Men's Basketball Qualifies for NCAA Tournament
Mar 13 | Men's Basketball
Scarlet Knights earn 11-seed, will play Notre Dame in opening game
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - For the second straight season, Rutgers men's basketball is heading to the NCAA Tournament. The Scarlet Knights earned a No. 11 seed, and will face fellow No. 11 seed Notre Dame in the First Four on Wednesday night in Dayton, Ohio. The game will tip off at 9:10 p.m. Wednesday on TruTV.
The Scarlet Knights landed in the West Region of the bracket. With a victory over Notre Dame, RU will face No. 6 seed Alabama on Friday in San Diego, Calif.
"It's exciting," head coach Steve Pikiell said. "I'm excited for our players. You want to be part of the greatest tournament in the world. It's a great reward for all the hard work everyone does, so you're happy when your name is called. I'm excited about this opportunity and thankful to the committee for really taking a look and rewarding a team that deserves a chance."
The Scarlet Knights qualify for the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons for the second time in program history, previously doing so in 1974-75 and 1975-76. Rutgers will make its seventh lifetime appearance in the NCAA Tournament, holding a 6-8 record all-time in NCAA Games. Last season, RU made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991 and won its first NCAA Tournament game since 1983.
Rutgers finished the regular season with an 18-13 record, including a program record 12 Big Ten wins. The Scarlet Knights guaranteed their third consecutive winning season in 2021-22, a feat that had not been accomplished in over 30 years.
This season, Rutgers became the first unranked program in NCAA history to earn four-consecutive wins over ranked opponents, defeating then-No. 13 Michigan State, No. 16 Ohio State, No. 14 Wisconsin and No. 12 Illinois in February. The Scarlet Knights earned their first-ever win over a No. 1 ranked team, with a buzzer-beating victory over top-ranked Purdue at Jersey Mike's Arena. Head coach Steve Pikiell moved past former head coach Tom Young for the most ranked wins for a coach in program history with 13.
Rutgers has faced former BIG EAST foe Notre Dame 33 times lifetime, with 13 victories. The most recent meeting came in 2013 and the most recent win came in 2012. The Fighting Irish went 22-10 this season out of the ACC, and will make their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017.
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The Scarlet Knights landed in the West Region of the bracket. With a victory over Notre Dame, RU will face No. 6 seed Alabama on Friday in San Diego, Calif.
"It's exciting," head coach Steve Pikiell said. "I'm excited for our players. You want to be part of the greatest tournament in the world. It's a great reward for all the hard work everyone does, so you're happy when your name is called. I'm excited about this opportunity and thankful to the committee for really taking a look and rewarding a team that deserves a chance."
The Scarlet Knights qualify for the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons for the second time in program history, previously doing so in 1974-75 and 1975-76. Rutgers will make its seventh lifetime appearance in the NCAA Tournament, holding a 6-8 record all-time in NCAA Games. Last season, RU made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991 and won its first NCAA Tournament game since 1983.
Rutgers finished the regular season with an 18-13 record, including a program record 12 Big Ten wins. The Scarlet Knights guaranteed their third consecutive winning season in 2021-22, a feat that had not been accomplished in over 30 years.
This season, Rutgers became the first unranked program in NCAA history to earn four-consecutive wins over ranked opponents, defeating then-No. 13 Michigan State, No. 16 Ohio State, No. 14 Wisconsin and No. 12 Illinois in February. The Scarlet Knights earned their first-ever win over a No. 1 ranked team, with a buzzer-beating victory over top-ranked Purdue at Jersey Mike's Arena. Head coach Steve Pikiell moved past former head coach Tom Young for the most ranked wins for a coach in program history with 13.
Rutgers has faced former BIG EAST foe Notre Dame 33 times lifetime, with 13 victories. The most recent meeting came in 2013 and the most recent win came in 2012. The Fighting Irish went 22-10 this season out of the ACC, and will make their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017.
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