3
Last Meeting: Rutgers 91, Illinois 88 (Dec. 20, 2020)

Rutgers' earned a signature win over Illinois in the team's second Big Ten game of the season on December 20. In that contest, Ron Harper Jr. scored 28 points while Jacob Young added 24 points in a 91-88 victory, RU's highest scoring output of the season and its most points ever scored against a Big Ten foe in a regulation game. 

RU has claimed two straight wins in the series, winning 72-57 at The RAC last season behind 27 points from Ron Harper Jr. 

In three games against Illinois, Harper Jr. has averaged 19.8 points per game, twice reaching 25+ points. Harper Jr. needs 19 points to become the 45th player in RU history to reach the 1,000 point plateau. 

Illinois is 29-11 over the past two seasons in Big Ten play, with losing records against two four teams: Rutgers (1-2), Michigan State (0-3), Maryland (0-3) and Ohio State (1-2).
 

WITH A WIN

A victory for Rutgers over Illinois would represent: 

- The highest ranked victory in progarm history (Illinois is No. 3 in the AP and Coaches Polls). Rutgers' lone top-5 win in program history came on Jan. 11, 2015 over No. 4 Wisconsin. The highest ranked team defeated under head coach Steve Pikiell was No. 9 Maryland last season. 

- Rutgers second ranked win this season, ninth ranked win under head coach Steve Pikiell and Rutgers' 12th all-time victory over a top-10 team.  

- Two wins this season over Illinois. That would be the fourth Big Ten team that RU swept all its' matchups against this season. 

- Mark three straight wins over Illinois. 
 
- Mark Rutgers' fifth ever victory in the Big Ten Tournament. 

- Be the highest seeded team ever defeated in the Big Ten Tournament. 

- Be the second time that RU won two games in the Big Ten Tournament (previously 2018 at Madison Square Garden).