Monday, January 5
Piscataway, N.J.
7 PM
Rutgers University
vs
Oregon
Photo by: Ben Solomon
Men’s Basketball Wraps Homestand With Oregon Monday
Jan 03 | Men's Basketball
Game is at 7 pm with a Peacock Broadcast
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers men's basketball concludes a four-game homestand on Monday night, hosting Oregon at 7 p.m. The game, RU's fourth Big Ten contest of the season, tips off at 7 p.m. Jon Fanta and former Michigan guard Nik Stauskas will be on the call.
The Scarlet Knights had a two-game winning streak prior to Friday night's return to Big Ten play. RU had downed Penn and Delaware State in the previous two contests prior to a competitive loss to Ohio State at Jersey Mike's Arena. The Scarlet Knights raced out to a 15-point lead at the under-four media timeout in the opening half, with Tariq Francis on fire for 15 points in the game's first 16 minutes, and RU led 39-24. However, Ohio State came back with a run, swinging the score back at 55-47 on a 31-8 stretch.
RU continues to get contributions across its bench players. Bryce Dortch had a career-high three steals, Lino Mark had a career-high three assists, and Kaden Powers, after not playing in the opening frame, scored nine points in the second half.
Francis averages 23.3 points per game across the past three contests, which includes a 34-point effort against Penn that included the game-winning basket in the final second and saw him earn Big Ten Co-Player of the Week honor. He has six 17+ point games this season and nine double-digit efforts.
Rutgers is fifth in the Big Ten in offensive rebounds (13.21). Emanuel Ogbole averages 3.14 offensive boards per game, fifth in the league individually. RU's 18 offensive rebounds against Ohio State was a total only reached once all of last season (18 vs. Wisconsin), and has now been done in back-to-back games (21 offensive rebounds vs. Delaware State).
Oregon enters the matchup at 8-6, starting their East Coast trip Friday at Maryland with a 64-54 win. Playing without all-Big Ten guard Jackson Shelstad, the Ducks were led by 16 points from both Nate Bittle and Takai Simpkins. OU held Maryland to 27.7% shooting and 7-of-35 from long range.
The Ducks had a five-game losing streak earlier this year to all top-50 KenPom teams in Auburn, San Diego State, Creighton (all neutral sites), USC and UCLA. OU has seven wins over teams between 100 and 250 per Ken Pom (Hawaii, Rice, South Dakota State, Oregon State, UC Davis, Portland and Nebraska Omaha).
Led by 17th-year head coach Dana Altman, the team made the NCAA Tournament last season and earned an opening round win over Liberty to advance to the second round for the ninth time under Altman (which includes the 2017 Final Four). Previously the bench boss at Creighton, Kansas State and Marshall, Altman has been a Division I head coach since 1989 with nearly 800 career wins.
Oregon is top-50 nationally in blocks and offensive rebounding, led by Nate Bittle with 2.58 blocks per game, which leads the Big Ten and is 13th nationally.
Jackson Shelstad, a Third Team All-Big Ten last season for the Ducks, averages 15.6 points and 4.9 assists per game. He did not play in the opening contest of the two-game East Coast swing due to a hand injury.
Nate Bittle, a Third Team All-Big Ten last season for the Ducks, was one of the five finalists last season for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Cetner of the Year award after leading the Big Ten in blocks. He also leads the team currently in scoring at 16.1 points per game.
Kwame Evans Jr., originally a five-star recruit and McDonald's All-American, averages 13.5 points, while Takai Simpkins, who was All-CAA last season at Elon (16.4 ppg), is at 13.0 points per game.
Sean Stewart, a Duke/Ohio State transfer, gives OU a third McDonald's All-American (Evans/Bittle), making four in the game including RU's Baye Fall. He played 22 minutes with seven points and seven rebounds for the Buckeyes last year vs. RU.
The two schools will meet for fourth third time all-time, having not met for 40 years before last year's meeting in the first year of the Big Ten for the Ducks. RU is 1-2 against Oregon. Rutgers defeated Oregon at home in 1982, 53-42, with Roy Hinson recording 10 blocks, tied for second most in school history. In 1985, Rutgers traveled to Oregon and fell, 78-59.
Last season, Oregon won 75-57. The Ducks shot 13-of-22 from three-point range, led by 19 points from returner Jackson Shelstad, who made eight threes. Nate Bittle added 15 points.
Rutgers is back on the road after this game. RU will travel to Illinois, a top-10 KenPom Team, on Thursday night, then return home to host Northwestern on Sunday.
| About Rutgers |
The Scarlet Knights had a two-game winning streak prior to Friday night's return to Big Ten play. RU had downed Penn and Delaware State in the previous two contests prior to a competitive loss to Ohio State at Jersey Mike's Arena. The Scarlet Knights raced out to a 15-point lead at the under-four media timeout in the opening half, with Tariq Francis on fire for 15 points in the game's first 16 minutes, and RU led 39-24. However, Ohio State came back with a run, swinging the score back at 55-47 on a 31-8 stretch.
RU continues to get contributions across its bench players. Bryce Dortch had a career-high three steals, Lino Mark had a career-high three assists, and Kaden Powers, after not playing in the opening frame, scored nine points in the second half.
Francis averages 23.3 points per game across the past three contests, which includes a 34-point effort against Penn that included the game-winning basket in the final second and saw him earn Big Ten Co-Player of the Week honor. He has six 17+ point games this season and nine double-digit efforts.
Rutgers is fifth in the Big Ten in offensive rebounds (13.21). Emanuel Ogbole averages 3.14 offensive boards per game, fifth in the league individually. RU's 18 offensive rebounds against Ohio State was a total only reached once all of last season (18 vs. Wisconsin), and has now been done in back-to-back games (21 offensive rebounds vs. Delaware State).
| About Oregon |
Oregon enters the matchup at 8-6, starting their East Coast trip Friday at Maryland with a 64-54 win. Playing without all-Big Ten guard Jackson Shelstad, the Ducks were led by 16 points from both Nate Bittle and Takai Simpkins. OU held Maryland to 27.7% shooting and 7-of-35 from long range.
The Ducks had a five-game losing streak earlier this year to all top-50 KenPom teams in Auburn, San Diego State, Creighton (all neutral sites), USC and UCLA. OU has seven wins over teams between 100 and 250 per Ken Pom (Hawaii, Rice, South Dakota State, Oregon State, UC Davis, Portland and Nebraska Omaha).
Led by 17th-year head coach Dana Altman, the team made the NCAA Tournament last season and earned an opening round win over Liberty to advance to the second round for the ninth time under Altman (which includes the 2017 Final Four). Previously the bench boss at Creighton, Kansas State and Marshall, Altman has been a Division I head coach since 1989 with nearly 800 career wins.
Oregon is top-50 nationally in blocks and offensive rebounding, led by Nate Bittle with 2.58 blocks per game, which leads the Big Ten and is 13th nationally.
Jackson Shelstad, a Third Team All-Big Ten last season for the Ducks, averages 15.6 points and 4.9 assists per game. He did not play in the opening contest of the two-game East Coast swing due to a hand injury.
Nate Bittle, a Third Team All-Big Ten last season for the Ducks, was one of the five finalists last season for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Cetner of the Year award after leading the Big Ten in blocks. He also leads the team currently in scoring at 16.1 points per game.
Kwame Evans Jr., originally a five-star recruit and McDonald's All-American, averages 13.5 points, while Takai Simpkins, who was All-CAA last season at Elon (16.4 ppg), is at 13.0 points per game.
Sean Stewart, a Duke/Ohio State transfer, gives OU a third McDonald's All-American (Evans/Bittle), making four in the game including RU's Baye Fall. He played 22 minutes with seven points and seven rebounds for the Buckeyes last year vs. RU.
| About the Series |
The two schools will meet for fourth third time all-time, having not met for 40 years before last year's meeting in the first year of the Big Ten for the Ducks. RU is 1-2 against Oregon. Rutgers defeated Oregon at home in 1982, 53-42, with Roy Hinson recording 10 blocks, tied for second most in school history. In 1985, Rutgers traveled to Oregon and fell, 78-59.
Last season, Oregon won 75-57. The Ducks shot 13-of-22 from three-point range, led by 19 points from returner Jackson Shelstad, who made eight threes. Nate Bittle added 15 points.
| Up Next |
Rutgers is back on the road after this game. RU will travel to Illinois, a top-10 KenPom Team, on Thursday night, then return home to host Northwestern on Sunday.
Players Mentioned
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