SEATTLE – Rutgers men's basketball's road trip to the West Coast continues with a late night game on Wednesday. The Scarlet Knights will tip off against the University of Washington at 10:30 pm Eastern Time (7:30 pm local time) with Guy Haberman and Don MacLean on the call for the Big Ten Network at Alaska Airlines Arena.
Rutgers enters the matchup at 12-14 overall and 5-10 in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights dropped the initial game in the West Coast trip, falling 75-57 Sunday night at Oregon. RU was undone by the Ducks' three-point shooting in the game (13-of-22).
Lathan Sommerville paced the squad with career-high in points (14), field goals made (six), blocks (three) and minutes (30).
Rutgers is led offensively by
Ace Bailey (18.6 ppg) and
Dylan Harper (18.5 ppg). They are seeking to become only the second pair of freshmen teammates over the past 22 years to average 19+ points per game, seeking to join Duke's Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett.
Rutgers is one of just seven schools in the nation to have at least five freshmen currently averaging 7 minutes or more per game. Rutgers is the lone Big Ten team on the list and one of just two in the Power 6 conferences. Rutgers' five freshmen average 44.5 points per team game, only behind Duke nationally.
The Scarlet Knights' three leading scorers overall on the season are currently true freshmen – Bailey (18.6 ppg), Harper (18.5 ppg) and
Lathan Sommerville (7.4) and
Dylan Grant (6.9) makes for four of the top six. Additionally, true freshman
Dylan Grant has become an integral part of the rotation in the past 12 games (since Wisconsin on January 6) after playing in just three of the first 14 games.
In the past 12 games, Grant is averaging 7.6 points per game, which would be third on the team in that span and is doing so on 46.8 shooting from the field in that stretch. Rutgers' true freshmen are responsible for 60.4% of the team's points over that 12-game span.
RU, who has never averaged more than 69 points per game under head coach
Steve Pikiell is averaging 75.5 points per game this season. Rutgers has averaged over 76.5 points per game just 14 times in the school's 111-year history (and not since 1992-92). 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.
Ace Bailey (447 points) is third all-time among all RU true freshmen scorers.
Dylan Harper (426 points) stands just fifth and just 5 points away from passing Corey Sanders and moving into fourth.
Rutgers True Freshmen Season Scoring Leaders: Total Points
- Mike Rosario (08-09): 517
- Phil Sellers (72-73): 506
- Ace Bailey (24-25): 447
- Corey Sanders (15-16): 430
- Dylan Harper (24-25): 426
Washington enters the matchup at 13-12 overall and are 4-1 in league play during their inaugural season in the Big Ten. The Huskies are 9-6 at home at Alaska Airlines Arena this season. The Huskies have defeated Penn State, Northwestern, and Minnesota this month to go 3-2 in their last five conference games after starting the league slate 1-8. Danny Sprinkle is in his first year as the Huskies head coach after leading Montana State and Utah State to the NCAA Tournament each year over the past three seasons.
Forward Great Osobor, an AP All-American last season at Utah State after averaging 17.7 points and 9.0 rebounds, is at 14.9 points and 8.7 rebounds this season, leading the team in both categories, while also pacing the squad with 3.4 assists per game. He's fifth in the league in rebounds and third in the league in steals (1.92 spg). Tyler Harris is at 12.2 points per game, shooting 50.7% from the field and 49.4% from three-point. UW had eight additions for this season via the transfer portal, with a veteran roster that see five players who have played over 100 collegiate games and 10 upperclassmen.
This will be the first ever meeting between Rutgers and Washington. This marks the final first-time opponent for UW in their initial Big Ten season.
Rutgers returns home from the West Coast. The Scarlet Knights play another West Coast team, welcoming USC on Sunday for a 6 pm game.
