Saturday, January 8, 2022
Jersey Mike's Arena
TV: Big Ten Network (PXP: Wayne Randazzo, Color: Rapheal Davis)
Radio: Rutgers Sports Properties Radio Network (WCTC 1450 AM/WOR 710 AM; PXP: Jerry Recco and Color: Austin Johnson)
WRSU 88.7 FM RU Student Radio

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers is back at home for the fourth consecutive game at Jersey Mike's Arena. The Scarlet Knights will be in front of a sold-out crowd when it hosts Nebraska on Saturday at Jersey Mike's Arena. RU holds a 8-1 record at home this season, following three wins in a seven-day span.

RU returned to action following a 17-day COVID-related pause with resounding wins over Maine and Central Connecticut State. Last time out, RU defeated Michigan in return to Big Ten play for the first time in school history with a 75-67 win on Tuesday night.
 
As a team, Rutgers had 20 assists, the second-most ever by a Scarlet Knight team in a Big Ten game. Rutgers '11 three-pointers tied for the team's most-ever in a Big Ten game. Rutgers held the lead in the game from start-to-finish.
 
Seniors Geo Baker and Ron Harper Jr. led the way with 47 combined points in the game. Baker had a season and game-high 27 points and was able to keep climbing up the leader boards in the Scarlet Knight record books.
 
Baker enters the game fourth in program history in assists and three-pointers, eighth in steals and 15th in points and field goals. Harper Jr. enters 23rd all-time at RU in scoring.

Caleb McConnell DPOY candidate?

Caleb McConnell is having a stellar season on defense with 30 steals to start the year which already passed his career-high on a season (29). McConnell leads the Big Ten Conference in steals and also leads in steals-per-game (2.31). The senior is tied for tenth in the nation in steals.
 
Cliff Omoruyi, Most-Improved Scarlet Knight

Clifford Omoruyi has been the most-improved Scarlet Knight so far this season and is among the most-improved players in the country.  In his freshman season last year he played 14.9 minutes per-game and scored 3.8 points-per-game along with 4.0 rebounds per-game. So far this season, he is averaging 11.8 points per-game and 7.8 rebounds per-game.

Cornhuskers last time out

Four Huskers scored in double figures Wednesday night at Michigan State, and Nebraska tied its season high with 12 steals, but NU struggled with its shot in the second half in a 79-67 road loss to the 10th-ranked Spartans.
 
Nebraska trailed by just four at halftime and it was still a two-possession game with seven minutes remaining before Michigan State pulled away with a 12-2 run. The Huskers hung in until the end despite shooting just 41 percent from the field in the second half. NU shot 45.0 percent in the game, but Michigan State knocked down 51.8 percent of its shots.
 
The Spartans improved to 11-2 with the win and remained unbeaten in Big Ten play by moving to 4-0. Nebraska fell to 6-9 overall and 0-4 in conference action.
Derrick Walker tied his career high with 16 points and was 8-of-9 from the field. Bryce McGowens finished with 13 points, while Kobe Webster (13) and C.J. Wilcher (10) combined for 23 points off the bench. Alonzo Verge Jr. added five points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals.

Scouting Nebraska

Freshman guard Bryce McGowans leads the team with 15.6 points-per-game and is a primary scorer for the Cornhuskers. He averages 33.5 minutes and 5.7 rebounds-per-game for Nebraska. Alonzo Verge Jr. is the primary ball-handler for the team and leads Nebraska with 5-7 assists-per-game. Verge Jr. is another leading-scorer with 14.9 points-per-contest. He has been one of their best perimeter defenders so far this season with 1.7 steals-per-game. Junior forward Derrick Walker is averaging a solid 9.9 points-per-game and leads the Cornhuskers in blocks (1.3) and rebounds (6.3). Walker is shooting 77.5 percent from the field on the season.

History with Nebraska

The Scarlet Knights are 6-9 all-time against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. In the last matchup Nebraska defeated RU 72-51 on March, 1 of 2021 in Lincoln. The last home game between the teams was played on January, 25 of 2020 and the Scarlet Knights defeated Nebraska 75-72.

Geo Baker hit a step-back 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining to lift No. 24/25 Rutgers (15-5, 6-3) to a 75-72 defeat of Nebraska (7-13, 2-7) Saturday afternoon at a sold-out arena. Trailing by six with three minutes remaining, the Scarlet Knights held the Huskers scoreless for the remainder of the game.