Game Day Essentials:
No. 10 Indiana (7-0) at Rutgers (5-2)
- Tip Time: 4:00 p.m. Eastern
- Location: Jersey Mike’s Arena (8,000), Piscataway, N.J.
- Television: BTN (Brandon Gaudin, Robbie Hummel, Andy Katz)
- Stream: Fox Sports
- IU Radio Network: IU Radio Network
- Point Spread: Indiana is a 3.5 point favorite
- KenPom Projected Score: No. 8 Indiana 69 No. 39 Rutgers 66
- Series: Tied 7-7. Rutgers won last meeting 66-63 on Mar. 2, 2022
“I haven’t beat Rutgers” — The reality of ascending the Big Ten ladder starts Saturday
Rutgers Steve Pikiell:
Steve Pikiell is in his seventh season as head men’s basketball coach at Rutgers. He has a record of 103-93 overall. Under his leadership, the program has seen unprecedented success in recent years.
For the first time since 1991, Rutgers made the NCAA Tournament in 2021. The Scarlet Knights returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2022, marking the first time they have made the Big Dance in consecutive seasons since 1976.
Not only are they making the tournament, but they are winning games against ranked teams in the process. In 2022, Pikiell surpassed Tom Young with the most ranked wins in school history, 13. That included the program’s first-ever win against a No. 1 ranked team in Purdue.
Pikiell’s ability to build programs shouldn’t come as a surprise given his track record. Before Rutgers, he was head coach at Stony Brook for 11 seasons.
After enduring four losing seasons in his first six there, he finished with five straight 20-plus win campaigns.
In his last year at Stony Brook, the team finished 26-7 overall, won both the regular season and conference tournament championships and made the NCAA Tournament.
Rutgers results and roster:
After beginning the season 3-0 with wins over Columbia, Sacred Heart and UMass Lowell, Rutgers has since lost two of four.
Both of their loses were close contests, 72-66 versus Temple on a neutral court, and 68-61 versus the Miami Hurricanes on the road.
Rutgers also won games against Rider and Central Connecticut.
Rutgers 2022-23 KenPom Highlights:
Tempo – No. 151 (Offense No. 66 / Defense No. 264)
Offensive Efficiency – No. 109
- Rutgers effective field goal percentage of 47.5 percent is No. 262 nationally and consists of the No. 235 percentage from three (31.7) and No. 248 percentage from two (47.4).
- The Scarlet Knights crash the glass, with an offensive rebounding percentage of 37.1 (No. 18).
- Rutgers relies heavily on two’s, with three-point attempts accounting for just 28.4 percent of field goal attempts, No. 343.
Defensive Efficiency – No. 12
- Rutgers ranks No. 5 in overall opponent effective field goal percentage (40.0), including No. 2 in three-point percentage (19.9) and No. 87 in two-point percentage (46.4).
- The Scarlet Knights are forcing teams into a lot of mistakes, turning them over on 26.4 percent of possessions (No. 10).
- Defensive rebounding has been as issue for Rutgers, allowing teams to get offensive rebounds on 30.0 percent of possessions, No. 224.
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