PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Following a win on Monday night over UCLA, Rutgers men's basketball returns to the road with a quick turnaround on Thursday night playing at Nebraska. The game will be on FS1, RU's fourth straight game on the network, with Kevin Kugler and Nick Bahe on the call. It tips off at 9 p.m. ET. The game starts a stretch of three out of four games for RU being true road games, and four straight games away from Jersey Mike's Arena.
Rutgers stands at 9-8 overall and 2-4 in Big Ten play following a crucial 75-68 win over UCLA on Monday night.
Ace Bailey led the team with 20 points and 10 rebounds, his team-high fifth double-double this season. Bailey was just the third Division I player this season to have a game with at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks, two assists and one steal.
Dylan Harper had 18 points. It marked the first time since the December 30 game against Columbia that Harper had at least 14 points after doing so in each of the first 13 games.
Rutgers used its eighth different starting lineup this season as the Scarlet Knights started four freshmen and one graduate student in
Dylan Harper,
Tyson Acuff,
Dylan Grant,
Ace Bailey and
Lathan Sommerville. The four freshmen combined to play in 114 minutes, with Grant and Acuff making their first start this season. Rutgers has had 11 different players start a game this season. Every player that has played at least three minutes this season has earned at least one start.
Jeremiah Williams came off the bench for just the third time this season, and responded with 11 points, his first time reaching double-digit scoring since posting 20 against Texas A&M on November 30.
RU, who has never averaged more than 69 points per game under head coach
Steve Pikiell, is averaging 76.4 points per game this season. The last time RU averaged over 70 points per game was 2013-14 (71.1 ppg). RU has averaged over 70 points per game for a full season just that one time since the start of the 2001-02 season.
Nebraska enters the game with a 12-4 overall record and 2-3 mark in league play. The Huskers are on a two-game losing streak, falling at Iowa in overtime and then taking a 36-point loss at Purdue Sunday. Rutgers will attempt to walk into a Pinnacle Bank Arena where the Huskers have won 20 consecutive home games, matching a school record and are 37-5 over the past three years inside the venue, a 88.0% winning percentage.
The Huskers shoot free throws at a 76.3% that is third in the league. Nebraska's field goal percentage defense is fifth in the Big Ten (40.4%) and they are also fifth in steals (8.3 spg).
Brice Williams is fourth in the Big Ten at 18.8 points per game, making the game feature three of the top four scorers in the league when including Harper and Bailey. Williams has posted double figures in 18 of his last 20 games dating back to last season. Juwan Gary, a three-year starter after two years at Alabama, has averaged 11.6 points per game and logged 120 total collegiate games. Wisconsin transfer Connor Essegian is second in the Big Ten from long range with a 39.6% mark from three-point distance. Rutgers transfer
Gavin Griffiths has played in 10 games, averaging 2.7 points, and has played just 13 minutes since December 1.
This will be the 21st matchup between Rutgers and Nebraska. Nebraska holds a 11-9 advantage in the series. RU has won three of the past five meetings since 2022. Last season, RU and Nebraska split the two matchups, with each team winning at home. RU's win came in overtime behind a 56 rebound performance, a Big Ten record for the program.
The road trip continues next Monday, as the Scarlet Knights will take the drive across Pennsylvania to Penn State. That game is followed by a marquee matchup at Madison Square Garden, as RU will host No. 12/12 Michigan State at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, January 25.
