THE SERIES
Rutgers and Iowa are meeting for the 13th tme, with Iowa holding a 9-3 lead in the all-time series. Rutgers went 1-1 last season against the Hawkeyes and are 3-4 in the last seven meetings dating back to 2018. Rutgers defeated Iowa in the last meeting at Jersey Mike's Arena, 48-46, but fell to the Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals last season. The team also notably claimed a 14-point road win over the No. 22 Hawkeyes in 2019 that still stands as the Scarlet Knights greatest on the road against a ranked foe in program history.

TODAY'S GAME AT JERSEY MIKE'S ARENA
Due to a Piscataway Township Alcoholic Beverage Control policy, the sales of alcoholic beverages are not permitted on Sunday between 2 a.m. and 12 p.m. For today's game, alcohol sales will not begin until tip off, while alcohol service in hospitality areas will begin at the start of halftime.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
WITH A WIN
A victory over Iowa would represent:
- A 4-1 start to Big Ten play, the best ever five-game start to the league since Rutgers joined the conference in 2014-15.
- The first time opening league play with a 4-1 record since 1984-85 in the Atlantic 10
- The fourth win in the past eight games against Iowa (3-1 in last four home meetings).
 
ABOUT RUTGERS
Rutgers is on a five-game winning streak, with a 3-1 start to Big Ten play for the fourth straight season. The team has four straight home wins, coming by an average margin of victory of 26.5 points (beating Wake Forest, Bucknell, Coppin State and Maryland all by at least 14 points). With an 11-4 record through 15 games, RU is on its best start to a year since a 12-3 stretch to open the 2019-20 season. The Scarlet Knights entered the weekend as one of just four teams to reach three Big Ten wins thus far.
 
The team leads the Big Ten in both scoring defense (54.9) and scoring margin (17.1), while also coming in second in field goal percentage defense (36.6%) and fastbreak points.
 
Rutgers has claimed four straight home wins, coming by an average margin of victory of 26.5 points (beating Wake Forest, Bucknell, Coppin State and Maryland all by at least 14 points). It's a five-game winning streak overall.
 
RUTGERS LAST TIME OUT
The Scarlet Knights earned a 64-50 victory over the Maryland Terrapins on Thursday night, marking the second Big Ten win of the week and the first-consecutive win in a row. Senior point guard Paul Mulcahy took over the game in the second half and was a perfect 6-of-6 from the field with a game-high 15 points. The defense held the Terps to an output of 22 points below their season average and forcing them to commit a season-high 20 turnovers.
 
ABOUT IOWA
Iowa overcame a 21-point first half deficit, the third largest comeback in program history, to rally for a home win over No. 15 Indiana, improving to 9-6 overall. The Hawkeyes earned their first Big Ten win after losses to Wisconsin, Nebraska and Penn State.
 
Kris Murray leads the team at 21.3 points per game. Filip Rebraca is second at 14.4 points per game. The same duo are the top two rebounders, with Murray at 9.8 rpg and Rebraca at 8.5 rpg. Rebraca is second in the league in both offensive rebounds and double-doubles.
 
Iowa is third nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.68) and ninth in the country in turnovers per game (10.1). The Hawkeyes have the top scoring offense in the Big Ten at 81.7 points per game.

STOUT ON DEFENSE
The defense has turned up the pressure this season and currently fourth in the nation and leading the Big Ten in scoring defense, holding opponents to just 54.9 points per game.
 
Rutgers' current scoring defense is the best mark in the seven seasons under head coach Steve Pikiell, bettering the 62.6 PPG mark of the 2019-20 squad. Rutgers has not finished a season with a scoring defense better than 62.6 PPG since prior to the 2004-05 season.
 
RU has held all 15 of its opponents to date under their scoring average entering the game.
 
RU has held eight of those opponents to a total that is 20+ points below their average and 13 to 10+ points below their average.
 
Nine of the 11 opponents at Jersey Mike's Arena this season have scored their new season-lows in points against the Scarlet Knights defense (Columbia, Sacred Heart, UMass Lowell, Rider, CCSU, Indiana, Seton Hall, Wake Forest and Bucknell). Rutgers has held 11 of its 15 opponents to a new season-low in points scored (all but Temple, Miami and Purdue).
 
                               Avg. Entering               Total Pts.
Team:                  Game w/ RU:               vs. RU:       
AGAINST TOP SCORERS
Rutgers' defense has also been elite at shutting down key scorers for their opposition. A sampling of the opponents who entered the game as the team's leading scorer and were held well below their season average by the Scarlet Knights.
 
- Damien Dunn (Temple)
Entered: 29.7 PPG
Versus Rutgers: 7 Points
 
- Tyrese Samuel (Seton Hall)
Entered: 12.0 PPG
Versus Rutgers: 0 Points
 
- Tyree Appleby (Wake Forest)
Entered: 18.7 PPG
Versus Rutgers: 10 Points
- Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana)
Entered: 19.2 PPG
Versus Rutgers: 13 Points
 
- Sam Sessoms (Coppin State)
Entered: 22.8 PPG
Versus Rutgers: 12 Points
 
HOME COOKING
Rutgers is currently 10-1 at home this season.
 
Over the past four years, Rutgers home records:
 
2022-23: 10-1
2021-22: 14-3
2020-21: 10-4
2019-20: 18-1
 
As such, Rutgers enters the game against Maryland:
 
24-4 over the past two seasons at home
34-8 over the past three seasons at home
52-9 over the past four seasons at home
 
1983 AND 1991 REUNIONS
Rutgers men's basketball's head coach Steve Pikiell and the Rutgers men's basketball family are thrilled to welcome back cherished members of RU history for three separate events during the 2022-23 season. Two of the best teams in the history of RU basketball, the 1983 and 1991 teams, will each be honored and welcomed to a home game each at Jersey Mike's Arena, along with an all-letterwinners event at Madison Square Garden against Michigan State (Saturday, Feb. 4).
 
The 1983 team will be welcomed and honored at the game against Iowa at Jersey Mike's Arena (Sunday, January 8). The 1991 team will be welcomed and honored at the game against Ohio State (Sunday, January 15) at Jersey Mike's Arena. Each of the Rutgers legends attending the game will be announced during a halftime ceremony.