PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers men's basketball returns home this weekend for the Big Ten Conference opener. The Scarlet Knights will host No. 8/10 Indiana at 4 p.m. Saturday at Jersey Mike's Arena. The game will air on Big Ten Network with Brandon Gaudin, Robbie Hummel and Andy Katz on the call. Jerry Recco and Austin Johnson will have the radio broadcast on WCBS 880 AM.
 
LAST TIME OUT

Rutgers played in its first true road game of the season on Wednesday night in the Big Ten / ACC Challenge, putting up a strong effort, but falling, 68-61. Caleb McConnell and Cliff Omoruyi each scored 16 points, with Omoruyi collecting nine rebounds and McConnell adding six rebounds and four assists in a season-high 35 minutes played in his first start of the season. The Scarlet Knights held an 11-point lead with 14 minutes to play, but was unable to close out the game, as the Hurricanes used a 28-11 closing run as RU shot just 15 percent from the field down the stretch.
 
THE INDIANA MATCHUP

The contest signals the 15th meeting all-time between the two programs, with a 7-7 tie in the all-time series. In the last meeting of these teams last March, Ron Harper Jr. drilled a three-pointer with 2.1 seconds left on the clock for a 66-63 victory at Assembly Hall. With that victory, RU ran its winning streak against the Hoosiers to five straight and seven of the past eight games. Rutgers has also won four straight meetings in Piscataway, while also claiming two victories over IU in the Big Ten Tournament. In Indiana's last visit to Piscataway, RU celebrated Senior Day in 2021 by overcoming an early 15 point deficit with a ferocious rally, using a 62-27 run en route to a 74-63 win behind Geo Baker's double-double (20 points, 10 rebounds).
 
Indiana has opened the season at 7-0 following a 77-65 win over No. 18 UNC on Wednesday night. They also boast a Gavitt Games win over Xavier. IU is second nationally in field goal percentage (55.0%) and 10th in scoring offense (87.1).
 
The Hoosiers have been led by Trayce Jackson-Davis, who had 21 points and 10 rebounds versus the Tar Heels and leads the team on the season with 19.2 points per game. Since 2019-20, the three-time all-conference selection and All-American, Jackson-Davis leads all conference players in scoring and blocked shots. Xavier Johnson joins him in double-figure scoring at 12.3 points per game.
 
Over a dozen professional and NBA scouts have been credentialed for the contest.
 
WITH A WIN....

A Victory over Indiana would represent:
 
- Six straight wins over Indiana and wins in eight of the past nine meetings.
- Five straight road wins over IU.
- First ranked win of the season.
- First top-10 win since the win over No. 1 Purdue on Dec. 9, 2021.
- Mark the 14th ranked win at RU for head coach Steve Pikiell
 
RU'S DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE

Junior guard Cam Spencer has 24 steals through seven contests. He currently is second in the nation with 3.43 steals per game and second overall in total steals, just one behind the NCAA's leader.
 
Rutgers is ninth in the country in steals-per-game (11.4) and leads Big Ten teams in total steals (80). RU is second in the country in three-point defense percentage (20.0 percent). Rutgers is 8th in the country in scoring defense (55.0). Rutgers is 12th in the country in turnover margin (+6.3).
 
Per Ken Pom, RU is seventh in the nation in effective field goal percentage (40.0%), sixth in steal percentage (16.3%), is 12th in turnover percentage (26.4%) and are 12th in adjusted defensive efficiency (89.1).
 
WINTER VILLAGE

Rutgers Athletics will host pregame festivities outside Jersey Mike's Arena for the next three home games against Indiana, Seton Hall and Wake Forest. The pregame event will feature a Miller Lite Beer Garden, local food trucks, live entertainment, special guests, games and entertainment for kids. The Winter Village will be located on the grass oval in front of Jersey Mike's Arena.
 
CLIFFORD OMORUYI, DUNK KING

Junior center Clifford Omoruyi has continued his success from last season being one of the nation's top dunkers. He led the country in dunks heading into the NCAA Tournament last season and is off to another hot start in 22-23. Omoruyi has 18 dunks in seven games thus far (2.57 per-game). That is good for sixth-best in the country.
 
STANDOUT STATS

Junior center Clifford Omoruyi is leading RU with 9.9 rebounds per game, one of just 17 players in the country to be averaging double-digit rebounds. He is one of just 19 players nationally to already post three double-doubles.
 
Omoruyi has scored a team-best 16.7 points-per-game and has been a force to be reckoned with in the paint thus far. Omoruyi is shooting 52.7 percent from the field.
 
Junior transfer Cam Spencer has been just as advertised on the offensive side of the floor. The Davidsonville, Md. Native is posting 15.3 points-per-game and 3.6 assists. Spencer is shooting 95.5 percent from the free throw line, fifth best nationally and the best mark thus far of any Big Ten player. Spencer is shooting 53.1 percent from the field He also leads the team thus far with 33.6 minutes-per-game. He has 24 steals in the first seven games of the season.
 
Senior forward Aundre Hyatt has been a huge contributor on the offensive side of the ball averaging 11.3 points. He's averaging 5.3 rebounds in 28.4 minutes thus far. After entering the year with just four career double-figure scoring games, he has scored in double figures five times thus far this season and had a career-high three made three-pointers at Miami.
 
Mawot Mag, who averaged 2.9 points per game last season, has produced 8.3 points per game thus far this year, starting all seven games. He has posted between eight and 11 points in six of the seven games.
 
UP NEXT

The game against Indiana is the conference opener, a two-game December stretch that also features a trip to Columbus on Thursday, Dec. 8 to face No. 25 Ohio State (7 p.m., ESPN2). RU returns home to host Seton Hall (Sunday, Dec. 11, 6:30 pm) and Wake Forest (Saturday, Dec. 17, 12 p.m.)