Game Day Essentials:
Rutgers (8-6, 0-3) vs. Indiana (11-4, 3-1)
- Tip Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern, Tuesday
- Location: Jersey Mike’s Arena (8,000), Piscataway, N.J.
- Television: Peacock (Noah Eagle, Stephen Bardo)
- Stream: Peacock
- IU Radio Network: IU Radio Network
- Point Spread: Rutgers is around a 3.5-point favorite.
- KenPom Projected Score: No. 91 Indiana 67 – No. 89 Rutgers 70
- Series: The series is tied 8-8.
Rutgers’s Steve Pikiell
Steve Pikiell is in his eighth season as head coach of the Rutgers men’s basketball squad. Pikiell was hired on March 19th, 2016, to become the 18th head coach in program history,
Since joining the Scarlet Knights, Pikiell as appeared in postseason tournaments three separate times. His NCAA Tournament appearance in 2021 marked the first time Rutgers had done so since 1991. After reaching the tournament the year after, it would mark the first time Rutgers had made an appearance in consecutive seasons since 1971.
Pikiell has a record of 125-112 at Rutgers since being hired. In 2022, Pikiell passed Tom Young with the most ranked wins in Rutgers history at 15. During the 2022-23 season, Pikiell earned his 300th career win, and finished out with an appearance in the NIT.
Prior to Rutgers, Pikiell had a successful stint at Stony Brook. His time came with seven postseason tournament appearances, four regular season conference victories, and four America East conference Coach of the Year awards (2010, 2012, 2013, 2016).
Rutgers’s results and roster
| DATE | OPPONENT | LOCATION | TIME/RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/6/2023 | at Princeton | Trenton, N.J. | L 61-68 |
| 11/10/2023 | Boston University | Piscataway, N.J. | W 69-45 |
| 11/12/2023 | Bryant | Piscataway, N.J. | W 66-57 |
| 11/15/2023 | Georgetown (Gavitt Games) | Piscataway, N.J. | W 71-60 |
| 11/18/2023 | Howard | Piscataway, N.J. | W 85-63 |
| 11/27/2023 | Saint Peter’s | Piscataway, N.J. | W 71-40 |
| 12/2/2023 | #24 Illinois | Piscataway, N.J. | L 58-76 |
| 12/6/2023 | at Wake Forest | Winston-Salem, NC | L 76-57 |
| 12/9/2023 | at Seton Hall | Newark, N.J. | W 70-63 |
| 12/16/2023 | LIU | Piscataway, N.J. | W 83-61 |
| 12/23/2023 | vs. Mississippi State | Newark, N.J. | L 60-70 |
| 12/30/2023 | Stonehill | Piscataway, N.J. | W 59-58 |
| 1/3/2023 | at Ohio State | Columbus, OH | L 72-76 |
| 1/6/2024 | at Iowa | Iowa City, IA | L 77-86 |
Rutgers game notes (via Rutgers University Athletics)
OMORUYI WITH THE SWAT
Cliff Omoruyi had been one of the top shot blockers in the nation this season. He has 47 rejections this season, which stands third in the nation and first in the Big Ten in both total and per game (3.31 blocks per game). Omoruyi has 13 more blocks than the second-most in the league (Zach Edey and Felix Okpara, 34). Omoruyi has had multiple blocks in 11 of the 14 games this season, has six games of at least four blocks, and two games of at least seven blocks (seven blocks versus Seton Hall and eight blocks versus Illinois). Omoruyi, who had 72 blocks last season (12th all-time at RU in a single season), is seventh all-time at RU in career blocks (175).
DEREK SIMPSON STEPPING UP
Sophomore Derek Simpson has stepped up his game in year two ‘On the Banks’. Averaging 7.1 points last season, he finished the year strong with double-figure scoring in five of the last six games. He amped up that strong scoring last season, averaging 9.7 points per game with seven double figure scoring games through 14 contests. Simpson has twice this season reached a career-high of 23-points (Howard and at Ohio State). Simpson also hit the game-winning three-pointer with 12 seconds remaining to defeat Stonehill by one on December 30th.
STRONG ON ‘D’
Rutgers has continued to play the stout defense that head coach Steve Pikiell’s teams have been known for. Per KenPom, RU is second nationally in non-steal turnover percentage (11.6), fourth in block percentage (16.1), 12th in effective field goal percentage defense, 13th in adjusted defensive efficiency and 16th in turnover percentage. In the NCAA stats, Rutgers is 10th in blocks per game, leading the Big Ten. RU is also 13th nationally in turnover margin and 16th in field goal percentage defense.
OMORUYI PRESEASON AWARDS
Cliff Omoruyi has been chosen as a member of the watch list for the 2024 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, given to the best center in the country, being tabbed for the list for the second straight season.
Omoruyi was also selected to the 2023-24 All-Big Ten Preseason Team. He was tabbed to the preseason All-Big Ten team for the second consecutive season. Omoruyi’s former teammates Ron Harper Jr. (2021-22) and Geo Baker (2020-21) received the honor making four consecutive seasons a Scarlet Knight was named to the All-Big Ten Team. Omoruyi was a member of the First Team All-Big Ten Defensive Team and was tabbed to the Second-Team All-Big Ten a season ago.
PHIL SELLERS
The Rutgers men’s basketball family mourns the loss of Scarlet Knights legend Phil Sellers, who passed away at the age of 69 years old in September. Sellers is Rutgers’ all-time scoring and rebounding leader with 2,399 points and 1,115 rebounds and was the leader of the 1975-76 Final Four team. The team is wearing a jersey patch reading “PS – 12” for his jersey number in his memory.
Rutgers’s KenPom notable numbers:
(out of 362 teams)
Tempo – No. 185 (Offense No. 30 / Defense No. 357)
Offensive Efficiency – No. 227
- Rutgers has an effective field goal percentage of 44.7 percent, which lies at No. 333 in the nation. They shoot 29.1 percent from three (No. 323) and 45.3 percent from two (No. 321).
- The Scarlet Knights do get to the line at a 36.5 percent rate for every shot (No. 90) and see 21.4 percent of their point total come from the stripe as well (No. 65). Still, Rutgers is only shooting 66.6 percent on free throws this season (No. 310).
- Rutgers does crash the offensive glass fairly well, as they haul rebounds in at a 31.3 percent rate (No. 120).
Defensive Efficiency – No. 13
- For what they lack offensively, they make up on the other side of the floor. Opponents of Rutgers are shooting a 44.6 effective field goal percentage against the Scarlet Knights (No. 12).
- Rutgers has been tough to score on in the interior, as teams are shooting 42.9 percent from two on the season (No. 9). Three-point defense has been good as well, with opponents shooting 31.7 percent from beyond the arc (No. 105).
- Rutgers also forces a lot of turnovers with a 22.4 percent rate on the season (No. 16). They’re also one of the best blocking teams in the country at a 16.1 block percentage (No. 4).
For complete coverage of IU basketball, GO HERE.
The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”
- Find us on Facebook: thedailyhoosier
- You can follow us on Twitter: @daily_hoosier
- Seven ways to support completely free IU coverage at no cost to you.
