PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Rutgers Scarlet Knights will open the 2023 campaign on Monday night with an in-state matchup as part of the Jersey Jam. The Scarlet Knights will head down to Trenton to face Princeton at Cure Insurance Arena. The neutral site venue is 40 miles from Rutgers and 12 miles from Princeton. The game will be a 7 p.m. tipoff, streaming on Peacock. Paul Burmeister and Tre Demps will have the broadcast call, while Jerry Recco and Austin Johnson return with the radio call for RU on WCBS 880 AM. 
 

About Rutgers

Rutgers is coming off 19-win season, qualifying for the National Invitational Tournament. The Scarlet Knights bring back nine players from last season's team, including four players who made at least five starts last season in Clifford Omoruyi, Aundre Hyatt, Mawot Mag and Derek Simpson. Omoruyi led the team in scoring (13.2 ppg), rebounds (9.6 rpg) and blocks (72) last season, becoming the first Rutgers player to lead the team in all three since Keith Hughes did so in the 1990-1991 season. He was a Second Team All-Big Ten, First Team All-MET and First Team All-Big Ten Defensive Team selection. Mawot Mag started 23 games prior to suffering a season-ending injury, averaging 7.3 points and 5.3 rebounds. Aundre Hyatt is set for a breakout senior season after posting 8.8 points per game. Simpson excelled down the stretch, with six double-figure scoring games over the final nine contests of the season. Rutgers also returns contributors Antwone Woolkfolk, Oscar Palmquist and Antonio Chol.

The Scarlet Knights added to their roster in the offseason with a trio of transfers and some talented freshmen. Rutgers welcome guard Noah Fernades, who has played in 73 games at UMass and Wichita State, averaging 10.1 points per game for his career, and 14.5 points per game over the past two seasons. Austin Williams, who averaged 16.1 points-per-game in his last year on the court at Hartford, was a twotime all-league selection. Jeremiah Williams also posted 9.5 points per game in 2021-22 at Temple. The Scarlet Knights have a promising duo of freshmen in Gavin Griffiths, the No. 20 recruit in the nation by 247 Sports, the highest-ranked player in the Steve Pikiell era, and Jamichael Davis, a speedy guard who has impressed early with his intensity and athleticism.

The Scarlet Knights competed at St. John's in a scrimmage to support the Dick Vitale Pediatric Cancer Research Fund at the Jimmy V Foundation. RU pushed the Red Storm into double-overtime in an entertaining preseason competition. RU battled back from an early deficit, being led by Cliff Omoruyi and Jamichael Davis with 16 points apiece, while Gavin Griffiths added 14.
 

About the Opponent

Princeton enters this season looking to build off a memorable 2022-23 campaign that saw the Tigers finish 23-9, win the Ivy League Tournament, and then advance to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. Seed 15th, the Tigers toppled No. 2 seed Arizona in the opening round before downing No. 7 seed Missouri by 15 points to advance another weekend. From that squad, Princeton returns All-Ivy League honoree Matt Allocco and 2023 Ivy League Rookie of the Year Caden Pierce, while leading scoring and Ivy League Player of the Year Tosan Evbuomwan departed for the NBA's Detroit Pistons.
 

About the Series

Rutgers and Princeton will meet for the 121st time all-time, but the first meeting of the two New Jersey schools since 2013. Princeton holds a 75-45 series advantage all-time, however, the recent history is in favor of the Scarlet Knights. Since 2000, RU is 11-3 in the past 14 meetings. Princeton won meetings in 2010, 2011 and 2013, snapping a stretch where RU had gone 10-1 from 2000 to 2009. This will be the first meeting at a neutral site since 2000, a 55-39 Rutgers win at Madison Square Garden. Prior to 2000, the last neutral site meeting between the teams was 1976, a 54-53 RU win at the Providence Civic Center in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament for an undefeated RU team that advanced to the Final Four.
 

What a Win Would Mean

• Rutgers would earn its 46th lifetime win over Princeton and first since 2012.
• Rutgers would be 8-0 in season openers under Steve Pikiell and have won 10 of their last 11 season openers.

 

Gameday Coverage Info

Stream
Peacock
Play-By-Play: Paul Burmeister
Analyst: Tre Demps

Radio
RWJ Barnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network WCBS 880 (WCBS-AM), Scarlet Knights App, Audacy App
Play-by-Play: Jerry Recco
Analyst: Austin Johnson

WRSU (88.7 FM)
Dylan Allen & Eddie Kalegi 

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Up Next

Rutgers will play its first games of the season at Jersey Mike's Arena over the weekend following the Princeton game. The Scarlet Knights host Boston University on Friday, November 10 at 7 p.m., then welcome Bryant on Sunday, November 12 at noon.