Wednesday, February 18
University Park, Pa.
6 PM
Rutgers University
at
Penn State
Photo by: Dakota Moyer
Men’s Basketball Travels to Minnesota
Feb 19 | Men's Basketball
Saturday's Game is at Noon on BTN
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers men's basketball continues a two-game road swing through the rugged road of the Big Ten Conference. After taking on Penn State on Wednesday night, RU continues on to play Minnesota on Saturday, a 12 pm game on Big Ten Network.
The men's basketball team will not be the only Scarlet Knights competing in Minneapolis over the weekend, with the women's swimming and diving team also in action at the Big Ten Championships, which are hosted by Minnesota at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center.
Rutgers enters the contest on a two-game winning streak against the two road trip opponents in the Big Ten, following up a home win over Maryland with program's first true road win of the season on Wednesday night at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center. The Scarlet Knights won both games by double-digits, downing Maryland, 68-57, then toppling Penn State, 85-72.
Rutgers took control of Wednesday's game at PSU from the outset, leading for all but 19 seconds, including taking their largest road lead in a Big Ten game since joining the Big Ten and led by as much as 20 in the contest. The Scarlet Knights had four different players score 12+ points, led by 22 points from Tariq Francis, while Dylan Grant added 15, 13 from freshman Harun Zrno and 12 from freshman guard Lino Mark. RU had 16 assists, second most on the year, to reach 80 points in regulation against a Big Ten team for the second time on the season. RU had 10 steals, led by three from Lino Mark, who had a career-high in both steals and field goals made (five), as his 12 points were second most of his career and his fourth career double-digit scoring output. The Scarlet Knights forced 15 Penn State turnovers and held them to 3-of-17 from three-point range.
Tariq Francis had his 20th double-digit scoring game of the year at Penn State and his eighth game with 20+ points while posting a season-high seven assists, which tied for his third most assists in a single game in his collegiate career. He averages 21.14 points per game across his last seven contests. Starting with his 34-point outburst against Penn on December 20, he has only twice scored less than 15 points.
Francis is now 120-of-134 on free throws this year (89.6%). He can break into the top-20 on RU's single season free throws made list with six more makes from the stripe. Only two Scarlet Knights since 1991 have made at least 126 free throws in a season: Quincy Douby (2005-06, 149) and Dylan Harper (2024-25, 126). His current percentage would stand as the fourth best in a single season at RU and best since 1996. Geoff Billet was the most recent Scarlet Knight to shoot 90% from the free throw line in a year, one of just three all-time.
Minnesota started the year at 10-5 overall at 3-1 in Big Ten play. Since Jan. 7, the Gophers are 2-9, but have won two of the past four, with a ranked win and home court storm over Michigan State, and a victory their last time out against Oregon. The Gophers finished their West Coast trip Tuesday with a 61-44 victory over the Ducks. Minnesota had balanced scoring, with four in double-digits, and held Oregon to just 2-of-20 behind the three-pint arc. It was the third time this season that Minnesota held a foe to 50 or fewer points.
Niko Medved is in his first year at the helm of the program, having won over 230 games in his first 13 years leading Furman, Drake and Colorado State, making three NCAA Tournaments with Colorado State.
Cade Tyson leads the team at 19.2 points per game, making 49 three-pointers and 154 free throws, the most in the Big Ten. He was previously at Belmont, where he was second team All-MVC in 2023-24 as he was second in the nation in three-point percentage. He saw action in 31 games at UNC last year.
Jaylen Crocker-Johnson came via Arkansas Little Rock and Colorado State and has averaged 13.4 points per game, second on the team, and is also second in rebounding at 6.8 boards. However, he has missed the last three games while dealing with a foot injury.
Sophomore Isaac Asuma is at 10.9 points per game, also making 49 three-pointers. Langston Reynolds, a First Team All-Big sky player last season, is at 10.8 points per game. Davidson transfer Bobby Durkin, who averaged 13.5 points last season, is at 9.7 points and 53 three-pointers.
RU is 8-11 all-time against Minnesota. That includes RU having won six of the past nine games against the Gophers. The lone meeting last year came in the regular season finale at Jersey Mike's Arena, with RU earning a 75-67 overtime win. Dylan Harper had 22 points in that contest. Rutgers had an 11-point second half lead that Minnesota cut into, but then the hosts outscored the Gophers 14-6 in the extra session. RU's last trip to Minnesota was two years ago, an 81-70 loss.
A victory would give RU a three-game winning streak against Big Ten teams since a four game winning stream from Feb. 3 to Feb. 15, 2024, when RU defeated Michigan, Maryland, Wisconsin and Northwestern. That was also the last time RU won consecutive true road games. It would be the second ever road win at Minnesota and first win at Williams Arena since March 6, 2021.
Rutgers returns home for the penultimate home game of the season on Tuesday. Washington travels in from the West Coast for a 6:30 pm tipoff.
The men's basketball team will not be the only Scarlet Knights competing in Minneapolis over the weekend, with the women's swimming and diving team also in action at the Big Ten Championships, which are hosted by Minnesota at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center.
| About Rutgers |
Rutgers enters the contest on a two-game winning streak against the two road trip opponents in the Big Ten, following up a home win over Maryland with program's first true road win of the season on Wednesday night at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center. The Scarlet Knights won both games by double-digits, downing Maryland, 68-57, then toppling Penn State, 85-72.
Rutgers took control of Wednesday's game at PSU from the outset, leading for all but 19 seconds, including taking their largest road lead in a Big Ten game since joining the Big Ten and led by as much as 20 in the contest. The Scarlet Knights had four different players score 12+ points, led by 22 points from Tariq Francis, while Dylan Grant added 15, 13 from freshman Harun Zrno and 12 from freshman guard Lino Mark. RU had 16 assists, second most on the year, to reach 80 points in regulation against a Big Ten team for the second time on the season. RU had 10 steals, led by three from Lino Mark, who had a career-high in both steals and field goals made (five), as his 12 points were second most of his career and his fourth career double-digit scoring output. The Scarlet Knights forced 15 Penn State turnovers and held them to 3-of-17 from three-point range.
Tariq Francis had his 20th double-digit scoring game of the year at Penn State and his eighth game with 20+ points while posting a season-high seven assists, which tied for his third most assists in a single game in his collegiate career. He averages 21.14 points per game across his last seven contests. Starting with his 34-point outburst against Penn on December 20, he has only twice scored less than 15 points.
Francis is now 120-of-134 on free throws this year (89.6%). He can break into the top-20 on RU's single season free throws made list with six more makes from the stripe. Only two Scarlet Knights since 1991 have made at least 126 free throws in a season: Quincy Douby (2005-06, 149) and Dylan Harper (2024-25, 126). His current percentage would stand as the fourth best in a single season at RU and best since 1996. Geoff Billet was the most recent Scarlet Knight to shoot 90% from the free throw line in a year, one of just three all-time.
| About Minnesota |
Minnesota started the year at 10-5 overall at 3-1 in Big Ten play. Since Jan. 7, the Gophers are 2-9, but have won two of the past four, with a ranked win and home court storm over Michigan State, and a victory their last time out against Oregon. The Gophers finished their West Coast trip Tuesday with a 61-44 victory over the Ducks. Minnesota had balanced scoring, with four in double-digits, and held Oregon to just 2-of-20 behind the three-pint arc. It was the third time this season that Minnesota held a foe to 50 or fewer points.
Niko Medved is in his first year at the helm of the program, having won over 230 games in his first 13 years leading Furman, Drake and Colorado State, making three NCAA Tournaments with Colorado State.
Cade Tyson leads the team at 19.2 points per game, making 49 three-pointers and 154 free throws, the most in the Big Ten. He was previously at Belmont, where he was second team All-MVC in 2023-24 as he was second in the nation in three-point percentage. He saw action in 31 games at UNC last year.
Jaylen Crocker-Johnson came via Arkansas Little Rock and Colorado State and has averaged 13.4 points per game, second on the team, and is also second in rebounding at 6.8 boards. However, he has missed the last three games while dealing with a foot injury.
Sophomore Isaac Asuma is at 10.9 points per game, also making 49 three-pointers. Langston Reynolds, a First Team All-Big sky player last season, is at 10.8 points per game. Davidson transfer Bobby Durkin, who averaged 13.5 points last season, is at 9.7 points and 53 three-pointers.
| About the Series |
RU is 8-11 all-time against Minnesota. That includes RU having won six of the past nine games against the Gophers. The lone meeting last year came in the regular season finale at Jersey Mike's Arena, with RU earning a 75-67 overtime win. Dylan Harper had 22 points in that contest. Rutgers had an 11-point second half lead that Minnesota cut into, but then the hosts outscored the Gophers 14-6 in the extra session. RU's last trip to Minnesota was two years ago, an 81-70 loss.
| With a Win |
A victory would give RU a three-game winning streak against Big Ten teams since a four game winning stream from Feb. 3 to Feb. 15, 2024, when RU defeated Michigan, Maryland, Wisconsin and Northwestern. That was also the last time RU won consecutive true road games. It would be the second ever road win at Minnesota and first win at Williams Arena since March 6, 2021.
| Up Next |
Rutgers returns home for the penultimate home game of the season on Tuesday. Washington travels in from the West Coast for a 6:30 pm tipoff.
Players Mentioned
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